Post by The Librarian on Jul 9, 2016 14:50:15 GMT -7
Based on Culexus Assassins from Warhammer 40K and the Pristinely Ungifted from the Sword of Truth series, with a little bit of my own thrown in.
The condition is rare. Known by some as souless, others as neverborn, untouchables, and many other names for such a few. Born with the Pariah gene, these few are a self contained entity, a supernatural singularity. They possess no presence in the planes. Their entire being is contained within their single form. They bodies are immune to magic as if the specific code which tells them how to react to energy was never coded into their DNA. Even normal humans (friend or foe) find the presence of a Pariah extremely disturbing, but the effect is most pronounced on those who manipulate the energies of reality. These individuals find them genuinely terrifying, as though staring into a hole in the universe. Pariahs can nullify powers, and if in close quarters their very existence drains the souls from those who use such tricks. Pariahs therefore specialize in psyker hunting. Pariahs have also been shown to be useful at combating daemons and similar beings, as Daemons are entirely made of psychic power.
The unnatural aura which surrounds a pariah is usually very small, about five feet around the individual. This field nullifies magics, it is as if they wash completely over the Pariah without ever touching his form. Pariahs have been seen in the midst of a devastating explosion only to walk out the other side completely unscathed. Through the use of technology it can be extended or removed entirely. Those within the Pariah's aura find themselves subject to similar protection from magic as the pariah himself.
Due to their nature, a Pariah is invisible to supernatural senses. When their aura is held close, they cannot be distinguished from the normal threads of reality around them. This makes them useful in combating manipulators as they must be pinpointed through physical senses or similar means.
The condition is rare. Known by some as souless, others as neverborn, untouchables, and many other names for such a few. Born with the Pariah gene, these few are a self contained entity, a supernatural singularity. They possess no presence in the planes. Their entire being is contained within their single form. They bodies are immune to magic as if the specific code which tells them how to react to energy was never coded into their DNA. Even normal humans (friend or foe) find the presence of a Pariah extremely disturbing, but the effect is most pronounced on those who manipulate the energies of reality. These individuals find them genuinely terrifying, as though staring into a hole in the universe. Pariahs can nullify powers, and if in close quarters their very existence drains the souls from those who use such tricks. Pariahs therefore specialize in psyker hunting. Pariahs have also been shown to be useful at combating daemons and similar beings, as Daemons are entirely made of psychic power.
The unnatural aura which surrounds a pariah is usually very small, about five feet around the individual. This field nullifies magics, it is as if they wash completely over the Pariah without ever touching his form. Pariahs have been seen in the midst of a devastating explosion only to walk out the other side completely unscathed. Through the use of technology it can be extended or removed entirely. Those within the Pariah's aura find themselves subject to similar protection from magic as the pariah himself.
Due to their nature, a Pariah is invisible to supernatural senses. When their aura is held close, they cannot be distinguished from the normal threads of reality around them. This makes them useful in combating manipulators as they must be pinpointed through physical senses or similar means.
Culexus Assassin
The Culexus Temple is one of the most sinister and feared orders of the Officio Assassinorum and its assassins have been described by Eldar Warlocks as nothing short of the embodiment of pure evil. Even among the upper echelons of the Officio Assassinorum this temple is always viewed with extreme caution. The reason for this is not because of the way that the Culexian Assassins carry out their operations, or the heinous methods of killing they employ. It is because of the very nature of the Culexus Assassins themselves.
The Assassins of this particular temple are not chosen because of their innate savagery, cunning or combat skills. First and foremost, potential candidates are chosen to be Culexus Assassins because they are born with an extremely rare human genetic mutation called the Pariah Gene -- which means they have no presence within the Warp like all other sentient beings, and thus no soul.
This extremely rare genetic defect occurs for no known reason in less than one in a billion individuals. However, in recent years evidence has emerged that the Pariah gene was engineered into Mankind's ancestors million of years ago by the C'tan and their Necron servants so that humanity might be used as a weapon against the psychic species like the Eldar and the Orks that the Old Ones had created to defeat the C'tan. It is for this reason that the Necrons capture humans with the Pariah gene and transform them into the hideous Necron Pariahs.
