The first few pictures from the Dragon Isles are trickling through, but so far the focus isn’t on the local flora and fauna. No no, one picture has resulted in local miners expressing considerable concern.
The picture above shows an ore vein in the Dragon Isles - we’re not sure what the ore is yet - but as you can see, it isn’t being mined by an individual wielding a pickaxe. It’s being mined by unmanned, enchanted pickaxes. Several of them, all doing the work with minimal supervision.
What could this technological development mean for the mining workforce of Azeroth? Could the arduous task of digging for ores be completely replaced by enchanted pickaxes? The Lion’s Roar speaks exclusively to an enchanting expert to get the low-down.
Magistrix Dawnveil of Silvermoon City, currently based in Dalaran, comments: “Enchanted tools are nothing new. We have employed enchanted brooms in Silvermoon since time immemorial - long has it been since the Quel’dorei or the Sin’dorei have swept anything up for ourselves.”
“However, enchanted brooms provide an ongoing, menial and mostly unwanted task. Arguably, mining is a profession that some families have dedicated their lives to. I completely understand that this will cause some concern.”
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Although we have little information on the scale to which these new pickaxes are being used, we do know that they seem to be relatively experimental and only sanctioned for use in the Dragonscale Expedition on the Dragon Isles. It could be only a matter of time before such tools make their way back to the mainland, however.
Vesariin Ashvein, a Dark Iron Smith based in Ironforge, had this to say:
“Aye, this’ll nae doubt improve the efficiency o’ minin’ efforts. But there’s nothin’ that can replace a seasoned miner an’ their trusty pick, no matter how much magic ye infuse intae these new contraptions.”
The Miner’s Guild in Stormwind is yet to release an official statement on the matter, but we spoke to one individual who wished to remain unnamed, we think, but he seemed quite annoyed when presented with the picture of the enchanted pickaxes. He threw his helmet on the ground and shouting obscenities, before storming off.
More on this story as it develops.