Kwaku Anansi

Zephala

Zephala Xenos

Veilborn Legions

Basilisks

Other Zephala Divisions

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

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**Kwaku Anansi**, one of the Flawed Twins, is the current Legion Master of the Black Fangs. He leads his squad of elite Maroons in the most crucial operations, but when necessary, he will take complete command over the entire Legion to organize larger offensives.

## History

### Early Years

Kwaku was created by the Zephala Syndicate as their version of the Primarchs of the Emperor. And was trained from a young age to be a perfect stalker in the night. His combat abilities were commendable, but his preference was always striking from the shadow. Early in his development, his creators knew something was wrong. His ability to listen was patchy, with large periods of unresponsiveness. Believing more training was necessary, Kwaku underwent even more rigorous testing than ever before after this. Kwaku's psychic ability soon manifested. He was discovered to have a hidden genetic flaw.

The real nature of his flaw was not found until his first real battle against humans. He found it satisfying to indulge himself in the pleasures that came with a new-found enjoyment of brutality. His lust for combat intensified, and he indulged himself in the thrills of war. He saw that many of his warriors had the same symptoms as him. The most indulgent were the ones with the closer connection to the warp. The strongest of the Black Fangs psykers.

## Gene Blessing

Kwaku has an enlightened state of his Chapter's gene curse, the Kitirari Thrum. This fourth stage is known as the Tuajίna. When fighting through the Tínya, he developed a deeper comprehension of the meaning conveyed by the Thrum, understanding specific auditory cues in the everpresent rhythms. Both in and out of combat, the drums "talk" to him, changing pitch and intensity. By doing so, it recommends combat decisions and communicates important information that he might not have considered otherwise, providing him with a state of awareness that surpasses that experienced by any of the marines in his Legion. This gift gives him an extra boost in lethality. Kwaku is able to maintain two lines of thought simultaneously and act automatically when provided information from the Tuajίna, firing on targets outside of his main view and blocking attacks from awkward angles. The permanent flood of details gives Kwaku an aloof nature when interacting with others, as he is easily distracted by the Tuajίna during conversations and communication, especially when away from the battlefield. During combat, he keeps communication to a minimum, only speaking to others when necessary. When cooperating with others, Kwaku can come off as arrogant and unwilling to give his full attention to the task at hand. In reality, he finds it difficult to focus on conversations because of his permanent dialogue with the Thrum.

Even with his life saturated by music, Kwaku spends his time deciphering the rhythms of the Thrum and using its secrets to reach new heights of combat prowess. Kwaku keeps a vellum búkun, which he updates every time the Tuajίna imparts something particularly useful. This practice often interrupts conversations, as he opens his book to quickly scrawl whatever he is thinking before returning to the conversation. With his transhuman senses, he is still able to follow the conversation, but from the outside, he appears uninterested. All of this knowledge is stored in his búkun and disseminated through the Legion's ranks.

## Powers & Fighting Style

Kwaku Anansi has a power known as "The Hidden Arsenal" which allows him to store weapons made from the energies of the warp in inanimate objects. The imbuing process is a long ritual which involves forging the warp weapon as if he were crafting it with materials of the physical universe. The more power is used to create one weapon, the stronger that weapon is. The powers bestowed are nonexistent if the weapon is crafted with minimal power. With a longer, arduous crafting and storing process, Kwaku can make weapons that increase his speed and strength beyond his Basilisk physiology and armour. He also can make weapons that can attack the soul of never borne directly, but wielding those comes at a great cost, tiring him mentally and physically.

When crafting is done, he infuses a chosen object with the weapon, creating an engraving in that location. The materials that allow such storage must be dense and durable, as storing and manifesting these weapons stresses the object. Vellum and flesh are completely unusable as they are destroyed by the storage ritual, and objects made of materials like bone and wood can be used as storage, but they can only be drawn from one time before they are destroyed. This makes metals like ceramite and adamantium the perfect containers for the Hidden Arsenal as they can be used and reused repeatedly.

To remove the hidden weapon, Kwaku must draw out the stored energy, pulling the weapon from its engraving as if it were grown from the metal itself. The larger the stored weapon, the longer this process takes. These weapons can be banished as fast as they are conjured, as long as they are returned to the appropriate spot. If any of these weapons are lost or damaged, the engraving disappears or fades. The marking and weapon must be repaired before he can access them again.

Kwaku is a warrior with a love for preparedness. On top of storing weapons in his own armour, he also hides weapons in the armour of his squad, and their vehicles, allowing for an even wider selection of arms than he could carry on his person. Kwaku's Hidden Arsenal is extensive but limited. The number of items he can store at once is restricted by the surface area of the object he is marking, though he would never tell even his allies or enemies just how small he could make each weapon. From what is known, his arsenal is filled with blades, bludgeons and firearms of varying sizes that he can manifest with a thought. Even ammunition can be stored in the Hidden Arsenal.

Before initiating a melee, he uses these weapons at range to dispatch enemies from stealth. He fires munitions of varying calibre and throws blades and javelins, which skewer his targets, killing them outright if they are lucky. If they are unlucky, Kwaku will deliver a dose of his choice of venom, which will spread from the infected or from contact with the weapon still left in the wound.

In direct combat, Kwaku excels. He has a relatively compact form when compared to his twin Ogun Jabari. A fact he uses to his advantage, making him an impressively nimble fighter, even when compared to the maroons who serve him. He uses his primary weapons to quickly overwhelm weak enemies, leaving his real technique to surprise only the strongest foes. For them, the reason for Kwaku's title, Armsmaster of a Hundred Hands, becomes apparent. During a duel, Kwaku will swap between his ever-changing arsenal of weapons. He will use his body or obstacles to obscure his hands, swapping weapons even mid-swing, tripping up his opponent with a change of reach. He will stab with a dagger, only to lash with a whip next. He will swing his sword, only to let go at the last moment, forcing his opponent to deflect it while he shoots them in the leg with a pistol. Kwaku's attacks are impossible to predict, making him a masterful dirty fighter.

## Personality

Kwaku, the reserved and introspective Legion Master, carries a sombre demeanour. While the culture he has cultivated within the Chapter embraces boldness, valour, and vibrant expressions of brotherhood, Kwaku stands as a stark contrast—a man of few words and introspective nature. In the quiet moments of solitude, Kwaku finds solace in the rhythmic beats of the Tuajίna, a resounding talking drum that echoes ceaselessly within his mind. Its resonant tones serve as a constant companion, a timeless conduit that speaks to his soul. Through its pounding cadences, he hears the echoes of his Legion'striumphs, sorrows, and the indomitable spirit that binds them together. The Tuajίna is his sanctuary, a vessel through which he channels his emotions and seeks guidance in times of adversity. Its intricate melodies and hypnotic rhythms guide his thoughts, providing him with clarity and resolve. In the presence of his sons, Kwaku's subdued demeanour is not misconstrued as aloofness or disinterest. Rather, it is seen as a testament to the depth of his introspection and his dedication to their cause. His quiet presence commands respect, as his brothers recognize that his true strength lies not in boisterous declarations but in his calm, analyzing disposition.

## Art Gallery

Kwaku Anansi from the previous canon article