The [[Dark Mechanicum]] was a coalition of [[Magi]] which saw these restrictions as shackles placed upon the ambition, imagination, curiosity and righteousness of purpose of the entire Mechanicum. They rejected the notion of the Emperor embodying the Machine God’s purpose, and cast off the fetters placed upon them, continuing their research into forbidden lore. Dark deeds and unspeakable experiments simmered and festered within the Mechanicum, carefully hidden from the Imperium’s eyes until the conclusion of the [[Great Crusade]], during which time the [[Warmaster ]] [[Horus]] sent his emissaries to many Magi who felt themselves oppressed by the Emperor’s dictates. The Warmaster offered an open hand of friendship and promised to sweep aside the Emperor’s restrictions.{{Fn|1}}

In the [[Imperium]], technology is the province of the [[tech priest]]s of [[Mars]], servants of the [[Omnissiah]]. Certain avenues of research, innovation, and development lie outside the strictures of the Omnissiah’s creed, and thus are labeled labelled tech heresy. Most [[Xenos]] tech and even some advancements from the [[Dark Age of Technology]] are considered forbidden by the Techtech-priests, and any who dabble in such blasphemous experiments are hunted with righteous fury.{{Fn|5}}

Nevertheless, there exist some who continue these heretical practices and unleash terrors or mistakes to ravage the worlds of Man.{{Fn|5}} Heretechnica ranged ranges from those which may be contained to the horrors of the mind or body of only a single being, to higher orders of Heretechnica, capable of unleashing plagues of death across entire [[System|star systems]], draining the energy from stars or distorting space-time itself.{{Fn|1}} The Tech-priests of Mars and the [[Inquisition]] often confront such renegades and their tools.{{Fn|5}}

Tech heresy is considered the greatest crime in their the [[Lore Mechanicus]] and its practitioners are pursued ruthlessly by the [[Lords Dragon]] and [[Collegiate Extremis]].{{Fn|8}} The [[Magos Juris]] also ruthlessly pursues tech heresy in a similar manner to the [[Ordo Hereticus]]' pursuit of [[heresy]].{{Fn|9}}

The Orders of High Heretechnica hated above all others include the following: These those related to the creation of [[Silica Animus|artificial sentience]], such as the so-called [[Men of Iron]] which had plagued humanity’s [[Dark Age of Technology]]. The , the manipulation of the human gene-code, particularly where relating to the mysteries of the [[Primarch]]s, the [[Legio Custodes]] or the creation of [[pariah]]s and other abominations against nature, and lastly, the deep study of the [[Warp]].{{Fn|1}}

In regard to genetic modification, the [[Lex Mechanicus]] allows for a plethora of methods to be applied, however, pursuing [[mutant ]] genetic strains and splicing [[xenos]] DNA are a damnable tech heresy.{{Fn|10b}} An extreme safeguard some take to prevent this specific tech heresy is that of the [[Puritens]] surgery.{{Fn|11}}

The acquisition of xenos devices is often considered a grave heresy.{{Fn|7b}} Using [[Xenotech]] is considered tech heresy by some or , however a valuable opportunity by others. Opinions such as these can lead to the cooperation or conflict between [[tech-priest]]s and [[Inquisitor]]s, depending on the alignment of each party.{{Fn|5}} [[Xenarite]]s and many other tech-priests of [[Stygies VIII]] often walk this fine line.{{Fn|4}}

What explicitly constitutes tech-heresy is vague enough that is it can cover a vast amount of subjects and categories. These true nature of what defines a tech-heresy can vary depending on the world or [[Sectorsector]] of space.{{Fn|12}}

One category of lesser tech-heresy is the misuse of technology. This is an extremely broad category that can range from simply using otherwise innocent technology against the Adeptus Mechanicus instead of for it, speaking blasphemy of the Omnissiah over a [[vox]], or simply venting one's frustration towards a particularly stubborn [[machine spirit ]] while in the presence of a Tech-Priest.{{Fn|12}}

Another example of this minor heresy would be a Tech-Priest turning the majority of a [[Hive|hive city's]] hab-block into bestial [[servitor ]]s loyal only to them. [[Illucius Grizvaldi]] committed such an atrocity and was summarily captured by the Inquisition and executed. Grizvaldi had only been a relatively low-profile heretek prior to these crimecrimes.{{Fn|12}}

The unsanctioned communion with the machine is an extremely conservative set of complex stipulations placed on the lay citizen citizens (not belonging to the Mechanicus) of the [[Calixis Sector]]. Put forward by the extremely influential and conservative Arch-Magos [[Ralwure|Ralwure the Golden]] the Golden, this defines various sets of activities as tech-heresy. One of its bans disallows any lay citizen from crafting unsanctioned [[Imperial bionics|augments]] or scavenging technology. Although not fully adopted, the policy also seeks to include label any interference or harm caused to a Tech-Priest also be considered as tech-heresy. This category is replete with precedents and exceptions that only those within the Cult can hope to understand.{{Fn|12}}

Anyone can commit tech heresy, whether they're an [[Imperial citizen]], [[guardsmen]], or tech-priest. More mundane tech heresies include the guardsmen crew of a [[Battle Tank|battle tank]] performing anything more than the most basic of repairs on their tank, and even then, only under the most dire of circumstances. Such heresies can be as innocuous as flipping a switch.{{Fn|6}}

In the The average Imperial citizen often considers melding with technology as what they'd interpret as "tech heresy", as far as they understand it. Another fairly mundane unsanctioned tech heresy that would cause a [[tech-adept]]'s duress, would be guardsmen cooking their [[lasgun]]s' charge cells around a fire. This is an old trick common among the [[Imperial Guard]] in order to charge a few extra shots. The power pack being this near a fire causes metal degrigationdegredation, reduction of cell endurance, and other material decay.{{Fn|7a}}

Punishments for those condemned of tech-heresy can vary drastically depending on the crime, severity of their actions, and their accusers. A minor dlights slight might only results result in a loss of resources or access to them, other times, it could result in exile to the far region of the respective Sector sector of space. Those who aren't technically guilty of tech-heresy, but found to have incorrect thoughts going against the current tenets of their respective Cult hierarchies, are considered apostates and labelled [[Malatek]].{{Fn|12}}

More serious heresies require greater punishments, such as the removal of augmentationaugmentations, cranial scouring, and corrective re-engramation, followed with formal declaration to their respective councils on the errors of their ways.{{Fn|12}}

The most serious crimes are often sentenced in closed tribunals. Death is typically the least of the punishments harsh punishment for the worst offenders of the Cult. More ; more often than not their fate is servitorisation. Prior to this, it isn't uncommon for every ounce of data to be extracted from their brains in a horrific manner, all to better root out the extent of their heresies. Their minds are then destroyed and their bodies transformed into base servitors to live out the rest of their wretched lives.{{Fn|12}}

The manipulation of the laws of time, Chronaxic manipulation, is one of the prime bans. As an example of the ambiguity and nuance of these strictures, during the [[Conclave Chronalis]], [[Archmagos]] [[Belisarius Cawl]] presented a planned xenotech acquisition expedition involving travelling near the event horizon of a [[black hole]]. This would inevitably involve voyaging through time, in a way. A debate amongst the assembled tech-priests would rapidly emergeemerged, some temporal experts insisted insisting that no fundamental laws of either the Cult or of material science would be broken, as they were dealing with a natural effect. While , while a minority decried this plan is as ''de facto '' voyaging through time and clearly forbidden, no matter how Cawl's argument was dressed up.{{Fn|2}}

*{{Endn|9}}: [[Rogue Trader: Hostile Acquisitions]], pg. 86 & -87