Royal College of Arms
Royal College of Arms |
Current Head: Ma la Mha |
Dean: Txec Róibeard Nordselva |
Function: To maintain the heraldric armorial, determine protocol, and otherwise administer official symbology. |
The Royal Talossan College of Arms maintains the heraldic armorial of the Kingdom, assists petitioners for arms in designing and obtaining arms from the Crown, and determines protocols of state and for peers and knights of the realm.
About the College
The College of Arms registers all arms and banners recognized by the Kingdom of Talossa, and catalogs them here in the Armorial. These are divided into the following seven categories:
- Flags of the Realm - banners identifying the Kingdom and its subdivisions.
- Arms of the State - arms identifying the royal house, realm, offices, and officers.
- Arms of the Government - corporate arms identifying the government ministries, bureaus, and offices.
- Arms of the Nobility - arms pertaining to members of the Talossan nobility
- Arms of the Knights of the Realm - arms pertaining to members of the Royal Orders
- Arms of the Gentry - arms identifying members the Talossan gentry (such arms are obtainable by the citizenry at large).
- Arms of the Kingdom - the complete Armorial, displaying all arms granted to our citizens, both noble and base.
- Non-Talossan Arms - arms recognized by the College identifying non-Talossan persons, nations, and other entities.
Duties
The Royal Academy of Vexillology, an arm of the College, maintains the official flags and other seals of the Kingdom.
The College is exclusively empowered to petition the Crown for grants of arms, and is also responsible for preparing grants of knighthood and nobility at the direction of the Crown.
Members of the College
The College is staffed by Heralds (senior members), Pursuivants (members who have achieved standing), and Fellows. Each member of the College holds and is known by a named seat or fellowship. The current faculty of the College is:
- The Squirrel King of Arms, the Rouge Lobster Herald Baron Tepistà, Count of Thord
- The Squirrel Viceroy of Arms, the Bartleby Pursuivant, Sir Cresti Siervicül, UrN
- The Dean of the College of Arms, Béneditsch Ardpresteir
- The Jaune Sabre Herald emeritus, Sir Trotxâ Betiñéir, UrN
- The Blanc Wolf Herald emeritus, His Majesty King John
- The Bartleby Pursuivant emeritus, Sir Cresti Siervicül, UrN
- The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN
- The Kingsbridge Pursuivant, Txec Róibeard Nordselva, formerly a Fulbright Fellow
- Dean Béneditsch Ardpresteir, formerly a Jolly Good Fellow (Alegreu Ben Cioc - ABC)
- The Mellow Fellow, Owen Edwards
- The Well-Met Fellow, Cresti d. I. Nouacastra
- The Jolly Good Fellow (Alegreu Ben Cioc - ABC), Alèxandreu Soleighlfred
Former Members
- The Odd Fellow, Iustì Canun
- The Lookout Fellow, Sir Tamorán dal Navâ, UrN
- The Long Fellow, Davíu Lundescu
- The Well-Met Fellow, Tímoþi Asmourescu
- The Oblivious Auditing Fellow, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg
Eligibility for Grants of Arms
Every citizen of Talossa, by the fact of his or her citizenship, is a Gentleman or Lady, and is held for all purposes to be "of gentle blood" and thus entitled to arms as a member of the Talossan gentry.
Coats of arms are granted on behalf of the King by Letters Patent from the senior herald, Squirrel King of Arms. A right to arms can only be established by making application through the College of Arms for a grant of arms, or by the registration in the official records of the College of Arms of a pedigree showing direct male line descent from an ancestor already appearing therein as entitled to arms. Grants may be made to corporations as well as to individuals.
Occasions of Granting Honours
The King may choose to grant mundane honours at any time, but traditionally the Crown announces honours at meaningful and historic times of the year:
Occasion of Granting Honours | Date |
---|---|
Wargaming Day Honours | 21 February |
Tafsut Imazighen (Berber Spring) Honours | 20 April |
St. Aaron's Day Honours | 22 June |
Monarchy Day Honours | 24 August |
Sovereign's Birthday Honours | 12 October |
Independence Day Honours | 26 December |
Should heraldic business pile up unreasonably between regular dates, the Squirrel King may choose to submit a petition for arms to His Majesty on any of following dates not included on the above calendar:
Alternate Occasion of Granting Honours | Date |
---|---|
Labour Day Honours | 11 January |
Accession Day Honours | 14 March |
Juneau Day Honours | 28 May |
Organic Law Day Honours | 6 July |
Democracy Day Honours | 28 September |
Victory Day Honours | 25 November |
The Armorial
Rules of Heraldry
Choosing a Coat of Arms is not as simple as one might imagine. Rules of Heraldry
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