In Mariners of Gor, John Norman provides a detailed examination of the Caste of Assassins, exploring their professional conduct, identifying marks, methods, and obligations. The novel describes Assassins who operate with silence and efficiency, guided by caste codes that govern their actions during the hunt.

The black dagger painted upon the forehead serves as a recognizable sign that an Assassin is hunting, carrying a reputation that can inspire fear before the target fully understands the danger. The novel also explores the relationship between the Assassin and the commission, examining the consequences of failure, the meaning of professional disgrace, and the question of who is entitled to a fee when a killing is completed by someone other than the hired Assassin.

Through the Court of Assassins in Brundisium, the text offers insight into how commissions are arranged and how professional obligations are treated within a particular court. It also emphasizes the difficulty of identifying members of the Black Caste, whose work and affiliations are not always openly visible.

Together, these passages portray the Assassin as a professional whose identity is shaped by the caste’s codes, the obligations of the hunt, and the consequences of success or failure.

Neither of the newcomers spoke, for their kind is efficient. They do quietly, and swiftly, what they have come to do. In such situations speaking is unnecessary, and sometimes dangerous, as it costs time. A moment of indulgence, of clever vanity, can cost one one’s life. There are caste codes pertaining to such matters.

This was not a typical hunt, I gathered, in which the tunic is worn openly, the sign emblazoned publicly upon the brow, the prey helpless, cornered, as vulnerable as a vulo.

The cloaks parted and two crossbows, together, the quarrels set, were smoothly, swiftly raised.
Page 4

“Did you see?” asked the taverner’s man. “They wore the dagger.”

“Yes,” said a fellow.

That had been obvious only when the hoods had been disarranged in the stranger’s attack. When hunting, it is common for members of the black caste, the Caste of Assassins, to paint a black dagger on their forehead.
Page 5

“Who are you,” asked a man, “that those of the black caste would come secretly, silently, upon you?”
Page 5

But such stories must be false, as they were denied by Initiates, the white caste, highest and worthiest of all the castes, as they were intermediaries between Priest-Kings and mortals. How wise they were, and how powerful they were, how sacrosanct and holy they were, to have the ear of Priest-Kings, to have at their disposal the prayers, the spells, the rituals, the devotions, and sacrifices by means of which Priest-Kings might be swayed, by means of which their favor might be garnered. It was no wonder that that they were consulted by Ubars bearing baskets of gold, and simple Peasants, with a handful of suls. They were celebrated by cities and villages. They were petitioned by Merchants embarking on bold, uncertain ventures, by gamblers with an interest in the summer tharlarion races. Assassins sought their blessing.
Page 30

They are of the scarlet caste. Such men, at the least, like the Assassins, are likely to kill quickly, and cleanly.
Page 102

He slipped the sheath from his left shoulder, and, grasping it, drew his blade, easily, casually. It made no sound, as the sheath was lined. This is not uncommon with the sheath of an Assassin’s weapon, this permitting the weapon’s noiseless departure.
Page 103

“A challenge has been issued,” said Seremides. “I do not accept its rejection. That is my right.”

“An Assassin’s right,” I said.
Page 108

“You think he is a spy, or an Assassin?” I said.

“Quite possibly,” said Cabot.

“Why?” I asked.

“Perhaps I think he would look well in black,” said Cabot.

I did not respond.

“I examined his quarters,” said Cabot. “I discovered a small brush, and a tiny vial of black paint.”

“To paint the dagger,” I said.

“It would seem so,” he said.

“Then,” said I, “he is of the Assassins.”
Page 204

“My men,” said the captain, “went to the Court of Assassins in Brundisium. Two had been hired, but they did not report back.”

“Nor will they,” said the stranger.

“That is known to me,” said the captain. “Their bodies were washed ashore.”

“You are in danger,” I said to the stranger. “The Assassins will come to avenge their own.”

“No,” said the captain, “at least not those of the Court of Brundisium, unless more coin is put forth. Vendetta is not their way. Their fellows took fee and failed to earn it. They are not to be avenged. They failed. They are disgraced. They are no longer of the Court.”

“Cineas,” said the stranger, “may not even know they failed.”

“He must know,” I said.

“In any event,” said the captain, “my men, amongst whom is Tatsu, perhaps known to Callias, for he was on the great ship, arranged certain matters with the Court of Assassins.”

“I know him,” said the stranger.

“What matters?” I asked the captain.

“Two of the black caste were hired to seek out Cineas, and slay him,” said the captain. “I do not think they have yet found him.”

“What was the fee?” asked the stranger.

“A silver tarsk, each,” said the captain.
Pages 501

“Assassins now seek Cineas?” said the stranger.

“The dagger has been painted,” said the captain. “Inquiries are being made.”
Pages 502

“When one learns that,” said the stranger, “that one is sought, by the black caste, it is often too late.”
Page 503

The two fellows in shabby garments had now approached, the talmits no longer bound about their foreheads. I saw on each forehead the simple mark, the sign of the black dagger. One of them rolled the body over, and then looked to the stranger.

