Some deeds are too sensitive or nefarious to be done in the open. When discretion and subtlety are of foremost importance, one must rely on cunning and expertise to achieve the desired result.

Rogues are unparalleled in their skills and cleverness, able to outwit foes, evade detection, and achieve their goals without leaving a trace of their presence. Their particular set of skills often brings them at odds with the law, working amongst criminals and performing acts of questionable morality in the shadows. Among their ranks, assassins are specialists, dealing in death as a most refined craft. They are not simple bounty hunters or killers for hire.

They are bringers of death, unseen artists for which fame is the most undesired reward. The archetype of the rogue finds its root in countless places, for it has great diversity. Burglars, spies, thieves, secret operatives, or assassins, numerous occupations are related to this idea of the rogue, which finds a lot of echoes in history as well as classic fantasy.

Nevertheless, tales of assassins’ guilds and secret organizations find no strongest origin than in the history of the Ḥashashin, a Persian-Arabic religious and military order that was in control of a series of strongholds scattered between Iran and Syria the 11th to 13th century. They were famous for their use of targeted assassinations against key enemy figures, infiltrating courts and organizations to dispose of dangerous foes before having to face them on the battlefield, or simply weaken their political rivals.

They are rumored to have performed hundreds of high-profile killings over the centuries, including three caliphs, their fearful reputation being so widespread that their name became synonym with the practice they so famously used to eliminate their enemies.