Heraldry

Farland Or, A Lion Rampant Tawney, Armed and Langued Gules

The Dominion Arms of Farland are the arms of the Erikson kings. The current dynasty claims to be descended from the Lost Daughter of Erik, who was born the day before the Conquest, thus earning the right to bear the rampant lion. Legend has it that the midwives exchanged the child for the stillbirth of a handmaid, who smuggled it out to the country.

The Ancient Arms of Farland were the same, except the lion was also crowned.

Jan Islands Azure, Two Sea Lions Combatant Argent

The Dominion Arms of Janhølt are derived from that of the Kings of Jan, which, prior to the Conquest, had both Sea Lions crowned Or. At this time there was also a King of Laesø, who warred continually with the Jan Kings, and had as Arms Or, Under a Crown Gules, an Escallop Sable.

The Olafian Princes of Janhølt bear as their personal standard the same arms that they bore since before the settling: per Fess Argent and Azure, from a Cog Sable a Talbot Issuant Proper.

North Reach Purpure per Pale Argent, with and Estoile of the Second

The Arms of the North Reach are derived from those granted the Earl of Norsjó by the King of Farland when he settled the North Reach, which were Purpure, under a chief Or an Estoile of the same. Indeed, these arms are still borne by the Barons of Norsjó. When the Earl seceded from Farland, he devised the current dominion arms, omitting the gold that references Farland.

The hereditary arms of Skowe were granted by the Earl of the Reach, who at the time was of the Norsjó family. These are Argent, palewise across a Fess Embattled Purpure, a Gull Volant Counterchanged.

The Duchy of Skell Argent, a Dragon Passant Sable

The arms of Skell are little changed since the founding, aside from the obligatory removal of the crown. The original Drakes family did not, however, survive the Conquest.

The origin of the Bertillian Dukes is, of course, well known even to the youngest child. Less well known is the origin of their arms, "A Dragon Rampant on a Tower, Ruined, the Both Sable." The Tower is not, of course, Skellmot, but the Ice Tower of Mallgeir. When Bertil was made Duc Bator in the alliance of the Three Nations, he was granted arms "Argent, under a chief Sanguine, a Dragon Vert Vorant a Crown Sable." After the victory, the other nobles feared he make himself king, and so demanded this crown be removed from his charge, even though it symbolized the removal of the king.

County Intervale Vert per Pale Tawney, a Ram's Head Erased Argent

Long disputed between Skell and Indals, the County has been under many arms since the One Kingdom. Since the treaty it has always borne a Ram, although the field has varied from Argent to Vert, per pale Argent and Vert, and per pale Argent or Vert and Tawney. Once the Ram was devoured by a Dragon, twice entwined by a Serpent, and once trampling on a Serpent.

The Ivarian Counts of Intervale have borne "Argent, on a bend Tawney, between three Swords counter-bendwise Sable, as many Rams Trippant of the first. "The Ivarians have always drawn nationalist pride in the Intervale, and the Ram's head and Tawney tincture is drawn from their arms.

Indalsval Vert, a Serpent knowed Or

Of old, the Kings of Indals bore "Vert, a Serpent palewise, crowned, entwined about a Sword, the both Or." When the crowns were removed from arms at the Treaty of the Three Nations, it was also stipulated that the sword be removed from the Indal's arms, on account of the treachery of the Last King under Mallgeir.

The Western Marches Gules, a Corbie Close proper

Originally, the Marches were a county of the Duchy of Indals, created during the One Kingdom to take the west from the Originals. At that time the counts bore "Or, inescutcheon Vert, three palewise Swords Argent, entwined by as many Serpents Sable."

Bjornlunde was a robber-baron from the north of the Intervale, driven west by sherrifs of Indalsval. His own arms were "Argent, about a Cross Gules, four Corbies cantoned of the same." When he took Ång and held it against the armies of the Duke, who were distracted by a challenge from Skell for the Intervale, he declared himself Marchion, and devised the current dominion arms of the Marches from his own red corbies.

The Bjornlundians only ruled for three generations, and were never respected by the Madrist population. Finally they were cast out by Ragnar of the Mountains, a rustic warrior who was knighted only the morning of the Bjornlundian surrender. His arms were "Quartered Purpure and Argent, two crossed Swords counterchanged."