The View from Valehaven is pleased
to announce the start of a new feature series, A Call to Arms, the aim
of which is to showcase the different heraldries in the Realms. Every
group and many organizations, guilds, and individuals have distinctive
and different heraldries, and sometimes the outsider can't help but
wonder what those heraldries mean to the people who bear them - what
does the heraldry represent? How did it come to be? What is the story
behind it? And so started the idea for this series. It is our hope at
the View that we can all learn a bit more about each other, our game,
and our history along the way.
[Editor's
note: if you are interested in submitting an individual, nation, guild,
or group heraldry for the series, please email Jen
(areni.daru@gmail.com) or any other View staff member]
The Felwood
by Steve "Sir Therian" Matulewicz
 |
| Photo provided by Steve Matulewicz |
1. What does this heraldry currently
represent?
This heraldry represents the Country
known as the Felwood.
2. Please describe your heraldry for
us.
It is
forest green and brown, the split is vertical. A gold quaternary Celtic
knot in the center. It is situated such that one quarter is halved by the
split, leaving the center negative space to look like an "X".
3. Give us some background. How did
your heraldry come to be? Who or what created it?
The
Heraldry was created three years ago by myself, Sir Therian, along with its
other two founding members, Aymise and Hope. The green and brown represent
the forest itself, while the knot represents both eternity and the four
elements. The Gold of the knot represents wisdom, constancy, and faith.
4. Why was this heraldry chosen to
represent you? What is the symbolism behind it? What was the inspiration behind
the design?
The symbol
was chosen to represent the coming together of peoples and creatures, within
this sacred wood. The base colors are the forest itself, which is
actively defended by the sentient trees known as Ents. The knot
represents the unity of the individuals that live in the forest,
acknowledging that while we have all come from various parts and places, we are
now one family and our fates are intertwined.
5. How long has the heraldry been in
the game? Has it changed at any time since it was first created?
In its
first creation about three or four years ago, , the background was a tan and the
border and knot were red. OOC, this came from an online game and I liked
it initially. But once we had the banner made, the tan color did not appeal
to us as a group, and we changed it to reflect the developing philosophy.
6. What do you hope seeing this
heraldry means to the rest of the Realms?
The
purpose of Heraldry is identification, be it in a feast hall or across the
field. So at the very least, the hope is that people will see the banner
and know this is for the Felwood. On a more expanded level, the hope is
that the name of the Felwood will become known for honesty, truth even in
the face of adversity, and for dependability in support of an endeavor.