Even normal humans find the presence of a Pariah extremely disturbing, but the effect is most pronounced on psykers, who find Pariahs genuinely terrifying, as though staring into a hole in the universe when they use their Witch sight. It is hardly surprising that Pariahs are often treated like outcasts or lepers in Imperial society, rejected by their parents and banished from their homeworld's local settlements. Local superstitions on many worlds often warn about touching them, saying that to do so would bring bad luck. Resigned to their fate, many Pariahs lead simple, solitary existences, as far away from heavily populated areas as possible.
All psykers and intrinsically psychic species like the Eldar consider a being like a Culexus Assassin to be an absolute abomination. Even monstrosities such as a Tyranid Hive Tyrant can balk at the prospect of being permanently severed from their psychic abilities and the Hive Mind. The Culexus Assassin causes absolute terror in all psykers -- which is why they are so useful to the Imperium.
Pariahs can nullify psychic powers, and if they are in close quarters to their targets their very existence drains the strength from psykers. Culexus Assassins therefore specialize in psyker-hunting, most notably of Eldar Warlocks and rogue human psykers. Culexus Assassins have also been shown to be useful at combating daemons, as daemons are entirely composed of psychic power drawn from the Warp and given form in real space only so long as they have a link to the Immaterium. A Culexus Assassin carries no gun or hand-to-hand weapons, for he needs none and would be distracted by their use. Once on the battlefield the Assassin's chosen Custodian will release his hold over the Assassin. The large eye in the Assassin's Animus Speculum opens and only then does the full intensity of the Assassin's horrific anti-psyker capabilities flood the battlefield.
The Culexus Assassin attacks using his own innate abilities enhanced by years of training, mental exercises and arcane war gear. He slips through the battle lines and bodyguards, his negative aura muddling the minds of conventional troops, allowing him to close upon his targets. Bolts of negative Warp energy blast the minds of enemy psykers and strip them of their powers before he moves in for the kill, sapping the very life-force from their bodies.
When the Culexus Temple receives a mission, an Assassin is chosen and transported to the arena of conflict on board a specially shielded ship (much like the Black Ships of the Inquisition). In addition to this, the Assassin is specially equipped with their most notable piece of equipment -- the Animus Speculum. This stylized skull-like helm helps conceal much of a Culexus Assassin's soulless nature from onlookers and particularly from psykers. The helm is only partially effective even while active, as most people can barely stand to be in the same room with a Pariah. During battle, however, the arcane "eye" of the helm opens, allowing the Assassin's full abilities to be unleashed. The Animus fires bolts of negative psychic energy, and can drain nearby psykers of their connection to Warp energy to increase its own power. Each Culexus Assassin is accompanied by a Custodian, who operates the Animus Speculum and ensures that his charge remains under his control and does not arouse suspicion among the other allied Imperial forces fighting in the campaign.
Culexus Assassins also use the exotic Psyk-Out Grenades, a weapon used exclusively by the Culexus Temple and the Daemon Hunters of the Ordo Malleus. Each grenade is similar in design to a Frag Grenade, however it is laced with a highly dangerous substance that is only produced as a metabolic by-product of the Emperor's Golden Throne on Terra. The dust-like substance is heavily impregnated with negative psychic energy and is very rare. When some has been collected, the Imperium's finest armourers use the dust to make Psyk-out Grenades and Psycannon rounds.
The Culexus Assassin wears an advanced Aegis Suit known as the Etherium, which is built into the Culexus Assassin's own synthskin. This, combined with the Culexus Assassin's innate anti-psychic abilities, means that psychic attacks pass right through him as if he were invisible. This induces confusion and disorientation in his foes and makes it near-impossible to target the Assassin even with conventional weapons. Another important aspect of the Etherium is the Force Matrix, the numerous psychic conduits that run within the Assassin's Etherium. The Force Matrix is made from a material similar to that used in Force Weapons. When a psyker taps into the Warp, they are not always totally efficient at using all of the energy they can absorb: a lot of excess energy is simply left to dissipate into the surrounding space. The Force Matrix acts as a conductor, absorbing this excess Warp energy and providing the Culexus Assassin, who is unable to tap directly into the Warp, with a source of energy to enhance his abilities. The closer the Culexus Assassin gets to psykers, the more energy the Force Matrix will absorb.
