Rainbow Warriors 2nd Company Brother Andus

Brother Andus is part of Squad Ollan, the first squad belonging to the 2nd Company of the Rainbow Warriors Chapter.

Brother Andus is equipped with Mark X tacticus pattern power armour and a Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle

The red arm is an honorific amongst the Rainbow Warriors. It demonstrates that the wearer has served as Brother-Vermillion upon Holy Terra itself.

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Andus is the first Brother-Vermillion i've painted for the Rainbow Warriors. Brother-Vermillions have each served upon Terra, guarding the Imperial Palace. They came about in my background to explain a particular piece of Rogue Trader era artwork:

Sister Sin Vs Brother Vermillion

The artwork was intended as a pun by Games Workshop. Around the time of publication, the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior had been sunk by the French. So the image shows a Rainbow Warrior being killed by a Sister of Battle wearing the Fleur De Lys.

So i wanted to come up with an explanation, beyond a Rainbow Warrior turning traitor. Which led to the Brothers-Vermillion.

A Brother-Vermillion is a Rainbow Warrior tasked with defending Terra. They forsake their typical blue heraldry for a more striking red, and stand guard on the walls of the Imperial Palace. The tradition came about in the dark years of the Scouring. As scions of the Ultramarines, the Rainbow Warriors were shamed by their absence during the Siege of Terra. Their first Chapter Masters swore that never again would the Emperor go unguarded by their lineage.
And so a single Rainbow Warrior is dispatched to serve upon Terra, standing guard until their replacement arrives from the Chapter.

In the artwork above, a Daughter of the Emperor, during the Age of Apostasy assassinates the serving Brother-Vermillion.

Explanation complete and i didnt even have to fall to Chaos!

Until next time

- Retconned Legion