“You have killed him,” said the man, straightening up.

The stranger shrugged.

“Therefore,” said the man, “the killing is yours.”

Each of the men then, from their purse, removed a silver tarsk, and placed it in the hand of the stranger.

“I want no money for his blood,” said the stranger. “I would rather he had found the gate, and fled the city.”

“Still,” said one of the fellows, “the killing is yours.”

“Consider it yours,” said the stranger, “as you hurried him onto my sword.”

The two members of the Black Court of Brundisium regarded one another.

“Suppose,” said the stranger, “one in fear of you, dreading discovery each day, unwilling to accept such misery longer, or to frustrate you, put himself upon his own sword, or, in fleeing, drowned, or fell from some cliff, would the killing not be yours?”

“It would,” said one of the fellows, “and the fee might be kept.”

“Keep it then,” said the stranger, and returned the two coins, first one, and then the other.

Each returned the coin to his own purse, and then wiped from his forehead the dagger.

More than one man breathed then more easily, for those of the Black Court no longer wore the dagger.
Pages 508

“If there is a concern here,” said a man, “it is to be taken up as a matter between you and the Black Court.”

I saw that this did not much please Demetrion. The business of the Black Court was not one in which men lightly dabbled. In many cases one was not even sure who was, and who was not, a member of the black caste. I recalled, from the tale of the stranger, that some evidence had suggested that Tyrtaios, who may have had much to do with the attempted desertion, and who had disappeared from the castle of Lord Temmu, might be of the Assassins.
Pages 510

The Code of the Assassin

On page 4, the narrator states that there are caste codes governing the conduct of Assassins. Their work is characterized by efficiency, silence, and speed. Unnecessary speech or a moment of vanity may cost an Assassin his life.

The passage presents restraint and concentration as important aspects of the Assassin’s professional conduct.

The Hunt and Its Conduct

Pages 4–5 distinguish an ordinary hunt from the unusual circumstances described in the scene. The typical hunt is associated with the Assassin wearing the black tunic openly and displaying the dagger upon his brow, while the hunt in this passage is conducted secretly.

This distinction shows that the Assassin’s appearance and methods may vary according to the circumstances of the commission.

The Black Dagger as a Sign of the Hunt

Pages 5, 204, and 502–503 refer to the black dagger painted upon the forehead. The mark identifies the Assassin as hunting and can reveal the nature of a threat to those who recognize it.

The passage on pages 508–509 adds another dimension: when the members of the Black Court wipe the dagger from their foreheads, those present breathe more easily. The symbol therefore carries consequences beyond identification; it can inspire fear and signal that danger may be present.

Efficiency and Silence

Pages 4 and 103 emphasize quiet, swift action. The Assassin’s work leaves little room for unnecessary speech, while the lined sheath described on page 103 allows a weapon to be drawn without sound.

Together, these references connect silence with both the Assassin’s conduct and the equipment associated with his craft.

The Assassin’s Reputation

On page 5, the presence of Assassins prompts the question of why they would come secretly and silently after a particular individual. On page 503, the stranger observes that when a person learns the Black Caste is seeking him, it may already be too late.

These passages illustrate the fear associated with being marked for the Assassin’s attention.

The Court of Assassins

Pages 501–503 introduce the Court of Assassins in Brundisium. The passages describe two Assassins being hired to find and kill Cineas, the subsequent failure of that commission, and further inquiries after the dagger is painted.

This provides evidence of an organized court through which commissions are arranged, rather than depicting every Assassin as operating entirely independently.

The Fee and Professional Obligation

Pages 501–502 describe a commission with a specified payment for each Assassin. Pages 508–509 explore the question of who is entitled to the fee when the intended target is killed by someone else.

The exchange reveals that the relationship between a commission, its intended outcome, and payment can be more complex than the mere death of a target. The members of the Black Court maintain that the killing belongs to the stranger, yet the stranger refuses the payment.

Failure, Disgrace, and the Question of Vendetta

On pages 501–502, the captain states that the Court of Brundisium does not avenge members who have accepted a fee and failed to earn it. Such members are described as disgraced and no longer belonging to the Court.

This passage offers a specific example of how the Court regards professional failure. It also distinguishes the Court’s stated position from the expectation that Assassins might automatically avenge their own.

The Assassin’s Identity and Concealment

Pages 204 and 510–511 describe circumstances in which membership in the Black Caste is suspected rather than openly established. The small brush and vial of black paint suggest a possible connection to the dagger mark, while the later passage notes that it is often difficult to know who is or is not a member of the caste.

These references emphasize the uncertainty surrounding Assassin identity and the role of concealment in the novel’s portrayal of the caste.

The Assassin’s Weapon and the Meaning of a Challenge

Pages 4 and 103 refer to crossbows and a quietly drawn blade, while page 108 connects a right of challenge to the Assassin.

Together, these passages touch on different aspects of the Assassin’s role: the weapons associated with the hunt and the rights or claims that may arise in an encounter. The reference on page 108 is brief, so its wider implications should not be assumed without further context.