A remnant from the schism war, where they performed heroically, if secretly, these specialists are still trained today, should the house need them.
There were many variations on this theme, each assassin having his own style and favored method(s). Today, they are few and far between, as the need for them has greatly diminished, and they're deployed even more rarely.
Being a Mage Killer is a dangerous and risky career, as the more senior magi are often quite difficult to kill via non-magical means.
Still, a mundane may sometimes succeed where magic has failed. More importantly, as precious as they may be, in times of war, these courageous men and women are usually seen as more expendable than a maga, or at least able to save time and magical resources to the house. After all, they only cost silver.
There are 2 schools of thought on how to kill mages: You must be either very close, or very far. Any other way means doom. This relies on the fact that whatever mages may perceive, they may target, and they can usually reach anything at voice range, sometimes even further.
So one way of doing it is to lay a trap beforehand, poison your target, burn the house she's in… and hope both that she died and you didn't leave a potential arcane connection behind. Lands of the Nile page 43 may be useful here
Another way, riskier but more effective, is to get close enough to strike at your target while making sure she can't retaliate. While you can expect some targets to be warded against steel and wooden weapons, few can defend against more exotic materials, or even simple fisticuffs. Drowning and strangulation are also pretty effective, as they prevent the target from concentrating on the magic that could save her life, with few magi being able to survive them in the first place.
Last but not least, sometimes, trying to kill the target isn't the simplest solution, especially when she just needs to be delayed. By killing or crippling a maga's retinue, one may at least slow her down, if not leave her stranded in the wilds. Even if she manages to survive and find her way back, the delay may be just what House Tremere needed.
Suitable Virtues: Puissant (Social Skill), Affinity with (Social Skill), Cautious with (Social Skill)
Suitable Flaws: Overconfident
Suitable Skills: Brawl, Charm, Disguise, Guile
Mage Killers often use special equipment created by the house minor talents, such as the house's mundane Alchemists. Reagents, Enriched Items, Minor Magical Items, you name it, so long as the job is done.
