Adeptus Mechanicus & the Houses of Necromunda

[Xisor]

it also occurs that given what we now know about the Cawdor - they may perhaps get a bit around the tech-priest issue through i) the 'reclamation of scrap' approach [i.e. a lot of their 'manufacture' isn't , per se , manufacture - although dependent upon how hidebound a techpriest is, the elements involved in making something that's almost-functional work again may very well infringe heavily into mechanicus territory ... or it may not - I mean, cleaning out a jam in an autorifle *does* possibly require sacred unguents and a litany, but I highly doubt that every ordinary Guardsman eqiupped iwth one is expected to get the local Enginseer to handle such relatively mundane tasks - and instead would do it themselves, *using* said lubricants and litany, as htey've been indoctrinated to do so .. it's also possible that certain 'field modifications' may fall into this category likewise] ;

 

ii) their particular understanding of the Imperial Cult - I mean, the way they see it, it's not implausible that the acts required to build those really-not-guardian-spears out of a sharp pointy bit , a pole , and whatever ballistic weapon they can lay their hands not-upon, as it is done in conscious imitation of the Divinely Mandated Form of the Weapons of the Emperor's Angels/Saints [i.e. the Custodes], as done by His Locally Appointed Servents [i.e. whichever Cawdor get charged with doing such things] - well, they might not see why this requires a tech-priest. Particularly given , as the Omissiah is the Emperor , it's merely 'another' form of Imperial Clergy, potentially unlikely to be found in any great concentration down amidst the scrap-heaps of hte Underhive unless something .. odd is afoot.

 

Certainly, it is an interestingly observed tendency for the religiously fanatical to 'give themselves permission' to 'bend' or even outright flaunt otherwise iron-clad rules as and as needs fit.

 

Now, i am not claiming that any of the above is, strictly speaking, background accurate. And of course, there are very solid arguments that the second point, in particular, is *wrong* in terms of Imperial Theology.

 

But unless we are seriously believing that there is a mendicant order of tech-priests out there going from hab-hold to hab-hold wrapping together autoguns and crowbars to form crudely larptastic "Guardian Spears" ... which, given 40k ... there actually very well *might be* ... it is a not *entirely* implausible explanation.

 

Although I now have an idea for , as somebody might have mentioned upthread , long-forgotten perhaps even low-key voluntary-exiled tech-priest orders cut off for whatever reason from commune with Mars continuing to do as they've done for centuries beforehand and producing material output which, if inspected by a 'legit' tech-priest somewehre, somewhen else, will not *especially* raise any serious eyebrows about heretek or unwarranted "innovation" by the non-schooled and un-learned filthy-handed ordinary Imperials.

 

 

All of this has really stuck with me. I love the take. :)

 

Using Cawdor & downhive as an opportunity not only to explore the "extremes" of Imperial society, and religiosity, but also to hugely look at the effects of... schisms and isolationism.

 

I'm curious to delve into the feasibility of Necromunda for a variety of Mechanicus sub-cults, going being the (far too simple, in my esteem) Corpuscarii & Fulgirite divides, but drawing on a ton of the more obscure bits of lore, culture and theology. (Real world and 40k.)

 

Who needs Cawdor when you could be looking at an isolated Mechanicus cult who've unexpectedly uncovered some xenos-or-low-key-unusual heretical stuff. Stuff that was institutionally outlawed, not for "real" heresy, but for doctrinal heresy.

 

Less xenarite schisms, more Gnostic gospels. Less Gnostic Demiurge, more accidental Demiurg!

[Maatith]

I think that besides the layers upon layers of philosophy and dogma, there are probably also layers upon layers of tech alterations that are allowed or sacred. We already know that there are a whole bunch of different lasgun designs out there that are fully sanctioned as approved designs, and we also know that a large role of the STCs was to allow creating things with what was available on the colonized planet. As a result, I would imagine for something like a lasgun there are a wide range of approved changes and combinations that would be allowed without a ton of blowback. I imagine it something like

 

1) Cosmetic alterations only. STC approved internals but an alteration in frame to allow for specific conditions. The people of Frackus V are inordinately tall due to low gravity, so the body is extended to account for longer limbs. Rotundus II is extremely high gravity so the casing is made of a lower weight material and excess panels are removed. These are probably ok as they are not technical solutions as much as mundane solutions.

2) Functional alterations present in other STC lasgun designs. Scout and drop regiments sometimes use an STC pattern with a folding stock for easy transport. House Foldus decides to incorporate this into a production model, and can cite it's existence in another STC lasgun as reason for it being ok. These are probably ok as everything involved is STC lasgun tech unless dealing with the strictest adherant.

3) Functional alterations present in other, similar STC tech. A pattern of lasgun which for some reason incorporates a firing mechanism found on an STC for a meltagun. All parts are STC design, but not as a whole. I believe several tanks are examples of this. The Razorback? Possibly ok, pending review by the Mechanicus.

4) Functional alterations present in STC unrelated to the product being manufactured. After a stroke of genius it is decided that the quick release mechanism on a grav harness can be repurposed as a quick connect mechanism on an underslung grenade launcher to attach to a new pattern of lasgun. It is possible this could eventually be sanctioned, as technically everything is STC, but is unlikely. Execution for tech heresy likely.

5) Any new innovation. Tech Heresy. Execution imminent.

 

Of course, this all assumes proper Mechanicus oversight. For things like personal use on-world, I'd imagine you could get away with a whole lot.

 

The idea that existing "adaptions" from other patterns is probably acceptable is seen in the changing of the feet of the Drop Sentinels in Fire Caste to the standard Sentinel foot (a pattern unknown on their homeworld), although a character remarks that he believed he was only able to persuade the mechanic caste to do this "radical" thing because they were not full Mechanicus