Pneumachina
The Pneumachina were a faction of the Dark Mechanicum.
Overview
Originally it was a delegation of the Mechanicum from Mars , which was permanently assigned to the IV Legion during the Great Crusade.[1a] Towards the end of the Crusade, the Legion allegedly forged deeper ties with outcast elements of the Machine Cult and took them into its entourage.[2]
During the Horus Heresy, the techpriests began to call themselves Pneumachina. They now wore black robes and their magi moved on walking, crawling and floating sedan chairs. They kept oil-smeared slaves with emaciated bodies and pierced with metal bands. The hooded adepts carried smoking backpacks that stank of embalming liquids and lubricants, and they recited nonsensical numbers and atonal syllables.[1a]
They mainly operated the huge construction machines, siege cranes and other titanic fortress-leveling machines.[1b] They also made hybrid machines from the wreckage of damaged vehicles and other strange parts.[1c] The Pneumachina travelled to Iydris with the Iron Warriors and Emperor's Children. When they reached the Eye of Terror, they forged ever more deadly-looking machines in their locked forges, as if inspired. They created gun teams, infantry breakers,[1c] clawed walkers, stalking tanks with under-hull weapon mounts and flame spheres.[1d]
Perturabo's mood fluctuated more and more frequently during the civil war, and the smallest of incidents could be enough for one of his warsmiths to die. They were accordingly more demanding in their dealings with the adepts of the Pneumachina and did not shy away from killing their magi to make it clear to the others that they should work harder.[1d]
