Enginseer-Prime Quintus Aureleus

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Description

While well-versed in the ways of Machine Spirits, he is somewhat of an oddity among his fellows in his sense of... aesthetics. A strong belief in the holy perfection of the human form, he feels that form does not always follow function, but that function may be improved by form. Disdaining the sometimes ostentatious displays of machinery sticking out of flesh, his implants, while just as capable as those of other tech-priests, tend towards smooth and shiny over loud and crude (in his opinion).

He gets along remarkably well with normal citizens of the Imperium, considering his station in the Priesthood of Mars. Always looking for new things to learn (particularly any new incidents of lost human technology), he was attracted to the ship-yard of Exaviar's World from rumors of ancient blueprints hidden in the depths of the cogitators. His placement there put him in an excellent position when the long-lost Viaticus flagship reappeared - first to lead the repair efforts and to certify the ship as ready for use and then to get himself placed in charged of the company of Tech-Priests charged with its upkeep.

Now, he is sure, he will find plentiful examples of lost Imperial technology, and have many opportunities to demonstrate the value of his aesthetics and his abilities to those that scoffed at him many years before.

Appearance

Reaching a mere 1.6 meters in height, Quintus makes up in bulk what he lacks in height. High-density muscle and even higher-density cybernetic augmentations give the explorator the mass of a much larger man. While his shape is unmistakably human (in spite of the two extra tentacle-like limbs that hang down his back (inactive) or hover over his shoulder (active), a jaw replaced by an approximately jaw-shaped blank expanse of electrum and a fine speaker-grille out of which he speaks, the gold and crystal cogwheel monocle over the left eye and the spots of metal showing through skin on his head, neck and face give away his allegiance to the Omnissiah.

If he were to strip down to bare skin, the outline of ribs done in electrum and the glowing purple crystals of his potential coil and the similar plated backbone that supports his augmented systems would no doubt draw attention. Tracings, like circuits made out of electrum, streak down his limbs, and subdermal electoos flash symbols that mean something to those initiated in the mysteries of the machine-god. Much of his more arcane augmentations are nearly completely concealed underneath tanned skin (or a reasonable facsimile, in some places) - the augur array where his tongue once lay, the leads from the MIU processors in his neck that trail down beside his arm bones to contact points in his palms, the baleful right eye matching the crystal lens covering the left in hue, and the cortex implant that fills the nasal and sinus cavities.

He usually does not bother to take off his dragon scale power armour, which is plugged into and powered by his potentia coil. Resembling nothing more than fine snake scales of iridescent green-blue hues, this finely crafted example of the tech-priest's art enhances his already formidable strength to levels usually not seen outside of heavy-duty manipulator mechadendrites. Considering mechadendrites, he currently has two attached to his shoulders. On the left, a thin flexible tendril supports a set of small high-gain optical sensors that hooks into his visual cortex through his implants, and on the right a much thicker tentacle that ends in a sheathed chainblade and an injector system (among other unidentified medical apparatae). When not active, these extra limbs contract and hang down Quintus' back, out of the way of other tasks he may be performing - when active, they rear up over his shoulders like serpents.

History

Quintus does not know his parents, and doesn't really mind that state of affairs. Named because he was the fifth child of his creche at the orphanage, Quintus was scouted as a promising boy into the cult of the Omnissiah by an older tech-priest looking for young assistants.

• Circumstances of Birth:
• A Lonely Youth:
• Mad Scientist's Assistant:
• Making a Name for Himself:
• In Service to Viaticus:

Personality

• Social Lubrication: Quintus is usually quite polite - viewing the organic component of vessels and organizations as something like biological machines, he equates courtesy to sacred machine oil and acts accordingly.
• The Steel Beneath: His amiable personality masks a ruthless streak that is uncompromising on the basic principles of the priesthood of mars (at least as he sees them) - he is unwilling to even condone research into using the Immaterium as a technological aide, and the combination of xenos flesh with human is equally abominable to him. While he feels that cogitators can edge into forbidden patterns without the problems of the ancient Iron Men, he is nevertheless wary of machine-only intelligence, preferring to research improvements in servitors (particular servo-skulls).
• The Doctor Approaches: While his forte is chemical interactions and chymistry in general, he has a broad base of knowledge of technology and mechanics that he utilizes to keep the Aetherius Aeternus operating smoothly. His recent delvings into the realm of flesh and the medicae have suggested some interesting avenues for greater benefit... but most definitely not upon humans.
• The Appeal of the Exotic: Privately he has a fascination with xeno technology - such devices work, so clearly their machine spirits are not completely twisted... and there is, no doubt, a proper Imperial technological equivalent, if it can be rediscovered or deduced through logical progression. At least, that's how he justifies his interest...
• The Hidden Peacock: Publicly Quintus does not seek flash and fortune, but the consistent aesthetics of his implants and the style of his constructions reveal a certain vanity - sleek designs, hiding function within ornamental form and quiet speed are among his values.

