Adeptus Mechanicus and Imperial Knights

I finally managed to put my whole army of painted Adeptus Mechanicus maniples and Imperial Knight lances together!

Well, looking good...I guess? Since this blog is Admechknight, I decided to update the top cover picture above. So it reflects more of my blog. Sad to see my Imperial Guard vanish from the top, but if there's one day when I can put all of them together in one setting, that would be awesome.



Nonetheless, this is my Apocalypse army! Exactly 300 power level...well, almost. Probably 303 because I forgot all about the Skitarii Vanguard in the middle. But yeah, this looks really cool! I can't wait to field all of them in an Apocalypse game again!

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<Archmagos Triarch, it appears that we have a visitor.>

<I see. Have him wait in the hall, Adept Alain.> Trevor Triarch sounded half-distracted as he splashed holy lubricant oil over an Ordinatus machine. <I am currently ministering the proper rituals for the Mars Resurgent. The process will take approximately eight minutes, thirty four point two seconds.>

<Yes, Archmagos. But the unaugmented is...really insistent.>

<As they all are,> Triarch replied brusquely. <Their lack of efficiency often leads to a significant waste of time and resources. If only they are as precise as the servants of the Omnissiah, upgraded with internal chronological meters and enhanced neurological circuitries. It baffles me why they have yet to understand the full benefits of the Machine Cult. Then again, the biological workings of the human body are indeed magnificent, as we have seen in the genhanced physiology of the Adeptus Astartes. To achieve such near perfection with just flesh...without the need of bionics and augmetics, I understand the appeal to stay as close to the image of the Omnissiah in his bodily aspect as possible. Ah, I apologize for digressing. Have him wait, nonetheless.>

Triarch finished his labor, ordaining the newest Ordinatus machine to have been manufactured upon the forge world of Draconis IV before taking a step back and admiring his handiwork. To craft an Ordinatus engine was an exquisite task undertaken only by the highest-ranking Tech-priests of the Martian Cult, and he was glad that his rank of Archmagos offered him the opportunity to take charge of this project.

<Adept Alain, what were you saying? A visitor?>

<Yes, Archmagos.> The adept blurted out. <He is currently waiting in the hall, as you have instructed.>

<Good. I am on my way.>

Trevor Triarch glided into the hall, his mechadendrites withdrawing underneath his cloak, so as not to frighten his unaugmented visitor. Without his mecahdendrites, his figure looked mostly human, with one hand gripping his Omnissiah axe and using it as a walking stick, while the other remained mostly flesh. Unlike the Tech-priests of most forge worlds, those of Draconis IV preserved their human features, choosing instead to present a face of blood and flesh underneath their cawls and hoods. Like all visitors, the newcomer in the hall visibly relaxed when he saw the unintimidating facade that Triarch presented.

"Ah, Archmagos. An honor."

"Indeed." Triarch was accompanied by a maniple of Skitarii. Divided into five-men squads, they split up and flanked him, the whirring hum of their galvanic rifles barely audible in the vast hall. In flawless concertation, they snapped their weapons to port and stood rigidly, almost becoming statues. Only their glowing optics showed any sign of life.

Triarch paid his honor guard no attention. Linked to him through the noosphere, they were as much as extention of his heavily augmented body as his mechadendrites were. Of course, he allowed them a large amount of autonomy and individual thought, for human innovation and resourcefulness in the battlefield never ceased to amaze him - he could count at least two hundred and seventy-two instancces where his on-site Skitarii Alphas surprised him with brilliant tactical moves that could never have been conceived in the Kataphron battle-servitors that so many Tech-priests of other forge worlds favored - but he didn't mind putting them on a parade show here and there.

Data flowed into his mind through the noosphere as he appraised the relatively unaugmented man in front of him. His in-built optical sensors had detected a few luxury augmetics - a bionic arm, with digital weapons built into his fingers, an artificial lung, presumably to replace his original biological one in the aftermath of a battle, and a single augmented eye that contained far less sensory than the sophisticated suite built into Triarch's own augmetics. A name, along with a wealth of other information, was uploaded directly into his brain.

"You requested for an audience, Mister David Maximoff?" he asked. "I must admit, I am perplexed. I would think a rogue trader like you would have business with the merchants of Draconis III instead of our forge world."

"Oh, yes. I do plan to visit Draconis III later, for some business." Maximoff chuckled. "But I thought I'd drop by Draconis IV to sell you a piece of information."

"Sell? Ah...you wish to procure parts for your ship...the Elegant Lady."

"Not exactly. She's due a refit in the Draconian docks above Draconis III. But yes, I would like some new toys."

Triarch's brow furrowed at that. Even though the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus were supposedly above human emotions, those of the Draconian priesthood regarded human feelings, intuition and emotions as favorable, sometimes outright worshipping them as a necessary feature of the biological aspect of the Omnissiah.

"I assume, by toys you mean new bionics. Weapons, maybe."

"Yes, yes. That's right." Maximoff grinned. "I'm sure we can reach a deal. As a sign of good faith, I'll give you a hint. I might have the information regarding a couple of STCs that would prove very useful to your forge world."

Now that caught Triarch's attention. Standard Template Constructs were invaluable technology coveted by any tech-priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus - more so for an esteemed Archmagos such as himself. If he could obtain those STCs, he could elevate his forge world to greater heights...but even such an ambition paled in comparison to his greed for more knowledge and lost technology. Like any other Mechanicus priest, Triarch was a fervent participant in the quest for knowledge. Worse, with the yawning of the Great Rift, the Mechanicus forces on Draconis IV were pressed more than ever to produce an increasing number of war engines, military machines and weapons to fuel the growing armory and arm the expanding soldiery of the Imperium, so as to combat the exponentially rising numbers of horrors and monsters vomitted forth from the bowels of the Warp.

"And not just any STCs too. I understand that Draconis IV is famous for building Knight suits?"

"That is correct." Triarch did not deny that. The close alliance between the Mechanicus priesthood of Draconis IV and the noble Houses of the neighboring Knight world of Draconis III was legendary. House Yato, House Uesugi and House Takeda have been relying on the Draconian Mechanicus priests to supply them the bulk of their war engines, as well as provide repairs, suppplies and maintenance.

"Then these STCs should interest you further."

"Yes, they do. Where did you get this information from? Do you have more details?"

"Ah, not so fast, my friend." Maximoff raised a finger and wagged it at the excited Archmagos. "Such information, as you realize, is a commodity, and I hope you understand that I'm not just going to give it away for free. As I said earlier, let's discuss business."

"...yes." Triarch paused for a microsecond, his enhanced brain running several calculations. If this information proved to be true, then this would definitely be a boon for both his forge world and the noble Knights of Draconis III. Given the increasing raids from both opportunistic xenos and corrupted Chaos warbands of Traitor Astartes, the Draconian priesthood would spend almost anything to improve their arsenal of war machines. "We shall...as you put it, make a deal."