Arnixi

Zephala

Zephala Xenos

Veilborn Legions

Basilisks

Other Zephala Divisions

*Some music for you to enjoy while you read, by Gaston Larrouy aka La Rouille*

Map of the Arnixi Homeworld: Arn-Yemaya

The Arnixi are a sadistic species of sorcerer scholars who, above all else, wish to perfect their craft of Venomancy. No length is too great, no method too excruciating. This pursuit of knowledge has driven them out of their home system, both with Veilborn Marines and by themselves, in the hopes of finding new test subjects for their vile brews. To the Arnixi, combating Chaos is but a happy side effect of receiving thousands of test subjects for their experiments. Killing chaos cultists is a victimless crime the Arnixi love to commit.

## History

What is known of the collective history of the Zephala Xenos can be found in the Zephala System

## Reproduction

Every Zephala species, except the SanZik, have a unique means of reproduction, but none are as dreadful as the Arnixi. These xenos don't have reproductive organs, lay no eggs, and have no mating practices. Instead, they reproduce asexually using webs and highly acidic venom. This process is known as "Forming".

To begin "Forming," an individual spins a web cocoon around a sufficient amount of living organic material, with more complex material requiring less mass. For example, a large mass of leaves needs to be used, but a relatively small mass of living humans would do the same job. For this reason, the Arnixi prefer using living, intelligent creatures for the Forming, though they will subject allied species to the pain caused by this process. The cocoon is then injected with venom, which dissolves all the materials inside, creating a new Arnixi soul that forms a unique body from the liquified sludge within the cocoon. Each body created through Forming is different, and every new creature has its own Aura Name and personality, entirely independent of the Arnixi who initiated the ritual. The newly formed Arnixi cut their way out of the cocoon to finalize the ritual.

Forming can also be used to provide homes for the souls of fallen Arnixi. Using the material provided, they can recreate their bodies, effectively giving them a new life. Living Arnixi can also take part in this rebirth by using their own bodies as the material for Forming. By creating a cocoon around themselves, old individuals looking for a fresh start can dissolve their living flesh and sculpt their bodies anew. The process is excruciating but is a small price to pay for a new life.

## Arnixi Sorcery

The Arnixi species is unique among the Zephala xenos in their connection to the warp. They possess the ability to learn and a natural affinity for telepathy, as well as a specialized discipline known as venomancy. This discipline has evolved on their home planet, Arn-Yema, and allows them to inflict their enemies with the effects of all venoms and poisons found on Yemaya planets. As a discipline, Venomancy is only limited by the user's knowledge of toxins. To expand their library of abilities, Arnixi undergo years of studying and practicing different effects on themselves, building resistance against them.

### Telepathy

Arnixi telepathy encompasses two powers: Mind Mapping and Puppeteering. These telepathic abilities make the Arnixi a valuable asset for battlefield support. It is a safer approach for them since they are too precious to be risked in direct combat. Instead, they remain fully armoured in transport ships, providing support from there.

#### Mind Mapping

Arnixi mind mapping is a potent ability possessed by the xenos. They have the ability to scan an entire battlefield or even a hive city with their minds, reading surface thoughts and identifying specific targets. This knowledge allows them to create a detailed visual map of the entire engagement zone, which can be shared with their allies. The map shows the enemy positions and high-priority targets, which can help their allies make informed decisions during the battle.

#### Puppeteering

As a species, the Arnixi have mastered the art of puppeteering, controlling intricate constructs from far away. The Arnixi insisted on being able to contribute in a more tangible way, resulting in the creation of Kufyndrak-made constructs. These constructs act as a relay point for the Arnixi telepathy and allow them to use physical weaponry against the enemy. More important than that, these relays allow the Arnixi to use Venomancy on targets much further away than they otherwise would have been able to.

### Venomancy

Venomancy is a psyker discipline exclusive to the Arnixi and select Veilborn Marine Chapters' Librarians. These psykers can experiment with and master the various effects triggered by exposure to the venoms and poisons of Yemayan animals. They can then use this knowledge to apply those effects to their enemies during battles. The range of these abilities is short, usually limited to less than fifty meters when a single entity is targeted. The Arnixi, who are masters of puppeteering, have their ranges centred on the constructs they are piloting, giving them an even greater effective range. Venomancers can also manifest these powers as a fog that is breathed from the mouth, allowing them to hit crowds if they are close enough. By using ammunition that contains these vile compounds, the range can be extended as far as the bullets can travel and will impart their effects on whoever is hit.

