The Heroes of Thyrion: The Assassin

taken from the original game manual

The Crusader

The Paladin

The Assassin

The Necromancer

The Assassin

The Assassin is a master of stealth, disguise, and trickery. Whereas the Paladin rushes into combat with a mighty roar, the Assassin sneaks up from behind. Many of the Assassin’s weapons and skills are geared toward trickery and concealment. From her devastating ability to backstab an opponent to the deadly Hand Crossbow, it is clear the Assassin is always ready for an unfair fight.

Profile of the Assassin

The Assassin hails from Khitar, one of the few true cities in the jungles of Mazaera. As a child she watched her parents toil as farmers, reaping a meager harvest from the unforgiving jungle soil. A farmer’s life is always difficult, but even more so in Mazaera, where the land is particularly unsuited to the task. The Assassin learned this by observation, and she learned even more as she prowled the streets of Khitar–against her parents’ wishes. Wealthy folk of all description wandered those unpaved streets: gem merchants with stout bodyguards, proud mercenaries bearing gold-hilted scimitars, and slavers in ivory-trimmed palanquins. None spared a second glance for an urchin in dirty rags.

As days and years went by, the Assassin became scornful of her parents. Rich folk gained their wealth by treading upon the weak, and only weak fools would till the accursed, clay-filled soil of Mazaera. Vowing never to become a fool like her parents, she ran away at the age of fifteen and took up the dark career of the assassin. First preying upon drunkards and the unwary, she gradually learned the tricks of her bloody trade, and began to aim for wealthier victims. Her skills grew by leaps and bounds. Nobody, it seemed, was safe from her depredations.

With a small fortune accumulated in her secret lair, the Assassin soon realized she had become bored with her trade. She required ever richer victims, more and more danger, to sustain the thrill of the hunt. Who remained that could pose a challenge? Kings? Emperors? With a crooked smile, she decided upon her next victim: the richest and most powerful being on all of Thyrion. Armed with Katar and Crossbow, she set forth on her quest to rid the world of Eidolon.

The Assassin's Abilities

The Assassin is a master of stealth and deadly strikes. The first noteworthy ability the Assassin gains is that of stealth: she can render herself invisible when standing perfectly still in a shadowed area. It takes a few seconds for her to achieve this invisibility, but once attained, the illusion is perfect. It is rumored that Assassins can master this skill in broad daylight when their skills are all but perfected.

The Assassin makes very little sound when moving, and is often able to surprise her victims. Creeping up from behind, she strikes before her foes acknowledge her presence. When attacking in this fashion, she is capable of dealing much more damage than she otherwise would. This ability also comes into play when the Assassin strikes a foe who knows of her existence, but allows her to get behind him. This is a rare occurrence, but occasionally significant when she fights sluggish opponents such as Golems.

The Assassin's Weapons

The Assassin’s weapons are excellent for trickery and deception: the Katar is ideal for vicious backstabbing, her small incendiary Grenades can be lobbed down at unsuspecting passersby, and her deadly Hand Crossbow is excellent for picking off foes from afar.

	Katar The vicious Katar (or "punch dagger") is the Assassin’s first weapon. It is the least of her weapons, but deadly nonetheless. It deals moderate damage at limited range, and can be wielded very effectively in close quarters. The Tome of Power imbues the Katar with a viscous nerve toxin and allows the Assassin to knock back her enemies with great force.

	Hand Crossbow The Hand Crossbow is a trademark weapon of the Assassin. Light and portable, yet deadly, the Hand Crossbow fires three iron bolts for an added measure of destruction. The Assassin likes to employ this weapon against distant foes, switching to Katar before closing to short range. The Tome of Power magically multiplies the Hand Crossbow’s projectiles. Instead of three bolts, five flaming bolts are fired from the Hand Crossbow. These bolts stick in their target for a moment before exploding for additional damage.

	Grenades The Assassin wields small incendiary devices that only she knows how to construct. These clusters of Grenades tend to roll and bounce for a moment or two before detonating, and therefore require careful aim and a measure of foresight from the Assassin. When used in conjunction with the Tome of Power, the grenades increase in size. Instead of hurling a single, small incendiary, the Assassin throws a bigger Grenade, which then detonates into many smaller explosions.

	Staff of Set The Assassin possesses a magical staff with a special power. It fires a scarab of concentrated magical energy. The Assassin may increase the potency of this staff by hesitating before firing it, and allowing magical energy to build up within. This weapon contains power that must be earned. There are two pieces that must be joined together before it can be unleashed. The Tome of Power imbues the Staff with a different ability. In its powered state, the restless spirits imprisoned in the staff vent their rage upon its hapless victims, wrapping them in a cocoon of razor-sharp chains and violently stripping flesh from bone.