Kantu

**Kantu** was a Darkbranded Oncan, and the only Darkbrand known by name. Born sometime between ME 190 and 197, Kantu spent the better part of a decade fighting off Anurian slavers near his village. Because of his numerous encounters with the Frog-folk, he was well known to the species and to guild leader Vuvos Nabosqo, who put a bounty equal to 1k *CL* on his head. It's estimated that Kantu killed 200 to 300 Anur before he himself was killed in ME 225. The Anur refered to him as *Kiý-Raa (Ugly Killer).* Kantu had a brother whose name was unknown. His brother was not a Darkbrand, and was unable to speak after getting his larynx damaged by Anurians as a youth. This was likely a major factor in Kantu's hatred towards the Frog-folk.

Like all other Darkbrand, Kantu likely began his combat training at a young age. He was first encountered by a group of Anurian slavers in Tirifumox of ME 218. The group had attempted to raid a village on the northern shore of Viridi, but were stopped and slaughtered by Kantu. He would continue defending the northern villages of Laloc for several years, and in this time he became well known to the Anurians. He was a high priority target for slavers, having a bounty of roughly 1k *CL* on his head, and groups would often bypass Oncan villages to specifically hunt Kantu. Nabosqo claimed to have even hired Lepus and Scrofan mercenaries to assist his men, but the Empire has found no evidence of this.

While hunting a party of slavers with his brother in Decimus of ME 225, Kantu encountered a lone Iguan warrior. The Iguan was able to gravely injure Kantu through a stomach wound and kill his brother, before Kantu forced it and himself down a nearby hill, killing the Iguan. However, the fall brought Kantu face-to-face with the slavers and he soon passed out due to his wound, leading to his capture. Kantu was put into heavy restraints and brought aboard the Anurian ship *Vekawen*. Although originally meant to be shipped to Avueni, Kantu's untreated wound became infected, and it was instead decided that he would be used as leverage to broker a slave deal between Nabosqo's Guild and the Laloc tribe.

Upon returning to Kantu's village he and his Anurian handlers found the village razed, likely by another Anurian guild. Enraged, Kantu managed to break his restraints and kill his handlers as well as most of the crew of the *Vekawen*, who made landfall not long after him. The ship's captain, Xudaa Zaukwot, was killed by strangulation. Little is known about Kantu's final hours following his escape. His body was found on a cliffside not far from his brother's, and it's likely he returned to give him a ceremonial burial. Kantu is assumed to have died either the night of the 13th, or in the early morning of the 14th of Decimus, ME 225. Judging from his resting spot, his final vision was either of the sunset or the sunrise.

Kantu's body was found on the 15th by Anurians, and brought back to their home islands. His head was mounted on Nabosqo's wall, while the fate of the rest of his body is unknown. In the weeks following his death, the majority of Laloc's shore tribes migrated south, no longer protected from slavers.

Though he was versatile in all forms of combat, Kantu primarily hunted with a spear. This spear was double-sided, with one sharp end and one blunt. He also used a Montiac made wrist shot, which was likely acquired from an Anurian.