Enchanteries are run by guilds of skilled wizards, whose skills are necessary to perform the actual rituals by which magic items acquire their magic. These wizards not only work in but jointly own the enchantery equipment. However, the enchanteries also employ a large number of less skilled workers who perform various tasks involved in moving, preparing, sorting, and inspecting magic items and the mundane items they derive from, as well as maintaining much of the enchantery equipment.
There are three common methods for mass-producing magic items: sprue echantment, master-satellite enchantment, and serial enchantment.
Sprue enchantment is the most common method for creating devices that are powerful but simple in operation. Most telekinetic devices are created by this method. In sprue enchantment, all of the objects to be enchanted are linked together to form a single large object. That object is then subjected to an enchantment ritual, causing it to become magical. Finally, the original objects are separated from one another, retaining their magical properties as separate devices. The main drawback of sprue enchantment is that it cannot create complicated magical structures, as these structures would be disrupted when the parts are separated from one another.
Master-satellite enchantment is commonly used by smaller enchanteries or outside of enchanteries, for instance in support of common practices such as telehorticulture. In the master-satellite method, a single device, the "master," is created using single-item enchantment techniques. This "master" is then imbued with the ability to duplicate its surface properties in other objects, the "satellites." Thus, a single enchantment can be used to create many magic items, but those items do not need to be made at the same time.
Serial enchantment is the most common method for creating devices that are small in size, but possess complicated properties. In serial enchantment, the enchantment ritual is structured in such a way that most of its steps can be performed in the absence of the item to be enchanted. The final steps are then repeated multiple times for multiple items. The enchantery equipment retains enough of the spell that most of the ritual does not need to be repeated, so the cost of the ritual is divided over many items. The drawback of serial enchantment is that it requires more equipment and a larger ritual circle in proportion to the device to be enchanted than other methods; as a result, it is only economical if the target device is small. This is the reason why most devices with complicated functions have orbs as their active components: their spherical shape fits the maximum mass into the smallest possible spell radius.
Enchantery engines are one of the more important pieces of equipment in most enchanteries. The purpose of the enchantery engine is to induce enough manatic energy to permit large numbers of items to be enchanted at once. They are also essential in creating very powerful enchantments, and are thus responsible for the advantage of items over spells in the Locus: an item can be created with the aid of an enchantery engine, making it far more powerful than anything a human wizard can create unaided.
Enchantery engines resemble pure Rube Goldberg contraptions, consisting of large numbers of gears, levers, and other machines with no apparent purpose except to execute complex mechanical motions. The actual purpose of the engine is to replicate the complex and repetitive motions used in spell induction. The peculiar character of the enchantery engine is due to the fact that it is not necessary for the machine to actuate any external object for this to occur; the gears and levers themselves are the magical actuators. Enchantery engines are highly temperamental devices, and must be constantly monitored by a skilled wizard to keep them from malfunctioning.