Yemaya planets are home to millions of species, most of which are toxic in their unique way, providing all Venomancers with a vast array of powers. Some commonly used powers and venoms include:

* Paralysis -  Learned from Venom of the Yemayan barbed viperplant can render an enemy immobile in seconds.
* Rotting Hemmorage -  Learned from Venom of a Yemayan weaver causes organic material decay and intense bleeding. If the Venomancer boosts the effect of this, any injury inflicted on the target will increase in size. A scratch becomes a gash, and a gash becomes a limb-severing wound. The following necrosis eats away flesh at an increased rate.
* Dread -  Learned from the poison of Yemayan amphibians, called the Irora Iku, this mixture causes a sense of impending doom, followed by intense pain. The experience lasts 24 Terran hours on average.
* Brainwash -  Learned from the Sankofa Eagle venom, this effect sends those inflicted into a state of panic. They will fight against their own kind in an effort to run from whatever engagement they are a part of. If detained, they will attempt self-harm, bashing their heads into walls or clawing at their eyes. When in the presence of the Venomancer who activated the effect, they enter a state of docility and become incredibly receptive to all manner of order and request given to them. Using this technique, a heretic guardsman can be forced to betray their brothers, opening gates for the advance of the Venomancer and their allies, or otherwise sabotaging their own heretical cause.
* Hallucination-  Learned from leaping mushroom spores, and causes a variety of hallucinations: Auditory, olfactory, tactile, visual, and gustatory. When powered up by a Venomancer, hallucinations caused by this effect become real. Imagined screams destroy eardrums, and hallucinations of daemonic attacks lead to grievous injury. Through the power of the warp, all the target's worst nightmares descend upon them, tearing them apart.
* Nerve Disrupting-  Learned from water containing the Mind Eater virus. This attacks the nervous system of the target. As well as minor symptoms, like vomiting and profuse sweating, this ability causes the failure of brain function, breaking down communication to vital organs. Quickly, the target will die without any external signs indicating what might have happened.
* The Red Mist -  Learned from Yemayan Jungle water that causes the Red Tears disease. The Red Mist causes intense bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, followed by intense internal bleeding. This disease is highly contagious, spreading through exposure to infected blood but also through the water vapour produced during breathing and speech. Without the proper equipment to combat infection, the Red Mist can wipe out an entire settlement, leaving nothing but bloodied corpses.
* Mind Blight -  Learned from Yemayan jungle water that causes the Sankofa Iku Fever, an illness that causes a high fever, followed by violent paranoia and eventually a long-lasting, excruciating seizure. Without proper care, any one of these symptoms can cause the death of the infected or those around them. The best use for this is to turn large militarized groups against themselves. Those in control of heavy weapons and machinery are especially useful, as they will not hesitate to turn their guns on their allies, even if that means destroying whatever weapon they may be in control of.
* Daemon Purge -  Learned by studying the anti-daemonic powers of the Seraph Sloths, this ability is strong against warp entities of all types. Similar to the powers of theosophamy, venomancers can strike at daemons with glows with holy golden flames and can burn through corrupted flesh, whether it is human or neverborn.
* Liquify -  Learned from venom harvested from the rare Yemayan Drownfangs. This power turns blood and tissue into venom. All venom created turns whatever organic matter it is in contact with into even more venom. This creates a feedback loop in which more venom is produced and more blood is lost. Usually, the sufferer will drown due to fluid entering their lungs. Eventually, the infected will be liquified, their muscles and tissue turned into fluid, leaving a pile of armour and bone in a pool of venom. When deactivated by the Soulweaver, the pool is rendered inert.
* Numb -  Learned from the venom of the Zikikya bird induces a range of symptoms in its victims. Upon injection, the venom triggers a progression of effects. Initially, the affected individual experiences a numbing sensation, followed by a loss of sensation in the infected area. As the venom spreads, it leads to disfigurement and malformation of the limbs as well as loss of hearing. The speed of symptom onset can be controlled by the Venomancer and can be increased to almost instantly remove feeling from the victim's whole body, as well as rendering them completely deaf. The Venomancer can reverse these symptoms.
## Planetary Culture

Through the millennia, Zephala culture has become an amalgamation of cultural influences from all across the system. With so many distinct species, one might expect a culture clash, but seemingly, the peculiar creation of the system has also led to convergent cultural practices. Despite evolving on planets separated by millions of kilometres, each species' civilization is built upon a love of the arts, especially music. After all the xenos finally assembled under the Zephala banner, what should have been a discordant mess was a harmonious symphony of art and culture.

