Editing Setting:Cloudburst/People (section)

==Magos Gabris==
{{Topquote|The nerve pathway passes through a small gap in the bone structure here. A single nervous bundle carries the signals from the sensory perception nerves in the fingers and cuticles to the larger nerves in the elbow here, under the cartilage. See? If one puts the probe here, you can feel the pain from when I cut you, but you can’t move to stop me. Isn’t that interesting?|Gabris}}

The Mechanicus ideal is that of thought and reverence unburdened by emotion, distraction, or impurity. In all ways, the Mechanicus and its adherents strive towards the simplicity of the Machine. Magos Gabris, the leader of the Mechanicus contingent of Lordarine, strives for the Machine by learning as much as he can about his subjects. Specifically, he does so by learning as much as possible about their anatomy, how much they can endure before breaking, and their tolerance for his tyranny.

Gabris started out as just another lowly Cognomen Techpriest, but in time, his natural skill at carving away pretense and personal investment in his projects raised him the eyes of his superiors above the entry level of the clergy.

As with all Magi, Gabris had to distinguish himself and advance the Quest for Knowledge in order to accomplish his rank. He did so by pioneering the combination of specific natural stone crystals, sometimes no more than thirteen molecules in width, with tungsten-iron alloys in cutting tools, which he was able to prove through historical reference was a technique that certain ancient surgeons had used. Once elevated to Magos, he continued his research into the archaeotechnological techniques of ancient human cultures. As an expert in the field, he was the natural choice to lead the Mechanicus team researching the ancient human surgical tools in the mines and subterranean cavernways of Lordarine.

Initially, Gabris’s projects produced remarkable results. Although he never quite managed to determine the exact methods of some of the more complex neurological reconstruction equipment in Lordarine’s ancient laboratories, he was able to get them to work perfectly as long as they were prepped properly first. He also found detailed instructions on their cleaning and basic maintenance, apparently written by somebody named Manuel.

The documents revealed that if used properly, the equipment is both safe to use and relatively painless, thanks to the redundant nerve suppressors in the surgical tools. Gabris studied these documents extensively, in the hopes of finding something that would allow him to replicate the technologies and send something of value to Mars. Eventually, he was able to repeat the results of the ancient researchers on two human volunteers, and he was off to the races.

However, nature or the fickle hand of the Warp intervened. At this point, the nearby Warp Storm Vasari’s Cruelty flared up catastrophically, throwing wafts of energy from the Rift at its heart into space. Several hit Lordarine. The resultant ecological damage, lightning storms, and loss of property disrupted Gabris’s work.

The humans of Lordarine begged for shelter from the elements, and Gabris, as the unofficial leader of the colony, was forced to begrudgingly permit this. After lengthy storm effects that partially levelled the Lordarine mining and research colonies, the damage done to the surface buildings was so bad that several hundred humans had to take up residence in the ancient tunnels instead.

However, while most of the humans who fled into the tunnels during the damage escaped great harm, Gabris did not. The exposure to Warp energies he sustained during the Warp Storm unhinged him. Although he is not corrupted by Chaos, he is definitely mad, and his madness is growing. With each successive Warp Storm, his measures against his own populace are growing worse. He has even begun to inflict the surgical tools at his disposal against dissidents in his population outside the times of the storms.

This is a rising problem for him, as well, as the Warp Storms and the resultant lightning squalls have become so frequent and so disruptive that Gabris has had to fully disconnect the nervous systems of several hundred colonists just so that they aren’t harmed by the Warp energies. He and his cyber-guards imagine themselves immune to the effects of the Warp thanks to their cybernetic replacements of their body parts, and to their credit, they do suffer the Warp effects less than the humans do, but they are not actually immune. Slowly, the Magos is losing his mind, and his guards aren’t far behind him.

The Magos carries a custom-built Twin Galvanic Pistol and a Power Axe, but he hasn’t used either in years.