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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→History
Following the outbreak of the [[Horus Heresy]], the agents of the Officio Assassinorum dispatched eight agents from the six primary Clades in order to eliminate the renegade [[Warmaster]] [[Horus]], but all of them failed. The last attempt was made by [[Tobeld]] of the Venenum Clade outside the command tent of the rogue [[Primarch]]. During a meeting at the Shrouds, the Clade Directors Primus debated and argued over how to eliminate their foe. At this point the Master of Assassins, following the advice of [[Legio Custodes]] [[Captain-General]] [[Constantin Valdor]], decided to assemble the first [[Officio Assassinorum Execution Force]] consisting of various Clades, to eliminate Horus. Such an act was unheard of in the history of the Officio Assassinorum.{{Fn|3}}
In 546.[[M32]] after the disastrous [[War of the Beast]], the [[High Lords of Terra]] [[The Beheading|were slain to a man]] by the Grand Master of the Officio, [[Drakan Vangorich]]. A [[Space Marine]] strike force drawing from the [[Halo Brethren]], [[Sable Swords]], and [[Imperial Fists]] [[Chapter]]s under [[Lord Commander]] [[Maximus Thane]] was scrambled to stop Vangorich. Storming the [[Assassinorum Temple]] on [[Terra]], the force was assailed by a hundred [[Eversor Assassin]]s. One sole Space Marine Only Thane survived to reach Vangorich and slay the mad Grand Master. Afterwards, the Imperium descended into a period of anarchy.{{Fn|6}}
During the [[Age of Apostasy]], the Officio itself became afflicted by the general corruption of the Imperium, and certain high-ranking members of the Office utilised the assassins for [[Goge Vandire]]'s own ends. During Vandire's purges, powerful individuals and even the Officio's Grand Master became victims of the assassins. The war within the Officio became known as the [[Wars of Vindication]]. Following the Apostasy, it was deemed wise to reorganise the Office, one change being that only the Senate could order an assassination. A section of the [[Inquisition]], the [[Ordo Sicarius]], was created to monitor and control the Officio Assassinorum from that date on.{{Fn|17}}
