Dawnwalkers

"Survival is never found alone"
- The First Precept of the Dawnwalkers
The Dawnwalkers is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter raised during the 25th Founding but of mysterious gene-heritage based on the desolated but resource-rich desert world of Bybilan in the system of the same name within Sector Andalus of Segmentum Ultima.
They were founded in approx. 550.M40 in the 25th Founding with the purpose of protecting the worlds of Sector Andalus, rich in resources, manpower and ancient ruins, both Human and Xeno in origin, possibly holding ancient relics, weapons, knowledge or ever-valuable STC fragments from the constant assault of neighbouring Sector Eruo, entirely consumed by a warp storm known as The Hellmouth from which marches forth the ruinous forces of the Daemon Prince Kealarach The Starbleeder, Servant of Khorne.
If one thing sets the Dawnwalkers apart from their fellow Astartes brothers it is their unusually high capacity for compromise, diplomacy and empathy, not only with other arms of the Imperium, the representatives of which in Andalus the Dawnwalkers have almost universally positive relations, but also with the Xenos of Andalus, they have a cordial relationship with the neighbouring T'au sept of F'rend and what could be said to approach non-aggression pacts with the Necrons of the Fyronekh Dynasty and the Eldar of Ilsyana Craftworld. This should not be mistaken for weakness as the numerous servants of The Baleful Lady could attest if they had not been sent screaming back to the Immaterium but it is none the less irregular and thusly the only arms of the Imperium the Dawnwalkers can be said to have negative relations with are the Ecclesiarchy (though their relation with the local order of the Sisters of Battle are positive) and the Inquisition not only due to the 'fraternisation' with the xeno but their generally proactive attitude when it comes to technological innovation and doctrinal refinement and the fact that their 10 Precepts can be easily read as naked heresy against the Imperial Creed. Both parties hands are tied from striking the Dawnwalkers down directly due to the danger posed by the forces of Kealarach as well as the chapter's otherwise spotless conduct and numerous victories in the name of the Imperium but that hasn't stopped the Inquistion and Ecclesiarchy's respective local leaders, High Inquisitor Isabella Iberon and Arch-Cardinal Alexandros VI, from using their powers and the Dawnwalkers relative youth against them to undermine their war efforts, supply lines, relief efforts and diplomatic relations in order to get them replaced with a more orthodox chapter of Astartes. The origin of the Dawnwalker's near-heretical methods and philosophy are a great mystery and the chapter has not been very forthcoming with answers when The Administratum has repeatedly come looking for answers. Theories range from a mutation in the gene-seed, a lack of a progenitor chapter or primarch to guide them, corruption by Chaos to Chapter Master Rodrigo Rahman being a xeno infiltrator.
== Chapter History ==
=== Early History (555.M40-610.M40) ===
"And their great tower rose high above the vast and blighted expanse, A beacon of The Emperor's light in this heathen sector"
- An extract from The Brothers of Ultima by Casiliah Morten, approx. 595.M40
The early history of the Dawnwalkers is shrouded is mystery and intentional obfuscation, both by the chapter itself and their Imperial rivals, all that is known for certain on Imperial record is that they were raised as part of the 25th Founding in approx. 555.M40 but of an unknown lineage (speculated by The Administratum to be either the Ultramarines due to the chapter's location or the Salamanders due to a similar care for mortals) to defend Sector Andalus from the threats of Sector Eruo and that by 580.M40 they had setup in their towering fortress-monastery (the records are fuzzy on whether on not the chapter had yet adopted their body part based naming scheme by this point) on Bybilan and begun recruiting from the locals, who had spent untold millennia combatting the inhospitable desert and their constantly malfunctioning dome-cities as well making their first skirmishes against the forces of Kealarach and making their first bonds with the local forces, though it is unclear whether the chapter had adopted its policy of Xeno acceptance yet or if that came later. By 600.M40, the chapter is confirmed to have gained Rodrigo Rahman as it's Chapter Master, it's possible he had held the position since the chapter's founding though records are, once again, fuzzy and chapter legend speak of a previous occupant of the position known only as The Master who felled one of Kealarach's greatest minions in the chapter's first battle with her forces before chasing her into the Warp, destined to return in the chapter's greatest hour of need. And finally in 610.M40 we have the first confirmed instance of the Dawnwalkers 'fraternising' with a Xeno species with the, for reasons we will soon see, legendary Captain of the Dawnwalkers 1st Company (A.K.A The Alpha Pollex), Marcus Toledo, Master of The Keep being dispatched on a diplomatic mission to the capital world of the Telyah Republic, a minor xeno race recorded in no Imperial histories, save for those of the Dawnwalkers.
