University Mark

Concept by Patrick Rothfuss, Technicalities and Written by James Woodwright and Name given by Sable Aradia.

Thanks to the staff and volunteers at Salisbury Cathedral for answering my Questions.

Thomas: The University provides products and services, at a lower price than the general populace would get from a master of the craft. Like a Cobbler that is learning his craft at the University might have a stall at the Marketplace for repairing shoes.

Gregory nods his understanding gestures and for Thomas to continue.
Thomas: The products bought from these students would not be as good a quality as you would acquire from a master. These items are cheaper because they are not made by an experienced artisan. In doing this you are supporting the University and the student allowing them to get crafting experience.

Thomas coughs, clearing his throat.
Thomas: The Marketplace would sell items to other departments. For example, us Coopers need iron bands for our barrels. These bands would be created by Blacksmiths. They would then sell them to the Coopers or anyone else who wanted iron bands, such as Wheelwrights.
Gregory: How do the Marks come into this?
Thomas: The University Mark is what the student wants as part of being in the family trade. The products they would sell would be from their course work or work at the University, such as a shorter length of rope.

— Thomas Explaining The University Mark to Gregory in The Artistocracy Chronicles, A New Beginning A New Hope in Book 2

The University Mark is given when a member of the University has reached the rank of Apprentice. If the member wants to take the University Mark they will request it, and begin setting up the business. Once they have, they will be given a University Mark.
The University Mark is like a guild seal in our world. A University Mark in a shop window or on display in a business, shows that the business has the certification in the trade area. The University Mark is for Trades that are not medicinal. In this case the University Medallion is what they will get instead.

Technicalities Of The University Mark

The main technicallity is that the University Mark is connected to the person not the business they own. If a member of the University gets their Mark and has children, and those children joined the University and got their Marks, this would then mean that it would pass down from Parent to Child. Failing this, it is another member of the University that has the same Mark status as them under their employ, by agreement.
The status from Parent to Child - the business does not get multiple Marks but rather logged under the same one. The Mark is "inherited" through family first, but those family memebers that have got the Mark first and in the same trade will be listed first regardless of age. This does not always follow birth order. Those who have the Mark in another trade are not counted under their family's Mark. After family it is the employees, but in order of those who have the most experience not age. Those that have no heirs or family memebers and no employees, with the Mark. Then it is returned to the University and the business is no longer certified. If the owner has no family memebers with the Mark also but does have employees, that do have the Mark, then it is passed to one them by arrangement, that they are on the top of the employee list for the Mark.
These records are kept in the University in a book, known as The Registry of Marks. Each Mark has a number on its underside, looking the number up in the book gives the "inheritance" of the Mark.

Manufacturing process

A chunk of stone is made into a 10cm cube and a sphere is partially carved out. On the surface of the sphere is a ten sided polygon with three, eye shapes, two going to sides and one to a corner.

Significance

This is seen as a sign of quality and that the University sees them as qualified in their craft. For a baker for example they would have the real world equivalents, Service Quality, Environmental expectations, Product Quality, Food Safety (if applicable), Health and Safety.
In Alchemdemia the equalivant would be that they would know how to run a business of their trade effectively, while learning more of and about their trade at the University and the University's Library.
If there are any complaints it will take to the third complaint to be reconsidered to be recertified in their trade.

Appears In
The Artistocracy Chronicles Book 2 - 4

Item type

Award

Current Location

Draurough

Manufacturer

University

Related ethnicities

• Crayan

Owning Organization

University

Rarity

The University Mark is more common than the University Medallion as it reflects the amount of independently owned businesses and necessary trades.

Weight

2.560kg

Dimensions

10cm Cube

Base Price

5 Tusks

Raw materials & Components

The University Mark is made out of a dark marble which is carved.