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Though their bodies often incorporate many mechanical components, Tech-priests are [[human]] or [[abhuman]],{{Fn|17}} and often use slave-machine [[Servitor]]s to carry out heavy and monotonous labour for them.
===Overview===
Tech-Priests are [[Adept]]s of the [[Cult Mechanicus]]. The premiere engineers and technological specialists in the [[Imperium]], they accompany nearly every branch of the Imperium to maintain machinery. Tech-Priests will provide religious rites, anti-corruption wards, and repairs to [[Machine Spirit]]s to any machine they are qualified to oversee.{{Fn|5}}
[[Image:MechanicusRaidingNecrons.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Tech-priest force raiding a Necron World]]
The term ‘Tech-Priest’ covers a broad category of thousands of different roles. [[Genetor]]s probe the mysteries of the biological, creating ever stranger cyborgs and slaughtering [[xenos]] by the thousand in order to excise yet more secrets. Artisans create and restore truly wondrous weapons of war, from ornate [[Gamma Pistol|gamma pistols ]] to the mind-boggling immensity of the [[Ark Mechanicus]]. [[Magos|Magi]] of all stripes pursue esoteric agendas as likely to end in triumph as they are disaster. Across the galaxy Transmechanics[[Transmechanic]]s, [[Lexmechanic]]s, [[Enginseer]]s, [[Secutor]]s, Trifactors, [[Myrmidon]]s and Technoshamans labor labour alongside the wider Imperium to bolster Humanity’s war machine. Within the Adeptus Mechanicus the ranks become even more esoteric. Each Fabricator Locum can call upon Magi Technicus, Metallurgicus, Alchemys, Cogitatrices, Pedanticum, Tech-assassins, hive monitors and Holy Requisitioners, who in turn can command a body of fabricators minoris, [[Fulgurites]], [[Corpuscarii]], overseers, underseers, stasis clerks, and techno-dervishes. To even begin to comprehend the towering edifice of the Cult Mechanicus takes far more processing power than the human brain can provide.{{Fn|5}} When speaking with a tech priest, it can be beneficial to instead take into account the subtlety of each magos’ specialisation and address them accordingly. Ignorantly addressing a magos simply as a tech-priest could carry a demeaning aspect, due to how bluntly broad a category it is.{{Fn|34}}
Tech-Priests are often fast-grown in vats, infused with a instinctual level of knowledge due to data uplinks during their gestation. Members are born already post-adolescence and are promptly put to work.{{Fn|8b}}
===Equipment===The personal equipment and wargear of a Tech-Priest varies greatly and can consist of anything from standard weaponry to more exotic pieces of [[Archaeotech]]. However typical wargear includes their [[Mechadendrite]]s and an [[Omnissian Axe]] which acts as a badge of office. Tech-Priests of militant orders such as a [[Dominus]] are equipped with more radical weaponry such as [[Eradication Ray]]s, [[Macrostubber]]s, [[Phosphor Serpenta]], and [[Volkite Blaster]]s. They are also typically protected by a [[Refractor Field]].{{Fn|9a}} Standard Tech-Priest [[Enginseer]]s are equipped with less exotic weapons, such as a [[Laspistollaspistol]] and [[Servoservo-arm]]s.{{Fn|9b}} Tech-priests also have [[Cogitator|internal computational systems]] capable of running trillions of calculations in a few seconds.{{Fn|23}}
===Hierarchy===
[[File:AdMecRanks.jpg|thumb|right|The Tech Priest hierarchy{{Fn|13}}]]
====Fabricator-General====
{{main|Fabricator-General}}
Every [[Forge World]] maintains a ruling Fabricator-General and their subordinate [[Fabricator Locum]].{{Fn|5}} However, it is the Fabricator-General of [[Mars]] that is the leader of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and as the Magos Mechanicus is also the head of its Cult Mechanicus. He also invariably holds a position on the [[High Lords of Terra]]. Accordingly his subordinate and second-in-command is the [[Fabricator Locum]] of Mars.{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|2}}
====The Ruling Priesthood====
[[File:TP10th.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Tech-Priest{{Fn|22}}]]
*[[Forge Master (Adeptus Mechanicus)|Forge Master]]
*[[Artisan]]{{Fn|13}}
====The Ordinary Priesthood====
*[[Cybernetica Datasmith]]{{Fn|14}}
*[[Electro-priest]]{{Fn|13}}
*[[Servitor Underseer]]{{Fn|32}}
====Tech Adept====
{{main|Tech Adept}}
'''Tech Adepts''', '''tech-adepts''' or '''Tech-Priest Adepts''', are adept grade members of the Martian priesthood. They are skilled in one or more disciplines.{{Fn|29d}} These individuals are fully initiated acolytes of the Cult Mechanicus and form the bulk of its ordained priesthood.{{Fn|24e}} Through rune and hammer, the Tech-Adepts are the wards of the
