Artificers

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You may be looking for the article on the Inhabit-based Guild from Wraith: The Oblivion. For this article, see: Artificer

It is rumored that Artificers are so dedicated to their craft that they continue even after death.

[edit] Paradigm

Invention is the pinnacle of human achievement. To this end, the Artificers constantly create wild new gadgets, toys, weapons and artwork. Each new creation, it is said, brings one closer to Divinity. Sometimes that ideal kindles a fire so intense it burns an Artisan from the inside out.

Skill, hard work and imagination are the keys to Ars Praeclarus. With them, a person might become nearly Divine. To this end, Artificers employ tools, alchemical laboratories and machines: Clockworks, steam, gunpowder and advanced metals provide the raw materials, while muscle and inspiration work those materials into miracles.

Artificers are renowned for their stamina, but even more for their eccentricities; scorched black by their forges, some add strange designs to their skin and odd prosthetics to their limbs. To these radicals, the human body is just another machine - one they enjoy experimenting with. Such is their dedication that some say these Artificers carry on their trade even after death.

(Storyteller's Note: Artisan Devices shouldn't be too visionary. Anything invented within a century of 1500 is fair game, as are inventions like those envisioned by Da Vinci. 20th century innovations are out of bounds. Also note that wild gadgets often malfunction around mortals - with catastrophic results).

[Mage: the Sorcerers Crusade, p.145]

[edit] History

[edit] Early History

In the ideal world, any man (or woman) can have the power of a Magus. While the ancients huddled around their fires and prayed to spirits, the forerunners of the High Artisans made clothing, and simple machines to cultivate the soil. Thus, did science supplant magic, at least among practical folk.

The true breakthrough came with advanced mathematics; as architects and artisans strove to perfect their crafts, they discovered formulae that allowed them to get predictable results. The men who mastered such secrets became like gods to people who had not, and those men wove elaborate rites around the Arts. Delving deeper into esoteric principles, these High Artisans uncovered Sacred Geometry - the spark of Divine guidance that illuminates genius.

In the court of Thothmes and Hatshepsut, High Artisans from across the known world gathered to share their secrets, then returned to learn the necessary skills; the most talented among them were elevated to special ranks and taught the Divine secrets, then went on to create the marvels of the ancient world - the wonders of Cathay, Egypt, Greece and Babylon.

[Mage: the Sorcerers Crusade, p.144]

[edit] Dark Ages

Sadly, it's man's lot to destroy. Vast amounts of ancient artistry were lost during the Long Night. Barbarians smashed through Greece and Rome; Mongols destroyed Cathay's wonders; Religious fanatics burned the Library of Alexandria, not once but several times. Through out this era, scribes tried to reproduce this lost knowledge, but failed. Without Divine inspiration, the writers saw mere facts, not higher truth. Some guidlds, notably the Dalou'laoshi (an esoteric word roughly meaning "People of the Five Sacred Dragons") of Cathay and the Greco-Roman Collegium Praecepti, survived those times by passing on the mysteries to handfuls of initiates. In time their descendants came together again, crafting a foundation for the Temple of Reason. That Temple, a symbol rather than a place, epitomizes the unity of Divinity, Humanity and Creativity. Through hard work and study, a master Artisan unlocks his inner genius; having done so, he scatters the fruit of his labors to the common folk. Through their acceptance of his Arts, he draws them along the Path of Reason - and makes lifes easier besides.

[Mage: the Sorcerers Crusade, p.144]

[edit] Renaissance

[edit] Victorian Age

In 1851, the Artificers, and the larger Order, undergo reorganization and emerge as the Technocratic Union. The Artificers are re-christened as the International Brotherhood of Mechanicians.

[edit] Organization

To High Artisans, politics take the hindmost; creativity and skill are an Artificer's greatest prizes. Because the doors of the Temple are not barred by religion or sex, High Artisans accept women and infidels on a more-or-less equal basis. All is not harmonious, of course, but human imperfections are tempered by forge and inspiration

For the most part, Artificers disregard the usual ranks; respect is given for merit, not title. Within their various guilds, High Artisans recognize a bewildering array of degrees; in practical application, however, they divide their Convention into Apprentices, Artisans, Masters, Grand Artisans and Epitomes - titles granted by personal accomplishments. Although three rough councils (one for Europe, one for Cathay (China) and one for the Muslim world) comprise Artisan concerns, they're chaotic affairs at best.

[Mage: the Sorcerers Crusade, p.144-145]

[edit] Maximi

A progression of people, all known by the titles Daedalus and Ariadne (who was secretly Daedalus' apprentice)