The Black Templars Space Marines head to the battle-ravaged planet of Armageddon, determined to find one of their fighting companies that has gone missing there. Unbeknownst to Marshall Brant and his Black Templars, a squad of ork hunters is also at large in the ork-infested jungles, searching for a high-ranking Imperial officer, lost when his flyer crashed.

What the would-be rescuers don't know is that there are other things stirring in the jungles. The savage orks of the Blood Scar tribe hunt them through the dense undergrowth, whilst something dark, ancient and terrible prepares to stretch its murderous hand forth once more.