Sunday, March 25th, 2007
Issue: 16   Editor: iAir


Bodyguards or Assassins? LordBaelish

Bodyguard bod·y·guard
1. A person or group of persons employed to guard an individual, as a high official, from bodily harm.

As most players are aware, those who acquire the newly created positions of State Don or Nation Don have the option of hiring friends or powerful players as bodyguards. At first glance these so called bodyguards are the protectors of those they’ve sworn to defend. Of course in most situations there shouldn’t be much more to it. A couple defensive words here, some flexing of the muscles there and perhaps the occasional bullet to the head in a last desperate act of sacrifice.

Assassin as·sas·sin

1. One who murders by surprise attack, especially one who carries out a plot to kill a prominent person.

But what happens when these bodyguards are tempted to do more? If offered a large enough bribe would they be willing to assassinate their own boss? As seen with the recent death of Andino, the State Don of Illinois, this option seems quite possible.

While Andino’s killer, his bodyguard SilentF0rce, has assured us that the kill was an accident as a result of testing out the features of the new ranks, it shines some light on the very real possibility that ones own bodyguard could be the man behind the gun. And why wouldn’t they? With the death of Andino it has shown us that a bodyguard could have an easier time killing his own boss than he would to kill a scum; a mere 100 bullets required to do the deed.

Whether this is an addition to the new set of ranks, or merely the games protection against safety shots from ones own bodyguards, it poses one crucial question to all State and Nation Dons: Should they go defenseless without the protection of their bodyguards, or should they allow themselves to be put at the mercy of those sworn to defend them?