=== The First Meeting (610.M40) ===
"We come in peace for all Imperium"
- Attributed to Captain Marcus Toledo during his meeting with the Ruling Council of the Telyah Republic, 610.M40
What exactly occurred during Marcus Toledo's meeting with the Ruling Council on the Republic's capital world of Vevice is lost to the mists of time and shrouded in the myth and legend of the chapter but according to the chapter's Chief Liberian, Tiberius Khaldun, the course of events was as follows: upon arrival on Vevice, Marcus and his retinue were greeted with grace and then taken to the highest level of the Republic's capital building, known as The Spire, where they were granted an audience with the Ruling Council and Marcus greeted them with the above phrase, which has since been engraved in Dawnwalker philosophy, sometimes literarily as many Astartes of the chapter have taken to inscribing the phrase onto a part of their armour, after which followed an exchange of culture and knowledge at the end of which the Dawnwalkers had established a trade deal with the Republic. As a sign of good faith the Ruling Council entrusted Marcus with an item of both symbolic and practical value: a gleaming obsidian sphere, the size of an Astartes' head which the early Telyah had revered and within which was contained an STC fragment from an ancient human colony that had been established on Vevice long before the Republic had been founded. Marcus thanked the Ruling Council for this gift to which the council replied "let there be unity against the coming of the night", a phrase that has been enshrined in the sacred Ten Precepts of the Dawnwalkers, Marcus and his retinue then departed Vevice in good graces and returned to The Skeleton on Bybilan where the Chapter's Master of the Forge, Captain Lucas Valencia of the Dawnwalkers 2nd Company (A.K.A The Alpha Index) was able to extract the STC from the artefact, known as The Eye of Knowledge by the Telyah, before placing the artefact in The Vault of Unity and handed the STC off to the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Sector's largest Forge World, Vesuvon, who found the STC to be that for an advanced exoskeleton, codenamed 'Goliath Frames', useable by Astartes, Tech-Priests and even mere mortals to improve one's strength, speed and stamina. This donation of the STC put the Dawnwalkers in good stead with the Mechanicus of Sector Andalus, as well as the Planetary Governors and Astra Militarium regiments of the sector as they saw great improvements in their ability to meet Tithe requirements and effectiveness in combat respectively, relationships the chapter would come to greatly value from then on. 
=== Gathering Allies and Enemies (610.M40-760.M40) ===
"The Dawnwalkers are here! We are saved!"
- Captain Lucina Callerus of the 451st Damacrascan Immortals during The Siege of Hope, 650.M40
This act of openness towards a xeno race was what first brought the attention and ire of The Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition to the Dawnwalkers, with both Arch-Cardinal Alexandros VI and High Inquisitor Isabella Iberion making several personal inspections of the Dawnwalkers' operations and interrogations of their Captains and Chapter Master for signs of chaos corruption or treasonous intent against the Imperium during the period between 610.M40 and 625.M40. Unable to find anything solid they could use against the chapter to get them dissolved and replaced with a more orthodox chapter, they instead settled for sabotage and subterfuge to undermine the chapter, strategies they continue to employ to this day. In the meantime, the chapter continued its operations against the forces of Kealarach and ingratiating itself to the various forces of the Imperium within Sector Andalus as well as the many minor Xeno races that called Andalus home. Some of the most notable joint operations of this period include:
The Defence of Parsagad II in 630.M40 was the first major act of military collaboration between the Dawnwalkers and the Adeptus Mechanicus in which the Forge World of Parsagad II came under assault by the hordes of Kealarach. the world's Fabricator-General, Janrus Akepolis, sent out a call for help and with the joint effort of their forces and the Astartes of the 3rd (A.K.A The Alpha Medius) and 6th (A.K.A The Omega Pollex) Companies, they were able to drive off the forces of Chaos in a bloody, but mercifully brief, campaign when a then newly initiated Tactical Marine of the 6th Company slew the Bloodthirster leading the assault, their now legendary Captain, Jonathan Badajoz, Master of the Rites.
The Siege of Hope in 650.M40 was the first time the Dawnwalkers joined forces with what would become one of their surest and most long-standing allies in the sector, the Astra Militarium regiments of the Damacras system, known as the Damacrascan Immortals. The planet of Hope in the Damacras system was a verdant agri-world that provided food for half the sector, so when the forces of Kealarach put the planet and the 451st Damacrascans, loyal and skilled servants of The Emperor but ill equipped to face a siege at the hands of Chaos, to siege, the leader of the Damacrascan Immortals, the venerable and indomitable General Theodora Byzarius, requested the help of the Dawnwalkers to break the siege. The chapter dispatched 4th Company (A.K.A The Alpha Medicinalis) and a force of frigates and the Strike Cruisers Liberator's Wing and Conqueror's Wing under the command of Captain George Silves, Master of the Fleet to assist General Byzarius and the 42nd and 96th Immortals destroy the blockading fleet and the defeat the army on the ground.