Goals

• Fame and Recognition: Like many another ambitious soul in the Adeptus Mechanicus (many of whom become Explorators like he has), Quintus desires to make big (re)discoveries of ancient human technology. While he's practical enough to realize that a fully functional STC is extremely unlikely, he would do much to find a new template or any useful information about or from a Standard Template Constructor.
• The Dynasty that Thrives: Quintus has not been involved in the affairs of the Viaticus Dynasty, but he finds it refreshingly brisk and lacking in the corruption that infests many another powerful family. While its fortunes are weak, he sees this as just another opportunity to insert himself in the highest of councils and guide it to proper management of the subsector in regards to technology and the Priesthood of Mars. In addition, he finds himself liking his new comrades quite a lot better than many of his cybernetic colleagues.
• Founder of a New Order: Quintus has problems with the current Mechanicus of the Koronus Expanse (and indeed in general). He considers many Magos to be secretive to the point of paranoia, preferring that a particular technology that they hold power over be lost forever to humanity rather than give it up to the broader Priesthood of Mars. Many also are short-sighted and unimaginative - they mouth the words of the Restrictions without understanding the reasons behind them, they speak the words of rituals of maintenance without meaning, and they blindly follow in their forebears footsteps without showing proper respect to the Omnissiah and to machinery. Understanding is the greatest form of worship, and knowledge once achieved or rediscovered should be shared amongst the entirety of the Adeptus Mechanicus. His ambition here is to create a 'purer' sect of the Priesthood of Mars, and towards that end he inculcates his underpriests aboard the Aetherium Aeternus; when they have been sufficiently tested and trained he'll leave them on stations and planets and acquire new apprentices. Heretical freethinkers are much desired - those with inquisitive leanings might be easily poached from other subsectors...
• The House Shall Be Pure: After recent exposure to the tech-heresy on Drustilla, Quintus is adamant that any such cults be ripped out root and branch. Not only do they insult the sacred implants with their mockery, but the forbiddance of warp-imbued technology is both sound and well-reasoned. While some of the other strictures may have some leeway to them (servitors and cogitators that approach the boundary of Machine Intelligence), this one, Quintus feels, is nigh-absolute, with the only exceptions perhaps being technology to prevent the impact of the Immaterium upon an object or person or to detect its presence.
• (pending) The Need for Speed: Quintus wants to go fast; towards that end he has recently trained himself in personal piloting and is looking at proper personal vehicles that are both fast and are suitable for a techpriest's dignity (and need for technological bling). He has found one - a power board - and is currently training himself in its usage.

Views

• On Perfect Forms: (Human form, mutation)
  

Quintus believes that form influences function - that is, that there are preferred shapes for particular functions. A shovel, for example, does not work if it is shaped like a rake. Similarly, there is a 'perfect form' for intelligence, and that form is that of a human being. This can be shown in the departures from the human form, in fact, and is why he has a strong preference for augmentations that do not significantly distort the human body. Mutation is, of course, known to twist the mind as well as the body - in fact, as Quintus sees it, the latter leads to the former, and the stronger the departure from the human shape the greater the mental contamination. It is no coincidence, he might say, that warp corruption affects the body as much as it does the mind. Finally, intelligent xenos are often of a non-human shape, and are often easily twisted by Chaos or ravenously insane. The Eldar are one of the most human-like, and while some of the products of their minds (their laser technology) is quite proper, they also dabble in warp-craft and, inevitably, will fall as they already did once.

The Men of Iron might well have rebelled because they were minds inside machines and did not possess the proper form - to put them in partial influence of Humanity was therefore sheerest folly. Quintus is somewhat unsure on this point, however, not having any description of an Iron Man to go by. Those who undergo the semi-heretical Rite of Satesh too often come through the experience insane; only a rare few souls are strong enough in will to withstand the alteration of the proper "sentient form".

As a side note, after having performed surgery upon Boris, Quintus is quite sure he is not a mutant - while his frame is large and bulky, his organs are in the right place and his form is human.

