Adeptus Mechanicus

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In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Adeptus Mechanicus is a division of the Adeptus Terra dealing with technology and science. It is highly independent of the rest of the Imperium, often to the point of being almost a nation unto itself, with its own planets, armies, interstellar navies and government. The reasons for this are historical. The Adeptus Mechanicus was founded around the changeover from the Dark Age of Technology (or Golden Age, as the Adeptus sees it) to the Age of Strife, as an organisation devoted to preserving the technological and scientific knowledge accrued in the first from the ravages of the second . When the Imperium of Man was created, the Adeptus Mechanicus was eventually integrated into it by the Treaty of Mars.
Whereas nearly all the rest of the Imperium follows one of the various cults of the God-Emperor, the Adeptus Mechanicus is virtually synonymous with the Cult Mechanicus, another faith that could easily be considered heretical to the rest of the Imperium if the Adeptus was not so greatly needed for the survival of the Imperium.
The Adeptus' importance is caused by how the Imperium, despite its technologically advanced state, has a very limited knowledge of how its technology functions, and consequently views the building and use of advanced machinery almost as a magical or religious act, fraught with ritual and inviolable instructions. The Adeptus has a near-monopoly on Standard Template Construct (STC) designs and other technological knowledge, and consequently wields a large amount of power as the main supplier of everything from farming equipment to interstellar warships.

The Cult Mechanicus

The Cult Mechanicus believes knowledge to be the manifestation of divinity, and holds that anything embodying or containing knowledge is holy because of it. The supreme object of devotion is therefore the omniscient Machine God (also known as the Deus Mechanicus or Omnissiah), an immanent and omnipotent spirit governing machinery and knowledge. Generally, this deity is held to be either subordinate to or an aspect of the God-Emperor (or both are held to be aspects of the same being), although there is a small and secret splinter sect known as the Cult of the Dragon which worships the C'tan known as the Void Dragon as the Omnissiah instead. The Omnissiah is believed to be friendly to Humanity, and is often called upon to aid humans with technical challenges. Subservient to the Omnissiah are the Machine Spirits, who are believed to inhabit all machinery and which must be appeased, lest the machinery fail. Belief in machine spirits cause the Adeptus and others they instruct to make frequent prayers, offerings and so on to their machinery and show it inordinate amounts of respect, an approach similar to that of Scientism religion in Isaac Asimov's Foundation. This in turn causes the machines to break less often since they are not mistreated and damaged with careless use, creating a self reinforcing system.

The ultimate goal of the Cult Mechanicus is to understand the Omnissiah. The communal and personal attempt at this is known as the Quest for Knowledge, and followers view this endeavour as paramount and more important than any other concern. Generally, the Quest is pursued by scientific and exploratory endeavour. The Cult believes that all knowledge already exists, and it is primarily a matter of time before it can be gathered together to complete the Quest. It is therefore disinclined to perform much original research, and considers it more important to safeguard that which it has already accrued and gather more by searching for STC templates and the like. Some original research does happen, although the results of such endeavours are strictly quarantined for many years before being disseminated publicly. In the Quest for Knowledge, members are guided by the Sixteen Universal Laws. According to Gavin Thorpe, a prominent member of the Games Workshop design studio, the sixteen laws, or "lores" are as follows:

The Mysteries.

• 1. Life is directed motion
• 2. The spirit is the spark of life
• 3. Sentience is the ability to learn the value of knowledge.
• 4. Intellect is the understanding of knowledge
• 5. Sentience is the basest form of Intellect.
• 6. Knowledge is the supreme manifestation of divinity
• 7. Comprehension is the key to all things.
• 8. The Omnissiah knows all, comprehends all

The warnings

• 9. The alien mechanism is a perversion of the true path.
• 10. The soul is the conscience of sentience
• 11. A soul can be bestowed only by the Omnissiah.
• 12. The Soulless sentience is the enemy of all
• 13. The knowledge of the ancients stands beyond question.
• 14. The machine spirit guards the knowledge of the ancients
• 15. Flesh is fallible, but ritual honours the machine spirit
• 16. To break with ritual is to break with faith.

There are numerous factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus, including the Khamrians, who pursue the forbidden science of artificial, or "abominable" intelligence; the Omnissiads, who seek to summon the Machine God into an avatar; and the Organicists, who see biological enhancement as equal to the more common cybernetic enhancements for which the Tech-Adepts are known. Some are accepted, others persecuted as heretics.

