Anval Thawn
Anval Thawn is a Justicar of the Grey Knights. He is thought to be the last of the Perpetuals[2], at least by the Eldar and members of the Inquisition. Though nothing is known of his life before the Grey Knights, it is likely that he has lived for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. Why he finally chose to become a Grey Knight is unknown. [2]
History
Found by the Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Thawn was said to be "waiting to leave with them" and marked with the Imperial Eagle upon his brow. Deemed suitable for the Grey Knights, Thawn was swift to fulfill expectations. He laid the deathblow to the Bloodthirster Kor'agar'and, guarded the fallen Grand Master Leorac against Bloodletters until help arrived, and held off vast legions of Daemons when lost in the Hellgates of the world of Halkin VI.[1b]
In 800.M41, whilst purging Daemons from the deserted Eldar Craftworld of Malan'tai, Thawn was slain, split on the boar of the Keeper of Secrets N'Kari.[1b][3][4] After the battle, Brother-Captain Pelenas kept the strike cruiser Argent Sceptre in orbit and a score of Purifiers aboard the Craftworld, then waited thirty-seven days for the Eldar to arrive.[2][3][4] A spiritseer accused the Grey Knights of trespassing, but Pelenas offered a handful of spirit stones saved from the attack so that they couldn't be preyed by those-that-wait-beyond. The Eldar accepted the gift and Pelenas asked only one thing: to remember he who gave his life so that Pelenas might live to fight on the Daemons. The spiritseer agreed and Pelenas pronounced the name of Anval Thawn, then the two parties left the system. Returned to his own craftworld, the spiritseer sent a message to the farseer council: "The mon-keigh have rediscovered the last Perpetual – Anval Thawn has ascended to the ranks of the Grey Knights. I await your guidance."[2]
After being brought back to Titan to be laid to rest, Thawn miraculously burst from his sarcophagus, unharmed, during the funeral procession. Thawn's seeming resurrection attracted the suspicion of his Battle Brothers, but after many years not even the Chapter's Librarians could offer an explanation and he has been returned to duty. Dying several times in the line of duty, Thawn always returns several days later. Yet for Thawn, immortality is a curse. Over his long life he has seen the destiny of Mankind grow even darker and the state of the Imperium more desperate. He knows, as few others can, that humanity is fighting an increasingly desperate battle. Yet still he fights against the inevitable, determined to uphold his duty as a Grey Knight until the Emperor should return to vanquish the dark gods once and for all.[1b]
In 927.M41, on the planet Curwen, Justicar Thawn led the charge against the daemonic forces of the Great Unclean One, Ku'Gath Plaguefather. Although Thawn was swallowed whole by Ku'Gath at the climax of the battle, he carved his way out and in doing so destroyed the daemon from within.[1a][5]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition)
- 2: The Ghost Halls (Short Story) by L.J. Goulding
- 3: Codex: Grey Knights (7th Edition), pg. 41
- 4: Codex: Grey Knights (8th Edition), pg. 24
- 5: White Dwarf 512, pg. 10
| Grey Knights Forces | |
|---|---|
| Command | Supreme Grand Master • Grand Master • Brother-Captain • Brotherhood Champion • Librarian • Techmarine • Chaplain • Apothecary • Ancient |
| Elites | Paladin Squad • Purifier Squad • Justicars • Dreadnought • Venerable Dreadnought |
| Troops | Terminator Squad • Strike Squad • Interceptor Squad • Purgation Squad |
| Vehicles | Rhino • Razorback • Land Raider • Land Raider Crusader • Land Raider Redeemer • Nemesis Dreadknight |
| Aircraft | Stormraven • Stormtalon • Stormhawk • Thunderhawk |
| Characters | Kaldor Draigo • Castellan Crowe • Aldrik Voldus • Arvann Stern |