Due to their odd physiology and method of communication, Arnixi culture can seem eerie from the outside. Upon looking deeper, one can see they enjoy the performance and the arts no less than the other Zephala Xenos.

### Arnixi Music

The Arnixi are unable to enjoy traditional music due to their poor hearing. However, they have found an alternative form of music that they love - string music. Arnixi musicians, known as Web Singers, use their limbs to create vibrations in the web strings, producing unique sounds. By plucking or hitting the strings, they create different variations of sound. Because the Arnixi's primary building material is webbing, every Arnixi building has a Web Singer whose music travels throughout the entire web structure. Unfortunately, the sound is undetectable to other species. To solve this problem, the Zephala Syndicate has created a device that amplifies the vibrations in the strings and converts them into audible sound so everyone can enjoy Arnixi's beautiful music.

### Thought Movies

Movies are a popular form of entertainment, but the Arnixi, unlike other species, do not engage in it. They reserve it for those who might find it interesting. These telepathic movies are created by the Arnixi by projecting a series of vivid thoughts into the minds of those around them. The length and quality of these movies depend on the receiver's level of interest. The "watcher" can choose to see the basic plot of the story or engage in a detailed, one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. The subjective length of the movies is controlled by the watcher, while the objective length is determined by the Arnixi who transmits them. Longer transmissions provide the watcher with a broad range of subjective movie times. A five-second transmission from an Arnixi is sufficient to provide over an hour of content, and longer transmissions result in longer movie times. The content of these movies is entirely controlled by the Arnixi creating them, and a hint of their mood can be found in the name of that individual.

## Beliefs

### Yent̪ʘazəħas cʎ̝̊ʼa cʎ̝̊ʼu r̥ʌʈʂʌ Variations

The Zephala people maintain a monotheistic religion centred around the Yent̪ʘa, which they believe exists in physical form as the Bounty Trees, which lay at the center of their cities. This religion is called Yent̪ʘazəħas cʎ̝̊ʼa cʎ̝̊ʼu r̥ʌʈʂʌ, or Yent̪ʘa for short. The religion is also followed by Zephala humans, who call it Yentha's Bounty. Central to this religion is the concept of interconnectedness with the plants and animals of their home planets. Yent̪ʘa teaches all to appreciate the gifts received from the world and never to waste a gift received. The practitioners of Yent̪ʘa understand that Zephala provides everything they need to survive; therefore, they must take care of the system in turn. When the god Yent̪ʘa revealed its presence to the Zephala xenos in their time of need, the belief in the religion strengthened. Yent̪ʘa, as a religion, is highly adaptable, changing with the times. Flexibility is present even in some of the most restrictive tenets. These tenets are common in each world, with variation depending on the practicing species and planet. The Arnixi follow all the core tenets of Yent̪ʘa, but the Arnixi sect stresses one belief above all else:

#### Combat Chaos

The Arnixi hate Chaos more than any other part of the Zephala Syndicate. The entire species believes that the evil powers of the gods of Chaos besmirch the beauty that is warp sorcery. The Arnixi war effort consists of research into the arcane arts. Research which they are more than happy to share with others or use themselves in the eternal war against the ruinous powers.

## Society

Arnixi society is an Isocracy where every individual in Arn-Yema has an equal say in the decision-making of the species. Those who leave Arn-Yema, for whatever reason, forfeit their right to be a part of the Arnixi Isocracy, which helps streamline the decision-making process as there is no concern for transition delays during the debate. In Arnixi society, not only power but also knowledge is shared equally. The discoveries of one member of the species are freely shared with other Arnixi and then given to the broader Zephala Syndicate. Though most Zephala species cannot benefit from this information, and some do not have the stomach for it, it is still in their nature to share.

### Discovery Summit

Every Arn-Yema month, a summit is held in the planet's capital city. This summit brings all Arnixi on Arn-Yemaya to one location where they can show off what they have discovered. Participation is not mandatory, as many individuals prefer to collect several similar discoveries before giving their presentation. These events often last several days, with each presenter having an allotment of time to demonstrate the techniques they have learned. Every summit is a display of psychic skill, with flames shot over the crowd and lightning called from the sky. After their presentation, they then spread the knowledge of their technique through thought. The exact instructions for reproducing the effects, given by Arnixi speech, are interpreted by all audience members as precisely as detailed as is necessary. More on Arnixi communication can be found in the Languages section.

