With the birth of the Cicatrix Maledictum the Imperium of Mankind suffers as never before. Conflict and corruption is rife on every front and precious little hope remains, save for those who hold to their faith when faced with destruction... Denied a martyr's death during the battle for Ophelia VII, Sister Evangeline of the Order of Our Martyred Lady is blessed with a new and grave duty; to embark on a pilgrimage beyond the Great Rift to recover a precious and powerful artefact – the Shield of Saint Katherine. Accompanied by the enigmatic Inquisitor Ravara, who seeks her own closure in the veiled regions beyond the Rift, Evangeline must find a way to bear the weight of this unasked-for destiny if she and her Sisters are to succeed in restoring a fragment of light to this new dark Imperium.