Killing Floor…*
Throughout history assassins have always existed. Let’s discount the fact that the word assassin derives from Hashshashin between the 8th and 14th centuries. People were assassinated long before then. The Caesars (Julius, Caligula, Tiberius, Domitian, etc.) were assassinated. Going back earlier, the attempted assassination of Qin Shi Huang might be the earliest recorded. Julius Caesar, of course, was infamously assassinated by a group of traitorous Senators in an adjoining hall next to the Theatre of Pompey. Later, the aforementioned Hashshashin formed and carried out various acts of political assassination, notably against the Caliphate. As long as there is killing and murder, there will always be assassination.
Yet, the curious aspect to assassinations in human society is you knew who was behind it, even if no one stood up to take credit. Whether a political tool during the Cold War or a method used by groups competing for power, the enemy was clear and one could guess who was behind it. The Hashshashin left their marks. The traitorous senators are now in history (Kai su, teknon?). Even a mafia-hit can be identified and the reasons and individuals behind it deduced without clear evidence. The goals are generally simple. Remove a threat, remove the current center of power, punishment, or remove a problem. If violence is a solution, then assassination’s utility to the world cannot be emphasized enough. Assassinations prove effective in nearly every society.
Except one.
No, it is not due to maladaptation. If we cannot suffer permanent death, then what is the point of assassination? It cannot remove the center of power, there is none. History has shown it is exceedingly problematic to remove a problem, see Doom. Can it remove a threat? Threats are usually a clan; therefore, assassination is set aside for a large-scale war. In a society where even a violence is not viewed as a solution, torporing exist. Therein lies the problem: Torpor. We cannot die. History has even proven Sol cannot permanently destroy us with enough will power. What is the point of assassination in this city?
There is no point. It serves no purpose. Yet, we have clans whose sole purpose is to provide such a service, clans who have mathematical formulas to determine the price of a contract and, generally, anonymity. Some contracts are not anonymous, the buyer is well known. Sometimes, even the reasons come out. Yet, what is the point of the contract? Today, families usually finish the job and a contract is usually against a sole vampire. It does not change the balance of power, does not affect a clan. In the end, it does not even change anything. Everyone will fall’ hell even Lucius did.
The point of assassination in this city is absurd. It is employed by overly rich cowards who either want to hide behind the veil of others or those unwilling to lose their precious blood in an all out war. Employed by those who do not have the means to meet their words with actions and exploited by a group of vampires’ who are reasonably smart by creating industry through others cowardice and stupidity, assuming they succeed. If you want kill someone, begin an all out war and do it yourself; if you cannot, suck it up and wait. Employing others to do your dirty work like mercenaries is the first sign of social decay.
In the end, this is what assassin-clans in this city represent, social decay. Once you employ others to act as glorified mercenaries and bounty hunters, your society is lost. The difference here is there is no central authority. However, once the powerful contract their dirty work, the end is near and this city should be destroyed and rebuilt. Assassinations can work in the right setting. This is not one of them. Assassinate someone and he will rise in two weeks. You want to bruise their ego? How? In a city where warrior’s honor should mean more than anything else, death will happen to everyone, it is not a viable way.
If you want bruise someone’s ego, ostracize them, marginalize them to nothing, then torporing is merely a tool. The simplest way to do this in this city is through propaganda. How many were already marginalized before they were zeroed? Think of the clans you have been apart of, the people you’ve taken apart in zeroing. If your clan was worth anything, they marginalized the little psychotic-freaks before they were zeroed. Propaganda in the city means a lot more. Nor does propaganda need to be vocal, sometimes others actions and stupidity is propaganda enough. Other times, the incompetence and cowardice of certain leaders is enough.
Assassinations serve no point and there are better methods to accomplish things. Unfortunately, the collective creativity of this city is rather low and the usual’ human methods have carried over in our fare city. Realize what you are, the type of creature you are, and then you will figure out how best to deal with the situation and people. This is not maladaptation, this is failure to comprehend the power and regal nature everyone one of us has the potential. Kill someone with words’ that is one universal way to destroy someone. Ask Catalina how much he enjoyed it; then you’ll realize destroying someone without ever firing a shot.
*Title comes from Bruce Dickinson’s “The Chemical Wedding” Track 04, “Killing Floor”
Comments
Brutus
Nice Article Valens and very much to the point. I could not agree more with your opinion, and or stance on this subject.
Brutus Nasty Boy Hells Angel