Castellan Crowe of the Grey Knights bears a heavy burden – to carry the cursed Blade of Antwyr, a weapon imbued with dark power. For the first time, discover the origins of this dread task and why only Crowe can be the one to carry it out. Castellan Crowe, Brotherhood Champion of the Purifier order of the Grey Knights, bears a heavy burden – to be the warden of the dread Blade of Antwyr. Its malevolent voice is forever in his head, trying to crack his resolve, urging him to unleash a power he must never use. The toll is terrible, and how long before the incorruptible Crowe is at last defeated? His harrowing task first began at Sandava II… Under the command of Castellan Gavallan, Crowe and his brother Purifiers bring purging flame to a daemonic incursion that threatens to consume the world. What awaits them is more insidious and more powerful than they imagine, and they must reckon too with the machinations of the Blade, as it seeks to destroy its guardian and drown the galaxy in blood. It's a fascinating look at a compelling character, showcasing the duality of the purest of souls as he contends with the corrupting power of an artefact that could damn him and all he holds dear to utter ruination.

For more than a century, Garran Crowe has served as Castellan of the Grey Knights, protecting the Imperium against the foulest daemons, and holding prisoner in his grasp the monstrous Black Blade of Antwyr. Now he is tested as never before when the planet he and his strike force are fighting on, Sandava III, is swallowed by the mighty warp storm known as the Cicatrix Maledictum. But their struggle for survival is only just beginning, for when the Grey Knights return to a transformed Imperium, they discover that the fate of Sandava III is just one part of a monstrous danger. Crowe must fight an enemy whose patiently laid plans have at last come to fruition, threatening the Imperium with inconceivable destruction.