Ok, so I'm runing a game with total newbies to Warhammer 40k and one of them is an assassin with the Monastic Upbringing from the Blood of Matyrs book and the monastery turned out to be located on an Agri-world. I decided this monastery was the stronghold of a Death Cult and that the assassin has thus been raised there for becoming part of this cult. So far so good. But I also need to flesh out this Death Cult a little to give the character some background to build on. As a newbie he asked med to come up with it and while I have some ideas I turn to this wonderful forum for some additional help.

If its of any help or interest the other character is a Arbites and the two of them serve an Amalathian Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos

This is what I have so far

- The agri-world is named Iros, location so far unknown but in the Calixis sector

- The monastery of the Death Cult is called the Monastery of Pale Bones

- Its an all-female Death Cult

- The Death Cult is called the Dread Daughters

- Closes ties with the local Ecclesiarchy

- Very Puritan in interpretation of Imperial theology

- Many parents "donate" their children to the Ecclesiarchy as payment for their sins or as signs of devotion, and some are sent to the Dread Daughters

- Daughters believe that by offering up the lives of the Emperor's enemies they give him strength to protect mankind

- The Dread Daughters supplied agents to the Inquisition's service to cull a Slaaneshi cult that had taken root on the planet, in which the assassin character herself played a small role

- Celibacy is probably enforced fairly strictly as they are supposed to devot their minds, bodies and souls soley to the service of the Emperor, but being humans and all things happens, commonly within the cult itself between the Dread Daughters

- The Dread Daughters may or may not have ties with the characters' specific Inquisitor or perhaps even the Ordo Xenos

Gurkhal said:

Well, Death-Cults are famos for a non-tolerance policy among their members. You do or die, very simplistic but the way a cult that is far more zealous than the "average" fanatic is running.

And the excuse "i am just human" is the worst you can have in the Imperium. When you make a big mistake you are no longer a "human" for you betrayed the emperor and the more fanatic the institution you are working for is, the more you will get punished. Just take look at the Sororitas, they view themself as as the daughters of the emperor, beside all fanfiction nobody is "allowed" to even think about something sexuaö with them in mind.

The hab-worker might be allowed to be late and has to accept less loan or what ever, but if religion comens into the game everything is a shitload more serious in WH40 to a degree where not following the rules is like breakin a holy oath and something like celibacy, though it is just an example here, would be an integral part of the death cult.

FieserMoep said:

Thank you for the quick respons.

I totally agree that the Death Cults are fanatical and the religious part is hyped to 1000%. I totally see your point although I wasn't so much thinking about it as an excuse to be made as a reason for why it happens at all. After hearing your reasons I think that I am down with enforced celibacy for the Dread Daughters.

In regards to fanfiction I don't read it so I have no reference for it.

I don't have the time to give you more in-depth ideas for the Death Cult, but I do have a comment on the celibate members.

You said they're very Puritanical and devote their entire beings to the Emperor. I'm sure they wouldn't want any… awkwardness to occur, such as the Dread Daughters becoming attached to potential heretics or God Emperor forbid, having children. With that in mind, I suggest that all the Assassins receive the Chem-Geld talent.

It provides a mechanical description of the character's background and also gives (and takes away) roleplaying opportunities for a character that is completely disinterested in the temptations of the flesh. It also fits in very well with the mentality of your cult. Just a thought, or an option to consider, but I think it would work nicely for you.

My question would be, do the Dread Daughters have a prefered weapon of choice or combat style?

*nods* Choice of weapon or even prefferred weapon can be great for charecterization, like the Moritat

My visual idea for a Dread Daughter.

And then another question, do most Dread Daughters work alone, or in packs.

From the sounds of what you laid out most work together against targets, if so she maybe a bit lost at 1st without her sisters around to help her out, might take time for her to learn to tust the others

Thanks guys for the help. I very much appreciate it.

In regards to the celibacy I think I'll talk it over with the player and then we'll see what he thinks of it. So far he's played her fairly like what I described and so I don't think that a chem-geld talent will make much of a difference for him.

In regards to weapons they, or at least the character, favors range weaponry with an impressive number of kills so far. Truely she is a weapon in service to the Emperor.

In regards to tactics I would assume that they normally work in teams, but also alone at times. So far I would imagine that they are not much for the cloak-and-stealth approach of many assassins but rather takes a more direct an potentially violent route. This is of course works well with the Ecclesiarchy covering their backs on Iros.

In regards to the visuals I think the picture is nice, but the as it looks right now the inhabitants of Iros are all ebony skinned.

It all sounds great. Personally, I'd go with Daughters of Dread. It just sounds better IMO.

I do wonder about which niche these guys/girls are supposed the fill? A death cult typically favours a particular style of bringing death to the heretics. The cultists spend years perfecting their art while being indoctrinated. Using multiple weapons just doesn't ring true. It should be one particular type. And then I'd rule that the PC might know all other types of weapons because the DoD has trained against them but actually using them instead of the favoured type incurs a -20 penalty (as if she had no training). An iconic weapon also helps the PC become more iconic.

What can this specially trained/indoctrinated death cultist do that can't be done by another reasonably proficient PC or what makes this one special? Use guns? That be a guardsman, I'd say. You might want to look into the WH40K assassins codex. That gives you a good idea about making a special assasin.

But perhaps the best way of dealing with this is copying the space marine chapter history procedure (if you have the deathwatch books).

In this case, why did someone create this death cult? Since there are close links with the priests, let's assume that's the background for their founder. The priests already have Frateris Militia and the nuns with guns. Why create the DoD? Maybe because (pretty) girls can get into places sweaty men or stern women can't. Not without a lot of firepower and sometimes subtlety is in order. So now you have a reason. What is their preferred weapon or combat style?

Perhaps they are girls who are pretty (or desirable) and have been trained to look and act like they could give a guy a good time yet have been trained to use lethal weapons (knives, hands, scarves, poison whatever floats your boat) once they get close enough to their target. And once they are no longer capable of serving in the field, they become trainers, bitter women, commit suicide or go on a pilgrimage to Terra or whatever.

Are they mono-faith (only the imperial creed as believed by their own monastery and sponsoring priests) or is any approved imperial creed acceptable? Are they humourless like the nuns with guns or more girls gone wild once out of the monestary? If sex is a weapon (or at least a tool), how do they feel about consensual sex? Is it banned? Practiced? Or perhaps only allowed once they retire from the field?

Just a few random thoughts…..