Tech-Adepts can be lumped together with some of the lower ranking Tech-Priests of the Martian cult. Although lower ranking, they can still command coteries of thralls, menials, and servitors that serve the Cult of the Machine, if they have the rescources. Although typically assigned maintenance and construction duties by their masters,{{Fn|24a}} there are a variety of specialist Tech-Adepts.{{Fn|24d}} Adepts of varying degrees also have the potential to control and command a myriad of powerful arcane weapons, [[automata]], and battlegear depending on their own skill and resources.{{Fn|27}}
====Acolyta====
{{main|Tech Acolytum}}
'''Tech acolyta''' (plural),{{Fn|29c}} or '''acolytum''' (singular), are unranked members of the Cult Mechanicus that are still learning the lower mysteries of the Machine God.{{Fn|29b}} Acolyta are typically intellectually-promising youths or young adults of a Forge World.{{Fn|29c}} They are typically set apart from the common rabble to begin their study of the mysteries. What mysteries they eventually specialise in can differ depending who their tech-priest master or mistress is at the time. There is also some degree of autonomy, at least in the latter stages of an individual's studies, to choose who the tech-priest they study under is.{{Fn|33}}
===Notable Tech-Priests===
*[[Almarax]]
*[[Aldebrac Vingh]]
*[[Xaulus Sigma-9]]
===Known Tech-Adepts===
*[[Mu Grentille]]{{Fn|25}}
*[[Silas Varian]]{{Fn|26a}}
*[[Lakius Danzager]]{{Fn|26b}}
===Images===
<center><gallery widths=180 heights="180">
TechPriestDominus.jpg|[[Tech-Priest Dominus]] (8th Edition)
</gallery></center>
===See Alsoalso===
*[[Techmarine]]
===Sources===
*{{Endn|1}}: [[Mechanicum (Novel)]], 2.03
*{{Endn|2}}: [[White Dwarf 62 (2015)]], ''Wisdom of the Omnissiah - Imperial Hierarchy The Adeptus Mechanicus''
*{{Endn|6}}: [[Dark Heresy: Daemon Hunter]], pg. 58
*{{Endn|7}}: [[Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook]], pg. 76
*{{Endn|8}}: [[Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel)]]:
**{{Endn|8a}}: Chapter 6
**{{Endn|8b}}: Chapter 23
*9: [[Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition)]]:
**{{Endn|9a}}: pg. 74
**{{Endn|9b}}: pg. 75
*{{Endn|13}}: [[Codex Imperialis (Background Book)]], pg. 41
*{{Endn|14}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150518000602/https://www.games-workshop.com/en-NO/Kastelan-Robots Games Workshop Website - Adeptus Mechanicus Kastelan Robots] ''(saved archive page, dated May 2015)''
*{{Endn|15}}: [[Codex: Elucidian Starstriders]] , pg.14
*{{Endn|16}}: [[Codex: Imperial Knights (6th Edition)]], pgs. 16-17
*{{Endn|17}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Compilation]], pg. 182
**{{Endn|18d}}: Mourningstar (hub area) - Public address system
*{{Endn|19}}: [[Crusaders of the Machine God: Cult Mechanicus Painting Guide]], pg. 23
*{{Endn|20}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/10/06/warhammer-day-35-years-of-only-war/ Warhammer Community: Warhammer Day – 35 Years of Only War (Posted on posted 06/10/2022)] ''(Last last accessed on 6 06 October 2022)''
*{{Endn|21}}: [[Codex: Legion of the Damned (6th Edition)]] - ''Martyrs Beyond Death''
*{{Endn|22}}: [[Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (10th Edition)]], pg. 12
**{{Endn|26b}}: Operations 05: Fall of Atreus (Thunderhawk loading screen)
*{{Endn|27}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Prophecy]]
*{{Endn|28}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20190709132725/https://regimental-standard.com/2017/10/25/the-history-of-the-imperium-tanks-of-old-terra/|Warhammer Community Post: The Regimental Standard: The History of the Imperium Tanks: Tanks of Old Terra] ''(archive page saved 9 July 2019, last accessed 13 January 2025, original link: archived from [https://regimental-standard.com/2017/10/25/the-history-of-the-imperium-tanks-of-old-terra/the original] 9 July 2019, last accessed 13 January 2025)''
*29: [[Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel)]]:
**{{Endn|29a}}: Chapter 2
*{{Endn|30}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters]]
*{{Endn|31}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters]] - Duty Eternal
*{{Endn|32}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20250327172104/https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/n9qtzvsu/protect-the-great-gun-from-tyranid-invasion-in-kill-team-typhon/ Warhammer Community: Protect the Great Gun from Tyranid invasion in Kill Team: Typhon (posted 27/3/2025)] saved page, original link: ''(archived from [https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/n9qtzvsu/protect-the-great-gun-from-tyranid-invasion-in-kill-team-typhon/ (the original], last accessed 27/3/March 2025)''
*{{Endn|33}}: [[Wolfsbane (Novel)]], Chapter 3
*{{Endn|34}}: [[Flesh and Steel (Novel)]], Chapter 12
