1. Lone Wanderer

    Lone Wanderer Member

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    A collection of flags and heraldry I made for my world

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by Lone Wanderer, Aug 29, 2018.



    I deisgned these using flagmaker and inkscape for my fantasy world. Just wanted to share and get feedback on their asectic appeal and how they’d transfer to written word.

    The Imperial Army refers to the whole of the Holy Imperium's military forces. Standing armies, provincial militias, and feudal levies can all be organized together and placed under the command of imperial generals. The supreme authority within the Imperial Army is the High Overlord who, along with the Flamekeeper of Het, is one of the Imperial High Council's presiding officers and senior members. The battle flags of the Imperial Army will be flown by all units serving under an imperial general.

    The sun is a symbol of the Imperium's enduring faith in the fire god Het and his child, the God-Emperor. The alternate version with the blue is symbolic of the balance between sorcerers of fire and water, the two forms of magic accepted by the Imperial Temple.

    The Province of E'Tauro Minor (more commonly known as the Elephant Isles) is the Imperium's southernmost province, a collection of forested islands. The province is valuable as a source of trade goods such as war elephants, ivory, dyes, and hardwoods as well as serving as a defensive position against the rapidly expanding empire of the Taurosii Republic. This flag is flown over imperial settlements as well as by provincial military forces.

    The Province of the Shadowlands, so called because of the region's many mountains and hills, is a poor province. It's people, highly superstitious and known to harbor a great deal of sorcerers, are distrusted by the Arvans and witch-hunters are known to regularly patrol. This flag is flown over imperial settlements as well as by provincial military forces.

    The Imperial Viceroyalty of the Ukari Valley is known as the adoptive homeland of the God-Emperor. A lush valley that is home to the settled tribes of Ukars. Because of their special history within the Imperium, the Ukars are allowed a great deal of autonomy. The Viceroy of the Ukari Valley is elected by the tribes to serve as Great Chieftain (although to call himself King of the Ukars would be heretical).

    The Ukar are a herding people who subsist largely on caribou and yak. The caribou have always been symbols of Ukari kings while the sun signifies the faith in Het and his child.

    The Royal Coat of Arms is the crest of the Kingdom of the Arvans and the Ukars. It incorporate the sigils of each of the five Arvan principalities to symbolize the God-Emperor's rule of the Arvan people and the caribou to symbolize his rule of the Ukari people. The flanking torches are representative of the torches that carried the light of the Eternal Fire to the mortal world, giving men their souls, a pivotal moment in the imperial religion.

    (This was inspired by the Spanish coat of arms)

    The Royal Army is a subsection of the Imperial Army and is comprised of Arvans rich enough to afford the high equipment costs. While the standard enlisted soldier of the Imperial Army is afforded basic weaponry and armor, the members of the Royal Army must be able to afford expensive plate armor as well as steel weapons. The Royal Army is mostly made up second or third sons of Arvan nobility as well as the children of rich merchants. The Royal Army is a powerful weapon of the Imperium and unlike the occupational role of the Imperial Army, the Royal Army is sent to do battle against other great kingdoms and empires.

    The Royal Navy is the Imperium's primary maritime fighting force. Administered by the Imperial Grand Admiral, the navy's home fleet is based out of Ossetev. A large portion of the navy is used to defend the strategically important city of Dalreath.

    The Equites Ukari is the primary fighting force of the Ukari Valley. Their regular duty is the defense of the Ukari Valley against trespassing tribes, the Equites Ukari can only be ordered to join a larger imperial army by the Viceroy or the High Overlord. Using hardy, muscular horses known as tundra striders, the Ukari are fierce horseman who wield curved sabers.

    On Strelok’s banner, the gold and scarlet represent wealth and nobility. The hand grasping the golden ring symbolizes the city’s perpetual prosperity. The ring being a symbol of infinity. The emerald in the palm is a reference to the Glorious Bank of Emeralds, the city’s most powerful institution. The people of Strelok think of themselves and their city very highly. Before the Imperium, they were the most powerful in Arvus.

    Standav’s sun of Het was not the city’s symbol for most of its history. It was once a ring of stars around the sun and moon, representing the Old Gods of the Arvan pantheon. After the God-Emperor rose to power, he denounced all but Het as evil “Outer Gods” and formed the Imperial Temple to worship the Fire God whose severed eye is the moon, who tore a hole to heaven, forming the sun.

    The golden trident of Ossetev represents the city’s seafaring tradition. The blue star represents the seas, the gold star represents the city’s wealth of trade, and the red star represent the blood of patriots who died to defend the Principality.

    The green and white checkered pattern of Riverstone represent the wealth of the forests while the four blue stars represent the four rivers that feed in and out of the basin that the city of Riverstone is built around.

