Skitarii

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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Adeptus Mechanicus troops; for the novel by Rob Sanders, see Adeptus Mechanicus: Skitarius (Novel).
Symbol of the Skitarii
Skitarii Soldier

The Skitarii (sg. skitarius, pl. skitarii),[1] sometimes referred as Tech-Guard (or Tech Guard),[1][54] are the mind-wiped cyborg infantry of the Adeptus Mechanicus armies and its primary military force alongside the Collegia Titanica and Cult Mechanicus Battle Congregations.[12]

The military forces of the Skitarii are known as the Legiones Skitarii.[12]

History

Main article: Skitarii Conclaves
Heresy-era Skitarii Battle-Pilgryms[56c]

The original Skitarii were created on Mars during the Age of Strife. It is believed they were created long before the formation of the Cult Mechanicus itself, with the augmetics that would become the Corpus-Skitarii being used by ancient scavenger clans that roamed the surface of Mars. In these days, the Red Planet still teemed with ferocious Cy-Carnivora and other technological abominations, and thus the wanderers were forced to survive through uncovering technological remnants and adapting.[56a]

In later years, these scavenger-cyborgs would grow into a formidable fighting force that were wielded by the now-powerful Fabricator General of Mars to serve the needs of the new Martian Mechanicum. These new cybernetic warriors, dubbed, Skitarii, were organised into small self-sufficient armies dubbed conclaves which were capable of operating far from Mars for long periods of times with limited support. Each of these Conclaves was dedicated to one aspect of the technological spectrum that formed the Cult Mechanicus, and these shaped their organisation, tactics, and rituals. Some specialized in Atomantic technology, while others wielded powerful Plasma relics. Rumours exist that some Conclaves even dedicated themselves to the pursuit of forbidden technology and even Xenos relics, which were then sealed away any watched over by the Priests of Mars. The exact number of Conclaves varied over time as the Great Crusade unfolded, but at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy there were around 30.[56a]

During the subsequent Horus Heresy, roughly 2/3rds[56b] of the Skitarii Conclaves remained loyal to the traitorous Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal and his New Mechanicum and fought for Warmaster Horus. The remaining third stayed loyal to the Emperor and sided with the exiled Fabricator Locum, Zagreus Kane.[56a] Kelbor-Hal had failed to sufficiently rewrite the core coding of the Skitarii's programming, which dictated that they would serve the Fabricator-General who in turn served the Mechanicum. Loyalist Skitarii saw Kelbor-Hal as having failed the Mechanicum by means of the Death of Innocence, and thus he had forfeited his position, and the true Fabricator-General was Fabricator-Locum Kane. Hal was quick to see his error, and subsequently used Scrapcode to ensure that his Skitarii were absolutely loyal only to him.[56b]

Following the Traitor's defeat at the Siege of Terra, the Skitarii's command structure were seemingly reorganised by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Today, Skitarii are divided into Legions and are now sworn to individual Forge Worlds as opposed to being sworn directly to the Fabricator-General.[9a]

Overview

"Skitarii" are armies of specially augmented cybernetic warriors sworn to a specific Forge World and serve alongside the Collegia Titanica and Taghmata Omnissiah as the military forces of the Mechanicum.[11] During the Great Crusade the Skitarii were sworn directly to the Fabricator-General of Mars[50], though since the Horus Heresy they have been broken up to be commanded by individual Forge Worlds.[9a]

Skitarii Rangers[9c]

While their bodies are more machine than flesh, Skitarii are not true Servitors and still retain independent thought. Those with the highest level of augmentation are known as Skitarii Alphas, a high honour in Skitarii culture. Due to their extensive modification Skitarii can excel and survive in almost any atmosphere.[9b] Skitarii are also known for their near-emotionless nature, a result of both brain surgery and psychological condition.[22b] Because of their conditioning, Skitarii are unquestioningly loyal to their Tech-Priest masters, so much so that they will even blindly kill one another if ordered.[19b] The will of their magos is viewed as the will of the Machine-God and to disobey it is unthinkable. To question the priesthood is not permitted.[55] Despite their training and augmentations, Skitarii prove less effective when cut off from the input of their leadership.[54]

While each Skitarius is a soldier executing the will of their masters, they are also small cogs in the grander Quest for Knowledge. Data passes through them in a constant omnidirectional flow. Programs, updates, reports and other orders are received while they obtain and export information on weapons, enemies, environments and efficacy. Each is a node for a vast data collection network.[55]

In battle, Skitarii fight with near-robotic discipline and base their firing vectors and positioning on mathematical formulae guaranteed to bring about maximum success. While the Imperial Guard focuses on broad sweeping assaults, Skitarii units generally focus on maximizing their strength against vital enemy units and installations.[25] While Skitarii fighters do not require any boost in morale, they do receive regular enhancements from combat drugs that can cause sudden bursts of energy, strength, and regenerative power. However, many of these drugs are extremely dangerous and cause horrific side effects mere minutes after their use.[23]

