Ku Manutele

## Kū Toaumi Manutele

Kū with full arms and armour

Strike Veteran **Kū Toaumi Manutele** is Adeptus Astartes' Carcharodons Astra chapter. Within this chapter Kū takes the role of an assault biker and a veteran. However, Tyberos, the chapter master of the Carcharodons, has recently approached Kū with instructions to stand a Long Vigil with the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos, the legendary Deathwatch. Tyberos has his own motives for this but his main reasoning is for Kū to further improve his skills and return to the chapter with new insights on the Xenos threat.

It is practically unheard of for a member of the Carcharodons to report to a Deathwatch Fortressess, and rarer still for such a unique member, such as Kū, to be the one. The man however, knows his vigil will heavily aid his chapter; with new tactics, new knowledge, and new technology. However, it is also true that Kū is yet to truly fit in with the Deathwatch. If his size didn't cause him to stand out; his brutal and swift tactics, his cold formality, his usage of an ancient high gothic varience, and his refusal to reveal information about himself certainly do. However, Kū has every intent to return to his chapter with every scrap of new information and aid he can...by his oath to the great Shade Lord Tyberos, "The Red Wake", Reaper Lord of the Void.

## History

Kū was born the son of a great *Kaiako Patu* upon the death world of *Kai'mauu*. His father was often called the deadliest warrior of The *Kaieke* tribe and a force of nature upon the battlefield. The *Kaieke* tribe was, and still is to this day, one of the greatest tribes to live upon Kai'mauu's grass plains and it's warriors where often referred to in hushed tones but the other tribes as "*Nga rangatira eke o te tarutaru Reinga*"...The Riding Lords of the Grass Hell.

From the moment of his birth Kū's life was shaped out for him. He was to train has a riding warrior and follow his father to become a *Kaiako Patu*. However, Kū never got a chance to follow in his father's footsteps, he was chosen for a greater cause. Although he never became a *Kaiako Patu* he was certainly shaping up to be one that could rival even his father.

While the members of the *Kaieke* towered over many other imperial citizens Kū was taller still. By the age of four Kū stood at a height equal with children twice his age; a young boy who stood at a hair over four and a half foot in height. Moreover, Kū had inherited his father's distribution of titanic dense muscles. This meant that the boy was often mistaken for a warrior in training, a teenage boy who was in the final stages of his warrior training.

A year later, at the age of six, Kū truly did start his training. Due to his size and his frequent forgetfulness regarding his own strength, most children his own age refused to interact with him. This led to the young boy spending most of his time around older tribe members, including a number of adults. He often tried to include himself in their training or the hunts out into the wilderness. Eventually the tribe elders gave in and allowed the young boy to begin training as a warrior. While most began learning how to handle weapon and mount at the age of eight; Kū began at the age of six.

What's more even at such a young age Kū had a natural affinity for the tribes prized *hoiho whawhai'*...their war horses. Where he was never fast, nor agile, never quite got the hang of the blade or the bow, his handling of the *hoiho whawhai* was on par with some of the greatest riders in the tribe. By the time he was reaching the end of his sixth year Kū could be found thundering across the plains of *Kaiako Patu* astride a war beast almost six-foot in height. Astride this beast Kū rode alongside his father on the tribes hunts, and what's more he rode to battle. Clad in simple leather armour, and clutching a war hammer larger than any other child his age could lift, Kū war a warrior of the *Kaieke* before his tenth birthday.

It was also during this tenth year that Kū's life changed forever. The *Kaiekes* camp had been attacked by a small local tribe known as the *Te Mate Tiaho*, the Shining Death. While the *Kaieke* fought from *hoiho whawhai* back the *Te Mate Tiaho* fought with weapons that seemed to be formed from the light of the moons above. Fortunately for the *Kaiekes* sentries had spotted the hostile tribe's approach and awoken the warriors. The warriors clad in their armour, mounted their beasts or stepped into formation and charged out to meet the *Te Mate Tiaho* head on.

Among these warriors was the young Kū. He charged, atop his own beast and with his large war hammer clutched in his had, at his fathers right side. The battle waged for almost a full day. Both sides suffered heavy losses but the *Kaieke* were pushing to victory. Kū had ended the life of many foes himself, and even the *hoiho whawhai* below him was covered in blood and viscera.

