Death Cult Assassin

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Soon you'll learn this is the most terrifying thing in the universe.

Human Death Cults are found on worlds throughout the Imperium. A large proportion of these cults worship the Blood God Khorne, offering their gruesome kills to him; many, however, are in fact extreme sects of the Imperial Cult, sacrificing the enemies of the Emperor in return for his continuous self-sacrifice for humanity.

Overview

The Death Cult Assassins are often the cut-throat members of shadowy sects that somehow gotten a pass by either the Inquisition or the Arbites. They are highly skilled with blades of all shapes and sizes, they perfect their art of killing to a religious and definitely unorthodox standard, with each type of wound caused being significant in some spiritual way. As such, they will often stalk their potential target for a long time, carefully judging the worthiness of their sacrifice and planning the perfect kill, before bursting from the shadows like a combination of Freddy Krueger and a drugged-up serial rapist; butchering the target in a fountain of blood. Following this they tend to at least partially consume the remains, before offering what's left to the Emperor (kinky). Leaving the bones of their defeated foes on the altars of the Cathedrals of the Ecclesiarchy is not unheard of, and generally the local choir boy would often be the first ones to find this before turning the other direction going, "Nope! Nope! Not my problem! Emprah be damned we have too many psychotic bitches! Fuckin bordeline-Heresy yo!" and dowsing himself in holy water by the gallon.

Overall the Ecclesiarchy's opinion of the death cults is that if you're gonna have death cults, it's better to have ones that sacrifice TO the Emperor instead of the alternative. Within their territory death cults do tend to have the effect of suppressing chaos cults in what amounts to a very bloody spiritual turf war. Some cults (particularly on ships) focus their ministrations to the infirm and suffering, swiftly and mercifully dispatching those who've become a burden. More frequently though, cults prey on the corrupt or heretical, making bloody spectacles of the wicked. In all cases, the fear they instill in the populace serves the Ecclesiarchy in the end.

Given their impressive talents, Death Cult Assassins can end up being contracted by official organizations within the Imperium, be they the local planetary government, or Inquisitors requiring a bodyguard (or requiring someone dead). After a long and loyal service to an Imperial entity, especially skilled Death Cult Assassins may even be sent to the Officio Assassinorum and trained to become proper Imperial Assassins, which are many times more deadly. However, despite the obvious boons an Imperial Death Cult can provide to the local Imperial population, Khornate Death Cults present a dangerous prospect, and are to be terminated without mercy if discovered, so this naturally gives any Death Cult a heavy air of suspicion. Nevertheless, loyal Death Cult Assassins in the employ of the Imperium can make a big difference, infiltrating enemy fortresses and murdering their commanders quickly and silently. Whole cults can make a useful ad-hoc military force for Inquisitors and Rogue Traders who need something killed right fucking now and there are usually at least one or two knocking around most occupied worlds in the Imperium.

It should be noted that most artwork depicting Death Cults are female even though the fluff never really clarified whether it is a solely female organization. But seeing how most of them are wearing skin tight latex with semi or exposed tits means that someone in GeeDubs may have been pushing a bit too much of his BDSM fetish on our 40k. Not like we are complaining whatsoever, since most dudes would not mind dying between the thighs of some psychotic, latex wearing dominatrix. Or surprised, since, yaknow, Slaanesh.

The Death Cults also form as part of the Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclave, which is probably the closest thing those Old Geezers would probably get to having a bunch of Dark Eldar Wych wannabees.

In the Eisenhorn novel Malleus, it is noted in some detail how some uphivers will LARP as Death Cultists by dressing in skin tight latex and watching snuff Picts at parties. These idiots should not be seen as real Death Cultists.