In Assassin of Gor, the Caste of Assassins takes centre stage through the figure of Kuurus, an Assassin who enters Ar wearing the black tunic and the mark of the black dagger. Through his journey, John Norman explores the caste’s distinctive symbols, the significance of an accepted commission, and the fear and respect its members inspire.

The novel also examines the consequences of Pa-Kur’s failed siege of Ar, which left the black tunic outlawed within the city for many years. Through Kuurus, the reader encounters the Assassin as a hunter, a professional operating under a charge, and a figure whose presence carries a powerful meaning throughout Gorean society.

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.
Page 4

Not for many years had the black tunic of the Assassins been seen within the walls of Ar, not since the siege of that city in 10,110 from its founding, in the days of Marlenus, who had been Ubar; of Pa-Kur, who had been Master of the Assassins; and of the Ko-ro-ban Warrior, in the songs called Tarl of Bristol.
For years the black of the Assassins had been outlawed in the city.

From that time the black of the Assassins had not been seen in the streets of Glorious Ar.
Page 6

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.
Page 6

A peasant moved away that the shadow of the Assassin might not fall across his own.
Page 7

The men looked at the Assassin, who regarded them, one by one. Men turned white under that gaze. Some fled from the tables, lest, unknown to themselves, it be they for whom this man wore the mark of the black dagger.
Page 8

Scarcely a quarter of an Ahn had passed and the men who drank in that room had forgotten, as is the way of men, that a dark one sat with them in that room, one who wore the black tunic of the Caste of Assassins, who silently drank with them.
Page 9

He with the missing teeth laughed and looked about the crowd, his eyes bright, seeing that they waited with eagerness for his stroke.

But his laugh died in his throat as he looked into the eyes of Kuurus, he of the Caste of Assassins.

Kuurus, with his left hand, pushed to one side his bowl of paga.

Hup opened his eyes, startled at not yet having felt the deep, cruel movement of the steel. He too looked into the eyes of Kuurus, who sat in the darkness, the wall behind him, cross-legged, looking at him, no emotion on his face.

“You are a beggar?” asked Kuurus.

“Yes, Master,” said Hup.

“Was the begging good today?” asked Kuurus.

Hup looked at him in fear. “Yes, Master,” he said, “yes!”

“Then you have money,” said Kuurus, and stood up behind the table, slinging the sheath of the short sword about his shoulder.

Hup wildly thrust a small, stubby, knobby hand into his pouch and hurled a coin, a copper tarn disk, to Kuurus, who caught it and placed it in one of the pockets of his belt.

“Do not interfere,” snarled the man who held the hook knife.

“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.
Pages 12

“Welcome, Killer,” said the man, addressing the Assassin by what, for that caste, is a title of respect.
Page 14

“May I ask, Killer,” asked Portus, “if you come to make the first killing or the second?”

“The second,” said Kuurus.

“Ah!” said Portus.

“I hunt,” said Kuurus.

“Of course,” said Portus.

“I come to avenge,” said Kuurus.

Portus smiled. “That is what I meant,” he said, “that it is good those in the black tunic are once again amongst us, that justice can be done, order restored, right upheld.”
Pages 17

“You are of the Assassins?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, “it is my caste.”

He pressed the piece of gold into my hand and turned away, stumbling from me, reaching out with his right hand to guide himself along the wall.

“Wait!” I cried. “You have won this! Take it!” I ran to him.

“No!” he cried, striking out wildly with a hand, trying to force me away. I stepped back. He stood there, panting, not seeing me, his body bent over, angry. “It is black gold,” he said. “It is black gold.” He then turned away, and began to grope his way from the place of the game.

I stood there in the street and watched him go, in my hand holding the piece of gold which I had meant to be his.
Page 38

The older Tarl, taking the knife by the hand guard withdrew it. 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 commonly are too proud for poison.”
Page 42

I decided to go to Ar in the guise of an Assassin, by High Tharlarion, for Assassins are not commonly tarnsmen.
Page 79

“He frightens me,” she wept. “He is of the black caste.”