Slowly the battle started to come to an end as the *Te Mate Tiaho* were pushed back by repetitive charges from the warriors and by their bloody weapons. Eventually the deathly silence of a battlefield abandoned descended and the battle was over. As was the case after any battle in which they found victory the *Kaieke* began their celebrations within a matter of days. A feast, music, dance, spectacle and revelry that lasted seven days. Kū, although young, was heavily involved in these celebrations. While he was only ten years of age, Kū was now a blooded warrior who had not only seen combat but killed his foe and come out alive.

Eventually though, even these celebrations needed to come to and end. The tribe set out new sentries and settled down for the deep sleep that could only come after a true celebration. However, as the tribe slept another group descended upon them, a group that had been watching for weeks. From the dark night sky they descended in ships that seemed to make no sound. The sentries, as they tried to raise the alarm, where quickly rendered unconscious before they could even see who they newcomers were. In a matter of seconds these strange grey armour clad warriors had moved through the tribes tend and take a number of young boys from their beds. One of these young boys was Kū, taken from his bed beside his parents without them being any aware. So the night before became the last time Kū saw his parents, and the last time they saw him.

Although for his parents it was a sad time, their baby had been taken in the dead of night by a force who had attacked their sentries, for Kū this single night was the start of a new life. The grey clad warriors that had come to *Kai'mauu* were no mere tribal warriors; They were the angels of the Emperor, His wrath made manifest, they were the Carcharodons chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. A mighty chapter of warriors who could topple all the *Kai'mauu* tribes in a single night if they so wished.

Kū was not simply taken from his home to sate some curiosity of this chapter. The Charcharadons had been silently hunt in orbit for at least a week as they watched the planet below. The bloody battle fought by the *Kaiekes* had not gone unnoticed and the feats of some of the younger warriors had not gone unrecorded. So thus from across the planet three hundred boys ranging from eight to ten were taken and brought up to the great battle fleet of the Carcharodons.

For the next eight Kū trained and lived alongside these three hundred other boys, boys that he would quickly come to see as his brothers in arms. Over the eight years Kū was subject to brutal hypno-conditioning, implanted with gene seeds that would transform him to a being of the Emperor's righteous fury and indoctrinated into the chapters beliefs. Moreover, Kū was also attached to the chapters 10th company, the scout company. For another solar decade Kū fought along side his brothers in brutal and bloody combat across the outer rim of the galaxy. From the three hundred boys that started only three stood to enter this company.

However, it was also during this time that Kū's true fighting style came to be revealed. He stood almost half a foot taller than his fellow Scouts but he lacked some of their speed. It was due to this that Kū started to study the bike squads that the chapter occasionally deployed. So in the early days of Kū's thirtieth year he was designated to the Carcharodons' assault bike squads.

He instantly took a liking to this life. Roaring across the battle field in a cloud of debris with his hammer clutched in one hand and a crackling power claw on the other. While he could no longer remember his life before the feeling of a hammer brought a strange distant comfort to the man. For a Terran century the man fought and rode along side his brothers. However, it was also during this century that the flaw in the man's ossmodula and biscopea came to light. While his brothers had stopped increasing in size within two years of its implantation Kū had continued to grow. When their height stopped increasing his brother's stood almost seven and a half feet. However, Kū stood almost six inches taller than them, from the earliest days of his life Kū had always been a man of great height. However, over the next century Kū's growth did not stop increasing. The continue growth was slow, less than a fraction of an inch a year but over his centuries of life this added up.

By the time Kū was in his 274th year he stood almost ten foot tall and possessed a strength like few others. Through the years the chapters tech priests had had to heavily modify Kū's armour, along with his bike, to fit his increasing size. While the apothecaries could have easily rectified the issue the conclusion was reached that a marine of increased size and strength would be of great aid to the chapter. For the next century Kū would continue to grow, although recently his growth has finally started to slow as it seems to platau at almost eleven feet.

