Heraldry

The various noble houses of Acoesa use distinctive heraldry to identify families and individuals. These heraldic devices are also carried by armies on the battlefield as a sign of status, as well as allegiance to those noble houses.

Heraldic designs can vary widely. They may consist of a simple pattern of colors, but more often feature animals (either real or mythological) and/or physical objects. Specific sets of rules govern what form a heraldic design may take.

Only members of noble families have the legal right to formally display their own heraldry, though knights also gain this right after the conferring of their title: When a commoner or lowly mercenary gets knighted (even if he is only a poor hedge knight with no land and no right to sit in judgement), he legally becomes a member of "the nobility" and can invent his own personal heraldry. The followers of a noble family can also display that family's heraldry (i.e. Estrucilla foot-soldiers can carry banners with Estrucilla heraldry), but it is illegal for the crimsonborn to simply invent and use their own heraldry.

The heraldry of each noble House is accompanied by a specific set of words, or "motto" that is unique to that house.