    Ravenhold's white mountain represent the city's mineral wealth. The blood star is a symbol of the city's struggle for independence from Strelok while the crescent moon represents Het's eternal vigilance over the city.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2018
    Matt E likes this.
  2. Kalisto

    Kalisto Senior Member

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    It's a big "so what?" I would highly recommend getting off the heraldry creator (which is nothing more than a gimmick) and actually look at real heraldry. When you look at Heraldry, it's not just pretty pictures. It tells part of a story. For example, the Heraldry for the city of Hamburg is a gate. They call themselves "The gate to the world" because of the massive harbor within the city that has been in existence for centuries. Bremen has a key. While a key is not all that unusual. Usually it has some reference to St Peter, but in Bremen's case, it's part of their ongoing rivalry with Hamburg. Bremen basically said "If you're the gate Hamburg, then you're the key." Hamburg doesn't take to kindly to this and they have been bitter football rivals ever since. (At least this is what the locals say. It could be completely false, as often locals come up with their own meanings and stories. Hummel Hummel Mors Mors.)

    The horse is a symbol of Neidersachsen or "Lower Saxony" because of the flatlands.

    All your stuff is just this generic symbols that I doubt you even know what they mean. Now, you don't have to know what they mean, but they have to mean something to your story.
     
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  3. John-Wayne

    John-Wayne Madman Extradinor Contributor

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    I think you could have done without this part, your post is interesting but the condescending tone isn't appropriate.

    When I was younger, my flags and such were pretty much just pretty pictures on a flag. :p . But as I developed my world and the nations on it, the Flags started to take on more of a meaning. So I get your point, make sure the heraldry has meaning and purpose.

    For on of my nations, the national flower is Tulips so the crowns are designed like tulips and the flag has two tulips on it. though I am still working on the new Heraldry. As I want to put a Rabbit, which Roasted Rabbit is the local dish.
     
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  4. Irina Samarskaya

    Irina Samarskaya Senior Member

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    Note that Asian countries tended to use words/sigils for their flags and some prioritized flowers, ornaments, and garden insects over animals and weapons (like Japanese clan crests--see the Imagawa's comb, the Imperial Family's Chrysanthemum, etc. for examples). Depending on what you're creating, how far out it is from historical counterparts, and how it relates to what you're making, you might be interested in studying some Asian styles of flag-making since it could gel very nicely with a fictional world.

    Like Ancient Chinese flags, for example, tended to have the family name of the general or ruler on a colored background (sometimes multiple color variations to act as visual signals). Some flags (such as Shingen Takeda's famous Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan) were abbreviated mottos ("Fast as the wind, silent as the forest, deadly as fire, as impenetrable as the mountain" in Shingen's case--I highlated roughly what the abbreviations meant).

    It's not a bad idea to just do what you think is pretty in your head as a start, but then I'd suggest giving it contextual meaning.

    Like if the Sun is going to be the symbol of an empire, you could use it to represent the idea (or reality) that their empire is so big it's always sunny somewhere; that they worship the Sun (perhaps as literal Sun-worshippers); or a direct reference to their founder/current-emperor who was/is referred to as the "Sun"--kind of like Louis XIV in real life.
     
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  5. John-Wayne

    John-Wayne Madman Extradinor Contributor

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    100% agree, give it meaning, a story or legend. Such as the Sun being a symbol of power or life. etc.
     
  6. Lone Wanderer

    Lone Wanderer Member

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    Clearly my mistake for not including context with these images.

    The Imperial Army refers to the whole of the Holy Imperium's military forces. Standing armies, provincial militias, and feudal levies can all be organized together and placed under the command of imperial generals. The supreme authority within the Imperial Army is the High Overlord who, along with the Flamekeeper of Het, is one of the Imperial High Council's presiding officers and senior members. The battle flags of the Imperial Army will be flown by all units serving under an imperial general.

    The sun is a symbol of the Imperium's enduring faith in the fire god Het and his child, the God-Emperor. The alternate version with the blue is symbolic of the balance between sorcerers of fire and water, the two forms of magic accepted by the Imperial Temple.

    The Province of E'Tauro Minor (more commonly known as the Elephant Isles) is the Imperium's southernmost province, a collection of forested islands. The province is valuable as a source of trade goods such as war elephants, ivory, dyes, and hardwoods as well as serving as a defensive position against the rapidly expanding empire of the Taurosii Republic. This flag is flown over imperial settlements as well as by provincial military forces.

    The Province of the Shadowlands, so called because of the region's many mountains and hills, is a poor province. It's people, highly superstitious and known to harbor a great deal of sorcerers, are distrusted by the Arvans and witch-hunters are known to regularly patrol. This flag is flown over imperial settlements as well as by provincial military forces.

    The Imperial Viceroyalty of the Ukari Valley is known as the adoptive homeland of the God-Emperor. A lush valley that is home to the settled tribes of Ukars. Because of their special history within the Imperium, the Ukars are allowed a great deal of autonomy. The Viceroy of the Ukari Valley is elected by the tribes to serve as Great Chieftain (although to call himself King of the Ukars would be heretical).

