Pariah/Blank Librarian's

[MOMUS]

The only place I've noticed Pariah and Blank being interchangeable is on Warseer. Generally, in the fiction, a Blank has always just been a null and a Pariah I've only ever seen in the rules, specifically, Necrons and Culluxes Assassins and they are obviously much more than just blocking the Warp in their immediate vicinity, they block it in a larger area and have a much stronger affect on anyone around them.

It could be deduced that Pariahs and Blanks are beings on the same scale, like a negative psychic scale?

[The Warmaster]

As for the differentiation between Pariahs and Blanks: The frequent mixing-up and overlap of the Pariah/Blank/Untouchable definitions in the background (when described as an Untouchable/Blank in the Eisenhorn books, Alizabeth Bequin is described more along the lines of OP's definition of a Pariah), and the fact that Culexus assassins have been referred to as all three) makes me think that it's just different authors' takes on the same phenomenon. The lack of consistency is likely due to both the fact that Pariahs received relatively little attention in the background before 2001-2002, when the first Eisenhorn novel and the first Necron codex (which, IIRC, introduced the "Pariah" terminology) came out, and because the degree of psychic negativity varies between individuals (confirmed in a number of sources, e.g. Ravenor Rogue, and the book that included the Assignment scale - I forget the name). The idea of them being two separate things appears to be nothing but fanon that's arisen from GW not getting its **** straight.

As for the question, I think that Marine Pariahs wouldn't necessarily be Librarians (although I can see them being stuck in similar archivist duties due to the whole social outcast aspect), but the idea of them being used by a chapter as some sort of psyker-killer specialist has always intrigued me. They would be incredibly unlikely to make it through initiation for a number of reasons, though:

1. They are frequently shunned, and often end up not surviving until adulthood, due to the anti-psychic field (and the accompanied freak-out effect) that they project. I'd imagine that finding one in a fit enough state for SM recruitment would be a once-in-three-dozen-lifetimes phenomenon. However, if (The Emperor's Gift spoiler!)

Zael from the Ravenor books could go on to become a Grey Knight after being addicted to a Chaotic drug for some time

, then it may possibly work.

2. The Librarians can't read them. We can assume that Pariahs will be all but entirely resistant to Chaos unless they are somehow burned out, but even beyond that, Librarians still have to psychically examine them to determine mental suitability. The Imperium learned its lesson about recruiting sociopaths into SM Chapters after what happened with the Night Lords during the Great Crusade/Heresy, after all.

3. Pariahs are bleedin' rare!

The only place I've noticed Pariah and Blank being interchangeable is on Warseer. Generally, in the fiction, a Blank has always just been a null and a Pariah I've only ever seen in the rules, specifically, Necrons and Culluxes Assassins and they are obviously much more than just blocking the Warp in their immediate vicinity, they block it in a larger area and have a much stronger affect on anyone around them.

As I've said, the terms do seem to be referring to the same thing, especially considering that the definitions and names have often used interchangeably in some books (e.g. some of the Ciaphas Cain novels), and that Culexus assassins have been referred to as all three (the old Assassins codex referred to them as both Untouchables and Blanks, and they've been called Pariahs in all of their Horus Heresy appearances). Also, as I said, the varying approaches to how, exactly, their abilities work seems to be more along the lines of different author interpretations - in fact, the only time I've seen them NOT being used interchangeably is in fan speculation.

Use of any one term seems to be a matter of author preference, from what I can tell.

[Lord Damocles]

Individuals who exhibit a level of negative psychic presence being refered to by a number of different terms needn't be any more surprising than psykers being refered to as wyrds/witches etc.

[cpl_hicks]

1. They are frequently shunned, and often end up not surviving until adulthood, due to the anti-psychic field (and the accompanied freak-out effect) that they project. I'd imagine that finding one in a fit enough state for SM recruitment would be a once-in-three-dozen-lifetimes phenomenon.

In Fear to tread

Tillyan Niobe - is specifically mentioned in the text as being a pariah, and she in no way seems to ailenate her fellow humans, in fact she is noted in giving of a general sense of calm. When a black warden falls from a Masterdon, he is said to fall greater inot the red thurst the further away he gets from Tillyan

[narrativium]

In Fear to tread

Tillyan Niobe - is specifically mentioned in the text as being a pariah, and she in no way seems to ailenate her fellow humans, in fact she is noted in giving of a general sense of calm. When a black warden falls from a Masterdon, he is said to fall greater inot the red thurst the further away he gets from Tillyan

She does unsettle her fellow humans. They make it quite clear they felt there was something wrong with her (without realising it's the quality which has kept them safe). She's noted as giving a general sense of calm to the Blood Angels, because they're the ones connected psychically and genetically to the Word Bearers' beacon of rage.

