Like other religions, the Adeptus Mechanicus is fraught with intricate factional divisions and academic disputes.
This vast organization, which worships the god of machines, has never been a monolithic entity; its internal fragmentation far exceeds external imagination.
Even within the same Forge World, Tech-Priests will split into several opposing camps due to different interpretations of doctrine.
Their mutual accusations of deviating from orthodox beliefs, and their labeling of each other as "Tech-heretics," have almost become a daily occurrence.
The content of these disputes is diverse, with some still within the realm of common understanding.
For example, the debate over the boundaries of the omnissiah faith: conservatives insist that faith should be limited to human technological heritage, and any xenos technology is blasphemous; while radicals believe that as long as it serves humanity, absorbing xenos technology is not impossible.
Although such disputes are intense, at least outsiders can understand their importance.
After all, the Ecclesiarchy's faith also emphasizes human purity, and has always been very exclusive towards xenos empires.
However, more often than not, the disputes within the Adeptus Mechanicus are simply absurd.
There was once a record showing that two factions on a certain Forge World erupted into a decades-long doctrinal dispute over whether "screws should be tightened clockwise or counter-clockwise."
These technical details, which seem insignificant to outsiders, concern the purity of faith in the eyes of the Tech-Priest.
The way a screw is tightened, or how a weld joint is handled, could become a basis for judging heresy.
It is precisely because of this that the Adeptus Mechanicus, like the Imperium, is vast but fragmented.
As a relatively young industrial world in the Imperium's territory, the internal sectarian disputes of the Mariupol Forge World still maintain a certain rational restraint.
Compared to the almost fanatical doctrinal disputes of other ancient Forge Worlds, the conflicts here appear more "pragmatic."
The conservatives adhere to the most original tenets of the Adeptus Mechanicus; they firmly believe that while the great power of the omnissiah does exist in all mechanical creations across the galaxy, the sacred essence of the omnissiah is only perfectly embodied in pure human technological civilization.
In their view, the STC Template is the most sacred scripture, and any research that deviates from the human technology tree is a blasphemy against the god of machines.
These conservatives insist on maintaining ancient mechanical equipment in the most traditional way, and firmly believe that ancient human technology is what the Adeptus Mechanicus should pursue, and no other technology should be sought.
The radicals, on the other hand, advocate that since the great power of the omnissiah is spread throughout the galaxy, even technology created by xenos races should be regarded as some manifestation of the god of machines' will.
However, it is worth noting that the radicals in Mariupol are not so radical in their treatment of xenos technology.
They show a rare cautious attitude—they will not directly copy xenos technology like some extreme Forge Worlds, but instead insist on thoroughly analyzing and transforming these foreign technologies to fully integrate them into the human technological system.
In their laboratories, xenos equipment is always isolated by layers of protective fields, and only after countless purification rituals do they dare to conduct limited research.
It is this relatively mild difference in stance that keeps the sectarian disputes in Mariupol within a controllable range.
Although the two factions often argue endlessly in technical review meetings, with conservatives accusing the other of "defiling holiness" and radicals rebutting them for "being stuck in their ways," it rarely escalates to the point of using the Skitarii and Titan Legion for academic discussions.
The mediation of the Forging Supervisor, common production goals, and a relatively young forging tradition all subtly alleviate the conflicts here.
Therefore, even during the most intense debates, Priests from both factions can temporarily set aside their differences to meet production targets, jointly reciting binary prayers before the Forge.
However, when Alex arrived at the Mariupol Forge World, the conservative Forge Master who greeted him still accused him in front of Alex of using xenos technology to entice the radicals of the Mariupol Forge World, thereby affecting the Forge World's production.
"Inquisitor," the Master's mechanical voice was mixed with noticeable static noise, "I must state frankly that those... xenos creations you previously transported have severely disrupted our production order."
He deliberately emphasized the electronic sound effect on the phrase "xenos creations," as if merely uttering the words made him uncomfortable.
This was not an unfounded accusation, as Alex had indeed transported Necron technology to the Mariupol Forge World several times, and the radicals had indeed diverted a considerable number of personnel to research that xenos technology, which to some extent delayed production progress.
These xenos creations were treasured by the radicals and stored in the deepest analysis sanctum, where they were reverse-engineered day and night.
"That research is not without value," Alex calmly responded, his gaze sweeping over the gigantic Forge spewing thick smoke in the distance, "From what I know, the radicals have already gained some inspiration from the molecular structure of Necrodermis, which might improve the quality of the armor you produce."
"Blasphemy!" the Master suddenly raised his voice, his mechanical vocal cords emitting a harsh distortion, "Using the defiled technology of xenos to 'improve' sacred human technology? This is an insult to the omnissiah!"
His mechanical fingers twitched uncontrollably, as if ready to chop Alex to death with his forging axe at any moment.
—
After an unpleasant parting with the Forge Master, Alex was arranged to stay in the Forge World's guest reception area, and a neutral Tech-Priest explained the whole situation to him.
"So now the conservatives believe that I am responsible for affecting the purity of the Mariupol Forge World, and they hope to expand conservative influence through the Expeditionary Force's equipment order, thereby restoring the Mariupol Forge World to purity?" Alex was a bit confused by the Tech-Priest's thought process.
The neutral Priest's lips twitched imperceptibly; this almost human expression was rare among Tech-Priests.
"Indeed," he continued to explain, his voice subtly restrained, "The conservatives believe that by mass-producing pure human technological creations through this order, and allowing these 'sacred products' to occupy every corner of the Forge World, they can make their 'misguided' comrades repent."
Evidently, the reason the neutral faction could exist was precisely because these more pragmatic Tech-Priests were unwilling to get involved in the almost religiously fanatical disputes between the two factions, nor did they want to see the Forge World miss development opportunities due to internal strife.
They maintained the basic operation of the Forge World like precise gears, while observing this somewhat naive faith-based dispute with a degree of clarity.
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