Prefecture Magisterium

> "*Sin, crime, and heresy are malfunctions within the mechanism of civilisation, the evidence of some faulty cog within the grand machine of society. A repair necessitates the removal of these errant components, either to forge them anew in some useful form, or so that they may be eliminated as imperfections.*"
> ― Excerpt from Chapter XIII of *"Observations upon the Ordered Function of Empire"*
>
>

The **Prefecture Magisterium** is a division of the Adeptus Mechanicus under the **Collegia Extremis** of the Adeptus Mechanicus, acting as its *de facto* secret police. It is charged with preserving the dogma of the Cult Mechanicus and the persecution of Hereteks. Uniquely among the orders of the Mechanicum, the Magisterium is cleaved from the Quest for Knowledge as an organization. Rather then the typical magi of the forge, the magisterium is comprised of those rare Tech-priests who choose to devote their minds to the study of the Machine God's will rather than the knowledge it embodies, sacrificing their holy mission in order to preserve it from the abuses of the heathen masses of Mankind.

The Magisterium follows three core tenants of its persecutions; eradication of the flesh, sundering of the machine and termination of the animus. The prospect of answering to the Magisterium is a terrifying prospect for all but the most jaded hereteks.

## History

An organization ancient beyond the Imperium's founding, heralding back to the founding days of the Machine Cult as the first priests held congregation in half pressurized hab spires and ruined bunkers. It was these early days which the offices formed, and in the chaos of an unorganized Mars; order was required.

The earliest militant forces comprised of three orders which came together to conquer Mars; the Legiones Skiitari, the Tahgmata Omnissiah, and the Prefecture Magisterium. Each one was charged with a unique duty as the Mechanicum swept across the ruins of the lost Dark Age. Hab spires were conquered, derelict cities were reclaimed, and settlements brought under the dominion of the cult and with each new child of Mars came a new source of chaos and rebellion; it was and is the duty of the Magisterium to prevent such a thing.

As the Mechanicum took complete control of Mars, the magisterium began to fade into the background of the politics of Martian society. Overt intimidation became subtle manipulation, and as the electronic global networks came under one rule, that rule became the Magisterium.

As the Mechanicum spread across the warp ravaged galaxy on sub-light sleeper ships, ill-fated warp vessels, and fortuitous explorator vessels the Magisterium would spread in kind. Their duty to preserve the doctrines and practices of the Cult Mechanicus on these new Forge Worlds such that their cultures and customs would mirror Mars' own. This effort, while disjointed and disunited on the galactic scale, has resulted in a broadly unified culture amidst the Forges, but has resulted in divergent enforcement means and standards springing up in isolation such as the Hephaestian Prefecture, the Mezoan Hermeticon, or the dark practices of fallen Xana II's Vodian Consistory.

## Duties

The duties of the Magisterium have remained constant over the millennia, with countless priest making the sacrifice of knowledge for faith. For the core of the machine cult doctrine must be forsaken in order to take the mantle of Juris; one cannot search for knowledge if they devote their life to searching for criminals. As such, the Juris Magi are analogue to the greater Imperium's Inquisition

These Magos hunt down any who would employ unsanctioned technology or, even worse, operate or pervert technology without the oversight and blessings of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Magos Juris will go so far as to even take Mechanicus voidships into the depths of the Halo Stars and warp tainted hellscapes to hunt down their foes. Worse still are those who smuggle technology, attempting to keep it from its rightful guardians. The fate of such men, when they are caught, is a grim one, for they are condemned to spend a far-expanded lifetime toiling without mind or will as a Servitor aboard the starship of the Magos that judged them, their minds obliterated and their bodies repurposed to serve the Machine God that they blasphemed against.

Like most within the Ixaniad Mechanicus, the Magisterium prefers to remain slightly apart from the bulk of the sectors dynastic games, yet whispered to be highly involved. This reputation of secrecy yet unprovable might has given the Magisterium a fearful reputation among the Ixanian populations, and they seem to intentionally foster this dread. They actively encourage the servants of the Mechanicus to believe the stories; that they are always watching, that they can operate in plain sight without anyone knowing, and that the execution clades and Venandi Mech-Assassins are waiting for the moment when they will swoop down and destroy everyone who has ever cursed at a machine. This could be a ruse to disguise possible gaps in their observational systems or limitations of their power, creating the impression that the Magisterium are more effective than they actually are.

In times of war, every War Convocation or Tahgmata battlegroup will maintain detachments of the Magisterium, their prime goal to descend upon battlefields holding dark secrets of techno-heresy, and securing or eradicating it to ensure the moral purity of the warriors of the Machine God.

## Organizational Structure

The Prefecture Magisterium is a loosely organized body which operates across the galaxy. Due to such a far reaching influence, central governance is inherently impossible and central control of each agent an exercise in futility. As such, each Forge World holds its own cell, which manages each agent according to the needs of the forge.