Although he possessed a strength and height that would shock almost any enemy he faced Kū's mental speed left something to be desired. This mental deficiency has often put both him and occasionally put his brothers into dangerous situations. One of these occurrences took place when Kū was deployed as part of a four man kill team to retrieve an informant who had been imprisoned by a heretical cult. The informant was to be collected and returned to the chapter for questioning. However, the orbiting battle barge had learnt that the cult was aware that someone was coming to rescue the informant and had sent up defences. While, of course, they stood no chance against a squad of Astartes the decision had been made to send Kū with the squad. This was simply to give them a hard hitter who could soak up some damage when it was needed.

So thus the squad was sent down to the planet with one goal; return the informant to the barge for questioning. Almost immediately the squad came under assault. They had been deployed through the use of a Combat-Squad Drop Pod and before the ramps had even swung open an autocannon opened fire. Kū had been the first out of the drop pod and before he could react the large calibre rounds started to slam into his armour. Within a heartbeat the man braced himself and brought his own weapon to bare. Even as the shots tore craters into his armour Kū stood strong and steadfast. As part of his equipment Kū was honoured to carry a heavy bolter to the planet and had every intention of using it. Before the cultists had even registered exactly what they were shooting at Kū raised the bolter and pulled the trigger.

Six perfect shots tore through the smoke filled sky and slammed into the chests of the six gunners crewing the two autocannons. The bolts tore through armour, flesh and bone in a fraction of a second before they detonated spreading viscera across the weapons. Before the blood even had time to settle the astartes pushed forward out of the pod and into the battle.

For a short hour the squad moved through the packed streets of the civilized world and towards their goal. While they had not been sent to join the battle if any heretic drew too close the marines didn't stay their weapons. By the time the squad made it to the small shrine their armour was coated in blood and their blades bloodied and bare. Standing before the door the marines prepared themselves before the point man planted his foot and in one mighty kick opened the door.

The door exploded in a shower of splinters and twisted metal as the Astartes followed it into the room and set to work. The inner hall of the desecrated shrine was packed with heretics all of whom opened fire on the marines. The marines however, spared not even a heartbeat as they started to return fire. Each shot accurate, careful, and fatal. A matter of seconds passed before the guns fell silent. The squad had slaughtered every heretic bar one. One single heretic stood in the center of the room his amber eyes fixed on the marines. He looked to barely into his second decade of life but he faced down the legendary astartes without a hint of fear.

In one hand he held a rugged sawn off combat shotgun and in the other he clutched a small spring loaded device that the Astartes' HUDs identified as a dead man switch. At his feet sat a bound man; a man with the shotgun's barrel pushed against his head and a large explosive device strapped to his chest.

"Heretic! Lower your weapon and disarm the explosive device!" The squad's Strike Leader roared out to the heretic

"Astartes - You...are not welcome here. Leave us now before the dark lord sees you gone" The heretic snarled, his head cocked to the side.

"This is your final warning heretic. By the authority of the Carcharodons Astra you are thrice judged excommunicate traitoris. Submit to us our we shall put you down." The Strike Leader responded as the squad slowly started to move closer to the heretic.

"Don't get closer. I'll blow us all to the Lord's halls." The heretic spat, his hand twitching on the detonator.

However, the astartes kept moving forward. Slow steady movements, their guns still levelled on the man. However, as they drew closer the heretic shouted out once again.

"I warned you scum!!" His hand started to loosen to release the trigger

Instantly the reiver marine who was attached to the squad dropped his bolter and took of sprinting across the room. A handful of meters travelled in a fraction of a second. The heretic didn't even have time to react as the marines armoured hand closed around the detonator and the hand around it. The marine stared into the heretic eyes, his jet black lenses staring daggers with intensity. "Heretic! The wrath of the Emperor by my hand shall be done!"

In one twitch of his hand the marine crushed both the detonator and the heretics hand around it. The hall was filled with the blood curdling scream of the heretic and the deafening boom as the shotgun in his hand fired. In one movement the reiver dropped the man to the floor and turned to the informant. Behind him the squad opened fire to decimate the heretic and any thoughts he may have had. The reiver started to draw his blade to cut the explosives from the informant. However, he quickly realized the task was futile. The shotgun blast had blown the informant's skull from his body and spread it across the floor beside him.

