Skitarii - Creation of a Skitarii: The Skitarii seek to grow ever closer to the Machine God by augmenting their bodies with inviolate metal. Each new wound is a chance for bionic revelation. Such is their fanaticism that even healthy organs and body parts are cut away and replaced.To face a Skitarii Legion is to fight against warriors that are less than human, and yet far more deadly. As with so much of the Cult Mechanicus' business, the truths of the Skitarii's creation are kept a close secret. Most Skitarii are born into the service of the Mechanicus either as natural-born human menials of the Cult Mechanicus who are cybernetically-enhanced specifically to serve as Skitarii or they are genetically-engineered clones or vat-born humans who are cybernetically enhanced from the moment of their accelerated "birth," much like certain types of Servitors. Others are repurposed from mind-wiped convicts or warriors handed over as punishment for failure or desertion.Unlike those cybernetic menials, most vat-born Skitarii are allowed to retain at least a modicum of their higher brain functions so that they can follow the more complex orders often given on the battlefield.Regardless of origin, all find a fanatical faith in the Omnissiah soon after their inception. It is then that their true transformation begins.Without exception the Skitarii have pallid bodies of puckered flesh and sutured cybernetics. Ceramic valves and adamantium sockets stud hard knots of pallid, translucent muscle. Even the brains of these warriors are grotesque hybrids of grey matter and twisting neurocircuitry.The most blessed pass a point called the "Crux Mechanicus," their body more machine than flesh. Those that reach this stage of mechamorphosis are known as "Skitarii Alphas." Some go on to attain the rank of "Alpha Primus" -- overseers who can operate independently for standard years if necessary, as solid and reliable as the titanium that replaces their flesh.One who looked for technological consistency in Skitarii augmentations would be sorely disappointed. A soldier of the Mechanicus may have a punchcard skullslot and leather bellows for lungs, whilst at the same time housing quantum bioware in his brain.It is often said that were one of these enhanced warriors to be rendered down, traces of nearly every element known to man could be found somewhere in the remains. The Tech-priests know this to be no exaggeration, for dissection is but one of the dark fates a Skitarius might undergo in order to satisfy his masters' predatory curiosity.Skitarii train with their integrated cybernetic weapon until they are of the appropriate age to be sent into a war zone. To guarantee their undying loyalty to the adepts of Mars, all Skitarii undergo various forms of psychosurgery. Some have their minds wiped of both emotion and personality and are implanted with mental directives designed to ensure that they follow the orders of their commanding Tech-priest or magos without question, even to the point of being essentially remotely controlled.Other Skitarii are allowed to retain a certain degree of personality, although their defining traits will always be belligerence and the desire to fight. Skitarii undergo genetic enhancement programmes that develop strength and aggression, and are physically and cybernetically augmented to further these traits.During combat the Tech-Guard go into a hormone-induced rage, and likely become addicted to the adrenal high that close combat delivers. Despite this, however, the Skitarii, particularly their commanders, are neurally modified so that the analytical parts of their brains remain a bastion of calm amidst a storm of wrath, allowing them to quickly evaluate the tactical and strategic situation and then act accordingly.Along with their ability to understand binary code which can be nearly instantaneously sent, received and understood by Skitarii's augmented cerebral cortices, this allows them to operate with a remarkable degree of cooperation -- something all the more stunning to be seen in a seemingly ragtag, raging horde.Like all of the adepts of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Skitarii are experts at multitasking, and a Tech-Guard officer can, for example, effortlessly engage in vicious close combat, direct the forces under his command, oversee the tactical situation of the battle and provide coordinates for Balisteria artillery detachments, all at the same time.As mentioned above, however, not all members of the Tech-Guard are so skilled, and some are merely remotely controlled or pre-programmed cybernetic weapon platforms, though these variants are primarily used to guard static locations. The level of cybernetic enhancement may vary between each Skitarii. Some may have a few genetic and bionic enhancements, while others may have replaced whole organ systems with advanced technology.Due to their extensive modification, the Skitarii can excel in almost any environment. Each legion hails from a hyper-industrialised Forge World -- extreme doses of radiation are nothing to those who have trodden the toxic wastes of Mars. Even in the time-ravaged fringes of the Halo Stars the Skitarii Legions march onward. They have painstakingly conquered worlds across the breadth of the galaxy, and whatever perils they face, their march falters not.