The Adeptus Mechanicus

A very special thanks to Alex Bews for contributing to our site. Alex is an amazing painter and his website can be found at (witchhunter.net).

Mars is the planetary realm of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the home and domain of the Tech Priests of the Cult Mechanicus. The planet Mars has changed enormously since man first set foot upon its barren and arid surface. In the earley 22nd century it became the first planet to be terraformed. It was given an atmosphere and its deserts were turned to fertile soil. However agriculture was never very impotant to Mars - its main source of wealth lay below its surface in the form of gems minerals and metal ores.

The Cult Mechanicus holds a virtual monopoly on technology, its own tenets and beliefs permeating through their rituals into the common superstition of Imperial citizens. Although often compared to vast factories, as much as half of a forge world owned by the Adeptus Mechanicus is primarily given over to huge repositories of technical knowledge. These immense libraries and databanks of information are highly eclectic and disorganised, so that one may find a crystal storage device containing information on biogenetic engineering next to a scroll covered with designs for steam locomotives.

The Techpriests jealously guard their independence and it is a rash or brave Inquisitor who dares to interfere with or investigate the Mechanicus on one of their own forge worlds. Techpriests are a holy order, who worship the Machine God and the intimate knowledge of technology that he holds. The lowest ranks of Techpriest have mainly maintenance and construction duties, but as a Tech-adept progresses and acquires greater knowledge, he is relieved from day to day tasks to study ancient texts and learn the greatest mysteries and techniques.

Thus, the Adeptus Mechanicus endeavours to maintain this position of absolute knowledge and authority, and a Techpriest who feels that this is threatened will go to any lengths to protect his power, including murder, extortion, kidnapping, sabotage and terrorism.

Tech Questor Exploratory Team

Acolyte

Servitor

To the Techpriests, flesh is merely an inconvenience; weak and frail in comparison to the mighty pistons, gears and chains of machinery. It must be sustained artificially beyond a certain point and, if one is to make most use of it, much of it needs replacing by newly grown parts or, more preferably, manufactured limbs, organs and systems. Their brains incorporate devices known as memo chips, ingrams or electrografts, which allow their memories to store an incredible amount of information and access it quickly. They are often fitted with a variety of neural plugs which allow them to 'jack in' to the network of a terminal or machine, becoming part of its operating or control system.

Servitor

Techpriest

Old Citadel 1988 Adeptus Mechanicus Miniatures

The Adeptus Mechanicus controls the entire governmental, industrial and religious affairs of Mars and is thus very diverse and complex in its organisation. In its broadest terms the population is divided into two parts. The greater mass of Martians are worker-slaves called Servitors. Servitors are not really fully human, but half-man half-machine creatures whose minds have been partially programmed to perform specific duties. The Servitors are slaves to the ruling priesthood of Tech Priests who form a hierarchy of technicians, scientists and religious leaders. The Tech Priests provide the Imperium with its engineers and technical experts.

Servitor

Servitor

Tech-Priests have a hard time trusting people, preferring to place their trust in the Machine God and his minions (namely machines). Servitors are thus the perfect bodyguard for them, as their mindless devotion will ensure the best protection when in the field. Special units of these drones are fitted with the finest bio-mech upgrades and combat programming, and serve no other purpose but to preserve the life of their master.

Tech-Priest Lords are often accompanied by special Servitor Acolytes, small stunted creatures designed to record everything that happens during their Quests. Their presence also helps ensure the unit acts in a manner which brings honor to the Red Planet as well.

The Adeptus Mechanicus is driven by the quest for knowledge. This quest takes many forms, including research and exploration, but its ultimate embodiment is the search for ancient STC systems. STC systems were created during the scientific high-point of the Dark Age of Technology. During this time thousands of human colonies were founded on distant worlds. Many of these colonies failed to survive, some were lost, and of those that survived most achieved only a subsistence level economy. Yet almost all of these colonies managed to retain a high level of technology thanks to the huge base of computerised information carried from Earth. This massive computer databank was known as the Standard Template Construct (STC) system.

Servitor Bodyguards

Squat Servitor

Today there are no known surviving STC systems, and only a very few examples of first-generation print out. On some worlds information about the ancient STC is regarded as holy and design copies are guarded as secret and sacred texts, housed in the inner sanctums of temples. For thousands of years the Adeptus Mechanicus has pursued all information about the STC. It is their lost bible, Holy Grail and Cup of Knowledge. Any scrap of information is eagerly sought out and jealously hoarded.

Questor

This conversion should represent an Adeptus Mechanicus Questor. The Techpriests on their first holy search through the galaxy for STC are given the honorary title Questor. I've decided to take the body of a Dark Angel Space Marine for this conversion. The head is from a Harlequin Barbarian, left arm with the eagle is from Demon Hunter Inquisitor, right arm was the one of the Redemptionist's. Techmarine's Back Pack completes the that. Don't forget, a lot of green stuff too!

Engineer

Techpriest

The technical achievements of non-humans, such as Eldar and Orks, and isolated human civilisations, such as Squats, are of almost as much interest to the Adeptus Mechanicus as rumours concerning the STC. Indeed, non-human knowledge is often more useful and usually far easier to obtain. Members of the Adeptus Mechanicus always accompany Imperial exploration teams, Rogue Traders and Space Marine chapters, and so are ideally placed to investigate the technical abilities of other cultures. Even extinct civilisations are vigorously investigated and their technology recorded.

Explorator

Techpriest

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