(Year 226) My Region 12 (and beyond) community currently counts 101 active households, and up to this point only those having a Peerage or a Noble Title were seen as the high crust aristocracy. Those households often have a long and detailed backstory, and they all have their Coat of Arms (CofA). All good, but lately I realized that there are more old and wealthy families that should be included. Status should spring out of a top class House, even if they don't have a Peerage. CofA should reflect head of House rather than previous Peers.
 |
| House of Crumpleton traded timber for generations, and their CofA colors reflect the forest. |
The more I thought about this, the more important it seemed to adjust my point of view. I needed to focus more on Houses. So, now I've given it all an overhaul, checking family trees for a logical line of design for their CofA. There is now a "Houses (Jewelries+)" info page (previously "Nobilities' Jewelries") has been reorganized with a short info blurb on each House. Read on to see how the refined system will work - and to see what CC download is on offer.
Noirmally, Head of House will also be the Peer of the Peerage, but because rules are a bit different, there might be situations where a family loses a Peerage because they don't have a male heir, while a daughter can be Head of the House.
Houses
So, what does it take to be officially certificated as a House?
I needed a way to prevent that just any household could be seen as a House, and the difference is logically found in their wealth. The household net worth must be minimum §250 000 - definitely excluding most of my families.
A House needs to be verified by the Royal Chamber (assisted by the regional Council unless the case is complicated) every time there is a new head of House. This includes acceptance of any changes to CofA.
If an existing House's worth shrunk they will lose their status as a House, but this won't take affect until next head of House applies for certification. Holding a Peerage requires having status as a House, so failing economically will have big consequencies. A House's worth includes additional households with a common family name, and if one household fails, there might be another branch claiming to take over both the House and the Peerage. This might open for interesting conflicts, of curse :) .
Coat of Arms
Only Head of a House, which is a life long position, is expected to design his/her personal CofA. The design is normally quite simple, it can even be just one solid color. Head of House is gender neutral and is the only person in need of CofA. Other members of the House will simply not need it. In real life additional members of a House might at least design a monogram, but I wanted to limit the workload and graphics. Not everyone will make changes to the existing CofA either, but simply bring on what was already established by the former head of House.
Think of it as branding your family - it's marketing, and you will be better off if other top notch persons recognize your CofA. Changing your logo might simply harm your brand. If CofA is to be changed, it would be only one of the three background components. Main color represents the House and will not be changed unless you start a brand new branch of the House. Secondary color and form (2s or 4s, vertical or horizontal, etc.) might be changed. If head of House marries someone of higher rank it is common to reflect CofA of the spouse's House as secondary color or form. Most will be married before they take over the House and Peerage.
CofA including the symbol can only be changed when head of House is replaced. It's a life long design.
Houses' 4 symbols
While Peerages have each their unique Symbol that will be centered on the Peer's shield design, a House will choose their Symbol from four common alternatives, representing different groups of community. Those symbols are Spade (power, leadership), Tile (knowledge, commerce), Heart (creativity, health), and Cloves (farming, crafts). A House's symbol is meant to represent one main focus that will stay through generations, but can be changed if the House changes direction. The classes are equally ranked, as everyone knows a leader is not always successful, while a farmer can be extremely wealthy.
Symbols are basically Silver colored, but if a House surpasses values of §1 000 000 they can apply for a Gold symbol. The Gold symbol is quite rare, and will of course affect your social rank, too. However, first generation will never be certified with a Gold symbol, no matter how wealthy. The base of the entire system is "old money", and in the old days it took several generations to build worth, normally through inheritance and clever marriages.
Black symbol is quite rare, but might be applied for when the House prefers to operate a bit in the shadows. One example is House of Cracrow with their black tile: Head of House offers Paranormal services, and probably appreciates privacy.
It's not accepted to go straight from Gold to Black, or from Black to Gold. One generation must use the Silver version during such a big change. This probably prevents impulsive changes.
Peerages
When someone gets a Peerage, these days only possible through inheritance, their CofA's centered symbol will be replaced with the Peerage's unique symbol. The color Gold, Silver or Black basically works like for Houses, meaning it will still be limited by the House's worth, but high nobility will also include the worth of the Peerage Trust that will raise net worth significantly. For Peerages the color of the CofA symbol was accurate in the past, but today there exist Peerages where color of the symbol has not been adjusted for current wealth.
Change of Peer takes place when previous Peer dies or steps back, which is also when head of House is replaced. In most cases these changes happen in one go, meaning although the person gets two new roles the CofA will be designed just once. While the Peerage symbol will replace the Spade/Tile/Heart/Cloves, the colors and form representing the House and person will most often stay unchanged.
Framed Certificate
Once the new head of House is verified, he/she receives one copy of a framed certificate. It shows the approved CofA design signed by the Royal Chamber.
These wall hangings can only be used within the physical house, the main seat if they own numerous estates, but are used in various ways. Some hang it in their office. Some place it in the main hall for the upcoming generation to see it often and identify themselves with the symbolism. Some hide it away in a closet as it has no practical value whatsoever.
When head of House is replaced, the old framed certificate must be handed back. Each house can only own one such wall hanging at any time.
Free Download: Set of 13 framed CofA certificates
If you want some of your households to go by a similar routine and need framed certificates, here's a free version of my current set including 13 different designs. It is a stand alone object that requires the City Living EP. If you don't want CofA for your households, like I do, they might also fit well as décor in any historical scenery such as a museum or library, a gallery or even in a nerdy home.
 |
| Light reflecting on glass makes some colors look paler than they are in-game. |
Feel free to share, but please link to this blog post as the package file might be renamed.
Download here (free/no ads)
No comments:
Post a Comment