The Skitarii also serve as the bodyguards of the Adeptus Mechanicus Survey teams. They were present at the First Encounter with the Eldar. The Eldar of the Biel-tan craftworld slaughtered the Skitarii present and only one ship was able to escape, though the crew died from lack of food and oxygen.text-middle[Help]

Skitarii are fluent in binharic and other forms of Cant Mechanicus.[41] They regularly communicate amongst themselves and other Mechanicus members using skit-code, a dialect that is entirely unequipped to express anything more than tactical data. Skitarii of high rank or station are also permitted to join in Noospheric communion when it is practical to do so, such as when serving in high offices or as personal protectors to Tech Priests.[36]

Recruitment and Creation

Main article: Corpus Skitarii

Skitarii recruitment follows no universal role. Some Skitarii began as volunteers who were faithful to the Cult Mechanicus[9b] Others are recruited from the factory workers of Forge Worlds.[22a] Some denizens of Forge Worlds are destined to become Skitarii at birth, having been bred from eugenics programs that emphasize strength and aggression.[19c]

Skitarii are often created from menials or vat-born humans. They are sometimes inducted into the legions from other sources as needed, such as from refugee populations. Each skitarius taking the Vows of Integration whilst kneeling in supplication to their new master within the Cult Mechanicus. However, those coming from alternative origins might be viewed as inferior by their cyborg peers. The majority of a legion's troops often consist of elevated-menials and vat-born individuals.[51] Forge World menials who suffer significant injuries are sometimes turned into skitarii, either that or a servitor. Regardless, some menials who desire greatness, but are lack the skill or opportunity to become a tech-adept, instead seek out becoming horrendously injured in the hopes of becoming a warrior of the Omnissiah.[7] Some skitarii have their memories prior to their induction into the legions purged.[51]

The process of skitarii creation, dubbed the Corpus-Skitarii,[56a] is a closely kept secret of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but what is clear is that involves heavy cybernetic augmentation of those with a fanatical faith in the Omnissiah.[9b] Their masters refashion their bodies, replacing fallible ligaments and flesh with titanium servo-motors and bionic musculature.[39] During the process of conversion into a Skitarii most of their organs and tissue are modified or replaced entirely with circuit, bio-plastic, and metal.[26] With few exceptions, what remains of skitarii bodies are pallid, with puckered flesh and sutured cybernetics. Ceramic valves and adamantium sockets stud their hard knots of sun-starved and translucent muscle. In imitation (so some tech priests believe) of the ancient cohorts that first ground their limbs into stumps upon the dunes of Mars, the skitarius's lower legs are replaced with prostheses of inviolate alloy. Even the brains of these warriors are grotesque hybrids of grey matter and twisting neurocircuitry.[39]

One who looked for consistency in Skitarii augmentations would be sorely disappointed. A soldier of the Adeptus Mechanicus may have a punch card skull slot 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 its masters 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 their masters' predatory curiosity.[39]

Some possible skitarii upgrades include steel teeth, a 5 chambered heart, gyroscopically balanced legs, and plasteel augmetic limbs. Alongside this, a skitarius will often have an emotional partition implanted to manage their emotions, blunting individuality so that they might perform more like an unquestioning machine. This implant renders the skitarius unable to feel any emotion, rendering them disassociated from their own natural instincts, thus becoming more obedient and mechanical in their demeanor. However, an active emotional partition can be damaged due to combat injury or severe emotional overload, no longer effectively suppressing their emotions.[51]

Despite their many bionic upgrades, a skitarius can suffer from disassociation with their cyborg bodies. Issues such as pain from phantom limb syndrome might prompt a Magos Biologis to simply prescribe the individual to conduct the Daily Canticles of Defragmentation until symptoms cease. Other symptoms of this bodily disassociation include momentary visual hallucinations of augmetics instead appearing as a flesh counterpart, a sense that one's body is lagging behind where their cybernetically augmented body parts actually are whilst moving, and progressively increasing phantom pain or other biological sensation in cybernetic limbs. Said symptoms are normally cause for defragmentation.[51]

Organisation

Organisation of Skitarii Forces

Each Forge World of the Mechanicus operates a Legion of Skitarii. This is in turn divided into a number of Macroclades, which in turn are broken down into 4 Cohorts, each consisting of 3 Maniples. The vast majority of Skitarii troops are not brought into battle by aircraft or armoured personnel carriers, rather they simply march into battle without stopping even if they have to start the journey months in advance.[9a]

Skitarii can also be divided into several types, based on their battlefield role[5]:

Officers

Elite

  • Praetorians: These are the elite of the Skitarii. They are super-enhanced (bionically/cybernetically/chemically/genetically etc) humans who are augmented with a huge array of cybernetics and heavy weapons. They are, essentially, a sort of counterpart to Obliterators. However, many old sources also suggest that Praetorians are instead an elite Skitarii type following the fashion of Imperial Guard stormtrooper units, but with slightly more augmentations, putting them somewhere "between" storm troopers and Space Marines. All of these are completely plausible, and based on the preferences of the Magi who build them.[Conflicting sources]
  • Skitarii Mandragora: Elite Skitarii that serve as the bodyguards of the Fabricator-General of Mars.[13]
  • Tribunes: Elite forces.[19a]
  • Thallax: Further augmented troops with cybernetic bodies developed from Astartes power armour designs. Used exclusively by the Ordo Reductor.

