Tiger Designs
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"Kuurus stood up and stretched. He picked up his short sword in its scabbard, his helmet and his shield. These he slung over his left shoulder. Then he picked up his spear, and stood there, against the sky, on the crest of the hill, in the black tunic."
(This quote shows the diversity of the Assassins equipment but the common theme of Black)
"It was a throwing knife, of a sort used in Ar, much smaller than the southern quiva, and tapered on only one side. It was a knife designed for killing. Mixed with the blood and fluids of the body there was a smear of white at the end of the steel, the softened residue of a glaze of kanda paste, now melted by body heat, which had coated the tip of the blade. On the hilt of the dagger, curling about it, was the legend, 'I have sought him. I have found him.' It was a killing knife. 'The Caste of Assassins?' I had asked. 'Unlikely,' had said the Older Tarl, 'for Assassins are commonly too proud for poison.'"
(The choice weapon was the killing knife, a weapon of an assassin)
"The sword of the warrior, commonly, is pledged to a Home Stone, that of the assassin to gold and the knife."
(The difference of Scarlet and Black and where loyalties lay)
"'An Assassin goes in and does his job, and comes out quietly,' he said. 'Warriors storm buildings and burn towers.'"
(The difference as regarded between the castes in techniques)
"'The Assassin,' he said, 'is like a musician, a surgeon. The Warrior is like a butcher. He is a ravaging, bloodthirsty lout.'"
(The difference as regarded between the castes in attitudes)
"The training of the assassin is thorough and cruel. He who wears the black of the caste has not won it easily."
(The difficulty of the training is known throughout Gor)
"Scormus of Ar reminded me of men of the caste of Assassins, as they sometimes are, before they begin their hunt. The edge must be sharp, the resolve must be merciless, the instinct to kill must in no way be blunted."
(The attitude of an Assassin must be like his blade and as precise)
"More than one triumph in a Gorean city has been spoiled by the bolt of an assassin."
(This showd the effectiveness of an Assassin to change the course of events)
"Without speaking the man took twenty pieces of gold, tarn disks of Ar, of double weight, and gave them to Kuurus, who placed them in the pockets of his belt. The assassins, unlike most castes, do not carry pouches."
(This gives an example that Assassins carried no pouches and cared little for the reason behind the killing, only the gold)
"'Justice must be done,' said the man. Kuurus said nothing, but only looked at the man. Often, though not always,they spoke of justice. It pleases them to speak of justice, he said to himself. And of right. It eases them and gives them peace. There is no such thing as justice, said Kuurus, to himself. There is only gold and steel." (Once again the reasons for the kill were unimportant only the gold mattered, the reason themselves were trivial)
"'Whom am I to kill?' asked Kuurus.
'I do not know,' said the man. (This shows that you were paid then found out the Mark of the kill)
"Kuurus, of the Caste of Assassins, entered the great gate of Ar. Guardsman did not detain him, for he wore on his forehead the mark of the black dagger."
(Here an example that if marked, an assassin could move about undisturbed, but this was the city)
"Tarl of Bristol himself on the windy height of Ar's Cylinder of Justice had defeated Pa-Kur, Master of the Assassins. From that time the black of the Assassins had not been seen in the streets of Glorious Ar. Yet none would stand in the way of Kuurus for he wore on his forehead, small and fine, the sign of the black dagger. When he of the Caste of Assassins has been paid his gold and has received his charge he affixes on his forehead that sign, that he may enter whatever city he pleases, that none may interfere with his work."
(Once again just to reinforce the concept of the above quote, no one in a City interfered with a Marked Black)
"Since the siege of Ar, when Pa-Kur, Master Assassin, had violated the limits of his caste and had presumed, in contradiction to the traditions of Gor, to lead a horde upon the city, intending to make himself Ubar, the Caste of Assassins had lived as hated, hunted men, no longer esteemed mercenaries whose services were sought by cities, and, as often by factions within cities. Now many assassins roamed Gor, fearing to wear the somber black tunic of their caste, disguised as members of other castes, not infrequently as warriors.
