Adeptus Mechanicus

The Adeptus Mechanicus is a semi-independent Imperial adepta that wields control over the Imperium's mighty forgeworlds. They practice their own form of 'religion', the Cult Mechanicum, where its members revere technology as its God. The Mechanicus provides the Imperium with unquantifiable amounts of munitions, and its tech-priests are among the most talented and brightest engineers in the galaxy.

Forgeworlds of the Imperium are operated by the Mechanicus.

Overview
While the Mechanicus is part of the Imperium, it enjoys a degree of independence unrivalled by any other adepta, excluding the Imperial Inquisition. Due to the great power it wields over the Imperium, it could be argued that the Mechanicus operates more as an allied empire to the Imperium rather than the typical adepta, who are ultimately at the mercy of the Emperor and his Senatorum Imperialis. However, its most unique quality concerns mainly with its religious practices, for the members of the Mechanicus follow a religion entirely different from the rest of the Imperium.

Sometimes, it is hard for the common man to differentiate a member of the Mechanicus with a servitor. They augment themselves with cybernetic implants to such an extent that the flesh of some of the most senior members of the Mechanicus has long since eroded, replaced by the cold, metallic touch of adamantium steel.

Great Collapse
The history of the Mechanicus dates back to the dark days of the Age of Strife—the Great Collapse; Old Night. While Terra fell into darkness, Mars was able to sustain itself due to its heavy use of technology. Ultimately, they too would fall from grace as the planet was embroiled in a conflict between two groups: the Sons of Mars, a humanist faction who believe that humanity should try to reach back to its spiritualist, anti-materialistic roots, and the Cult Mechanicum, the ancient predecessors of the Adeptus Mechanicus who believe it is man's duty to revere technology so that they may—one day—reclaim the stars. The conflict between the two groups was so devastating that the lush, green plains of Mars were burnt asunder, turning the planet into a red barren wasteland.

Sol Crusade
After two millennia of continuous fighting, the armies of the Mother of Mothers, Genetrix, finally reunited Terra under Her imperial banner. She slew the gene-cults of Luna who had been chipping away Terra's population for centuries; and it was during this campaign that she would encounter a Martian scout servitor sent by the Cult Mechanicum. The leaders of the Mechanicum thought their doom was imminent, and so they sent a scout servitor to Luna to prepare the establishment of a Mechanicum colony on its surface. Genetrix, who needed Mar's vast resources to supply her war-effort against the rest of the solar system, allied herself with the Mechanicum. With the aid of her thunder warriors and custodes, the combined forces of the Mechanicum and the Imperium drove the Sons of Mars to extinction, its armies scattered and left to die on the ruined surface of Mars.

As a token of their appreciation, the Mechanicum asked to be integrated into the Imperium as long as they are free to operate semi-autonomously—where they were free to practice their beliefs in peace. Genetrix reluctantly accepted their gift, but she casted aside her personal beliefs on religion for the progression of her grand crusade, for she needed the help of the Mechanicum to aid her in her quest to reunite mankind under her rule.

Galatan's Rebellion
The Imperium was split in two as the Warmaster Galatan Oriona ravaged the planets of the Imperium in a fit of vengeance against the Holy Mother. Her decree to ban all forms of religion deeply angered some of the members of the Mechanicus, who began to view her as a liability in their quest to attain technological perfection. The Mechanicae Prefidae was born, and when the Warmaster entered the Sol system with his legion of Spartans, the Prefidum gladly gave their allegiance to the Archtraitor. They waged a bloody civil war against the Mechanicum, plaguing the surface once more with war. The Prefidae were ultimately defeated when the forces of Terra emerged victorious against its battle with the Archtraitor and entered the conflict a week after the disappearance of the Holy Mother.

Post-Rebellion
In the millennia that followed after Galatan's Rebellion, the Mechanicum had reformed itself into the Adeptus Mechanicus. Its followers grow ever-more fanatical as they intensified their quest for technological perfection. Countless conflicts have erupted over the tenets of the Mechanicus that have plagued its ability to produce advance new technologies. The Mechanicus dedicates itself in the maintenance and recovery of technologies that were lost during the Great Collapse.

Hierarchy
As it operates semi-independently from the rest of the Imperium, the Mechanicus has organised itself into a strict hierarchy. At the top, the Fabricator General wields total control over the day-to-day operations of the Mechanicus, and are granted the right to forge weapons of unrivaled quality in the forges of Olympus Mons. The Fabricator Lucom serve as the deputies of the Fabricator General's rule, governing the numerous forgeworlds scattered across the Imperium. They are then followed by the Archmagos who concern themselves with the faith of the Cult Mechanicum. When the Fabricator-General dies, an election is held by the Fabricator Lucae to decide who should be the next Fabricator-General.

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