Death of a Rubricist

+ inload: Brother Xevious +

+ More details of individual marines incoming. +

+ Brother Xevious, late of 15th Chapter (cognomen: Praetors of Calth), hails from the moons of the gas giant Circe. Modified Phobos-pattern boltgun resting on his hip, he strikes an insouciant figure in this holopict-capture, taken after he and his surviving squadmates had liaised with the 190th. after the initial shock of the atrocity. Unusually for this period, he is clad in hybrid Mark V plate, with its distinctive reinforcing rivets and exposed cabling. +

+ From his unusual armour style, one might suspect that he has been issued with gear at a later date than his brethren – perhaps as part of a recent intake or transfer from another Chapter – but records and serial analysis indicate that Xevious' suit is his original issue, with minor changes caused by gradual part replacement over time. Note that this has restricted the normally large Legion symbol to a small area at the very apex. This was a common contemporary position for the icon for those issued with bonding-studded plates, in contrast to its transfer to the right-hand plate as is common today. +

+ When standing alongside his brethren, little remains to suggest his stocky and short pre-Astartes build – his baseline gene-runes being overridden by the majesty of his Legion-sire upon implantation and turning him into one amongst thousands of the nigh-indistinguishable Astartes. Surviving records from Captain Teutonus mention – perhaps wryly – that his forced appearance change was 'the last time Xev obeyed anyone, willingly or otherwise'. +

+ The legionary was notorious amongst the officer cadre – but well-liked by his peers – for his contrary nature and dogged determination not to fit in. Fortunately for him, he mainly chose to exercise this strong-headedness through the pursuit of excellence; making himself stand out as different through virtue. Nevertheless, he was cited numerous times for 'imaginative' interpretation of orders, wilful damage to Legion property and low-level friction with his superiors. Until his death during the early days of the Calth war, he remained simultaneously the most decorated and most censured Ultramarine in the Chapter. +