'I am not an assassin,' I repeated. (This quote shows that not all Assassins were killed off or sent to ships and that as a myth, Assassins were extinct)
"A woman carrying a market basket moved to one side, watching him, that she might not touch him, holding a child to her. A peasant moved away that the shadow of the Assassin might not fall across his own"
(This shows how hated and feared Blacks were in Gor)
"At a gesture from the proprietor, the grimy man in the tunic of white and gold, one of the serving slaves, with a flash of her ankle bells, hurried to the Assassin and set before Him a bowl, which she trembling filled from the flask held over her right forearm. Then, with a furtive glance at the girl chained at the side of the room, the serving slave hurried away. Kuurus took the paga bowl in both hands and put his head down, looking into it. Then somberly, He lifted it to his lips and drank." (This shows even more fear held for the black caste)
"Who are you?" stammered Cernus. It was as though he had never looked upon the face that now, dispassionately, regarded him. (This shows that once gold was taken, the fate of a man was done)
"'Do not interfere,' snarled the man who held the hook knife. (This quote is to merely point out the fact that once an Assassin took gold he could not be swayed from his course of actions as defined by his codes. You could not Pay a Black to stop a contract)
"'Look,' said the crossbowmen, who stood near me. He pointed to a spot about a hundred yards away, on a small wall, built itself on the dividing wall, near the pole of the wooden tarns head. I cried out with rage. There I saw a Taurentian, armed with a crossbow, lifting it, preparing to fire as Mip passed through the third of the far end rings. The taurentian had the stock of the crossbow to his shoulder, waiting. (This quote is to point out how accurate a crossbow was. This Quote shows any with skill could kill with a crossbow at a great distance not as easy to dodge as we like to portray in the rooms now is it?)
"There, on a hillock overlooking the palisades that rimmed the rampart to the ditch, I saw the wall of black silk that surrounded the compound of Pa-Kur. Inside were the dozens of tents that formed the quarters for his personal retinue and bodyguard. Above them, at several places, flew the black banner of the Caste of Assassins."
(This particular quote was chosen to show the many online in Gor who doubt the very existence of the Black Caste and the numbers by which the Caste was capable of accumulating)
"Those members of the Caste of Assassins, the most hated caste on Gor, who had served Pa-Kur, were taken in chains down the Vosk to become galley slaves on the cargo ships that ply Gor's oceans."
(this quote was chosen for those who have the mindset that the Black Caste was reduced to rubble and extingushed from Gor forever)
"Our discussion terminated abruptly. There was a rush of wings outside window of my apartment, and the Older Tarl flung himself across the room and dragged me to the floor. At the same moment the iron bolt of a crossbow, fired through one the narrow windows, struck the wall behind my chair-stone and ricocheted viciously about the room. I caught a glimpse of a black helmet through the port as a warrior, still clutcing a crossbow and mounted on his tarn, hauled up on the one-strap and flew from the window. There were shouts, and, rushing to the window, I saw several answering bolts leave the cylinder and fly in the direction of the retreating assailant, who was now almost half a pasang away and making good his escape. 'A member of the Caste of Assassins,' said the Older Tarl, gazing at the retreating speck in the distance. 'Marlenus, who would be Ubar of all Gor, knows of your existence.'"
(This quote was chosen in direct response to the theory that Assassins A) Couldnt sneak into a city undetected and that B) The Black Caste was from the very first book shown to be capable Tarnsmen)
"'But I am of the Caste of Warriors,' I said, 'of a high city and we do not stain our spears for the stones of men, not even such stones as these.' (This quote is to show the utter disdain that all Assassins were held in. Compared to outlaws and thieves in there similarities, this particular quote ws chosen to show the lack of an Honor system in the Caste of the Black like those of the Scarlet Caste)
"'On the highest ground in camp,' said Mintar, 'near the second ditch and across from the great gate of Ar. You will see the black banner of the Caste of Assassins.'"
(This quote is to show where the name Black came from, not as a Caste Name but as the banner by which the Caste of Assassins was refered to)
"'It was her wish that you die the death of a villain,' he said, 'on the Frame of Humiliation, unworthy to stain our weapons.' (Blacks used a Helmet of Black to provide defense and recognition)
"'It is said,' remarked Kamchak, 'that the sword of Ha-Keel is scarcely less swift and cunning than that of Pa-Kur, the Master of Assassin' (This quote is to show what high esteem an Assassins skills were held in, and that Tuchuks are an untrusting lot)
"On the twentieth day of the siege there was great rejoicing in the camp of Pa-Kur, because in one place the wires had been cut and a squad of spearmen had reached the main siege reservoir, emptying their barrels of toxic kanda, a lethal poison extracted from one of Gor's desert shrubs."