• The Face at the Window: (Imperium)
• Masters of Light: (Eldar)
  

Eldar, Quintus admits, have achieved a mastery of light only equaled by (naturally) lost human achievements during the Dark Age of Technology (whether this is actually true is beside the point). With that in mind, he's quite willing to acquire, disassemble and learn from their hololithic devices and laser weapons. Seeking to reclaim human mastery of all technology, he believes that from such devices he can discover how ancient humanity achieved the same things. Their wraithbone technology he disdains altogether - it smacks too much of warp-sorcery, and is thus too alien and dangerous to humanity to encourage.

• Corruptors of Form: (Genestealers)
• The Alien Without: (Xenos in general)

The prohibition against alien technology and biocrafting is, Quintus accepts, generally well-founded. Just as the alien is a twisted reflection of humanity, often with motives equally foreign and dangerous, so too their technology is generally hazardous to use. Study is acceptable, if done carefully, but one must always recall when studying an alien device that something inhuman designed it, for something inhuman to operate; better to build devices that are made by a human being and designed for the same.

• The Madness of Chaos: (Chaos)
• Who Watches the Watchers: (The Inquisition)

Profile

Character Name	Player Name	Career Path	Ship's Role	Rank	Experience
Quintus Aureleus	Sunhawk	Explorator	Enginseer Prime	2	9250/9950
Home World	Birthright	Lure of the Void	Trials and Travails	Motivation	Lineage
Forge World	Fringe Survivor (Heretek)	New Horizons (Xeno Arcanist)	Dark Voyage	Knowledge (Knowledge is Power)	None

Weapon Skill	Ballistic Skill	Strength	Toughness	Agility	Intelligence	Perception	Willpower	Fellowship	Wounds	Fate	Insanity	Corruption
27	40	35	50	30	65(x2)	50	40	30	12	3	7	3

Skills

• Agility: Pilot (Personal)
• Intelligence: Chem-Use, Literacy, Logic, Medicae, Tech-Use +10, Trade (Armourer, Technomat)
  
  • Lore (Common): Machine Cult, Tech
    
  • Lore (Scholastic): Archaic, Astromancy, Chymistry
    
  • Lore (Forbidden): Adeptus Mechanicus +10, Archeotech +10, Pirates, Xenos
    
  • Lore (Lingustics): Explorator Binary, Low Gothic, Techna-Lingua
• Perception: Awareness +10
  

Talents

• Weapon/Mechadendrite
  • Basic Weapon Training (Universal): Includes Bolt, Las, Launcher, Primitive and SP Basic weapon training
    
  • Melee Weapon Training (Universal): Includes Chain, Shock, Power and Primitive Melee weapon training
    
  • Mechadendrite Use (Utility): Allows the usage of non-weapon mechadendrites
    

• Physical
  • Heightened Sense (Smell): +10 to Perception Tests involving Smell.

• Mental
  • Foresight: With ten minutes of analysis, gain +10 on an Intelligence Test
    

• Cybernetic
  • Autosanguine: Always count as lightly-wounded, naturally heal 2 points of Damage per day
  • Binary Chatter:
  • Electro Graft Usage:
  • Ferric Lure:
  • Logis Implant: Use a round's Reaction and a Tech-Use Test to gain +10 to all WS and BS Tests until the end of next turn.
  • Luminen Charge:

• Skill
  • Talented (Chem-Use): Gain +10 bonus to any Chem-Use Test
  • Talented (Tech-Use): Gain +10 bonus to any Tech-Use Test
  • Technical Knock: Un-jam a gun as a half-action

Traits

• Stranger to the Cult: Quintus is only theoretically familiar with the rites and customs surrounding the worship of the God-Emperor
  • -5 Fellowship vs. Ecclesiarchy
• Mechanicus Implants: His body the finest of machines, the heart of Quintus' augments is his Mechanicum Implants.
  • Electro-graft, Electoo Inductors, Respirator Unit, Cyber-Mantle, Potential Coil, Cranial Circuitry
• Role - Enginseer Prime: Anything mechanical onboard the Aetherius Aeternus is Quintus' responsibility, and he's quite good at making sure it all runs.
  • +10 to Ship Action 'Emergency Repairs'
• Unnatural Intelligence (x2): Boosted by rare and almost mythical cranial circuitry, Quintus' already formidable intellect has reached almost superhuman capabilities.
  • Double Intelligence Bonus value. +2 degree of success in any Opposed Intelligence-based Test.