Turning back to the squad the reiver spoke to them using the vox in his helmet. "The informant is dead. Mission failed. Pull back to the exfil LZ"

The Strike Leader led out a curse as he turned and led the marines back into the combat filled street. For a few minutes the marines strode back through the streets, once again removing any heretics that came to close from the planets surface. However, as they move away from the shrine Kū froze before slowly turning back to the shrine.

"Strike Leader...I shall return. The mission is not yet complete. I shall meet you at the exfil"

The strike leader cursed at Kū as he started to stride away. While Kū wasn't exactly following orders, his strike leader suspected he knew what the brute was going to do. So the squad made their way back to the ship that would take them back up to the battle barge. As the squad started to settle down into the ship Kū finally returned to the squad. In one hand he held his heavy bolter and slung over his shoulder, held in place by his other hand, was the body of the informant. Kū strode up the ramp and into the ship. Dumping the body into a seat. Turning to his squad Kū straightened up.

"The mission is now complete. The informant shall be returned to the Battle Barge for interro..." The man's voice suddenly cut short as his eyes fell on the informants body, he brow contorting into a scowl. "Did you know this man has no head? It may be hard to interrogate him."

This was one example of Kū's lacking mental prowess that occurred over his centuries of service and one of the tamer. While often similar in magnitude they occasionally put his squad in more danger. However, no one formally complained. While he may not be the smartest Kū always got the job done and would do anything to ensure his brothers safety. Moreover, once Kū became a Strike Leader himself his squad quickly learnt of his trait and how to work in tandem with it. They learnt how to talk to the man to convince him of things, when was best time to simply let him get on with whatever he was doing, and when he needed to be shouted at and forced to listen.

Moreover, Kū's strength, height, and drive means that he, and his squad, are often used as a vanguard first strike force. Kū, along with his squad, were spread across three drop pods, Kū often taking one to himself, and dropped right in front of the enemies. Before the loading ramps had even fully descended the squad gunned their engines and roared out into the heat of battle. Kū taking point his six man squad fanned out in a wedge that they plunged deep into the heart of the enemy.

It was during one such battle that Kū's strength truly became known to his squad. The squad had charged into the enemy for almost an hour when a heavy round tore through the front wheel of Kū's bike. Although this is now the reason Ku has armour plating protecting his wheels at the time it sent him over the handle bars and sprawling in the dirt. While Kū may have required his bike for speed he was no push over when left without it. As his bike growled in the dirt behind him Kū struggled to his feet and hefted his hammer up to continue the fight. The gnarled and spinning teeth of his hammer bit deep into flesh and armour alike as he struck the Emperors foe from the galaxy.

However, even as Kū waded through the blood of war the enemies heavy weapons opened fire on him. Assault canons, heavy bolters and autocannons roared to life as they rained fire down on the marine. While Kū's armour offered him some protection within seconds his HUD was burning with warnings that the armour was started to weaken and break down. He needed to find cover immediately or risk being torn apart. The man's eyes scanned across the battlefield before finally settling on a drop pod that sat a short distance away. A single human heartbeat passed before Kū started to run. While he may not be as fast as his brothers Kū still held a speed that would put a mortal man to shame. He closed the distance to the drop pod in a matter of seconds, any hostile that got in his way was reduced to a red smear across his hammer.

As Kū drew closer to the drop pod he dug his boots into the stone beneath them and dropped his shoulder. A fraction of a second later the ceramite of his armour connected with the drop pod in a grinding crack of breaking metal. The plating of the drop pod splintered and bent under the sudden impact. Planting his shoulder into the pod, his hands against the metal and his feet into the ground Kū threw his weight behind the strike. With a deafening thud that shook the ground around him Kū pushed the drop pod onto its side. As the pod settled down Kū wrapped a hand around the landing ramp as his other hand tightened and his wrist mounted bolter cracked with shots. A small burst of bolts blew the hinges off the ramp as Kū tore it free from the rest of the pod. Slamming the ramp against the ground Kū propped it against the pod as a form of firing step. A single marine has tipped a drop pod over with nothing more than his own strength. A feat of strength that was truly outstanding and truly made Kū stand out among his peers.