Techpriests

Any member of the Cult Mechanicus over the rank of menial will often be referred to as a techpriest, though Magi and higher ranks are usually referred to by rank. Techpriests can usually be recognised by their clothing, which unless their work requires otherwise will usually be robes of rust-red or black coloration, and by their cyborg nature. The amount of augmentation found in a techpriest is highly dependant on rank within the Cult; a novice may have only one or two augmetic systems, if any, while very senior members may have only a few biological organs left in their bodies at all. Common augmentations include:

• Bionic limbs and organs, which may replace the originals because of an accident or simply because of improved operation or special needs the techpriest may have in his work.
• Bionic eyes, which often allow a techpriest to see beyond the normal spectrum of human vision or boost light input to allow night vision and similar functions, zoom in/magnify an image and so on.
• Mechadendrites, mechanical tentacles that attach to spine, limbs or similar locations to afford the techpriest greater mobility, lifting and manipulation capabilities, easy interface with much other machinery and, in many cases, a handy weapon in a fight. Larger mechadendrites can often extrude a monomolecular blade or simply be used as a blunt instrument or to throw projectiles, in the manner of their most likely inspiration, Doctor Octopus.
• Autosanguination, a process by which all blood is removed and replaced with a more efficient substitute, allowing easier healing of wounds and such.
• Electoos, metal circuits embedded in the skin of the techpriest to allow them to channel electricity. These can be used in combat, or to revive a recalcitrant machine spirit. Those who specialise in the use of these and become essentially a human electric generator are known as electro-priests or Luminen.
• Electro-grafts, which are similar to electoos in that they are electric circuits embedded in the skin, but are distinct in their purpose. Electro-grafts serve to interface the tech-priest with machinery, particularly sources of data. Given the right data-sources, a techpriest with electro-grafts can acquire many skills and much specialist knowledge instantly.
• Vox-casters and voice-synthesizers, which often replace the normal speech organs of more senior tech-priests. The quality of the synthesized voice is highly variable, from stilted and unnatural voices only as good as or worse than today's standard to voices that sound almost entirely natural. The techpriests themselves generally don't seem to care which as long as they are understood.

More uncommon but still occasionally practised augmentations include the:

• Mind Impulse Unit (MIU), a direct link between a human brain and a larger piece of external machinery allowing control by thought alone as if the machinery was a part of the human's body. These are most commonly found in massive vessels such as Titans and starships, and very rarely in a normal techpriest. Some techpriests may use one to control a shoulder-mounted weapon or similar devices, however.
• Binary cortex, an operation in which the brains of two techpriests are joined in one body. Usually used only when two tech-priests study the same subject and align very well in their thinking otherwise.
• Rite of Pure Thought, an operation which replaces the brain's creative, emotional right half with a cogitator (computer). This frees the techpriest of any remaining emotion.

Hierarchy

The Cult Mechanicus is ordered in a strong hierarchy, but details on this hierarchy are not always clear. Generally, more highly positioned techpriests are expected to have more seniority and knowledge than lower ones, and are consequently more important as greater repositories of knowledge. A tentative mapping of this hierarchy, in order from highest to lowest, will follow below. It should be noted that specialists such as genetors and logis may not have any specific rank within the Cult as a group, but rather be ranked as individuals. Titan crews are listed last not because of their position, but because of their relative separation from the Cult.

Fabricator General

The Fabricator General is the highest-ranking individual within the Cult Mechanicus, and runs not only the Adeptus Mechanicus but also the planet of Mars itself. As befits his position, the Fabricator-General has a permanent seat on the council that runs the Imperium, known as the High Lords of Terra. Some players claim that this title is not unique, however, and that Fabricator General is the rank held of someone who is in charge of any Forge World, and that the position as High Lord is only for the Fabricator General of Mars.

Magos

A Magos is a master of technological discipline, having devoted many years of service to the Omnissiah. There are many specialist divisions known as Divisios. Magi from these are given a rank containing the specialisation of their Divisio, such as Magos Alchemis, Magos Biologis, Magos Technicus, Magos Thermodynamicus, Magos Xenologis, Magos Electromagneticus, Magos Teledynamicus, Magos Theologin, Magos Exobiologis, Magos Astrologicus, Magos Aeronauticus, Magos Lexicanus, Magos Genetus, Magos Physic, and possibly many more.

There are two higher ranks that are variations of Magos, being Archmagos and Archmagos Veneratus. It is not known what specifically differentiates between any of these.

Magos Explorator

Obsessed with the quest for knowledge, the techpriests known as Magos Explorator search high and low across the known galaxy for lost Standard Template Constructs and ancient knowledge. A breed apart from regular techpriests, any Explorator or member of his team will willingly walk into forgotten catacombs, even at risk of death, for snippets of long-forgotten knowledge.

Genetor

Basically genetic scientists, the Genetors are typically found accompanying expeditions to new or rediscovered worlds to sample new DNA or to introduce common Imperial animals to the ecosystem.

