Priests of Mars (Warhammer 40,000)

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The Adeptus Mechanicus is the official Imperial name within the Adeptus Terra for the Cult Mechanicus or Cult of the Machine based on Mars which provides the Imperium with its scientists, engineers and technicians.

In time, one faction emerged dominant over all the others that had contended for dominion over Mars -- the Cult of the Machine God, the Mechanicum. Believing deeply in a strange theology which held that the expression of the universe's divinity, the Omnissiah, was embodied in advanced technology and machines, the Cult Mechanicum established its rule over the Red Planet and erected massive new manufactorums and hive cities across the world, divided into different city-states known as forges or forge cities. Each forge was ruled by a high-ranking Tech-priest, and the entirety of the Mechanicum's hierarchy bowed to the high priest known as the Fabricator-General. Rune-priests often become experts at their function after many standard years of studying perhaps the most arcane branch of science explored by the Adeptus Mechanicus: "intuitive mechanics," better known as speculation and improvisation. During the Horus Heresy, the Mechanicum like most other branches of the Imperial military, found itself divided in loyalty. Many Mechanicum units declared for the Warmaster Horus, some retained their loyalty to the Imperium and some seceded altogether to remain neutral during the conflict. [38] Horus swayed the Fabricator-General of the time, Kelbor-Hal, to the side of Chaos by promising him a complete STC database from the planet of Drakonis-Three-Eleven and brought the senior Tech-adept in his 63rd Expeditionary Fleet named Regulus over to his side with other STCs recovered from the Imperial conquest of the Auretian Technocracy. Horus promised much else in terms of technological knowledge to the Mechanicum, including the right to develop technologies like artificial intelligence previously forbidden by the Emperor in the Treaty of Mars in return for their allegiance to his cause.Great Crusade (798.M30-005.M31) - The Emperor leads the massive Great Crusade outwards from Terra, with the purpose of reuniting the hundreds of thousands of lost worlds scattered across the galaxy. At the fore are the Space Marine Legions, supported by the growing Imperial Army. All are equipped by the factories of Mars. No less important are the Skitarii Legions, the Legio Cybernetica, the Legio Titanicus, and the Imperial Knights that join the expedition. Planet after planet is reconquered and offered the same choice -- bow before the Emperor of Terra o A magos (pronounced MAY-gohs) (pl. magi) is a Tech-priest who is a recognised master of a technological or scientific discipline, having devoted many standard years of service to the Omnissiah in that area of study.

Many people, particularly on Old Earth and Mars, come to know this era as " Old Night," and it descends like a shroud over the galaxy. During this time, the Human-settled Knight Worlds fare best among Mankind's colonies, for they eschew psykers and purposefully regress technologically. They grow superstitious and hidebound in their own traditions while they stand alone in a galaxy besieged by evils. Enginseers are perhaps the most common of the Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They view themselves as engineer-mystics dedicated to the Omnissiah, and each Enginseer possesses a wealth of knowledge on how to maintain and repair mechanical and electronic technology. Fless, Friederike; Moede, Katja (2007-08-24), Rüpke, Jörg (ed.), "Music and Dance: Forms of Representation in Pictorial and Written Sources", A Companion to Roman Religion (1ed.), Wiley, pp.249–262, doi: 10.1002/9780470690970.ch18, ISBN 978-1-4051-2943-5 , retrieved 2022-11-06 A Rune-priest is a Tech-priest who is responsible for performing the rituals required by the Cult Mechanicus' doctrines for the awakening of Machine Spirits. These rituals involve the scribing of runes and the chanting of Cult Mechanicus liturgies over the devices to be so awakened.Enginseers almost always make use of the cybernetic enhancements that are common among Tech-priests, in this case bionic arm augmentations that appear to be very similar to serpentine tentacles known as mechadendrites. Enginseers serve across the galaxy with the Imperial military, often in harm's way, as they will be called on to make repairs on the battlefield as well as in the workshop.