[TheSaylesMan]

There is no background that explicitly states that a Blank of any degree cannot become an Astartes. However, the concept of Blanks has been around for a long time. Earliest I can remember is the Eisenhorn Trilogy. That was published back in 2001. I don't even know if that was the first publication with blanks in it. Codex: Assassins was published in 1999 but I'm not sure if the Culexus were even officially codified as Blanks/Pariahs at that point. Either way, the concept of Blanks has been around for over a decade. There have been how many Astartes codices and novels in this time? I suppose its a bit of a logical fallacy but I cannot help but think that if it was possible, it would have happened by now. I would think that the Pariah Gene leaves the human in question incompatible with the gene seed. Hell, not every normal human is compatible with the gene-seed. Its a bit of a selective thing and the human body isn't the most receptive to implanting foreign objects into it. I mean, that's why they genetically screen their candidates. So that they won't waste gene-seed on those that would reject it and/or die.

[Askil the Undecided]

I would point out at this point the gene-seed is modifier primarch tissue as all the primarchs were psykers of one degree or another it follows that to be genetically compatible an aspirant would at the very least need to be a Rho level (normal human) or higher.

If you think about it, it would even make some sense if a slightly higher psionic rating than normal was actually a requirement of compatibility, that being part of the requirements would definately explain how rare successful aspirants are said to be.

[Lord Damocles]

Codex: Assassins was published in 1999 but I'm not sure if the Culexus were even officially codified as Blanks/Pariahs at that point.

The 2nd edition Codex: Assassins specifically refers to the Culexus as both 'Pariah' and 'untouchable' (pg.20).

[MajorWesJanson]

1. They are frequently shunned, and often end up not surviving until adulthood, due to the anti-psychic field (and the accompanied freak-out effect) that they project. I'd imagine that finding one in a fit enough state for SM recruitment would be a once-in-three-dozen-lifetimes phenomenon. However, if (The Emperor's Gift spoiler!)

Zael from the Ravenor books could go on to become a Grey Knight after being addicted to a Chaotic drug for some time

, then it may possibly work.

Emperor's Gift sees a full up Pariah becoming a Grey Knight who oversees the remains of the dead. If I had the book with me I'd find the name and page number.

[El_Machinae]

Statistically, you could easily call your Librarian a Pariah/Blank because of the psychic hood and maybe selective use of Shrouding.

[MajorWesJanson]

Statistically, you could easily call your Librarian a Pariah/Blank because of the psychic hood and maybe selective use of Shrouding.

Fluffwise, a Blank/Pariah Librarian would be up there on the scale of Female Space Marines. By the rules of the universe, simply impossible.

[NixonAsADaemonPrince]

Fluffwise, a Blank/Pariah Librarian would be up there on the scale of Female Space Marines. By the rules of the universe, simply impossible.

I think El Machinae is only talking about representing a Pariah/Blank on the tabletop, nothing to do with the fluff or the universe.

[MajorWesJanson]

Yeah, I was going to post more. Rule-wise, a Blank would act like a cross between a really good Deny the Witch save and Dark Eldar Crucible of Malediction,

[Allornone]

Weren't Pariah just Blanks captured and converted into cyborgs by the Necrons?

[Lord Damocles]

'Pariah' as a term for a psychic negative (blank/untouchable/null) pre-dates the introduction of the Necron Pariah by some years (first being used in 2nd ed. Codex: Assassins AFAIK).


All Necron Pariahs are pariahs, but not all pariahs become Pariahs.

...Simples!

[agurus1]

some people seem to have a problem with a pariah surviving long enough on say, a death or savage world to live to even become an aspirant, but what if their power actually helped them in the fight for survival. After all we do know that a Pariah's families don't just all abandon them upon birth (or else there would be none at all), so if he survived to actually become a warrior, I imagine that the ability to unnerve/frighten his opposition might indeed help him survive duels/fights, and maybe even give him an edge in Trials.

[Grit]

Thought the exorcists chapter were all blanks as they get possed and then excorcised as part of their induction,so it is possible to have blanks as space marines. Though I supose they wouldn't have any pyskers though.

[Lothlanathorian]

That doesn't make you a Blank, it makes you immune to possession afterward.

[El_Machinae]

Are they possessed before or after they're made into Space Marines?

[flota]

Are they possessed before or after they're made into Space Marines?

after that