"Bio-chauvinism, and on such a small scale, when it comes to the processing of knowledge, is laughable. Give me any savant you care, and I shall match his worth tenfold with even the most basic of Machine Spirits."
- —Extract, The Problems of Organic Thinking, Chapter XII
The Cog Mechanicum of the Adeptus Mechanicus
The Imperio-Cognisticians are a sect of tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus which believes that the Imperium is actually a giant super-computer, whose operations can lead to the completion of the Quest for Knowledge if they are properly initiated and maintained.
History[]
The Cult Mechanicus' Quest for Knowledge can be defined as much an inner, spiritual journey as it can be a physical one. To many tech-priests, especially those too old or otherwise occupied to actually venture forth into the stars themselves, this very idea holds a great appeal. To them, it is not so much in the action of searching, but in the more mundane tasks of everyday data-inputting, repairing, enginseering, and a million other tasks that the Quest for Knowledge ever comes closer to its conclusion.
To these members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, sometimes referred to as the Imperio-Cognisticians, the Imperium is nothing but a giant super-computer, ever processing more data in its task that will ultimately lead it to deliver all knowledge. This is most often referred to as the "Divine Processing Routine." The followers of this belief are often seen as traditionalists, and a little too conservative for their own good by more orthodox tech-priests. Unless directly called for, such as in response to armed hostility, things such as change or upheaval are regarded as unnecessary for the benefit of this computing process.
Imperio-Cognisticians regard themselves as computer anti-viruses in a galaxy full of corrupted programming (the Dark Mechanicum and other forces of Chaos), and xenotic viruses, and for this reason regard anything apart from their own technology as contaminated and dangerous to use. The only acceptable form of change that they may instigate is that of upgrading.
When working within the scope of such a large "computer" as the Imperium, this can range from the personal act, whereby a tech-priest may incorporate a new memory chip into their brain, to the conquest of new worlds that may better increase the "memory" of the Imperium, and so provide more material for a faster processing of data to bring the Quest for Knowledge to a satisfactory end.
Even then, the most extreme of the Imperio-Cognisticians see this as too much change to the Divine Processing Routine, and will seek to hinder it at any opportunity.
Imperio-Cognistician Plots[]
Examples of the plots that Hereteks of the Imperio-Cogniustician sect have sought to pursue, include the following:
- A Radical Inquisitor has been sighted using xenos and/or Chaos-tainted artefacts. It is obvious this "anti-viral unit" has been corrupted, and so must be eliminated to prevent further spread of the infection that could jeopardise the Divine Processing Routine. A tech-priest and their Skitarii must commence the "Rite of Viral Termination," and delete any "associate programmes" (Acolyte retinue and warband members) the Inquisitor has.
- A magos that holds the most extreme view of Imperio-Cognisticianism has dispatched an operative (disguised tech-priest, Skitarii, etc.) to kill an Ecclesiarchy cardinal that has decreed a new Imperial Crusade, and so prevent any change to the Divine Processing Routine.
- Hounded by the Mechanicus Explorators he has so long hindered, an Imperio-Cognistician magos has been pursued back to his asteroid-base lair, where he must try his best to survive the assault!
Sources[]
- Inquisitor: Corpus Auxilla Mechanicus (Specialist Game)