Night Walkers

The Night Walkers are a Codex-compliant Space Marine Chapter of Unknown Founding and uncertain lineage. They are based on Morrowdim, a world of the Hadronian Wall in the Aliris Sector. This Chapter has garnered a fearful reputation for their use of terror tactics and psychological warfare against their enemies and have often been the subject of numerous Inquisitorial investigations for committing several massacres.

Founding
There is no record of the establishment of this Chapter but they have been in existence at least since the 32nd millennium when they are first recorded as taking part in the Second Black Crusade.

The Second Black Crusade (597.M32)
The earliest surviving records of the Night Walker chapter dates to the Traitor Legions' second assault on the Imperium. The Night Walkers are listed among the Space Marine Chapters who counter-attacked into the Eye - and returned. At the conclusion of the Black Crusade (c. 600.M32) the Night Walkers established themselves on Morrowdim, having apparently lacked a homeworld until then.

Morrowdim
The Night Walker's Homeworld, Morrowdim, is listed in catalogues as Umbricus I - the sole plantary satellite of a brown dwarf-star. Both Morrowdim and Umbricus are orbited by numerous moons and planetoids known as the 'Hundred Moons' though there are actually only 51 moon sized satellites the others being captured asteroids. Many of these are inhabited including the largest, Menae, home of the Order Militant of the Daughters of the Moons.

Fortress-Monastery
The Night Walkers' fortress-monastery, known as the Fortress of Dreadful Night, is located on a hill above Morrowdim's chief settlement which is built over and into a slightly lower hill. Despite the fortress's intimidating name, the mortal inhabitants of Morrowdim are in and out of it all 'day' presenting petitions, bringing tithes or coming to see one of the Marines.

Combat Doctrine
The Night Walkers combat doctrine can be boiled down to one word - terror. It is their aim and goal to inflict upon the Forces of Chaos all the anguish and fear they have caused the peoples of the Imperium - and more.

The Walkers like to carry the battle into the very heart of the enemy going directly for the leadership secure inside the strongest defenses. The first step of an assault is infiltration by stealth squads who strike simultaneously and unexpectedly shattering coordination and sowing confusion and panic broadside through the enemy force. This is quickly followed up by a sledgehammer like attack in force on the weakened and terrorized target. Using these tactics single companies or even a just a few squads of Walkers have successfully destroyed powerful Chaos armies.

Chapter Culture
These dark masters of terror are, when at home among their own people, one of the most accessible of Space Marine Chapters even to maintaining ties with their mortal families which often include sisters among the Daughters of the Moons.

The Umbricus System orbits a flaring orange star, at a considerable distance, and is in close proximity to four white giant stars thus Morowdim, Menae and the other moons are not so much dark as drowned in perpetual twilight. The light of the dim, coppery sun not being much brighter than the starlight and reflected light of the many moons.

Chapter Gene-Seed
The Night Walkers suffer from two mutations in their gene-seed. One is moderately inconvenient and the other more unsettling to outsiders then to the Walkers themselves. The first mutation is in the Occulobe. While the Walkers' eyes are duly sensitized to low light conditions they are unable to adjust for full light - which goes far to explain both their choice of homeworld and their habit of wearing helmets,equipped with specially polarized visual units, at all times when off it. Another reason for the helmets is the volume controlled vox units as, thanks to their second mutation, the Walkers speak in a sepulchral whisper that almost everybody finds disturbing nor does upping the volume help much.

Chapter Colours
The Night Walkers primarily wear deep purple power armor with silver edged pauldrons and wrist bands. Helmets are bone colored and skull-like.

Chapter Badge
The Night Walkers' Chapter emblem is that of a triple moon, decrescent, full and crescent, emblazoned upon their right shoulder pauldrons.

Relations
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Sons Sanguine
The two Chapters have worked together to defend the Hadronian Wall with remarkable harmony despite the secretive nature of both.

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Night Lords
This Traitor Legion seems to have a very personal hatred for the Night Walkers, who fully return it. Any report of activity by said Legion anywhere within the Segmentum Obscurus will inevitably result in the appearance of a Night Walker strike cruiser. Contrary-wise, any deployment by the Walkers is likely to attract the attention of some Night Lord band.

Notable Quotes
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By the Night Walkers
"Dark is not evil. Terrible yes, but not evil."

- Chapter Master Tenebrosus Morrow, ca. M39

"Darkness is the right hand of the Light."

- Morrowdim saying

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About the Night Walkers
"I know he's a genetic superman and one of the Emperor's chosen ones - but he is also my kid brother and that means I am in charge here!"

- Lady Prioress Gilthoniel Prees of the Daughters of the Moons pulling rank on Battle-Brother Daric Prees