Craft Vaults

The Craft Vaults are a series of workshops, stables, and armories in Azlanti Keep in Absalom that provides weapons and supplies for the First Guard. Nominally governed by Quartermaster Lord Yuvin Vatir of House Damaq, in practice, the sector was overseen by master craftswoman Chun Hye-Seung before her promotion, while she still held the rank of First Siege Gear. The Craft Vaults are now under the purview of her successor, current First Siege Gear Symo of Wynsal.

The forges are the largest of the vaults, which produce the traditional arms and armor of the First Guard. The traditionalist craftsmen have not changed the design of the First Guards' gear in more than two hundred years. Many of the young apprentices are junior soldiers who seek to learn a trade without paying for an apprenticeship, all the while getting paid for their military service. The turnover for these young crafters is quite high, and those who sign on for an additional five-year term are valued, and experienced craftsmen, engineers, and architects are seen as a valuable asset to the First Guard. While they rarely reach especially high ranks, they are often treated with far more respect than actual officers. Those who do become officers are usually magical crafters, castle architects, and siege engineers, and do so by receiving the officer rank of Forge Gear or Siege Gear. These craftsmen are among the most valued and protected of all the First Guard.

A popular activity among the common guard members in the area is to watch the "Revolutionaries"—a group of Andoren craftsmen who experiment with new materials, techniques, and tactics—train every month in the Three Columns Yard.