Garran Crowe
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Crowe redirects here. For other uses of the term, see Crowe (disambiguation). |
 | |
|---|---|
| Homeworld | Titan |
| Active Period | M41 - Present |
| Species | Human |
| Type | Astartes |
| Gender | Male |
| Relatives | Emperor of Mankind ("Father" via gene-seed) |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Affiliation(s) | |
| Preceded by | Merrat Gavallan (as Castellan Champion) |
Garran Crowe is Castellan Champion of the Grey Knights' Purifiers order and the bearer of the Blade of Antwyr — a daemon sword that cannot be destroyed, nor wielded by lesser mortals.[1]
Crowe's ownership of the blade has brought him both physical and spiritual peril. When not fighting the maddened mortals and desperate daemons that are drawn by the sword's evil, Crowe must do psychic battle with the Blade itself, for it strives ever to tempt him with promises of power or bind his will with the blackest sorceries. As such, Crowe never draws upon the Blade's powers, relying instead on its physical properties and his own skill at arms.[2a]
History
In M41 as a young Purifier under the command of Castellan Merrat Gavallan (the then-current wielder of the Blade of Antywr), Crowe was deployed to fight a Daemonic outbreak in the Sandava System. The outbreak originated from a Chaos corrupted mask that had originally been on the Missionary Ship Envoy of Discipline.[6a] Soon enough, the decadent Cardinal of Sandava II, Beautus Rannoch, became corrupted by the mask and was able to summon the Keeper of Secrets Mnay'salath.[6b]
The Grey Knights arrived on Sandava II to confront the Daemon, which had corrupted its cathedral into a living monstrous creature. During the battle Gavallan, weakened by years of resisting the Blade of Antwyr, is tricked by Mnay'salath into releasing the sword and allow it to possess the Governor of Sandava II, Otto Glas. Gavallan was then killed by the possessed Glas.[6c] Crowe rallied the remaining Grey Knights Purifiers, defeating hordes of both Mnay'salath and those controlled Glas and the Blade of Antwyr. Crowe was able to take the Blade of Antwyr from Glas and used it to kill both the possessed Governor as well as Mnay'salath.[6d] In the aftermath of the battle the Grey Knights enact Exterminatus upon Sandava II and Crowe is made the new Warden of the Blade of Antwyr before deploying to Sandava III to face the Daemon Varangallax.[6e]
In 888.M41, the daemon Skulltaker's Blood Crusade seized the desolate planet of Birmingham and began rituals that would transform it into a Daemon World. Crowe deployed along with the Grey Knights of strike force "Iron Helm" into the heart of the daemonic horde. Judging that no other Grey Knight had the skill to best Skulltaker, Crowe challenged the daemon to single combat. Using a vial of the Emperor's crystalised tears to consecrate the ground, Crowe managed to weaken Skulltaker just enough to force a protracted stalemate. As Crowe battled Skulltaker to a standstill in the twilight ruins of the spaceport, the Grey Knights defeated the daemon horde.[2b]
While fighting on Sandava III and learning to resist the power of the Blade of Antwyr, the Great Rift opens and the Noctis Aeterna begins. It fell to Crowe to command the Grey Knights in this new fight for survival as chaos consumes Sandava III. The Grey Knights, alongside Sisters of Battle forces under Canoness Setheno, struggle to maintain order in Hive Skoria and beat back not only Daemons but also a warband of Noise Marines.[7a] As the Noise Marines are poised to overrun the hive and spread a maddening Chaos song, Crowe detonates a Cyclonic Torpedo underneath Skoria, giving the gift of mercy to the surviving population and denying it to the Arch-Enemy.[7b]
Crowe reestablished contact with his Chapter after meeting 3rd Brotherhood Grand Master Aldrik Voldus aboard the strike cruiser Excoris Dominus. Crowe learned that years had past for the greater Galaxy while he was on Sandava III, and the planet has been moved hundreds of light years from its original destination. Crowe was subsequently kept on Titan due to the events in the Sandava System, where he researched heavily what had transpired in Sandava.[7c]
Eventually released but still kept in isolation aboard the strike cruiser Tyndaris as it tried to navigate the Nachmund Gauntlet under Justicar Styer, the Grey Knights discovered that more systems in the region were being moved in a manner similar to what had taken place at Sandava and suspected that the same forces of Slaanesh were responsible.[7d] They then moved to what they suspected was the next target: Angriff Primus as its Governor, Vismar, was consumed by madness and allied with a band of Noise Marines under their champion, Tarautas. Together, the heretics were able to open a Warp Rift at Angriff Primus' capital of Algidus.[7e]
In the subsequent battle against Slaaneshi hordes and Tarautas' warband, the Grey Knights under Crowe discovered the "instrument" being used to displacement entire planetary systems and bring them into the thrall of the Dark Prince of Pleasure. As they fought their way to the device's core, they were confronted by The Masque and forced to do battle with the creature. Both Crowe and Styer were almost overcome by the Masque's dancing influence before the Sisters of Battle under Setheno and Inquisitor Furia were able to disrupt the song of Slaanesh. Crowe was, however, still held in sway by the Masque, eventually predicting its moves to strike down the Daemon with the Blade of Antwyr.[7f] The Grey Knights under Crowe, the Knight of the Flame Drake, and Justicar Styer were then able to destroy the palace core, eliminating the Chaos ritual. However, all of Angriff was then consumed by the destabilizing Warp Storm, but the Grey Knights were able to escape back aboard the Tyndaris. Drake sacrificed himself to allow Crowe to escape. Crowe suspected the entire affair to have been part of a greater manipulation by Slaanesh.[7g]
During the Psychic Awakening, Crowe was sent to rescue the Grey Knights who were unable to escape Sortiarius, following the Chapter's retreat from the Daemon World.[3]
Images
Garran Crowe miniature (5th Edition)
Castellan Crowe Miniature (9th Edition)[4]
Castellan Crowe joytoy figure[5]
Sources
- 1: Games Workshop
- 2: Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition):
- 3: Psychic Awakening: Pariah, pg. 21 - Echoes of Awakening
- 4: Warhammer Community: Grey Knight Castellan Crowe and his Haunted Sword Return With an Awesome New Model (posted 7/12/2021) (last accessed 7/13/2021)
- 5: Joytoy Castellan Crowe (last accessed 21/7/2024)
- 6: Warden of the Blade (Novel)
- 7: Castellan (Novel)
| 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 |
