Whalers

The Whalers are a gang of supernatural assassins in Dishonored, operating in Dunwall and led by Daud.

Details

Daud formed the Whalers some time after his arrival in Dunwall, in 1811. He took mercenaries, street kids and refugees, trained them in the arts of stealth and assassination and shared with them some of his powers gifted by the Outsider. They were united with the desire to help clean the city of its undesirables and turn a profit in the process. This included citizens, criminals, city officials and even aristocrats. In 1829, Daud met Billie Lurk who, after years of training, would become his greatest apprentice.

The group's name came from the industrial gas masks they wear to conceal their identity, which are used in whale oil processing plants.. They are separated in three different ranks: novice assassins wearing gray outfits, master assassins wearing dark blue ones, and unique leader assassins such as Daud and Lurk wearing dark red suits. All members make use of the same weapons and masks.

During the Rat Plague, the Whalers established their base of operations in the Chamber of Commerce of the Rudshore Financial District, left abandoned after the flood devastated the area in 1836. The place offered a strategic and discrete position, even though the Whalers had to chase off the survivors living in its ruins.

Equipment and skills

Assassins possess supernatural abilities, including Blink - which they refer to as "transversals" - and Pull - known to them as tethering, which pulls an object or target towards the caster.

The Assassins' transversals have a much greater range than Corvo's Blink ability, but whether this state is based on function or practice is unknown. Transversals also seem to work differently, requiring the user to think of the locale instead of seeing it, as revealed in a conversation during The Flooded District. It is also stated that looking at and focusing on the destination while performing a transversal limits the potential of the power. Assassins often use transversals in combat, blinking next to targets and attacking them directly.

Tethering is used to snare and pin targets, and is not limited by physics; tethered targets can be lifted and held in the air, as performed on Corvo during the attack on the Empress. Though a target is still able to move while tethered, moving against its pull is met with great resistance.

In addition to the use of their swords, Assassins use their wristbows to perform ranged attacks.

Combat

A Whaler attacking Corvo.

• Much like City Watch Officers, Assassins will often dodge Corvo's sword attacks even after being countered.
• They will frequently try to knock Corvo back in order to make better use of their wristbows, but Blink can be used to minimize this.
• Be careful not to get ambushed when passing Assassin territory. Dark Vision is a helpful ability to locate any possible Assassins lurking in the area. Also, getting to high ground significantly decreases Corvo's chance of being ambushed.
• Assassins will often teleport behind Corvo, or pull him into bad positions through their supernatural abilities. Bend Time is a good way to turn the odds in Corvo's favor.
• It is inadvisable to directly confront groups of Assassins, as their powers make their attacks hard to predict or even block. Even on a high chaos approach, it is advised to single them out before attacking.
• When attacking Assassins with ranged weaponry, it is advised to catch them off-guard, otherwise they will often teleport or dodge, thus making Corvo waste ammunition.
• Assassins are much harder to shake off than normal guards due to their teleportation ability. When playing a low-chaos approach, often sleep darts are the only way to knock them out once alerted.
• If an Assassin is hit with Windblast, they will teleport, nullifying the damage. However, their mana must recharge afterward, so if Corvo uses Windblast again before their mana recharges, they will not be able to teleport in time.
• Unlike Overseers, their masks do not grant them any protection. Thus, Assassins can be killed by a crossbow bolt to the head.
• If tethered, whether by Daud or an Assassin, Corvo can blink away to escape the effects of the ability. Alternatively, he may charge the caster, turning their own ability against them.

Trivia

• Assassins are immune to certain poisons. This is, however, not applicable to the sleep darts utilized by Corvo.
• Although Whalers wear gas masks, they are not immune to the bottles of river krust acid thrown by the Dead Eels.
• The Assassins' magic is bestowed upon them by Daud, rather than directly gifted by the Outsider.
  • The degree to which the Assassins share in Daud's powers is beyond his control, with some of them failing to receive any powers at all.
  • If an Assassin leaves the Whalers, his powers will fade over time.
• If an unconscious Assassin is hidden underwater, they will still be able to breathe, meaning that they will not count as being killed.
• Assassins do not talk or shout during combat, even while on fire, but do speak upon spotting Corvo or while patrolling.
• The Overseer music box prevents Assassins from performing Transversals and Tetherings in much the same way it inhibits Corvo's magic use.
• The Assassin in-game model recycles an old design that was originally intended for Corvo.
• The Heart has great difficulty learning the secrets of individual Assassins. It mentions that "It is as if there is a cloak around him, and I cannot see through it" and that they have "Secrets so well kept - even I cannot discern the truth."
• According to Harvey Smith, "The Whalers [believe] that Daud [is] absolutely unstoppable, and their powers - extensions of his - [make] them arrogant," meaning that some of them are not as afraid of Corvo as they should be.
• After Daud leaves Dunwall, the Whalers splinter, some creating new factions, others turning against each other, and some simply retiring.
• In Dishonored: The Corroded Man it is revealed that Thomas assumed leadership after Dauds disappearance, gathering the stragglers and members of other minor gangs, before he too vanished. Galia Fleet, a novice assassin, became head of security at the Golden Cat and was joined by Rinaldo. Five or six years later, in 1851, she attempts to reform the group of assassins after Zhukov finds her with the promise of sharing his powers with her.
• The Whalers are equipped with a poison needle in their gloves, used to end their lives to prevent questioning by Overseers.

Gallery

Assassin's mask - concept art.

An image depicting two Whalers.

Whaler concept render.

Whaler close up render.

Whalers confronting the Lord Protector.

A Whaler in the gazebo at Dunwall Tower.

Corvo fighting a Whaler at Dunwall Tower.

An Assassin lurking on a balcony during House of Pleasure.

An Assassin on a rooftop near Griff's Curio Shop.

An Assassin watches Bloodox Way during House of Pleasure.

An Assassin facing down thugs.

An Assassin is hit by a fire ball.

An Assassin fighting two thugs.

Whalers slain by the Thugs of Bottle Street.

A dead Whaler's dark blue coat.

An Assassin uses tethering to pull Corvo toward him.

Whalers find Corvo in the Flooded District.

A closeup of an Assassin.

A Whaler stands over Corvo.

An Assassin rows a boat while others wait.

Assassins on a roof.

An Assassin being trained.

An Assassin fights Corvo up close.

Corvo killing a Whaler.

Whalers protecting Daud.

An Assassin in Dunwall City Trials.

Whalers in Assassin's Run.

A Whaler in Back Alley Brawl.

The Whalers arrive at Dunwall Tower.

Whalers run along the roof of the water lock at Dunwall Tower.

Two Whalers fighting Corvo.

A captive Whaler.

A group of Assassins with a captive Overseer.

Whalers and a few captured Overseers.

A Whaler wearing Corvo's mask.

A Whaler wakes Daud from his dream.

Daud attacks a Whaler upon being woken up.

An Assassin in a gray and purple uniform.

Assassins talking about Daud.

Two Whalers and their unmasked prisoners.

A Whaler leading a captured Overseer.

A summoned Whaler.

A summoned Whaler fights Daud's enemies.

An Assassin blinking.

Multiple Assassins.