Hereteks

Heretek is the name given by the Adeptus Mechanicus to those tech-priests who turn their backs on the teachings and strictures of the Cult Mechanicus in pursuit of usually dark and forbidden technologies linked to the power of the Warp and the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. Hereteks value the pursuit of knowledge, of any knowledge, at all costs, regardless of the consequences to themselves or to others and even at the peril of their own souls. Many Hereteks are loosely connected to the Dark Mechanicum, those members of the ancient Priesthood of Mars who turned their backs upon the Emperor of Mankind during the Horus Heresy and the Schism of Mars and swore to serve the Warmaster Horus and the Dark Gods in return for technological advancements denied them by the Emperor for the safety of Mankind.