“Serve him wine,” said he, “or you will be stripped and thrown into a pen of male slaves.”
Page 89

For example it is possible to breed a girl whose saliva will be poisonous; such a woman, placed in the Pleasure Gardens of an enemy, can be more dangerous than the knife of an Assassin.
Page 115

I had removed the livery of the black caste and had washed the sign of the dagger from my forehead.
Page 142

“Are you familiar with tarns?” asked Mip.

I thought for a moment. Some Assassins are, as a matter of fact, skilled tarnsmen. “Yes,” I said, “I am familiar with tarns.”
Page 170

“You know I hunt,” I said.

“Those of the black caste often hunt,” said Mip.
Page 174

“You are up late, Killer,” said he.

“I could not sleep,” I said.

“I thought those of the black caste slept the soundest of all men,” said Cernus.
Page 181

Flaminius looked at me, curiously. “It is seldom,” he said, “that those of the black caste laugh.”
Page 267

There I had once more donned the black of the Assassin. There, once more, I had affixed on my forehead the mark of the dagger.

“The killer?” said Cernus, his voice breaking.

I said nothing.

“You are Tarl Cabot!” he cried. “Tarl Cabot of Ko-ro-ba!”

“I am Kuurus,” I told him.

“You wear upon your forehead the mark of the black dagger,” whispered Cernus.

“It is for you,” I told him.
Page 382

The Mark of the Black Dagger

The black tunic and the sign of the black dagger serve as distinctive symbols of the Caste of Assassins. Once an Assassin has been paid and has received his charge, he affixes the mark to his forehead, allowing him to enter cities without interference in the execution of his work. The text also establishes that the black tunic had been outlawed in Ar following the siege.

The Assassin’s Commission

The Assassin operates under a defined commission. The passages concerning Kuurus show the significance of payment and the acceptance of a charge, as well as the authority associated with the mark of the black dagger. Once Kuurus has accepted payment, he refuses another payment that would interfere with the commission he has already undertaken.

Fear and Reputation

The presence of an Assassin provokes fear and unease. People avoid his shadow, grow pale beneath his gaze, and fear that they themselves might be the target of his commission. The title Killer is also used as a term of respect for a member of the caste.

The Black Caste and the Law of Cities

The caste’s position is not uniform throughout Gor. In Ar, the black tunic had been outlawed for years following Pa-Kur’s failed attempt to seize the city. Elsewhere, Kuurus’s marked status allows him to enter a city without interference in his work. These passages illustrate the relationship between the Assassin’s role and the political circumstances of individual cities.

Discipline and Professional Conduct

Kuurus is portrayed as controlled and deliberate in his conduct. He remains composed when confronted by armed men and does not abandon his accepted commission when offered additional payment. These actions suggest the importance of restraint and adherence to an undertaking, although the passages do not establish a complete formal code of conduct.

The Nature of the Hunt

The text repeatedly associates the Assassin with hunting. Kuurus describes himself as hunting, and another character observes that members of the black caste often hunt. The hunt is presented as part of the Assassin’s work, although the passages do not define every method or rule governing it.

The Limits of the Assassin’s Craft

The text distinguishes the Assassin’s customary methods from other means of killing. A passage concerning a poisoned blade observes that Assassins are commonly too proud for poison. The wording is significant: it describes a general tendency, not an absolute prohibition applying to every Assassin.

Concealment and Adaptability

Kuurus removes the black livery and the mark of the dagger when he no longer wishes to present himself openly as an Assassin. The text also notes that some Assassins are skilled tarnsmen, challenging the assumption that members of the caste are not commonly associated with tarn riding.

The Black Caste in the Eyes of Others

The reactions of other characters reveal the social weight of the caste’s identity. Some fear the Assassin, some show him respect, and others associate his presence with the restoration of justice and order. The passages present a reputation that is powerful, but not interpreted identically by everyone.