Basic principles cool? I like them, but for a few minor things.I was with my gf in the library today. I had just finished my research for a paper, and was with her as she went through some anthro books... then I looked at the shelf and saw these huge books... so I started going through large ass books... then I found one... on heraldry... and read some of it.. and got an idea.
Shireroth needs its own system of Heraldry! Its own system for making Coats of Arms.
We've talked about it in the past, but we always worked with old european systems. We need our own.
As I see it we can have elements that signify.
*The owners rank (Kaiser, Duke, Baron, Count)
*major jobs. (minister, praetor, arbiter)
*Duchy (and maybe barony)
*Awards and knighthoods possessed (important)
*other significant things
These wouldn't be so much family markers, but personal ones. Related purely to Shireroth.
And... for added bonus...(ignore the double positive), this would make another business niche. Someone who would know the system and could make arms for people who can't or are to lazy to make their own. And since some jobs might change occasionally, everyone will need to update theirs now and again, making sure their is business.
So.. some examples I was thinking about.
Each duchy would likely have a 3 color scheme which would be used to distinguish that on a coat. Brookshire for example would likely have gold, dark blue and dark red. As on our flag. Yardistan say, red, green and blue. Elywnn: light blue, white and (???), Kildare... well... Each Duchy would have to decide.
We could have bars or whatever they are called to distinguish rank. diagnal from upper right to lower left = count. diagnal from left to right for baron. horizontal for duke and vertical for kaiser. And if you have multiple then you have multiple levels. I am a count and a baron. So that's two diagnal bands. And maybe for stewards, a half sized band of the specific type. Emissaries for Dukes would have their own symbolic component.
Also, we have emblems for various orders and awards, this would give us a place to display them.
We would need to set a size for the image (though shrinkable for avatars), and standardize various main components. Then subdivisions could add come components that might be specific to their cultures. And since we can tell what duchy you are in by the color scheme, we can prevent confusion is similar symbolism is used.
So, what do you think?
What should we use?
I really like the Duchal colours thing, but I think having the same three colours as the constituent tinctures in every arms for each citizen in a Duchy could get a bit repetitive. I would instead advocate the use of Duchal colours in things like mantling and keep the shield herself free for creativity for the designer/bearer. Or, we could do Erik's thing. But I think if every shield in Brookshire or Kildare or wherever all had the same colours, I dunno, I just think that might not work.
Love the ordinaries for feudal rank- bend = count, two bendlets = baron, bar = duke, pale = Kaiser? And a duke and Kaiser (quite common) could have a cross. Then, to personalise, the shield could have some devices or fields or what have you. And if you want to have a lot of stuff, we could stick the feudal rank in the top right quarter perhaps.
The knighthoods thing is great, and as for the positions- how about each minister choose something appropriate- MOMA maybe a sword or big red button, the Shirefox symbol is quite nice for MiniInt etc.- Arbiter could have a gavel and Praetor could have a speaker's baton perhaps, I don't know, a whip maybe for keeping Dukes in check?
Anyway, aside from any other thoughts you might have, we need to collect some information:
From each Duchy:
-Three colours
-Animals/symbols
From each ministry/position:
-Potential symbol