At the height of the High First Age, master mortal artisans worked in the Solars’ factory cathedrals, creating delicate parts and preparing ingredients for the era’s legendary wonders. Even among these rare individuals, there were clear grand masters. The Solars rewarded these blessed smith-technicians with minor supervisory positions and other indicators of status. The most prized mark of status among these individuals was the robe of the master smith-technician. It was white like any factory-cathedral worker’s robes, but incorporated embroidered Magical Material circuitry in elegant and tasteful patterns. They toughened the robe against accidents and (though few smith-technicians would admit it) violence. More significantly to most wearers, though, a robe of the master smith-technician greatly enhanced a mortal’s skill in magitech. Its integral wonderworker’s mantle could even allow techniques usually restricted to the Exalted.

Some Terrestrial factory cathedral workers also took advantage of the artifact’s capabilities. They purchased, claimed, or confiscated any copies they could after the Usurpation. For a time, Terrestrials and Sidereals were able to preserve the Solars’ wonders using robes of the master smith-technician. They had trouble preserving the factory-cathedrals, though, and as the Shogunate wore on, stocks of robes of the master smith-technician dwindled alongside the facilities that manufactured them.

Nowadays, robes of the master smith-technician are scattered throughout Creation and Yu Shan. Terrestrials and Lunars have found them in First Age bunkers deep in planets’ surfaces. The Celestial City’s deiphage-haunted subterranean passages also have hidden and forgotten vaults open to salvaging.

• Base is an exceptional chain shirt (+4L/2B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 0). As noted above, this item’s primary purpose is not combat, but the Solars of the First Age valued the best mortal artisans enough to provide them some protection.
  
• Integral Wonderworker’s Mantle (Class Ax2, Class Bx2): This item possesses all the powers of a Wonderworker’s Mantle.
• Keen Eyes, Fingers, and Mind (Class Bx3): +2 to Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence.
• Magitech Savant (Class Ax2): +2 to Craft/Fire and Craft/Magitech.
• Optimized Essence Embroidery (Class C): This item is self-powered, costing only five motes to attune.
• Purity of the Sun (Class A): The wearer always counts as purified for work in a factory-cathedral, with no need to undergo the necessary cleansing and rituals.
• Tireless Artisan’s Dedication (Class A): Time spent crafting counts as sleep for the artifact’s wearer.

Power 8 (Class Ax6, Class Bx5, Class Cx1), Usefulness 4, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1

Components: Ambrosia; small quantities of orichalcum, moonsilver, starmetal, and white, green, red, black, and blue Jade; and a factory-cathedral (-4)

Cost: 14 (-4 to create)/4=4

Thanks to its primarily non-combat function, a robe of the master smith-technician counts as only Rank 2 artifact armor. It caps damage from single attacks and flurries at five health levels and grants a level of Ox-Body Technique.