The Culexus Temple is one of the most sinister and feared orders of the Officio Assassinorum and its assassins have been described by Eldar Warlocks as nothing short of the embodiment of pure evil. Even among the upper echelons of the Officio Assassinorum this temple is always viewed with extreme caution. The reason for this is not because of the way that the Culexian Assassins carry out their operations, or the heinous methods of killing they employ. It is because of the very nature of the Culexus Assassins themselves.
The Assassins of this particular temple are not chosen because of their innate savagery, cunning or combat skills. First and foremost, potential candidates are chosen to be Culexus Assassins because they are born with an extremely rare human genetic mutation called the Pariah Gene -- which means they have no presence within the Warp like all other sentient beings, and thus no soul.
This extremely rare genetic defect occurs for no known reason in less than one in a billion individuals. However, in recent years evidence has emerged that the Pariah gene was engineered into Mankind's ancestors million of years ago by the C'tan and their Necron servants so that humanity might be used as a weapon against the psychic species like the Eldar and the Orks that the Old Ones had created to defeat the C'tan. It is for this reason that the Necrons capture humans with the Pariah gene and transform them into the hideous Necron Pariahs.
Even normal humans find the presence of a Pariah extremely disturbing, but the effect is most pronounced on psykers, who find Pariahs genuinely terrifying, as though staring into a hole in the universe when they use their Witch sight. It is hardly surprising that Pariahs are often treated like outcasts or lepers in Imperial society, rejected by their parents and banished from their homeworld's local settlements. Local superstitions on many worlds often warn about touching them, saying that to do so would bring bad luck. Resigned to their fate, many Pariahs lead simple, solitary existences, as far away from heavily populated areas as possible.
All psykers and intrinsically psychic species like the Eldar consider a being like a Culexus Assassin to be an absolute abomination. Even monstrosities such as a Tyranid Hive Tyrant can balk at the prospect of being permanently severed from their psychic abilities and the Hive Mind. The Culexus Assassin causes absolute terror in all psykers -- which is why they are so useful to the Imperium.
Pariahs can nullify psychic powers, and if they are in close quarters to their targets their very existence drains the strength from psykers. Culexus Assassins therefore specialize in psyker-hunting, most notably of Eldar Warlocks and rogue human psykers. Culexus Assassins have also been shown to be useful at combating daemons, as daemons are entirely composed of psychic power drawn from the Warp and given form in real space only so long as they have a link to the Immaterium. A Culexus Assassin carries no gun or hand-to-hand weapons, for he needs none and would be distracted by their use. Once on the battlefield the Assassin's chosen Custodian will release his hold over the Assassin. The large eye in the Assassin's Animus Speculum opens and only then does the full intensity of the Assassin's horrific anti-psyker capabilities flood the battlefield.
The Culexus Assassin attacks using his own innate abilities enhanced by years of training, mental exercises and arcane war gear. He slips through the battle lines and bodyguards, his negative aura muddling the minds of conventional troops, allowing him to close upon his targets. Bolts of negative Warp energy blast the minds of enemy psykers and strip them of their powers before he moves in for the kill, sapping the very life-force from their bodies.
When the Culexus Temple receives a mission, an Assassin is chosen and transported to the arena of conflict on board a specially shielded ship (much like the Black Ships of the Inquisition). In addition to this, the Assassin is specially equipped with their most notable piece of equipment -- the Animus Speculum. This stylized skull-like helm helps conceal much of a Culexus Assassin's soulless nature from onlookers and particularly from psykers. The helm is only partially effective even while active, as most people can barely stand to be in the same room with a Pariah. During battle, however, the arcane "eye" of the helm opens, allowing the Assassin's full abilities to be unleashed. The Animus fires bolts of negative psychic energy, and can drain nearby psykers of their connection to Warp energy to increase its own power. Each Culexus Assassin is accompanied by a Custodian, who operates the Animus Speculum and ensures that his charge remains under his control and does not arouse suspicion among the other allied Imperial forces fighting in the campaign.
Culexus Assassins also use the exotic Psyk-Out Grenades, a weapon used exclusively by the Culexus Temple and the Daemon Hunters of the Ordo Malleus. Each grenade is similar in design to a Frag Grenade, however it is laced with a highly dangerous substance that is only produced as a metabolic by-product of the Emperor's Golden Throne on Terra. The dust-like substance is heavily impregnated with negative psychic energy and is very rare. When some has been collected, the Imperium's finest armourers use the dust to make Psyk-out Grenades and Psycannon rounds.