(This quote is merely to prove that Blacks used Poison and that Kanda is Lethal, Deadly do not pass go just die and be dead)
"Pa-Kur himself rode a black tharlarion, one of the few I had seen. The beast was bejewelled and moved with a grave, regal."
(This quote is to show that Tharlarion were used on occasion by Assassins)
"'I Am Pa-Kur', said the Man, it Was He, the Master Assassin of AR, Leader of the Assembled Horde."
(Here it shows a leader and a place He is called from, not necessarily a homestone, but an origination)
"I gestured to the ground with my sword, offering quarter, Pa-Kur snarled and rushed forward. I met the attack cleanly, and after a minute of fierce interplay both Pa-Kur and I realised I could withstand the best he had to give."
(This quote is merely to reinforce what we already know about Men on Gor. Regardless of caste, Gorean men will nay bow to an opponent yet would rather fight to the death)
"My weapons shared the boat, with a gourd of water and a tin of bread and dried bosk meat. I had the Gorean short sword in its scabbard, my shield and helmet, and, wrapped in leather, a Gorean long bow of supple Ka-la-na wood, from the yellow wine trees of Gor, tipped with notched bosk horn at each end, loose strung with hemp and whipped with silk, and a roll of sheaf and flight arrows. The bow is not commonly favored by Gorean warriors, but all must respect it. It is the height of a tall; its back, away from the bowman, is flat; its belly, facing the bowman, is half-rounded; it is something lika an inch and a half wide and an inch and a quarter thick in the center; it has considerable force and requires considerable strength to draw; many men, incidentally, even some warriors, cannot draw the bowy; nine of the arrrows can be fired aloft before the first falls again to the earth; at point-blank range it can be fired completely through a four-inch beam; at two hundered yards it can pin a man to a wall; at four hundred yards it can kill the huge, shambling bosk; its rate of fire is nineteen arrows in a Gorean Ehn, about eighty Earth seconds; and a skilled bowman, but not an extradordinary one, is expected to be able to place these nineteen arrows in on Ehn into a target, the size of a man, each a hit, at a range of some two hundred and fifty yards. Yet, as a weapon, it has serious disadvantages, and on Gor the crossbow, inferior in accuracy, range and rate of fire, with its heavy cable and its leaves of steel, tends to be generally favored. The long bow cannot well be used except in a standing, or at least kneeling, position, thus making more of a target of the archer; the long bow is difficult to use from a saddle; it is impractical in close quarters, as in defensive warfare of in fighting from room to room; and it cannot be kept set, loaded like a firearm, as can the crossbow; the crossbow is the assassin’s weapon,
par excellence; further, it might be mentioned that, although it takes longer to set the crossbow, a weaker man, with, say, his belt claw or his winding gear, can certainly manage to do so; accordingly, for every man capable of drawing a warrior’s long bow there will be an indefinite number who can use the crossbow; lastly, at shorter distances, the crossbow requires much less skill for accuracy than the long bow. --- It is not difficult to see why, popularly, the crossbow should be regarded as a generally more efficient weapon that the long bow, in spite of being inferior to it, in the hands of an expert, in range, accuracy and rate of fire. Well used, the long bow is a far more devastating weapon than its rival, the crossbow; but few men had the trength and eye to use it well"
(This quote is merely to show the difference between the Bow and the Crossbow, both deadly yet that the crossbow is quoted as the Assassins weapon)
"The feast steward was handed a slave whip and stood toweling over the leader of the girls. His hand drew back but the blow never fell, for with a cry of pain he reeled away, the hilt of a quiva pressed against the inside of his forearm, the balance of the blade emerging on the other side. Even I had not seen Kamchak throw the knife, Now, to my satisfaction, another of the blades was poised in his finger
tips Several of the men had leaped from behind the tables,including Kamras, but they hesitated, seeing Kamchak so armed-I, too, was on my feet. (This shows the damage and accuracy that a well trained Tuchuk can get from a quiva, also for use of spars, to show how quickly one can be drawn and readied)
"I knew what must now pass, and it was what would have passed in any city or on any road or trail or path in Gor. She was a captive female, and must, naturally, submit to her assessment as prize; she must also be, incidentally, examined for weapons; a dagger or poisoned needle is often conncealed in the clothing of free women."
