Techmarine

A Techmarine (known as a Frater Astrotechnicus in High Gothic) are Space Marine technicians and engineers as well as full Astartes Battle-Brothers. They are members of both the Cult Mechanicus and their Chapter. Prospective Techmarines are chosen from the ranks of the Space Marine Chapters for their affinity with technology. They are sent to Mars for thirty standard years of training, taught the machine lore. They learn how to divine the runes of engineering and study the liturgy of maintenance. This great body of lore must be committed to memory and understood by the novice Techmarine. They are taught how to "feel" the pain of a damaged machine and heal it. When they come back they serve the same role in their Chapter as a Techpriest Enginseer in the Imperial Guard.

History
Ancient pacts sworn between the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Astartes allow the Space Marines to send those warriors with an affinity for technology to Mars to train and begin the long, arduous journey of becoming a priest of the Machine God. Without the passing on of such ancient technological lore, the Space Marines would be unable to make war. Aspiring Techmarines train for 30 years on Mars, steeping themselves in rites of activation and hymnals of maintenance; how to call forth a Machine Spirit or placate its wrath. Techmarines return to their Chapter as aloof and mysterious figures steeped in superstitious awe. From that point forth they are men of dual loyalties, pledged by blood to their Chapter, but bound in mind and spirit to the mysteries of the Cult Mechanicus' Omnissiah. This dichotomy ensures that a Techmarine is never again truly trusted by his brothers and is kept at arms length from the Chapter's secrets and rituals. Despite this suspicion, Techmarines are held in great esteem by their Battle-Brothers who recognise and acknowledge the Techmarines' expertise in the mysterious arcane sciences. A Space Marine Chapter would be of little consequence without its many technological tools, and its ancient weapons must be kept in a constant state of readiness -- without the Techmarines this would be impossible. Despite their arcane calling, they are warriors first and foremost. Should a vehicle or artefact of technology be lost, the Techmarines will fight for its retrieval as stridently as their brethren would fight to recover a fallen comrade; perhaps, like their Tech-priest counterparts, even harder.

Equipment
Techmarines are fully members of the Chapter, and although not directly connected to the Adeptus Mechanicus, they are still considered members of the Cult Mechanicus. Their Power Armour is modified to accommodate their cybernetic enhancements and their backpacks are upgraded with several servo-arms. Their armour is painted the rust red of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but their Chapter badge is retained and displayed on one of the shoulder plates, so as not to anger the armour's Machine Spirit. Techmarines are able to wear full servo-harnesses, huge harnesses armed with servo-arms, plasma cutters, and Flamers. Techmarines can also be accompanied by a retinue of Servitors; Gun Servitors, Combat Servitors, and Tech Servitors. Techmarines often wield a Power Axe with the Adeptus Mechanicus symbol on its head, as both a symbol of office and as a weapon.

Master of the Forge
The Master of the Forge is an Astartes Chapter's most senior Techmarine, charged with the maintenance of the Chapter's fleet of armoured fighting vehicles, such as Rhinos, Land Raiders and Predators. His knowledge of the arcane sciences has been refined over centuries of service, and rivals that of the senior Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars. The Master of the Forge is so skilled that he can tell what is wrong with a vehicle's Machine Spirit at but a glance. Such skills conspire to make the Master of the Forge something of an outcast in most Space Marine Chapters. Though he is always part of the Chapter Council, the Master of the Forge is an outsider to all save his subordinate Techmarines, whose company is shunned in all matters save those that pertain to his beloved mechanicals.

Not all Space Marine Chapters treat their Master of the Forge in this way. Some, such as the Mentors, the Praetors of Orpheus and the Astral Knights, embrace the dwindling advanced technologies of Mankind without the usual superstition and, in the case of the Iron Hands, with an enthusiam nearly matching the Mechanicus. In these Chapters, the Master of the Forge is a personage honoured no less than the Chapter Master himself. Such cases are not common among Astartes. Indeed, for one Chapter to embrace the vision and purpose of a Master of the Forge is to invite suspicion from many of its more conventional brothers. In addition to his responsibilities to maintain the Chapter Armoury, a Master of the Forge is also tasked with the conservation of any arcane technological artefacts to which his Chapter is heir. The oldest and most famous Astartes Chapters have many such technological wonders from the time before the Horus Heresy locked within their Armoury's vaults. Like the other Techmarines who serve under him, the Master of the Forge is equipped with powerful bionic servo-arms called Mechadendrites that can be used for battlefield repairs or even put to use as another weapon. Masters of the Forge also sometimes wield an ancient pre-Heresy weapon called a Conversion Beamer, whose projectors fire a beam of anti-matter that induces a controlled subatomic reaction in the target, converting its mass into energy. The further away the target, the more deadly the blast, as the beam has time to grow in power.