

In the eyes of the Drow skilled artisan slaves are far more prized than unskilled labor like common fieldhands . Any idiot human can dig up turnips, put clay into brick molds or sweep the halls, but the skills required to properly work wood, carve stone or forge metal take years of training to properly develop. Be they captured in Reapings, bought or raised in captivity, proven Slave Artisans typically sell for four times the average price of an unskilled worker and often more than that. As such, Slave Artisans are also higher up in the Hierarchy of Drow Slaves.







As with free Artisans there are a variety of basic trades which break down into sub fields. Among the woodworkers you have general carpenters, cabinet makers, shipbuilders and so forth. Among the metalworkers you have the generalist blacksmiths which work on estates, armorers, tool makers, swordsmiths and similar. Many houses (as well as guilds and other such institutions) will retain a small number of specific slave artisans because their operations has need for their skills on a regular basis. Others are employed in large scale manufactories which can have hundreds or in a few cases thousands of skilled Artisans alongside vast forces of unskilled and semi skilled laborers run by the Great Merchant Houses. While large scale manufactories were not unknown elsewhere among Human and Dwarven Realms before the Infrastructural Age, they are particularly common among the Dark Elves. Between the high degree of capital of the Great Houses, limited space to build on and the fact the fact that costs in terms of wages (or their analog in regards to food, clothing, accommodations and similar provided to the slave workforce) for the majority of the workforce is low, such set ups are as a rule more economical than elsewhere. In recent years the prevalence of this set up has made the adoption of steam powered mechanization easier. This has meant a shift in trades with a rise of technicians and mechanics. While Drow manufactories produce weapons and armor, a surprising amount of goods are made in them for export to non Dark Elven states. There is also a fair deal of manufactory based civilian industry





Leaving aside freshly captured slave artisans being "Broken In", the average Slave Artisan is better treated than your average Fieldslave. Between 50-40% of artisan slaves are Consecrated but even regular unconsercrated slave artisans have higher standards. They get better food: meat stew, tea and sugared pastries being a much more common thing to show up on their plate. Instead of being assigned a bunk in a barracks, an artisan couple can often get a room to themselves and for the Consecrated a two or occasionally even a three room apartment is often available. Clothes are replaced more often and small toys are provided. They feel the lash far less often than unskilled workers as a default. Their children more often than not assigned to be raised as artisans themselves or scribes and accountants, with only a minority of screw ups being sent to the fields or to be employed as basic laborers. The reasons for this are are many (avoiding casual harm to slaves, having privileges which can be suspended temporarily is a powerful intensive, having a higher status and prestige over common slaves provides willing eager recruits from the general labor pool and by extension better craftsmen, stratification breaks up the slave population and prevents rebellious ideas from spreading, etc) but in general it has been found that investing somewhat more on the maintenance







Among the Dark Elves that hold them in bondage, having to preform manual labor is a demeaning state. The Role of the Drow is to think, to plan, to fight, to command magic and to dominate others. The role the lesser races is to do, obey and execute the wishes of their betters. To a Dark Elf having to work with one's hands making mundane things is seen as debasing themselves to do the work of slaves. Even so there are Drow Artisans which work in such trades to get by, help their family, to develop skills requisite to more prestigious magical craftsmanship (such as runesmiths learning how to work metal), the ability to rise through guild heirarchies and because those which know how these things are done often make better supervisors for slave artisans since they can identify shoddy workmanship. Even so, there are markers which distinguish Slave Artisans from Drow Artisans such as nomenclature. For in the language of the Drow there are words for Apprentice, Journeyman and Master Artisan which share common word roots with those used by the High Elves for the same functions. For Slave Artisans the term "Apprentice" is used for trainees, but instead of Journeyman and Master the common terms are best translated as "Proficient" and "Adept" respectively. This is drive home that slaves may cultivate skills, hone and and refine them to an incredible degree and instill them in the next generation but for all of that it is there purpose to serve.