### The Malagra Directorate

Each fully fledged Forge World holds vast Astropathic Choirs to tie it into the greater body of the Imperium, enabling the disparate factions of the Imperial Body to communicate. Situated upon sacred Mars, the *Collegia Extremis* broadcasts the will of the Magos Mechanicum (The Fabricator General of Mars) and the doctrinal adjustments of the High Pontiffs of the Machine Cult. The chief enforcers of the cult doctrine are known as Magos Malagra, Magos Warlords who have dedicated their existence to ensuring that the powers of the Machine God, embodied in technology, do not fall into unworthy hands. These magi have largely removed themselves from the quest for knowledge, but somewhat ironically have access to the most potent samples of the Mechanicum's craft from all fields and make use of it to their full extent. These magi work across the galaxy, holding audience in great hololithic simmulus chambers to ensure that the edicts of the cult are met and handing down judgment from on high to preserve the sanctity of the forges. In practice, however, each individual Lord Malagra of their Forge, separated from Mars by dozens, hundreds, or tens of thousands of light-years, broadly chooses how to interpret their given orders according to their Forge's needs, local culture, or their own agendas.

### The Magos Juris

Among their colleagues on the Forge Worlds, these individuals are known and feared as they carry out their task: to police the Mechanicus from within. At the order of their lords above, or through their own investigations, they relentlessly pursue those who would commit tech-heresy or steal the secrets of the Adeptus Mechanicus. These Magos hunt down any who would employ unsanctioned technology or, even worse, operate technology without the blessing and oversight of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Magos Juris will go so far as to even take Mechanicus voidships into the depths of cursed and long abandoned space to hunt down their foes. Worse still are those who smuggle technology, attempting to keep it from its rightful guardians. The fate of such men, when they are caught, is a grim one, for they are condemned to spend a far-expanded lifetime toiling without mind or will as a Servitor aboard the starship of the Magos that judged them, their minds obliterated and their bodies re-purposed to serve the Machine God that they blasphemed against. The Juris Magi are broadly permitted to act as they see fit, for their minds are programmed with carefully constructed engrams of their masters dictating the exact parameters of their authority and the countless millions of situations in which that power is permitted to be wielded. In a sense, the powers of the Juris Magi can be likened somewhat to the Imperial Inquisition; a secret police with widespread authority. Given the similarity of their missions, it is not unheard of for the Mechanicus and inquisition to work together on tasks.

### Venandi Mech-Assassins

An **Venandi Mech-Assassin** is part of an order of assassins within the Adeptus Mechanicus that operates throughout the worlds of the Ixaniad Sector where the influence of Forge Hephaestia holds sway and beyond. Venandi Mech-Assassins extend outward from the far more specialized Interfector Death Clades and are subservient to the Prefecture Magisterium. They answer only to the Magi Juris of their own order, and usually operate according to their masters' will without scrutiny. The **Semita Set of Aglea**, less formally called the Mech-Assassins, are trained in the nigh-heretic arts of stealth, machine sabotage, and mind scourging, these deadly agents are able to move within plain sight among the lay folk throughout the sector, hidden from scrutiny beneath heavy red or black robes associated with the high ranks of the Martian Priesthood.

### The Cognitioni

Known commonly as the Diagnostic Covens, the Cognitioni are the monitors of the forges themselves. Their continuing mission is to monitor all data going in and out of the Forge Fanes, and as such, hold the absolute authority to shut down an entire Hive City upon the Forges if need be in pursuit of a particularly virulent strain of heresy or an especially dangerous enemy of the Machine Orthodoxy. Managing this incredible flow of information requires a ludicrous ammount of processing power and cognitive ability, as such, to better deploy agents, the Diagnostic Covens maintain their vigilance from aboard a orbital station known only as Unit-03-A in official archives; a cloaked and shielded station dedicated almost entirely to data processing.

### The Venatorii Sanctoris

The standing militia of the Prefecture Magisterium, the Sanctoris are an auxiliary force which can be assembled by the Magisterium Cohorts of any Forge World in times of doctrinal crises. Drawn from among the ranks of the Mechanicum’s priesthood, any ordained member of the clergy may submit themselves for induction into the ranks of the Sanctoris, from the lowliest Lexmechanic to the highest Magi. Far from the often under-trained or poorly-equipped militia reserves maintained by many worlds of the Imperium of Man, heeding the call of the Prefecture Magisterium requires submission to total cybernetic reconstruction and neural programming, turning any Venatorii Sanctoris into a relentless warrior utterly devoted to the three tenets of castigation laid down by the Prefecture Magisterium: eradication of the flesh, sundering of the machine and termination of the animus.

In addition to the Tech Priesthood who fights, specially assigned Skitarii are seconded as well. Treated with special neural engrams and mind wiped after every battle, these spiritually pure soldiers die such that the priesthood may live.