    The Ukar are a herding people who subsist largely on caribou and yak. The caribou have always been symbols of Ukari kings while the sun signifies the faith in Het and his child.

    The Royal Coat of Arms is the crest of the Kingdom of the Arvans and the Ukars. It incorporate the sigils of each of the five Arvan principalities to symbolize the God-Emperor's rule of the Arvan people and the caribou to symbolize his rule of the Ukari people. The flanking torches are representative of the torches that carried the light of the Eternal Fire to the mortal world, giving men their souls, a pivotal moment in the imperial religion.

    (This was inspired by the Spanish coat of arms).,m

    The Royal Army is a subsection of the Imperial Army and is comprised of Arvans rich enough to afford the high equipment costs. While the standard enlisted soldier of the Imperial Army is afforded basic weaponry and armor, the members of the Royal Army must be able to afford expensive plate armor as well as steel weapons. The Royal Army is mostly made up second or third sons of Arvan nobility as well as the children of rich merchants. The Royal Army is a powerful weapon of the Imperium and unlike the occupational role of the Imperial Army, the Royal Army is sent to do battle against other great kingdoms and empires.

    The Royal Navy is the Imperium's primary maritime fighting force. Administered by the Imperial Grand Admiral, the navy's home fleet is based out of Ossetev. A large portion of the navy is used to defend the strategically important city of Dalreath.

    The Equites Ukari is the primary fighting force of the Ukari Valley. Their regular duty is the defense of the Ukari Valley against trespassing tribes, the Equites Ukari can only be ordered to join a larger imperial army by the Viceroy or the High Overlord. Using hardy, muscular horses known as tundra striders, the Ukari are fierce horseman who wield curved sabers.

    On Strelok’s banner, the gold and scarlet represent wealth and nobility. The hand grasping the golden ring symbolizes the city’s perpetual prosperity. The ring being a symbol of infinity. The emerald in the palm is a reference to the Glorious Bank of Emeralds, the city’s most powerful institution. The people of Strelok think of themselves and their city very highly. Before the Imperium, they were the most powerful in Arvus.

    Standav’s sun of Het was not the city’s symbol for most of its history. It was once a ring of stars around the sun and moon, representing the Old Gods of the Arvan pantheon. After the God-Emperor rose to power, he denounced all but Het as evil “Outer Gods” and formed the Imperial Temple to worship the Fire God whose severed eye is the moon, who tore a hole to heaven, forming the sun.

    The golden trident of Ossetev represents the city’s seafaring tradition. The blue star represents the seas, the gold star represents the city’s wealth of trade, and the red star represent the blood of patriots who died to defend the Principality.

    The green and white checkered pattern of Riverstone represent the wealth of the forests while the four blue stars represent the four rivers that feed in and out of the basin that the city of Riverstone is built around.

    Ravenhold's white mountain represent the city's mineral wealth. The blood star is a symbol of the city's struggle for independence from Strelok while the crescent moon represents Het's eternal vigilance over the city.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2018
  7. Necronox

    Necronox Contributor Contributor

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    With the context and meaning given, i think your heraldy works much better. Though you may want to look a bit into the colour schemes. Heraldy often has rather culture specific constrains as to what can, and can't be done. Whilst mostly nowadays this is ignored, there are real, quantifiable reasons why these exist.

    For instance, there is what some people now call the rule of tincture - i.e what colours 'tinctures' can be used at what points. Generally speaking, this where so the colours were quite distinct from each other and their neighbouring colour as not to be confusing or otherwise. Wikipedia has a little page on it for some brief info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_tincture

    Also, there is Charges, symbols, etc... and associated rules with those. May want to look into it a bit.
     
  8. Manuforti

    Manuforti Active Member

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    I recently read a book on flags, it was interesting as it explained that for e.g. Iraq and other countries in that area have the black and green as these were linked to the idea of a Pan Arabic Nation. That unity didn't survive but the colour scheme did.

    That being said, do the flags and symbology of your world have to follow the insane and improbable logic of European Heraldry? That is part of a culture built up from very specific historical inputs and petty conflicts and nationalism. A large homogeneous Empire would usually be expected to have attempt to create it's own large scale unifying mythology. As long as you think they are cool and they hold to an internal logic ( use of sun motif superseding other aspects for areas under the empire control) I think you're fine.

    Aaaaaaaand I have just seen the age of this thread

    Well I hope you get an email notification.
     
  9. Matt E

    Matt E Ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8 Contributor

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    Very nice. Including the entire royal coat of arms on the royal battle flag is kind of overkill I think — I don’t know anything about flag making but it would probably be too expensive to make flags that intricuot for military use, assuming pre-industrial technology.
     

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