You're walking down a quiet cobblestone street, well after the sun has set. Your surroundings seem to be devoid of all light, and you clutch your cloak tighter around your shoulders against the chill night wind that wants to seep into your bones. And as you walk, quicker than usual, you can't help but feel someone -or something- is following you, yet the constant glances over your shoulder convince you time and again that no one is there.
Or is there?
Instead of looking behind you on that street, you should have been looking up, to the rooftops. But you only think about it when it's too late, and your follower, has descended upon you, quiet as a whisper and as dark as shadows, with a knife to your throat...
The history and lore of assassins intrigues us not only as readers, but in movies, television shows, and even video games. To be able to be that mysterious individual who can hide in the shadows while leaping rooftop to rooftop has a dark, though morbid, appeal.
But now, the question is why?
Assassins have been mentioned in history dating back as far as the 11th century because, let's be honest, what monarch or lord wants to get their hands dirty while ending an enemy's life? Who wouldn't want the ability to claim innocence when they, themselves didn't do said dirty work?
Enter the assassins.
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Assassins are generally a secret organization maintained in the underworld, known for their precision and training, called upon in times of need by the wealthy and well-to-do. Of course their services are always available to the highest bidder... for a price.
It's expensive, not getting caught while breaking the law.
From a literary standpoint, assassins can span any number of genres. In fact, you could probably put an assassin in any genre and it could still work. That's the fun with systematic murderers- there's always an antagonist who wants someone else to do the messy part. Personally, however, assassins in a medieval setting that may or may not get to play with magic as some of my favorites.
