Editing Shattered Imperium (section)

====Organisation====
Individual Enclaves of the Path of Ascension are ruled over by a Cleric or Magos of the Path. Each of them is in charge of the organisation, goals and ideals of the specific Enclave. Each Enclave is nominally under the control of the 3 Primarchs but they rarely interject into the affairs of enclaves not specifically run by them.

There are three predominant schools of thought within the Path of Ascension. Each differs wildly on their approach to ascending humanity.

;Scions of the Machine
The Scions of the Machine, or Machinists, believe that cybernetic augmentation is the quickest and most efficient path to transhumanism. The majority of this movement is made up of Iron Hands. Machinist practitioners will often look similar to the tech priests of Mars, with little to no organic components on display.

Tend to rely on heavily augmented soldiers, basic soldiers are akin to skitarii, the former astartes are comparable to myrmidons. They tend to utilize more esoteric weapons than the rest of their allies such as volkite, rad, and even phosphex weapons. Most enclaves have at least a small number of robots, larger enclaves can have entire legions of them.

;Scions of the Flesh
The Scions of the Flesh, or Organicists, believe that the genetic augmentations that an Astartes receives are the first step on the Path to Ascension. Practitioners of this path can vary wildly in appearance and behavior. Whilst the most advanced skin-forges can create beautifully sculpted specimens of humanity, there are plenty of less advanced enclaves that produce barely human mutants with bodies stuffed with unusual and unnecessary organs.

Tend to rely on biologically modified soldiers. Basic soldiers are pseudo astartes akin to Kor Phaeron, although they are also known to utilize augmented abhumans, most notable Ogryn with strength similar to a Primarch, and ratlings able to actively slow down their metabolism so they can hold a position for days before taking a shot. Astartes tend to be even more advanced than Bile's New Men, being stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal astartes. Unfortunately their modifications are sometimes unstable and astartes and mortal auxiliaries are known to sometimes break out into cancerous tumors, that at best end up leaving them crippled for life after they are removed, and at worst kill them outright.

;Scions of the Mind
True to Magnus' original scheme, the Scions of the Mind, or Mystics, pursue any opportunity to develop psychic abilities in their brother Astartes as well as the mortal humans within their enclaves. Outwardly, the Scions of the Mind appear often weilding their psychic might openly.

Carry out breeding programs to create psykers and sometimes even request the assistance of the biologists and mechanicals in augmenting psychic abilities even further. Their basic armies tend to be made up of squads led by psykers able to prenaturally predict the flow of battle, with specialist teams of storm troopers which are entirely made up of psykers. Their astartes are mostly psykers, non-psykers are shunned and either thrown into the fray to die, abandon their order for one of the other orders, or undergo dangerous geneseed modification or mechanical augmentation to gain psychic abilities.