# what does the admech do with xenotech?



## GabrialSagan (Sep 20, 2009)

The Admech preach that xenotech is a perversion of the machine god. At the same time it seems that they go through a great deal of effort to acquire it for study. Once they have taken a device apart and put it back together and figured out how it works what do they do with the knowledge? DO they take knowledge learned from alien devices and utilize it in building new machines or do they just file it away to collect dust and go on building things as they always have, even if they know there is a better way?


----------



## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

They study the shit out of it and hope to gain its secrets. Thier soul purpose is to understand the works of the Machine God and all Tech not of its work, even if its filthy Xeno Tech.


----------



## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

GabrialSagan said:


> DO they take knowledge learned from alien devices and utilize it in building new machines or do they just file it away to collect dust and go on building things as they always have, even if they know there is a better way?


For the most part, the mechanicus do not take the knowledge they gain and use it, as far as the rest of the Imperium knows. It is seen as a form of technoheresy to use the technology of aliens, but there are elements of where the mechanicus do use it within their own ranks. (Like for improving their skittarii forces, or however its spelled.)

However there are even some amongst the mechanicus who would never use alien tech, and simply destroy it. Their are, after all, different factions within the mechanicus, and with different factions so shall there be extremes of them. Those who would never use that tech or knowledge and those who would blatantly use it.


----------



## khornateemperor (Aug 31, 2009)

At the same time, its heresy to modify or make new things because it's against the rules of the Cult Omnissiah teachings. Every piece of human technology is Holy and to modify it is seen as an affront to the Machine God, therefore they study it, but do not incorporate it.


----------



## Wusword77 (Aug 11, 2008)

Having not made anything new in 5000 years, from the time of the razorback, they just get bored from time to time.


----------



## kaled (Jun 24, 2008)

The best way to understand the AdMech's attitude to technology, including xeno-tech, is to look at the Sixteen Universal Laws.

The ninth universal law states 'The alien mechanism is a perversion of the True Path', and the differing attitudes of the AdMech to alien technology come from how they interpret this. Does it mean that alien technology should be shunned and destroyed on sight? Or does it mean that the alien device may be a perversion, but the knowledge that went into it's manufacture is still divine? After all, the eighth universal law states that 'The Omnissiah knows all, comprehends all' - so some would argue that despite the source of it's (re)discovery, knowing the secrets that the aliens used in constructing their device (assuming it doesn't break one of the other universal laws, such as the one on 'soulless sentience') will still bring the Tech-Priest closer to the Omnissiah.

Also, there is no prohibition in the AdMech against innovation - some factions may preach against it, but there is no law against it. The relevant universal law (thirteenth) states 'The knowledge of the ancients stands beyond question'. This combined with the eighth universal law means that it is generally seen that there is no need for innovation. Why waste time trying to invent something new, when the ancients already had a device for doing it that you could go out and find? There's also the sixteenth law 'To break with ritual is to break with faith'. The AdMech is built on rituals, and building something in a different way could be seen as breaking this law - hence again innovation is frowned upon by many.

Obviously these, and the other, universal laws can be interpretted in different ways - which is one source of the many factions within the Mechanicus. So the answer to the original question is (as others have already said) that some within the Mechanicus will take the knowledge and use it and others will just leave it gathering dust on a shelf.


----------



## GabrialSagan (Sep 20, 2009)

How often do these "factional disagreements" turn into shooting wars?


----------



## kaled (Jun 24, 2008)

GabrialSagan said:


> How often do these "factional disagreements" turn into shooting wars?


Probably as often as factional disagreements between members of the Inquisition turn into shooting wars...

Which is to say, often enough that it could happen in your stories or games.


----------



## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Depends where such disagreements occur; out in the open and in public, in front of a group of mechanicus magos it would almost never happen.

Away from the main body, where the laws are lacking and everyone is willing to turn a blind eye. I'd imagine such things turn into 'wars' of some kind enough. (Though probably no as often as you'd think; some might shoot or attack on sight while others might try means that do not outright lead to bloodshed.)


----------



## GabrialSagan (Sep 20, 2009)

Do dominant factions vary from forge-world to forge-world or does one faction tend to dominate the entire mechanicus?


----------



## kaled (Jun 24, 2008)

No real breakdown has ever been given - although this file that Gav Thorpe wrote for the _Inquisitor_ game talks about the pro-xenos and anti-xenos factions, particularly in relation to the Explorators.


----------



## GabrialSagan (Sep 20, 2009)

kaled said:


> No real breakdown has ever been given - although this file that Gav Thorpe wrote for the _Inquisitor_ game talks about the pro-xenos and anti-xenos factions, particularly in relation to the Explorators.


thanks. darn good find.


----------