Infantry

Skitarii Protector[1]

Cavalry

Other

Non-Human Skitarii

Skitarii can and have been created from Mutant and Xenos stock. Depending on the overseeing Magos's level of desperation and orthodoxy, such troops can be considered either flirting with tech-heresy or firmly over the line. Explorator Magos Caul on Phaedra, for example, believed himself still loyal to the Mechanicus while simultaneously creating Skitarii maniples drawn mostly from the sanctioned mutants known as the Saathlaa, lead by a Skitarii Alpha built from a mind-wiped T'au.[33][34]

Equipment

Main article: Adeptus Mechanicus Armoury

The Skitarii generally have more advanced weaponry and equipment than their Imperial Guard equivalents, due to the technological expertise of their Techpriest masters. Bionics are quite common and devices such as weapon links and sensory feeds are also common amongst them.

The equipment can vary massively based on which Magos, Mechanicus Organisation or Forge World has raised and equipped them. There is little standardisation or central command of Skitarii across the Mechanicus, as each individual regiment is the personal army of a particular Magos. For example, the Skitarii of the Titan Legion Legio Invicta are gene-bulked humans with weaponised limbs and augmetic armour[4], whereas a different type of Skitarii investigated the dead world of Tarsis Ultra, and were seen to be wearing something similar in both function and design to Terminator armour.[2]

Due to their substantial bionic enhancements, Skitarii are capable of marching for periods far beyond standard humans. Skitarii Rangers can hunt for decades on end. Thus most Skitarii forego the use of armoured transports, finding them redundant.[9c] Despite often going on foot, they nonetheless operate an array of vehicles which include Rhinos[15], Chimeras,[18], Skorpius Duneriders[16], Skorpius Disintegrators[16], Triaros Armoured Conveyors[17], Leman Russ Battle Tanks[20b], Malcador Heavy Tank[19a], and Hydra Flak Tank[19]. Combat walkers include the Onager Dunecrawler, Black Widow[20a], and Ironstrider Engine.[9d] They also operate air units which include Thunderbolt Fighters and Vulture Gunships[19a] as well as Archaeopters.[21]

Notable Skitarii

Images

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • The word "Skitarii" likely derives from scitari, Latin for "to seek to know; to ask, to inquire."

Conflicting sources

See also

Sources

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Adeptus Mechanicus Forces
Command

Magos (Dominus • Prime • Reductor • Archimandrite • Macrotek • Lacrymaerta • Cybernetica • Arcuitor • Myrmidax) Skitarii Marshal • Tech-Priest Auxillia (Cybernetica Datasmith • Enginseer • Manipulus • Technoarcheologist) • Servitor Underseer

Skitarii Alpha • Ranger • Vanguard • Infiltrator • Ruststalker • Skystalker • Sterylizor • Hastarii • Skatros • Protector • Provost • Praetorian • Hypaspist • Sagitarius • Cataphractus • Ballisterai • Tribune • Secutarii (Axiarch • Hoplite • Peltast) • Battle-Pilgrym
Other Troops Electro-priest (Corpuscarii • Fulgurite) • Myrmidon (Destructor • Secutor) • Thallax • Ursarax • Combat Servitor • Arco-Eviscerator • Karkinos • Praetorian • Kataphron Battle Servitor • Echindax • Tech-Thrall • Ostologoi • Chrono-Gladiator
Robots

Castellan • Cataphract • Colossus • Combat • Conqueror • Crusader • Vorax • Hunter-Killer • Thanatar • Scyllax Guardian • Seeker • Surveillance • Kastelan • Domitar • Arlatax • Vultarax • Warrior

Walkers

Sydonian Dragoon • Ironstrider Ballistarius • Onager Dunecrawler • Iron Angel • Black Widow • Serberys Sulphurhounds • Serberys Raiders • Atrax

Vehicles

Skorpius Disintegrator • Skorpius Dunerider • Krios • Triaros • Karacnos • Land Raider • Leman Russ (Demolisher) • Hellhound • Malcador • Rhino • Chimera • Macrocarid Explorator • Ordo Reductor Artillery Tank • Griffon • Minotaur • Chimerax • Chimedon • Chimerro • Hydra

Super-Heavy Vehicles

Baneblade • Stormblade • Shadowsword • Ordinatus • Land Leviathan

Knights Paladin • Errant • Crusader • Warden • Gallant • Lancer • Castigator • Acheron • Magaera • Styrix • Atrapos • Porphyrion • Asterius • Warglaive • Helverin • Moirax • Valiant • Castellan • Perceptor
Titans Emperor • Warmaster (Iconoclast) • Warlord (Warlord-Sinister) • Siege Titan • Apocalypse • Warbringer Nemesis • Reaver • Warhound • Rapier • Punisher
Aircraft

Archaeopter • Fusilave • Stratoraptor • Transvector • Avenger • Lightning • Storm Eagle • Thunderbolt • Vulture

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