Logis

The accountants of the Mechanicus, the Logis are statisticians, analysts and logisticians. They can accurately predict almost anything with very small margins of error, making them extremely useful to anyone with an artillery piece. Considered prophetic by some, the Logis are also very good at predicting future trends and forecasts.

Artisan

Artisans are exactly what the name implies; they build and design things for various purposes, from agriculture to war. Usually found with an entourage of Servitors, these adepts command labour forces of them that could rival small armies.

Enginseers

Enginseers are techpriests specially trained in caring for and repairing all manner of machine-spirits. They perform the more demanding maintenance tasks of the Cult Mechanicus and are often seconded to the Imperial Guard in order to maintain and repair the vehicles of the Guard. Although most Guardsmen revere their vehicles enough not to risk annoying an Enginseer through 'tinkering', some unique vehicles have been created from spare parts in time of need - much to the chagrin of the present Enginseers. Among their fellow Techpriests, Enginseers are afforded little respect, as their labours do not normally contribute to the Quest for Knowledge very much. Rather they are viewed as lowly but essential cogs in the great machine that is the Cult.

Skitarii

The fighting forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Skitarii regiments that go to war along with Titans are equipped with various esoteric weapons of war. Part man and part machine, most Skitarii are linked to their personal weapon for increased performance. Skitarii are born into service, training with their weapon until they are of the age to be sent to a warzone. To guarantee their undying loyalty to the Mechanicus they usually undergo various forms of psychosurgery to wipe their minds of emotion and personality. Skitarii can be represented in the game by using Imperial Guard regiment rules with a focus on Doctrines and equipment that would be appropriate to a cybernetic army, and are often referred to as "Tech-Guard" in the fiction.

Menials

As their name suggests, Menials are menial labourers, used primarily for unskilled labour too complex for servitors to economically perform. Menials are not considered techpriests, but are usually inducted with the beliefs of the Cult Mechanicus in a simplified form. Skitarii and to some extent techpriests are recruited from the ranks of menials.

Servitors

Servitors are menial laborers of the Tech-Priests, designed to perform tasks deemed too low for even the youngest adepts. They are mindless cyborg slaves that have to be programmed for tasks, obeying any command of their master without question. There exists an endless variety of Servitors, from beasts of burden to heavy-weapon carriers.

Their biological frame is obtained either by cultivating bodies artificially in culture vats or by using the lobotomised bodies of condemned criminals - all servitors are subsequently augmented with mechanical limbs, computer uplink jacks and whatever accessories are deemed necessary to facilitate the task ordained to them. Servitors are essentially biological robots which use a brain as their CPU. They can do nothing other than mechanically fulfil their programmed functions.

Some servitors can have combat programs installed into them which enables them to serve as unswervingly faithful bodyguards - in the battlefields of the game, they may accompany the retinues of Tech-priests, Techmarines and Inquisitors.

The servitors most frequently seen on tabletop battlefields are Gun-Servitors, bearing heavy weaponry; Combat-Servitors, armed with close quarters destructive gear; and Technical Servitors, which possess little combat power but aid repair work in much the same fashion as Ork Grot Oilers.

Titan crews

Colossal mecha, the Imperial Titans are manned by a crew consisting of a Princeps, Moderati, Tactical Officer, Chief Engineer, an engineering crew, and Servitors.

Princeps

Princeps training begins at an early age and ends with eight years at the Collegiate Titanicus. The cadets receive their uniforms and MIU implants in the final year, before field-training starts with an attachment to a currently-operating Titan for observational tours.

A Princeps commands his Titan via an MIU link to the machine spirit, controlling both his crew's actions and the Titan's movements through his thoughts. The Titan becomes an extension of him; when damaged, he feels pain, when victorious, he feels elation. This link grows so strong that his mental health will slowly deteriorate when unlinked, in one severe case regressing into a feral state. He can assume direct control for any system, though it is usually aiming and fire control that is taken. Regardless, Titans must have both Princeps and crew to function.

Princeps are almost to Titans what entombed Space Marines are to Dreadnoughts. Some Titans, in fact, have a Princeps who is physically integrated into the Titan and cannot be removed.

Moderati

The command crew that take the Princeps' orders and act on them, monitoring the auspexes and scanners, firing the weapons and making sure all systems are nominal. Although they have similar links to the Titan as the Princeps, they cannot command it nor can they interface with Princeps neural link.

Tactical officer

The third member of the bridge crew, the Tactical Officer controls and monitors all sensory inputs of a Titan, from the aural sensors to the simple visual inputs. It is also his job to spot and acquire targets for the Moderati (or Princeps) to engage. They also deal with communication, decrypting or relaying messages to the Princeps' screen as necessary.

References

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