The most anticipated part of every summit is the slot set out for discoveries in Venomancy, the favourite discipline of the Arnixi. Venomancy displays have no visual component. Instead, each Arnixi is given the technique for future use, and they are expected to practice it themselves. Many turn the techniques on themselves to feel the effects firsthand. Most will leave the summit, find a creature to test their new skill on and kill them with it. With the war on Chaos raging, there is never a shortage of cultist test subjects.

## Combat Doctrine

The Arnixi are skilled battlefield supporters with abilities such as mind mapping and puppeteering. They play a crucial role in monitoring the theatre of war and relaying vital information to allies while their bodies are at a safe distance inside heavily armoured vehicles. The Arnixi are natural scouts and often serve as spotters for long-range anti-materiel and anti-personnel units. They provide valuable information on the locations of enemies, allowing their allies to aim with precision and penetrate cover. The Arnixi's mind-mapping abilities play a vital role in this regard, making them a powerful asset on the battlefield.

In addition to their telepathic powers, the Arnixi can pilot complex constructs that serve as extenders for their abilities and as a way to unleash their powers of venomancy. These constructs are equipped with internal and external stores of Yemayan venoms, which they can use to inflict harm on the enemies of the Syndicate.

## Weapons and Armour

The Arnixi are primarily sorcerers and don't usually rely on conventional weapons. Instead, they use their warp powers of Venomancy to deal with any enemies that come within their range. Their venomancy is even effective in fighting the creatures of the warp, burning them away and sending them back into the warp. However, the Zephala Syndicate doesn't entirely trust the powers of the warp and wants to make sure that their important team members have some means of protecting themselves in case of emergencies. It wouldn't be fair to leave them without any defence, especially if they come across a psychic blank.

The armour worn by the Arnixi also carries their only physical weapons, which come as digital las-weapons of immense strength.

One piece of equipment is more important than all others used by the Arnixi during battle. Thanks to the Kufyndrak and human weaponsmiths, the Arnixi are able to pilot metal constructs. These constructs not only extend the range of Arnixi telepathy but also allow them to use venomancy, along with other physical weapons, to fight.

## Languages

These telepathic creatures do not have or need a language. Instead, they convey their desires directly to the receivers' minds. This mind message is interpreted as communication just as precise as is needed for the person to understand. Directions can be seen as simple as spoken words, or they can be as precise as giving the target a precise location. For example, if needed:

"Hand me that box over there."

This can be interpreted as:

"Hand me that yellow box, two meters in front of you, four meters to your right on the second shelf from the bottom."

The exact meaning of the message stays the same, but the detail is variable depending on how much extra information the target needs. The receiver determines the level of detail, not the Arnixi themselves. Because of their unique method of communication, the Arnixi do not need a language of any kind, being able to perfectly communicate with any creature that can receive telepathic messages. Psykic blanks and other such creatures are completely deaf to Arnixi speech.

This unique telepathic communication also extends to the names of these xenos. Without the ability to call each other by name, the Arnixi instead resort to creating a telepathic aura around themselves for identification. Other species call these Auras "Aura Names." Aura names give all those in the Arnixi's presence a feeling based on their personality. Every Arnixi has a different Aura Name with a different feeling, and each Aura Name offers the same level of variable detail as all other Arnixi communication. When the Aura Name is taken into the mind, there are several levels of understanding. Several Arnixi can give off an aura of Joy, but each will be a different kind of Joy. An example of the exploration of one particular Aura name can be found below.

Aura Name: Level One

Joy

Aura Name: Level Two

Surprised Joy

Aura Name: Level Three

Surprised Joy when opening a gift

Aura Name: Level Four

Surprised Joy when opening a gift and your loved ones are watching

Aura Name: Level Five

Surprised Joy when opening a gift and your loved ones are watching and have already given you thanks for the gifts they received

These Aura names have near-infinite depth, with an incredible level of specificity. With this naming scheme, it is impossible to get any Arnixi confused with another. To make it possible for other species to refer to them less descriptively, the Arnixi's allies have resorted to giving them numbered names such as Joy 1 or Anger 4.