(There are hidden dangers in many, not only Assassins it would seem)
"The important point, however, in the circumstances was that Kamras had proposed the sword as the weapon of his encounter with Kamchak, and poor Kamchak was almost certain to be as unfamiliar with the sword as you or I would be with any of the more unusual weapons of Gor, say, the whip knife of Port Kar or the trained varts of the caves of Tyros."
(Swords were not a big part of Tuchuk life, mainly the lance bow and quiva were the weapons of choice)
"I was later to learn that kaiila are trained to avoid the thrown spear. It is a training which begins with blunt staves and progresses through headed weapons. Until the kaiila is suitably proficient in this art it is not allowed to breed. Those who cannot learn it die under the spear."
(Animals that are used on Gor have also been trained to avoid weapons or at least those of the Wagon People)
"I opened the leather bundle. In it I found the scarlet tunic, sandals and cloak which constitute the normal garb of a member of the Caste of Warriors. This was as it should be, as I was of that caste, and had been since that morning, some seven years ago, when in the Chamber of the Council of High Castes I had accepted weapons from the hands of my father, Matthew Cabot, Administrator of Ko-ro-ba, and had taken the Home Stone of that city as my own."
(This quote is for the Warriors out there. Notice the garb? Sandals...Not Metal boots with shin guards nor thick leather boots, just sandals. An argument can be made that this is the every day outfit of Warriors and not battle garb, but if you are hunted it shall be in your home more often than not, sandals you wear)
"The spear was a typical Gorean spear, about seven feet in height, heavy, stout, with a tapering bronze head some eighteen inches in length. It is a terrible weapon and, abetted by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, when cast with considerable force, can pierce a shield at close quarters or bury its head a foot deep in solid wood. With this weapon groups of men hunt even the larl in its native haunts in the Voltai Range, that incredible panther like carnivore which may stand six to eight feet high at the shoulder. Indeed, the Gorean spear is such that many warriors scorn lesser missile weapons, such as the longbow or crossbow, both of which are not uncommonly found on Gor."
(This quote is to show the destructive capability of the Gorean spear and also to show how likely it is that a Warrior will be outfitted in one and not a Bow nor a Crossbow)
"I see you are not of the assassins," I said. "It is a matter of pride for members of that caste to avoid the use of poisoned steel. Too, their codes forbid it."
(This quote is to show that perhaps indeed the use of poison was forbidden in the caste codes, though, not much is known of the codes to begin with)
---Assassin of Gor, page 3
---Assassin of Gor, page 42
---Beasts of Gor, page 136
---Beasts of Gor, page 413
---Beasts of Gor, page 413
---Beasts of Gor, page 358
---Beasts of Gor, page 86
---Magicians of Gor, p.90
---Assassin of Gor, page 5
---Assassin of Gor, page 6
Kuurus looked at him angrily. Yet he had in the pockets of his belt twenty gold tarn disks, and of double weight. There must be more.
'All we know is this,' said the man, handing him a greenish patch. Kuurus studied the patch.
'It is a faction patch,' said he. 'It speaks to me of the tarn races of Ar.'
'It is true,' said the man. The faction patches are worn in Ar by those who favor a given faction in the racing. There are several such factions, who control the racing and compete among themselves, the greens, the reds, the golds, the yellows, the silvers.
'I shall go to Ar,' said Kuurus.
'If you are successful,' said the man, 'return and you will receive a hundred such pieces of gold.'
Kuurus looked at him. 'If it is not true,' he said, 'you will die.'
'It is true,' said the man.
'Who is it,' asked Kuurus, 'that was slain? Who is it that I am to avenge?'
'A Warrior,' said the man.
'His name?' asked Kuurus.
'Tarl Cabot,' said the man."
----Assassin of Gor
---Assassin of Gor
---Assassin of Gor
'Of course not,' said the man. 'The Caste of Assassins no longer exists.' I doubted that."
---Outlaws of Gor, page 72
---Assassin of Gor
---Assassin of Gor, page 9
"I am Kuurus,"
"The Killer?" said Cernus, his voice breaking. "You wear upon your forehead the mark of the black dagger," whispered Cernus.
"It is for you," Kuurus told him.