Equipment

Bionics

• Baleful Eye (Common): A green archeotech cybernetic eye, supported by a golden cogwheel plate embedded into the skin surrounding the socket. Fires a potent, if short-ranged, laser.
  • Range 10m, Rate of Fire S/2/-, Damage 1d10+4E, Penetration 7, Clip 40
• Cybernetic Senses (Smell): Chemical sensors on the top of Quintus' facemask allow for a keep detection of odors that might signify burning machinery or organic presence.
  • Gain Heightened Senses (Smell) and +20 to Tests to resist attacks on the sense of smell.
• Cortex Implants (Good): A brain augmentation system the likes of which is seldom seen. Marked by electrum circuits that are set flush with Quintus' skin.
  • Grants Unnatural Intelligence (x2) and acts as a cogitator system
• MIU Implant (Good): A system for interfacing directly with machines. Touch-sensitive and aether-communications ports rest on the palms, and a pair of silver plugs rest beneath the shoulders on the chest.
  • Gain +10 to Tech-Use, Pilot, Drive, Logic, Inquiry and Ballistic Skill Tests, as well as to communicate with machine spirits. Can share senses of cyber-familiars.
• Augur Array (Good): Implanted full auspex system. Almost completely unobtrusive, aside from two nodules that rest behind Quintus' ears.
  • Range 50m, +20 to Awareness Tests, make Tech-Use to detect biosigns and the like, allows rerolls for all Perception-based Tests that use it.

• Medicae Mechadendrite (Good): A tentacle-arm with built-in equipment for medical procedures. Mounted to the left shoulder-blade and arches over the back.
  • +10 to medicae/interrogation tests, six injectors that can hold drugs, staunch Blood Loss with a Half Action, Limb Amputation is Challenging, improvised weapon.
• Optical Mechadendrite (Good): A slim tentacle-arm with built-in optics. Mounted to the cyber-mantle below the neck on Quintus' back.
  • +10 to vision-based Perception Tests (+20 at night), counts as a telescopic sight, no darkness penalties, equipped with a light that can change color at whim.
• Utility Mechadendrite (Good): A tentacle-arm with built-in equipment for technical procedures. Mounted to the right shoulder-blade and arches over the back.
  • +10 to tech-use tests, six injectors that hold sacred machine oil, mono knife with Defensive trait.
  • a tubed censor that blows smoke over repairs and can choke in melee combat (-5 to WS, 2m radius, half action), if active +10 to Perception Tests to detect Quintus through smell

Armour, Weapons & Vehicles

• Power Axe, Mezoa-Pattern (Good):
  • Melee, Damage 1d10+7 E, Penetration 7, Power Field, Unbalanced, 6kg, +5 to Weapon Skill Tests (6 kg)
    
• Storm Bolter (Common):
  • Basic, Range 90m, RoF S/2/4, Damage 1d10+5 X, Penetration 4, Clip 60, Reload Full, Storm, Tearing (9 kg)
    
• Dragon Scale Armour (Common): A combination between power armour and scaly clothing, this platinum-and-gold marvel is constantly worn (except when cleaning) by Quintus.
  • Locations All, Armour Points 8, includes visor and respirator, +10 to Strength Characteristic, powered by Potentia Coil (20 kg)
    
• Power Board (Common): A new and treasured possession, given to him by Boris after the opening of the Yaztromov data-tomb.
  • Requires the Pilot (Personal) skill. Gives the Flier (15) trait.

Servitors

• B0M (Servo-Skull Familiar):
  • WS 15, BS 15, S 10, T 20, Ag 30, Int 15, Per 35, WP 20, Fel --, Wounds 4, Armour 2
    
  • Awareness +10, Concealment +10, Dodge, Silent Move +10, Demolition +20
    
  • Fearless, Dark Sight, Flier 6, Machine (2), Size (Puny)
    
  • Built-in vox, built-in cogitator, auspex, hand flamer (Range 10m, RoF S/-/-, Damage 1d10+4 E, Penetration 2, Clip 2, Reload 2 Full, Flame)
• K3Y (Servo-Skull Familiar):
  • WS 15, BS 15, S 10, T 20, Ag 30, Int 15, Per 35, WP 20, Fel --, Wounds 4, Armour 2
    
  • Awareness +10, Concealment +10, Dodge, Silent Move +10, Security +20
    
  • Fearless, Dark Sight, Flier 6, Machine (2), Size (Puny)
    
  • Built-in vox, built-in cogitator, multikey, laspistol ()

Chemicals

• Injector: Can hold a single dose of a drug (holds a dose of Spur)
  
• Sacred Machine Oil: If applied to a weapon, becomes immune to Jamming for a number of shots equal to its clip size or immediately unjams the weapon
  
