Creating a society/order?

[SirNathanQ]

Good to see that you're feeling better today Sir Ed! 
And that's really cool. You were just waiting for that question to pop, weren't you? 

[Sir Matthew]

Well, I worked a little on my CoA and found some things I like to incorporate, but I think my initial design may be in violation of the rules of tincture. Unfortunately I could not get the shield I drew up to save on my computer so I can not past it here, but I will take a crack at describing it, although I may need some help with properly phrasing it. This Heraldry stuff is completely new and foreign to me. Amazingly enough, I never thought of putting together a Coat of Arms for my Knightly persona. Well, here goes. Azure, Quarter Sable with Wolf Rampant Argent, Quarter Sinister with Raven Sable. Azure symbolizes Loyalty and Truth (and is also the color of Penn State, of which I am an alumn). Or symbolizes generosity, Sable is Constancy. Argent is peace and sincerity. Quarter is symbolic of a bearing of Honor. The Wolf is used as a symbol of a valiant captain who in the end gains his goals after a long siege or hard enterprise (which I take to mean perservierence or stubborness some may call it) and also one who is dangerous to assail or thwart. A Raven is symbolic of one who recieves little from his ancestors but by Providence becomes a master of his own fortunes or one who has enduring constance of nature. I think it is fairly simple yet complex enough to be different from what others might have. Critiques or improvements are most welcome. This is my first journey into unknown terrain, so I could use the help of those who are more experienced in this.

[Sir Edward]

How did you draw it up? With the free online COA editor? You can usually grab a screenshot of the entire window by hitting Alt-PrtScrn (or the entire screen with Ctrl-PrtScrn), and then you can paste it into something like Paint or Photoshop, or even an email.

[Sir Matthew]

Yeah, that was what I used, but I didn't think of that. I'll try it again and then try to email it to myself.

EDIT: Was not able to email or to save a screen shot so the description will have to suffice until I can find a way to reproduce what I drew with this program.

[Sir Wolf]

can u describe it and see if we can draw it up?

[Sir Edward]

Yep, just in plain language, not Blazon.

[Sir Matthew]

Sure, no problem. Shield is Azure (blue) with the top left quarter Sable (black) and the top right quarter Or (gold). In the top left quarter there is an Argent (silver) Wolf Rampant and in the top right quarter there is a Sable (black) Raven.

[Sir Wolf]

when u say left top/ right top and such is that wearing it or looking at it

[Sir Wolf]

like this?

[Sir Matthew]

Exactly right, Sir Wolf.

[Sir Wolf]

ok i think there needs to be a cross or something to keep the black off the blue.  Sir Edward? help here?

[Sir Matthew]

Sir Wolf, you are thinking along the same lines as I am. Perhaps Sir Edward or someone else can assist us in this point of the rule.

[Sir Wolf]

maybe an alternating thin Or/sable. or something

[Sir Edward]

Actually you're fine, color-wise. In a field division, even with an ordinary, the colors are next to each other and not "over" each other. The two upper quadrants are either metal on color, or color on metal, so they look fine.

The thing is, there's no really no division that goes three-way like that exactly. What you'd probably have is less than a third of the height of the shield in the blue region, and it would be called a "base azure", with the primary field division being Per Pale Sable and Or.

The three-part divisions that do exist are the Per Pall divisions that contain diagonal boundaries.

One way to cheat would be to consider it to be an "Impalement" (combination of two family's arms) that is divided Per Fess, with the second family's arms being just a blank blue field. But that's reaching.

I'm attaching a sample of what I think would be heraldicly correct.  BTW, all animal charges are assumed to be facing left (to dexter) unless specified otherwise. I'd probably blazon it as "Per Pale Sable and Or, A Wolf Rampant Argent, A Raven Sable, a Base Azure".

[Sir Matthew]

Thank you Sir Edward,  your knowledge of Heraldry vastly surpasses mine. I like that design much better than what I had originally done. It somehow looks more right, even if it is not quite right with existing examples. I guess the question is now, does that violate the rules and tradition too much or is it exeptable? I suppose I could rework it to have the proper three way division, if it's deemed too much of a stretch.