Recently Kū has approached his company master with a request to join the Deathwatch and stand a long vigil. He requested permission due to the fact that Kū felt as if he was being somewhat of a burden to his Brothers. His lacking in areas they excelled in and his slower thought processes meant that he normally thought of plans after someone had already suggested them. Kū, of course, wants to be as much of an aid to the Emperor as possible so he asked to join the Deathwatch to learn as much about the foe they face as he is able.

## Appearance

Kū is a man of titanic size, there is no other way to describe him. When stood shoulder to shoulder with his brothers the Astartes is more than four full foot taller and far broader than even his Primaris brethren. Where Astartes are normally describable as walls of solid muscle Kū is one of the few that could be described as fat. The man's belly stick out quiet drastically from his abdomen muscles, it has never been concluded if this is a genetic trait or due to an error with the man's metabolism. However, it's often said that the majority of Kū's bulk is in fact muscles as opposed to purely fat.

It is due to this titanic height that Kū has to wear a modified suit of power armour when deployed to the battlefield. While he was originally honoured with a large suit of standard Mark V Power Armour the marine quickly out grew it. So he approached his chapters techmarine to start modifying the armour. Large plates of ceramite, slabs of plasteel and even bars of adamantium are all fused over his standard armour with dozens of molecular bonding studs. However, the most surprising thing about the man's armour is that it has even been modified by adding components from Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The most obvious component is the armour that covers the man's left arm; A modified arm from a suit of Tartaros Pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armour.

However, even if Kū were to remove his armour, he still towers over every first-born, and almost all of his primaris cousins. Along with his massive height and build, Kū also possesses an extremely unusual outward appearance, compared to a standard Astartes. His flesh is missing any standard colouration, instead simply having a light grey, almost death like paleness. Furthermore, the two eyes that gaze out from his skull both lack iris' and sclera. Both eyes appear black and almost liquid, as if the pupil had taken over the whole eye. If one could make Kū smile, an almost impossible job, they would find a row of sharpened, almost fang-like teeth.

Simply looking at Kū it is clear to any one that he is not a fast person. His height and his bulk give him an appearence of extreme power but not one of any speed or agility. While it is true that Kū doesn't appear to have speed anywhere near that of his brothers he does have an appearence as if he would be able to shoulder charge through a bulk head with little to no effort.

Kū has entered his fourth century of life and it is starting to take its toll. Where one to remove his armour they would find a man whithin whom the ravages of time have started to take their hold. His deathly pale flesh has started to wrinkle. The edge of his mouth, the corners of his eyes and even his forehead have started to see effects caused by centuries of battle cries, war screams and emotions. His eyes, although blacken and liquid, seem to be a little less bright than his youth. His head is completely bold, possessing no hair. However, this may be from age or from Kū shaving it himself this remains unknown. Furthermore, as a sign of his centuries of service Kū possesses many intricate tattoos and ritual scars across his whole body. These have been marked across his flesh by his brothers due to a hugely different number of reasons. The first tattoo most people notice when they see Kū is the inked scarification that covers his face; This tattoo was given to him by his brothers when he finished his training and was welcomed to the chapter. However, this is not the only tattoo Kū possesses. He has one more that covers his right arm, to the elbow, and his right pectoral.

Surprisingly, even more so due to the fact that he often charges head first into combat, Kū only has a minute amount of scars scattered across his body. This could be due to solely his skilled actions but it is more likely due to the fact that his armour is that bit more protective than the standard astartes. These scars are mainly found scattered over his front due to his very head first form of combat. A scattering of scars left by blade, bolt and shrapnel can be found mainly on his chest and stomach, although a few can be found on his arms.

## Personality

The genetic curse of the Carcharodons, the Chill of the Void, has started to sink its teeth into Kū. While the curse possesses three distinct stages, Kū has only been effected by the first stage. The first stage goes by many names but the most used one is simply "Cold Formal". Even while serving in the Deathwatch Kū is withdrawn from the other members, and cold towards them when they do interact. Whats more is when the warrior does see a need to talk to his brothers he more often than not speaks completely in High Gothic. However, he is able to speak Low Gothic but only ever does begrudgingly and with no joy.

