The portfolio trial at the shared apprentice bench now accepts pieces made before a worker arrived in Kharad Venn. The guild’s first notice was written for apprentices already attached to a master’s shop; after residents on the comment roll asked how an unplaced craft worker could take part, the notice was revised.
Kelva Orr, the master smith responsible for the bench, said the portfolio lets an examiner see a season of work rather than relying on a single test piece. The trial still requires a supervised tool check and an examination at the bench. A set of completed pieces is evidence to review, not a trade mark.
The distinction matters to arrivals who can make a sound joint or a clean edge but do not yet know which guild can sponsor their work. The new form gives them a place to list what they made, who can verify it and which tool steps they can demonstrate without a master’s signature.
The first portfolios will be read beside the same worn gauge used in the ordinary bench examination. The guild has not promised a place in a shop or a faster apprenticeship. It has agreed that a worker’s prior skill can be considered before the city decides what training remains.
