Honestly, I've spent way too much time thinking about this particular interactive fiction. The elf slave premise usually kicks off with you being captured, and from there it's a total divergence. Paths where you focus on gaining the trust of a specific, less cruel owner—maybe a mage studying ancient races or a disillusioned noble—often have these quiet moments where you can learn skills or uncover secrets that become keys to your freedom. It's less about brute force and more about emotional manipulation, playing the long game.
But then there are routes where you lean into the captivity, leaning into the darker power dynamics. I tried one where my character leaned into subservience, but with a sharp eye for political weakness within the household. It ended not with escape, but with me essentially becoming the power behind the throne, the owner's most feared and trusted advisor. It wasn't freedom, but it was a different kind of control that felt just as compelling, in a messed-up way. The writing has to be really nuanced to pull that off without it feeling cheap.