Every war fleet of significant size deployed during from a forge maintains a detachment drawn from the forces of the Prefecture Magisterium, usually accompanied by a number of Sanctoris Covenants, which often fluctuated in size as hosts of Tech Priests from across the fleet submitted themselves to the Venatorii as non-compliant worlds were encountered which presented a particular blasphemy against the Omnissiah.

## Presence in the Ixaniad Sector

Like all forges, the forge worlds of Hephaestia and Bezoa maintain considerable presences of the Magisterium. The dominant investigative conclave of the Magisterium in the Ixaniad Sector is known as the Prefecture, and it is rightfully feared. From the high courts in Fane Deculus upon Hephaestia to the petty courts upon the Dynastic Worlds dealing with tech smugglers, the true reach of the Prefecture is not grasped by the common folk, and reviled by those who do.

There are two main bastions of power within the sector, which are located upon the Primaris-I-Samak Grade forge of Hephaestia and the Tertius-I grade forge of Bezoa. A third and far more mysterious center of intimidation known as The Black Cells to the population, or Tritarus-IV in the archives of the Magisterium. Though legions of hunter killer units and macroclades of mech-assassins may inspire fear to many, truthfully it is their indirect influence which hangs over the heads of those who need fear.

The dynasties which control the various worlds of the sector inherently require technology to do so; ships, manufacturing, medical care, and a thousand thousand thousand other necessities which are put to use in a thousand low grade conflicts and preserving economies and infrastructure mauled by sabotage. As such, the mechanicus holds the enviable position of selling the proverbial bullets as well as the bandages. With no other choices, the dynasties take these technologies with glee to get the advantage over their rivals, and with that technology comes the overseers of the priesthood. As such, enclaves of the Mechanicus inevitably spring up on each world and with that oversight comes the judgments of the Magisterium, coldly watching for any signs of tech heresy through the infinite eyes of a countless sensors.

Truthfully, the name of the Prefecture is not as well known on the ground as the powers of the Ecclesiarchy, the Arbites, or the dreaded Inquisition and the Mechanicus seems to most as the strange fraternity of engineers and scientists. The higher one ascends in Ixaniad society, the greater the presence of the mechanicus, and each noble house is studded with symbols of Mechanicum authority; magi-viziers speak hushed words to household lords about their technological directions, cloaked priests follow in royal retinues, and mechanicus auto-turrets ward the sanctums of the noble lines. It is through the word of mouth from noble to retainer to servant to serf which spreads the influence of the Machine Cult, and through this presence comes the fear of technological misuse. Some ponder if the Magisterium truely has the influence it supposes. Foolish men attempt to push their luck, wise men assume they are being watched.

## The Black Cells

In a distant star system staring out into the intergalactic abyss, orbiting a lonely star with no name, resides the infamous prison complex known as Annwn; The Black Cells. A ferrous mass of spindle structures which stretches from the orbital tethers to encompasses a series of foreboding, black spires. A tangled maze of pipes and cables swath the structures, and evokes images of a great spider nest in the boughs of gnarled, black trees. Among this ominous web, hanging like bulbous egg sacs and speared with support struts, are clusters of Confinement Units, any of which houses up to a thousand recidivists and malefactors. From across the Ixaniad Sector and beyond they come, each one a special prisoner of the Machine Cult; commoners, sub-mechanicus grade technicians, smugglers, and hereteks. All condemned for crimes against the Machine God, each with secrets that the Magisterium demand be revealed.

## Notable Juris Magi

* Archmagos Prime Alphaeus Gearhardt
* Archmagos Silas Pajari
* Adept Meelia Seamatres

## Notable Execution Clades

### Execution Clade Zhu-323/iteration 12

201st Classiari Legion

3rd Macroclade

1st Cohort

5th Asymmetric Unit: Magisterium Attachment

Execution Clade: Zhu-323/iteration 12

Identag: pn15h

An accomplished asymmetric warfare unit often seconded to the Prefecture Magisterium, nominally in service aboard the Mars-Class Battlecruiser *Eternities Approach.* This unit is composed of two Prefecture Assassins, led by a Assassin Princeps, and six Classiari of the 201st Legion.

#### Noted Operations

This unit was deployed to the vassal world of Minas to gain information upon a cult uprising spearheaded by the death guard. The cult began in the Refectory-Primus of Manufactorum Iota-Zeta-74/Q Forge Temple and rose up with the arrival of 7 Death Guard marines led by an aspiring champion. Local arbites were able to contain the riots and establish a quarantine for the contagion. Execution Clade Zhu-323 breached the main refinery where the plague marines were making use of the chemical vats to brew plagues to begin wiping out the population. A swift moving guerrilla fight among the gantries began with the clade taking up optimal positions to surround the Plague Marines, leading to a picking off of each member before Assassin Kas-511 cut down the champion in a hail of machine gun fire. While tracking down the remainder of the Death Guard infiltrators, the fire team was slain to a man, the assassins managed to escape.