Unfortunately as brutally strong as Kū is he lacks in the mental prowess of his other brothers. While his knowledge of warfare, tactics and weaponry is truly staggering his general knowledge of other topics is lacking. Moreover, his thought processes seem to be slower than a normal marine. While his reactions are still far above that of a normal mortal they are marginal slower than those of a normal marine. However, the speed at which Kū can formulate thoughts and ideas are where he is mainly lacking. This process is so slow it often causes some of his brothers to become annoyed at the speed he responds.

## Abilities and Traits

The most obvious trait Kū possesses is his pure unrestrained physical size. Due to a mistake while implanting Kū's ossmodula and biscopea organs it has never stopped producing growth hormones. This meant that Kū, who was a huge boy before he was brought into the chapter, has become an astartes of towering height. Twice as tall as even the average catachan jungle fighters warrior Kū towers above even his brothers.

This pure size, along with heavy training, has caused Kū to develop muscles that would put almost any other astartes to shame. While is true top strength is yet to be recorded Kū has been recorded flipping a drop pod to its side to use as cover against an overwhelming foe. Moreover, this brute strength means that each strike with his hammer, slow they may be, hits with the force of a small truck. Kū is also highly trained in the use of this hammer, able to use its weight to pull the strike down even harder. Activating the chain teeth at the last possible moment to make sure they bite down at full speed tearing into anything they touch.

Finally, although he may not be as smart as his brothers Kū is still a 406 Terran year old member of the Astartes. He has had centuries of training and seen centuries of war. Through this long and brutal life Kū has become a warrior of brutally and lethal effectiveness. His ability to seemingly effortlessly control his titanic bike, while swinging his hammer, and firing off the occasional bolter round, is truly staggering.

## Equipment

### Armour

* **Mark V Heresy Pattern Power Armour Modified With Components From Tactical Dreadnought Armour** - A suit of titanic power armour Kū's armour has had to be modified to fit his large frame; this has been done through the use of Tactical Dreadnought armour pieces. He has further decorated his armour with the paterns of his chapter, a series of chains, purity seals and his laurel. From the dual chains on his right pauldron Kū has securied a number of large shark like teeth, almost as long as a man's hand. Finally, it has been joked that Kū may some some Ork DNA in him. However, Kū does not enjoy these jokes and takes significant offence. After one, particularly aggressive, refusal Kū set about proving them wrong. The next ork he slaughtered Kū stripped the flesh from its skull and mounted its head from his belt next to the large tyranid head that hung there already.

* **Iron Halo**

### Used Weapons

* **Two handed chain hammer** - A titanic hammer, almost twice as long as a man is tall (Just over 10ft), that Kū roars into battle wielding. While normally a two handed weapon, while on his bike Kū is able to just about wield it one handed, using bikes momentum to 'swing' the hammer.
* **Terminator sized set of lightning claws** - Worn on Kū's off hand, the opposite hand to the one that normally holds his hammer. The claws are each two feet in length, cracking with a power field able to cut a man in twain.

* **Inbuilt twinlinked .70 caliber bolters** - Built into gauntlet of his lightning claw Kū has two twinlinked bolters. They man's only ranged weapon they are linked to the eye tracking of his helmet, allowing him to fire them with a simple twitch of his eye

* **Astartes Combat Knife** - This knife is to a man as a sword is to a child. Two foot of mono-molecular sharpened mental that never dulls and finds its home in the scabard on Kū's right thigh armour

### Munitions

* **Standard Bolts**
* **Antiphasic Shells**

## Kū's Assault Bike

Like it's rider Kū's assault bike is a machine of huge size and power; As tall as a man, and its length twice that over. However, unlike Kū the bike has speed, a speed it's rider has to make use of if they have any hope of swift movement.

Moreover, to accommodate Kū raw size the standard bike he was gifted at the start of his career has been heavily modified. The power and torque have all had huge increases, the size has been increased, and even the two wheels have been swapped out for those often found of four wheeled off road vehicles. Furthermore, the most striking thing about the bike is the large number of metal plates attached to it are clearly not stock. Truth be told they have been salvaged from a number of unusable imperial vehicles and fixed to the bike to increase both its armour and its size.

**Kū's Custom Assault Bike**
 Type
 Known Patterns
 Powerplant
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 Height