• Spur: Lasts 2d10 minutes, cannot be Stunned and takes no Fatigue for the duration, afterwards -20 Toughness and Agility Tests for an hour and a Fatigue for every two prevented. More than 5 times/week can cause addiction
  

Other

• Void Suit
  
• Combi-Tool
  
• Data-Slate
  
• Micro-Bead
  
• Multi-Key
  

Advancement Notes

• Background (600):
  • 100: Fringe Survivor (Heretek) - Chem-Use, Scholastic Lore (Chymistry), +3 Intelligence, +1d5+1 Corruption
  • 200: New Horizons (Xeno Arcanist) - Forbidden Lore (Xenos), +3 Intelligence
  • 300: Knowledge (Knowledge is Power) - Scholastic Lore (Archaic), Foresight, +3 Int
• Characteristics (1050):
  • 250: Ballistics Skill +5
  • 100: Strength +5
  • 350: Toughness +10
  • 350: Intelligence +10
• Skills (1400):
  • 200: Tech-Use +10
  • 200: Forbidden Lore (Archeotech) +10
  • 200: Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) +10
  • 100: Scholastic Lore: Astromancy
  • 300: Awareness, Awareness +10
  • 200: Pilot (Personal)
  • 100: Trade (Armourer)
  • 200: Medicae
• Talents (1700):
  • 200: Autosanguine
  • 200: Binary Chatter
  • 200: Electro Graft Use
  • 200: Ferric Lure
  • 200: Luminen Charge
  • 500: Mechadendrite Use (Utility)
  • 200: "Technical Knock" turns to Talented (Chem-Use) with the replication rule.

Personal Quarters

Workshop
While Quintus of course uses the general facilities in the Enginarium for any large projects or for the normal duties of the Enginseer-Prime on a vessel the size of the The Aetherius Aeternus, he also has a well-equipped but small workshop for his own private research and manufacturing. Here he disassembles machines that stop functioning in an unusual manner or puts together masterful examples of the machinator's trade.
A wide variety of chemicals, powders and other mysterious substances all carefully labeled in a small uniform script as to makeup, function, origin and age are held tightly on row after row of racks in one corner. Below, an assortment of crystalware allow for titration, heating and sublimation, and a shelf of scrolls filled with notations and diagrams sits on the wall nearby. On the other side of the workshop is a solid bench, edged with clamps and waldos of all shape and size. A large lens encircled by a bright light sits on a hinged swing-arm for closer examination of a project, and drawers and cabinets festoon the lower wall surfaces. Green flickering screens adorn the walls at eye-height, offering constant access to cogitator results and necessary data for nearly any project Quintus might desire to work on.
Several incomplete projects lie carefully secured on one surface or another - here a bubbling brown mixture simmers for day after day on a heated plate with a red-eyed skull watching it carefully for any change in hue, and there is an incomplete set of small minute linked scales, destined to be part of an exquisitely-crafted suit of power armour in the traditional Mechanicum style.

Quotes from the Crew

"Having an emissary of the Omnissiah with us is excellent. The ship will run smoother for it, I can feel it. And his monocle is a thing of pure style; I shall have him build one for me at some point. He is suspiciously good at conversing with the mundanes of the Imperium. And how much of his ideas about the world could be considered heresy by his more orthodox brothers and sisters in the Mechanicum?" - Alexis

"Cogboy? Cogboy always good to befriend. If not your lasgun stop working in middle of fight and then who is iron jellyfish now, eh? He get along well with Didi, so I guess is okay chap. I guess is just his incense, leave ash everywhere, hell to sweep." - Boris

"Aesthetics of some of his bionics seems too... frivolous. Is it a sign that his skills and reverence are lacking? I don't know. Anyway, I haven't had good long philosophical discussion for a long time, and he's, without doubt can provide one." - Ramirez

The personality of Quintius is rather light compared to the usual tech priest. His obsession with human perfection, is rather off setting for the crippled mutant especially the when he wants to start implanting things into her head, even if it would aid her. - Aeysha

Quintus Aureleus is an oddity, even among the Tech-Priests of the Mechanicum but very tolerable. His skills are obvious, and I find his social graces a surprising change given his professions usual lacking. - Darrius

I am the very model of a magos of the 'perium,
I disdain AI, xenos, psykers and the immaterium,
I know the sacred rites of lightning and the enginarium,
I purify each breath of air that enters the aetherium.

I have exotic plants many, all bred in my herbarium,
My engineering deeds have earned me fame and honorarium,
And soon now I'll be building cannon shells of uranium.
For the eternal glory of the captain's planetarium! - Quintus, after several glasses of an unidentified bubbling liquour.