The Culexus Assassin wears an advanced Aegis Suit known as the Etherium, which is built into the Culexus Assassin's own synthskin. This, combined with the Culexus Assassin's innate anti-psychic abilities, means that psychic attacks pass right through him as if he were invisible. This induces confusion and disorientation in his foes and makes it near-impossible to target the Assassin even with conventional weapons. Another important aspect of the Etherium is the Force Matrix, the numerous psychic conduits that run within the Assassin's Etherium. The Force Matrix is made from a material similar to that used in Force Weapons. When a psyker taps into the Warp, they are not always totally efficient at using all of the energy they can absorb: a lot of excess energy is simply left to dissipate into the surrounding space. The Force Matrix acts as a conductor, absorbing this excess Warp energy and providing the Culexus Assassin, who is unable to tap directly into the Warp, with a source of energy to enhance his abilities. The closer the Culexus Assassin gets to psykers, the more energy the Force Matrix will absorb.
Pristinely Ungifted
Pristinely ungifted people are those who are completely immune to additive magic. This is because they were born without a single trace of the gift, unlike most people, who are born with a tiny fraction.
Often referred to as "Pillars of Creation" or "Holes in the World", the pristinely ungifted are unharmed and unseen by the gift. Additive Magic does not affect them in any way, though Subtractive Magic, being the power of death affects them the same as it does an ordinary person.
Though Additive Magic can not directly harm someone who is pristinely ungifted, it can harm them indirectly. A bolt of lightning, conjured by a sorceress, will in itself not injure the pristinely ungifted, but shards of rock sent flying by the conjured bolt would still be capable of wounding them.
The trait of being pristinely ungifted was an unforeseen side effect of the bond to the Lord Rahl, that always insures a gifted heir. A person who is pristinely ungifted is always a descendant of the House of Rahl. A person who is pristinely ungifted will always bear a child who is pristinely ungifted. There is no way of restoring the link in the broken chain of magic.
In the TV series 'Legend of the Seeker', Denna made the statement that once every generation or so a child was born on whom magic would have no effect on whatsoever and they, in turn, couldn't use magic. Pristinely ungifted were obviously much more rare in the television series than they were in the books. In the first part of the two part series finale of Legend of the Seeker, some Sisters of the Dark capture Jennsen and drain her blood. They make a serum with her blood which destroyed their gift, and therefore, made them pristinely ungifted, letting them infiltrate the People's Palace unnoticed. Ungifted and pristinely ungifted are two very different qualities found in the books. Pristinely ungifted is an exceedingly rare trait.
Pristinely ungifted people are those who are completely immune to additive magic. This is because they were born without a single trace of the gift, unlike most people, who are born with a tiny fraction.
Often referred to as "Pillars of Creation" or "Holes in the World", the pristinely ungifted are unharmed and unseen by the gift. Additive Magic does not affect them in any way, though Subtractive Magic, being the power of death affects them the same as it does an ordinary person.
Though Additive Magic can not directly harm someone who is pristinely ungifted, it can harm them indirectly. A bolt of lightning, conjured by a sorceress, will in itself not injure the pristinely ungifted, but shards of rock sent flying by the conjured bolt would still be capable of wounding them.
The trait of being pristinely ungifted was an unforeseen side effect of the bond to the Lord Rahl, that always insures a gifted heir. A person who is pristinely ungifted is always a descendant of the House of Rahl. A person who is pristinely ungifted will always bear a child who is pristinely ungifted. There is no way of restoring the link in the broken chain of magic.
In the TV series 'Legend of the Seeker', Denna made the statement that once every generation or so a child was born on whom magic would have no effect on whatsoever and they, in turn, couldn't use magic. Pristinely ungifted were obviously much more rare in the television series than they were in the books. In the first part of the two part series finale of Legend of the Seeker, some Sisters of the Dark capture Jennsen and drain her blood. They make a serum with her blood which destroyed their gift, and therefore, made them pristinely ungifted, letting them infiltrate the People's Palace unnoticed. Ungifted and pristinely ungifted are two very different qualities found in the books. Pristinely ungifted is an exceedingly rare trait.