"No!" he cried.
"Yes, Cernus. It is for you I wear the black dagger."
"I am innocent!" he cried.
Kuurus would not speak.
"Menicius!" he cried. "It was he who slew the Warrior of Thentis not I!"
"I have taken gold," Kuurus hissed.
---Assassin of Gor
'There are four of us,' said another, putting his hand on his sword.
'I have taken money,' said Kuurus.
The men in the tavern, and the girls, began to move away from the tables.
'We are Warriors,' said another. Then a coin of gold struck the table before the Assassin, ringing on the wood. All eyes turned to face a paunchy man, in a robe of blue and yellow silk.
'I am Portus,' he said. 'Do not interfere, Assassin.'
Kuurus picked up the coin and fingered it, and then he looked at Portus. 'I have already taken money,' he said.
Portus gasped. The four Warriors rose to their feet. Five blades leaped from the sheath with but one sound. Hup, whining, crawled away from the sand on his hands and knees."
---Assassin of Gor
The crossbowman with me said, 'Do not fear,' He raised his weapon to his shoulder. Mip was clearing the center ring of the end rings when the heavy leather-wrapped cable of thecrossbow sprang forward and the quarrel hissed from the guide. I watched the dark, swift flight of the quarrel, like a black needle, and saw drop into the back of the Taurentian, who suddenly stiffened, seeming inches taller, the metal fins of the bolt like a tiny dark triangle in the purple of the cloak, and pitched lifeless from the wall. Mip cleared the third of the end rings and streaked on.
'An excellent shot,' I said.
The crossbowman shrugged, drawing back the heavy cable on the bow."
---Assassin of Gor
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 182
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 215
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 59
'You dare to tempt me,' I said, feigning anger, 'as if I beyond the dreams of a man, were of the Caste of Assassins or a common thief with his dagger in the night.'
I frowned at him. 'Beware,' I warned, 'lest I take your words as insult.'"
---Nomads of Gor, page 20-21
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 175
Then, each of the men of Pa-Kur, as is the custom before a frame is surrendered to the waters of the Vosk, spit on my body. Lastly, Pa-Kur spit on his hand and then placed his hand on my chest.
'Were it not for the daughter of Marlenus,' said Pa-Kur, his metallic face as placid as the quicksilver behind a mirror, 'I would have slain you honourably. That I swear by the black helmet of my caste.'
The spear butts pressed against the frame, shoving it away from the bank. The current soon caught it, and it began to spin in slow circles farther and farther out into the midst of that vast force of nature called the Vosk."
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 138-139
'Pa-Kur is dead,' I said. 'He died in the siege of Ar.'
'Was the body recovered?' asked Kamchak.
'No,' I said. Kamchak smiled.
'I think, Tart Cabot,' he said. 'you would never make a Tuchuk.'
'Why is that?' I asked.
'You are too innocent,' he said, 'too trusting.'
'Long ago,' said Harold, nearby, 'I gave up expecting more of a Koroban.'
I smiled. 'Pa-Kur,' I said, 'defeated in personal combat on the high roof of the Cylinder of Justice in Ar, turned and to avoid capture threw himself over the ledge. I do not think he could fly.'
'Was the body recovered?' Kamchak asked again.
'No,' I said. 'But what does it matter?'
'It would matter to a Tuchuk,' said Kamchak.
'You Tuchuks are indeed a suspicious lot,' I remarked.
'What would have happened to the body?' asked Harold, and it seemed he was serious.
'I-suppose,' I said, 'it was torn to pieces by the crowds below or lost with the other dead. Many things could have happened to it.'
'It seems then,' said Kamchak, 'that he is dead.'
'Surely,' I said.
'Let us hope so,' said Kamchak, 'For your sake.'"
---Nomads of Gor, page 323-324
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 179
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 189
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 136
---Tarnsman of Gor, page 211-212
---Raiders of Gor, page 2-3
'Weapons,' said Kamras, 'are not permitted at the banquet.'
'Ah,' said Kamchak, bowing to him, 'I did not know.'"
---Nomads of Gor, page 98
---Nomads of Gor, page 37
---Nomads of Gor, page 124
---Nomads of Gor, page 24
---Outlaw of Gor, page 21-22
---Outlaw of Gor, page 21
---Beasts of Gor, page 14