By ??? (Send me email if you know who wrote this.)
Even in those dark days, the Guild excelled in the fields of Metallurgy, Weaponsmithing and GemCrafting and the results were metals of uncanny resilience, edges that would never dull and armour that was nigh impenetrable. These magesmiths worked their hardest in the ages of turmoil between the Traditions and in the Age of Magic became powerful and influential, selling their services to the highest bidder and providing lesser services to lower bidders.
The Age of Reason did not sway these Masters as their methods became indoctrinated into modern science: the processes of creating alloys and tempering steel, of unguents and diakatholicons. The magesmiths and alchemists became famous and in their own way contributed to the rise of the Technocracy and all that would bring, essentially ushering in the Age of Darkness. Hermes Trimegistus, Paracelsus, Galileo all contibuted and it was only when the alchemists began to fail in their transmutations and the artificers noticed their toys were dormant that they realised what they had done.
The result was that they distanced themselves from humanity, staying away from the centres of Reason where dull grey machines chugged monotonously and the glory and wonder and beauty of creation left the world. The Industrial Revolution arrived and the Age of Darkness was complete.
Celestial Chorus: For all their claims of Divinity, there were none in times past who were more brutal in battle. Worthy, even though their goal is not tangible.
Cult of Ecstasy: There is always a refuge for those without talent and those desperate to belong. Foci make up for our shortcomings; they should not, however, be our masters.
Dreamspeakers: Though primitive, they are to be admired for their tenacity. However, the world as it is can only provide half the answers; we must create the rest ourselves.
Euthanatos: Good company. At least they know what it is they do. Commendable in battle.
Hollow Ones: Though they appreciate beauty, steer clear of them for their are fractious, useless beings.
Order of Hermes: We have respect for them but our directions are different. I, for one, am glad of this.
Sons of Ether: Creation and Experimentation for it's own sake is wasteful. Their creations lack aesthetic value and they should spend time realising what monstrosities they have wrought.
Verbena: Disgusting. A tree is not beauty, it is a tree. Blood, sweat and gore are tools of troglodytes, not the Awakened.
Virtual Adepts: Amazing! They create beauty and wonder within kinder realities where the laws are not so strict.
By other Traditions, the Guild is viewed as a harmless version of the Sons of Ether and in part, this may be right.
FiveSaws (Matter 3): This rote produces a blade forged from the association of five elemental blades locked to one handle and woven together. The result is a blade with five cutting edges which cut as one. This blade will cut through all but the hardest substances (Matter 5). Each success permits another blade to be added to the first. Prime 2 may be used to spontaneously create the blades though this is frowned upon. A similar rote creates a bludgeoning weapon which hits as several clubs but this is deemed too unsophisticated for the Guild members.
Damage: Weapon +2
Armour is at -2 dice.
Hornet's Swarm (Forces 4 Matter 2 Prime 2 Life 1): These items, when not activated, look like copper drillbits. They may be activated at a thought and then they will fly through the air (using redirected gravitational energy) towards the target (locked by Life 1). Their range is line of sight and they will track a target until destroyed. They will not stop till they contact bare flesh and once they do, they will burrow under the flesh, armour providing protection for the first round of contact. Magesmiths often carry reusable Hornets imbued with their own quintessence so they may be retrieved after they vanquish foes.
Spectral Blade (Matter 3 Life 1 Prime 2): The name is misleading as the blade actually has very little to do with the Umbra. Rather the blade is sequentially substantial and insubstantial and keyed to a Life pattern so that it will pierce the flesh easily. This blade may also be keyed to Matter and therefore armour thus ignoring the protection that armour may provide.
Damage: Weapon +1 OR Armour -1
Sorrow Blade (Matter 5 Life 3 Prime 2): The blade created will not only do normal damage for its type but when the blade scans a target using its Life it will reconfigure the blade so that it is toxic to the organism or will produce toxic effects if not treated. This can be as simple as the blade becoming silver when combating Garou to the blade producing harmful micro-organisms on its surface . During the turmoil of the Age of Magick, this blade was known as Sorrow-Steel as it reputedly wept poison on command.
Glamour Crystals (Mind 4 Matter 2 Prime 2): This creates crystals of stunning beauty, though the beauty is only part-real and part illusion. The target will do his utmost to obtain these crystals for himself at the cost of another though his actions may be influenced by the magesmith. For some subjects, the illusion of material wealth is insufficient, for example Vampires may be taunted by use of a Glamour of Blood which would use similar principles though perhaps not similar spheres.