The Cult Mechanicus is the state religion of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which recognises its own dogma as opposed to that of the Imperial Cult. As an organisation, it is composed of the priesthood of the Adeptus Mechanicus, also known as Tech-Priests.
Overview
History
The Cult Mechanicus has ancient origins, developing on Mars during the Age of Strife. It was the state religion of the early Mechanicum even before the arrival of the Emperor and the commencement of the Great Crusade.[5] When the Emperor first arrived on Mars many saw him as the Omnissiah, or the physical manifestation of the Machine God. As per the terms of the Treaty of Olympus that saw Terra and Mars unify, the Mechanicum was still allowed to practice its faith despite the Emperor's own secular Imperial Truth.[6a] The Cult Mechanicus continues to exist to this day, distinct but related to the Imperial Cult.
Beliefs
The core tenets of the Cult Mechanicus are codified in the sixteen "Universal Laws".[8] Along the ages, the creed has accrued further theses, such as the Law of the Divine Complexity[6a][6b] or the Third Law of Universal Variance[14].
According to the Cult Mechanicus, knowledge is the supreme manifestation of divinity and all creatures and technology that embody knowledge are thus holy because of it. The worth of a single man is only the sum of his knowledge - his body is simply an organic machine capable of preserving intellect. It is by this motivation that the followers of the Cult Mechanicus follow the Quest for Knowledge, seeking new technology and information to better themselves.[1]
The Machine God, also known as the Deus Mechanicus,[2][3][4a] He who is three-in-one,[15b] the three in one,[16c] the triple god,[16a] the prime architect,[15a] and God-Machine,[11] is the ultimate object of worship in the Cult Mechanicus. It is the Machine God that gave rise to all technologies and made them manifest through his chosen among mankind. To the Mechanicus, machines represent a higher form of life than those crudely formed from biological evolution. The planned perfection of form and function embodied in a machine are so great, that they could only have arisen from a divine source. Officially, the Cult Mechanicus maintains that the Emperor is the physical manifestation of the Machine God (the Omnissiah) and part of a trinity that also includes the Machine God and the Motive Force, the deity that gives all life and motion its continued existence.[2][3][4a]
Organic life is the Machine-God’s greatest accomplishment within the scope of the Great Work. The Machine God created the complex weaknesses of flesh so his followers might learn metallic strength, and ascend to his level of machinic perfection.[15b] Thus striving to improve upon it and replace it, however, abandoning his numerous gifts is done at great peril. For to give up one's soul is the great sin of the Cult Mechanicus. The soul must be understood, not despised. Such is life’s great test.[16b]
One of its surviving Men of Iron, UR-025, states that it has met the true Omnissiah, not the false one worshipped by man, and that it would find the Mechanicum disappointing.[7]
Tech-Heresy
The Cult Mechanicus also outlays a strict code of Technological conduct, dubbing a far range of innovations and fields as Tech-Heresy (Heretechnica) and its practitioners as Hereteks. These include such forbidden sciences as unleashing plagues of death across entire star systems, draining energy from stars, or distorting space-time. However the three greatest orders of Tech-Heresy are that of Abominable Intelligence, manipulating the Human genome, and study of the Warp.[10]
Preventing Tech-Heresy takes many forms, like the Puritens surgery.
Religious Excerpts
Organisation
While each Forge World is led by its own Fabricator General, it is the Fabricator of Mars who is considered the de facto leader of the Cult Mechanicus. Beneath the Fabricator General is the Fabricator Locum who in turn may call upon and command Magi Technicus, Metallurgicus, Alchemys, Cogitatrices, Pedanticum, Tech-assassins, hive monitors and Holy Requisitioners, who in turn can command a body of fabricators minoris, Fulgurites, Corpuscarii, overseers, underseers, stasis clerks, and techno-dervishes.[9a] The governing body of each Forge World is referred to as a Forge Synod. These synods are collections of high ranking tech priests of that Forge World and led by the Fabricator General. All these Forge Synods ultimately show fealty to the Great Synod of Mars.[Needs Citation]
Holy Orders
The Cult Mechanicus is organised in different Holy Orders, of which a Tech-Priest may change in time of need. The orders of the Magi pursue esoteric agendas as likely to end in triumpth as disaster. The orders of the Genetors probe biological mysteries, creating ever-stranger cyborgs and slaughtering numerous xenos to excise their biological secrets.[9a][9b] The Logis includes analyst, statistician, and logistician whose purpose is to predict future trends and make forecasts about Mechanicus expenditure and needs.[4c] The Artisans create and restore weapons of war.[9a][9b]
Military Forces
Each Tech-Priest Dominus may lead a Battle Congregation consisting of detachments of the Servitoria, Electro-Priesthood, and the Legio Cybernetica.[4b]
Related Videos
See Also
Sources
- 1: Codex Imperialis (Background Book), pgs. 41-42
- 2: Warhammer 40,000 4th Edition Rulebook, pgs. 120-122
- 3: Index Astartes - Cult of the Machine God
- 4: Codex: Cult Mechanicus (7th Edition)
- 5: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal, pgs. 17-19
- 6: Mechanicum (Novel), Chapter 1
- 7: Man of Iron (Short Story)
- 8: Deathwatch Core Rulebook, pg. 100
- 9: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition)
- 10: The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook, pg. 124
- 11: Vainglorious (Novel), Chapter Eight, with reference to note #54
- 13: Fire Warrior (Novel), Chapter 3, pgs. 64-66
- 14: Predator, Prey (Novel), Chapter Eight
- 15: Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel):
- 16:Genefather (Novel):
