Dark Mechanicum - Hereteks: Because of the nature of their split from the Imperium, these fallen Tech-priests lack a central authority or consistent belief structure. As a result, their reigning ideology is far more diverse than that of their former brethren within the Adeptus Mechanicus. Hereteks may shun the Omnissiah entirely as a false god, worship Him as an extension of Chaos, or simply ignore their former beliefs to focus solely on their research.Even among the unusually open-minded Explorators of the Adeptus Mechanicus, there are subjects which must be avoided at all cost to remain true to the dictates of the Machine God. A Heretek enthusiastically violates all such strictures, exploring xenos technology, archeotech from the Dark Age of Technology, and dabbling in all facets of technology related to the manipulation of the Warp. He may even be bold enough to develop entirely new technologies, combining components in forbidden manners to produce the ultimate tech-heresy for many in the Cult Mechanicus -- innovation.He may go as far as sharing the tools of his trade and the secrets of its ways with those who have not been trained in the mysteries of the Machine God. A Heretek actively seeks out new technology and continuously experiments with new techniques in ways that were once forbidden. He no longer believes that any information, experiment, or device can be ignored. Rather, he deliberately focuses on those technologies that the Mechanicus' teachings once taught him to avoid, with a particular interest in developing Warp-based technologies.Few inquiries concerning technology are beyond a Heretek's interest, though inevitably many of his inventions and much of his research tend towards the development of tools of destruction. As he builds these weapons for his fellow devotees, the Heretek has also invariably rebuilt his own body. It may be that he has few organic components left and those that remain are often marked by the mutational "gifts" of the Chaos Gods. His cybernetic and sometimes biological enhancements not only improve his technological acumen, they also grant him additional abilities in combat. A Heretek is likely to be much physically hardier as well as much more powerfully armed than even the highest-ranking Magos of the Mechanicus.Some in the Imperium think of those referred to as Hereteks to be a unified force, like the Adeptus Mechanicus itself. This is not the case, as there is no galaxy-spanning organisation dedicated to tech-heresy, including the Dark Mechanicum, which is often treated erroneously as being a monolithic entity like the adepta from which it schismed.Rather, there are countless fiefdoms and Dark Forge Worlds, each ruled by a fallen magos (or several magi) powerful enough to dominate cadres of their fellows and enslave Mechanicum thralls and servants. Just like the warbands of the Traitor Legions and almost all the other servants of Chaos, the corrupt Tech-priests war amongst each other, or prefer to exist aloof from their fellow servants of the Dark Gods.Hereteks often follow a path of constant innovation. A Heretek may be capable of drawing power for their devices directly from the Warp and controlling them with summoned Warp entities. They might dabble with concepts of artificial general intelligence, memory transference, or even attempt to capture and preserve the souls of intelligent beings within their devices through their arcane knowledge of the Warp.Many of these inventors mindlessly hew to the idea that the new and the novel is always preferable in accomplishing a given end than established techniques. For them, the joy of a new idea or the recovery of an unknown bit of knowledge is a triumph, even if that idea has already been made obsolete. With each new advancement, their passion for further such successes grows as does their appetite for ever more knowledge, regardless of its source.The Heretek is often driven by their hunger for knowledge and is quite willing to use the Ruinous Powers and their Daemonic servants as a source. At other times, they seek out xenos technology and archeotech. They may even coordinate raids upon Imperial strongholds for the sole purpose of recovering their records of where such devices can be found.In many Hereteks' minds, there is no greater purpose in life than serving the cause of the advancement of technology and knowledge. Any sacrifice is justified in the pursuit of this end.It is relatively rare for a Heretek to be raised by the Dark Gods as a Daemon Prince. All too often, Hereteks end up as a component of one of their own inventions, with too little left of the original body or its personality to even receive such a reward from the Dark Gods. However, those few who are granted this gift continue to spread their Chaos-tainted technology across the galaxy.