Acuitor
Acuitors are elite Mech-Assassins that serve in the Adeptus Mechanicus within the Calixis Sector.[1a]
History
The origins of the Acuitor Set are largely scattered amongst the Lathe Worlds, though certain shadowy records do exist that place their formation. Their founding is traced to the time of the Angevin Crusade where a prior Magos known as Samadhi led his forces in a number of victories during the Mechanicus's campaign against the Adrantians in the area of space that became the Calixis Sector. The achievements of the Cult Mechanicus during to the Crusade led to the Grant of the Lathes in 380.M39. In this time, Magos Samadhi gained enough influence to create his own secret order of assassins, with rumours claiming that he gained the approval of the Lords Dragon on the promise of future service to their cause. This sub-cult of the Cult Mechanicus became trained and dedicated to the art of eliminating the enemies of the Omnissiah. With the Acuitor Set established, Samadhi began creating hidden fortresses scattered throughout the Lathes with such sites as Rasamal on Lathe-Hesh and Tumala in the Panopticon. At these bases, the disciples of the Acuitor Set trained in perfecting the Omnissiah's tools and using them to bring death on their enemies. As a result, the Acuitor Set became one of the countless orders of assassins that exist within the Calixis Sector. Eventually, Magos Samadhi disappeared into the depths of the Tumala archive whereupon his disciples rallied under the data-tracts of the first Grand Magister of the Acuitor Set. These adherents believe that the data-tracts of Samadhi contain his own cogitations and contain his ultimate scheme that all Acuitors participate in but do not fully understand. Since then, "Magister Samadhi" has been used as a rank within the organization, for its director. Since that time, the Acuitors' numbers have expanded, though they are still rare. Yet for their small numbers, they continue to operate in the shadows, where they continue the directive of Magister Samadhi over the Calixis Sector.[1a]
Background
These Mech-Assassins are trained in the arts of stealth and their initiates often infiltrate locations in plain sight. Acuitors decant the stored data-tracks, containing the knowledge of their founder, into their own minds and follow their patron's directive by tirelessly hunting down any obstacles in the path of the Adeptus Mechanicus. These Mech-Assassins have become consummate infiltrators that are able to pass as normal Tech-Priests when they are dealing with commoners. The ancient data-tracks of Samadhi aids an Acuitor in overcoming problems when dealing with other Tech-Priests, as these assassins can lace portions of the Secret Archive of Samadhi into their binaric cant that allows them to subtly scramble the judgments of a listener.[1a]
The members of the order are answerable only to the Magister Samadhi. Underneath their heavy red robes, they move according to the will of their masters and without scrutiny. The nature of the Priesthood of Mars means that most citizens treat all Tech-Priests with reverence and fear. As a result, one of the Acuitors' greatest strengths is their ability to move among Imperial citizens in plain sight, yet remain largely ignored. Only the great lords of the Machine Cult and certain Inquisitors are able to distinguish a Mech-Assassin from an ordinary Tech-Priest.[1a]
Many of the recruits are seasoned Tech-Priests that are called to use their skills to eliminate their foes. These few are recruited from select worlds and only from individuals that can tread the darker path of the Omnissiah. This can either be due to battlefield appointments, bad luck or through logical reason requiring violent conflict. Upon passing rigorous trials, the recruits are infused with the data-tracks, carrying within them part of the large, calculating mind of Samadhi. This ancient knowledge allows these Mech-Assassins to act according to a singular great plan, without knowing the full extent of the plan, or even recognizing other members of their order.[1b]
The disguised agents of the Acuitor Set maintain voidships, repair cogitators, unjam weapons and slaughter unsuspecting prey. Acuitor methods can vary; some prefer clean kills from a distance, using traps, or making use of scripted malfunctions; others enjoy the feel of the "wet-iron" of their victims at the hands of their bladed Mechadendrites. In addition, many Mech-Assassins train themselves to enter into a frenzied state on command, in which they are flooded with Samadhi's data-tracts to guide their movements in battle. This terrible practice sees an Acuitor become fearless in the knowledge that all events are proceeding according to the plans of the Grand Magister. The balanced combination of clinical thought, razor-sharp forethought and savage battle fury makes Mech-Assassins amongst the deadliest fighters created by the Lathe Worlds.[1b]
Amongst the greatest weapons in the arsenal of an Acuitor is his sharp mind, used to plan a kill by running simulation after simulation in hisaugmented cranium. These projections take a wide array of factors into account, in a manner that few without the gifts of the Omnissiah could accomplish. Acuitors use these skills to stalk their target for months or even years at a time, gathering information to be filed away for later use in an assassination attempt. Furthermore, their honed minds allow them to make use of nearly anything as a lethal weapon, such as steam pipes being used as a scalding trap for unwary passer-bys, or turning a firearm into a timebomb and even turning an ancient cogitator into a shadowy maze to trap the mind of a Heretek whilst leaving their bodies helpless. If a member of the Acuitor Set cannot find makeshift weaponry, they can seek alternate means to achieve their kill, such as depressurizing the cabin of a voidship or redirecting a reactor vent through nearby air ducts in order to force their target into more vulnerable positions. Ultimately, an infinite number of possibilities exist for a Mech-Assassin to murder and finding the best means to eliminate an enemy of the Omnissiah is simply their role in fulfilling the Quest for Knowledge.[1b]
See also
Sources
External Links
- The Lathe Worlds Preview (last accessed 11 March 2015)
