Jerden's Art Page / Doctors of the Church Hub » Doctors of the Church Heraldry
Kothardarastrix was working on a rewrite of the hub page for the Doctors of the Church canon, and I volunteered to create some artwork for it. I thought that coats of arms would add to the pseudo-medieval fantasy of it, although for some of the factions, a flag felt more appropriate.
The basic summary of the canon is that it's 800 years since the end-of-the-world, and it's been rebuilt in the shadow of the Foundation, and the anomalies it failed to contain.
Check out my Locations of Interest Artwork for more flags and coats of arms for fictional places.
North America
The Holy Foundation
The Coat of Arms of the Seven Continental Provinces depicts the same emblem used by the Holy Foundation before the Great Breach - three arrows piercing a circle.
The Chaos Insurrection
Some claim the arms of the short-lived Chaos Insurrection were an ancient symbol from before the Great Breach; others simply regard it as a twisted distortion of the Holy Foundation's emblem.
The Free Cities League
When declaring their independence from the Holy Foundation and creating their own independent alliance, the Free Cities took inspiration from the legendary Thirteen Colonies of old America.
The Free Portlands
After changing their names to connect to the ancient ruins of Three Portlands, the Free Portlands adopted a new symbol celebrating their new freedom.
Kannada
The Arms of Kannada incorporate the rainbow and the maple leaf, powerful symbols from the time before the Great Breach.
The Kingdom of Romania Nova
The mammalian kingdom's coat of arms depicts the noble founder of the Vulpine dynasty, with the white and gold cross behind symbolising his devout Catholic faith.
The Valravn Rus.
The circular shields of the Valravn Vikings frequently feature symbols representing Norse gods, particularly the Valknut of the god Odin.
The Thereven Khanate
The battle-standard of the Mongols of the Midwest takes its inspiration from the past, with thirteen stripes of red and white harkening back to the flag of the American Empire. The use of a square within the flag references the banners of the ancient Khans of Central Asia.
Seven Continental Provinces
The area within the Seven Continental Provinces (SCP) was once the eastern United States of America, and while that past is not forgotten, memories of Ancient America are gradually becoming more myth than history. As a society with only Medieval technology, the people of the SCP primarily rely on travel along rivers, lakes, or coastlines, as overland travel is long and arduous.
Each Province has its own Prince, with subordinate Barons, Dukes, and Lords, but all swear loyalty to the Holy Foundation and devoutly follow the Veil. This gives the Holy Foundation both temporal and spiritual power over the SCP. The Council of Overseers has deposed many Nobles for treachery or heresy in the past, never struggling to find someone professing greater loyalty to claim their position.
These are mostly just made for fun; the exact borders and names of the Provinces would probably change over time. I think this is a plausible way to divide up the eastern USA into seven geographic/cultural regions, but I'll admit I mostly decided on names and locations so that I could have fun making Coats of Arms.
Sebord
The Province of Sebord covers the East Atlantic Coast of the SCP, from the Chesapeake Bay down to the Eastern coast of Florida, extending inland as far as rivers are navigable. The Ancient ruins of cities like Washington, D.C, still stand as a reminder of the past, in much the same way that the ruins of Rome cast their shadow over Medieval Italy.
Hartland
Centering on the Ohio River Valley, the Heartland of Ancient America continues to be the breadbasket of the SCP, exporting corn and wheat to the neighboring provinces. Many farms were abandoned after the Great Breach and subsequent population decline, and so the area has gradually been reforesting, creating wild regions full of deer, boar, wolves, and bears.
Misipi
The Mississippi River and its many tributaries enable travel by boat deep into the heart of the American continent. The Principality that controlled them was once the largest Province of the SCP, and although much of the land they claimed to the West was only sparsely populated, tolls on river traffic provided its rulers with great wealth. While the arrival of the Thereven Khanate took much of this territory from them, the River Lords that remain are fiercely protective of their southern holdings in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Sothgul
The Southern Gulf consists of the coastal regions of the Deep South, as well as Western Florida, although their claims of sovereignty over the Neverglades are more theoretical than practical. Cotton and rice continue to be staple crops, but transport by sea is complicated by their proximity to the many pirates of the Caribbean.
Gretlak
The southern shores of the Great Lakes have access to vast amounts of fresh water for farming and fishing, and merchants profited greatly from travel across those waters, trading freely with the people of Kanada. However, the arrival of Valravn raiders caused great turmoil in the region, and while they were driven off, the area is now threatened by the encroaching Thereven Khanate.
Aplachia
The inland Appalachian region is the wildest and least controlled of the Seven Continental Provinces. The dense forest and high mountains make establishing centralised power near-impossible, and the rugged hills make it hard to farm anything other than sheep. While many are eager to claim its resources through mining, transporting minerals out is challenging. Many of the Province's inhabitants only nominally follow the Veil, and the region is a haven for heretics, witches, orcs, and other Expunged.
Yankia
The northernmost Province of the SCP covers the area known as New England, as well as the Ancient ruins of York and Jersey. These Yankees have a strong local identity and were briefly independent from the SCP, until the Chaos Insurrection was ruthlessly crushed. Like the English of old, the inhabitants of this province have a contentious relationship with their French and Scottish neighbours (Quebec and Nova Scotia), resulting in numerous border disputes.
Europe
The German Occidental Confederation
The Imperial Arms of the Confederation that rules Central Europe feature an eagle perched atop the globe, still marked with the pentacle of their precursor, the Global Occult Coalition. The 108 arms of the individual principalities have been omitted from this version.
The Sarkic Branch of the House of Habsburg
The ancient arms of the Habsbergs are still used by their aristocratic descendants, who rule over several of the Sarkic States in Eastern Europe.
The Kingdom of Uk
Although the House of Uk fell long ago, their arms have been reconstructed by a contemporary artist. Their emblem reportedly featured a red cross and a white cross on a blue background, as well as a symbol from one of their more remote provinces, believed to be the "Dragon of Whales".
The Daevite Empire
The red-and-black banner is emblazoned with a symbol of the unifying authority of the Daeva, the rulers of the largest empire on the Eurasian Continent. The text beside it reads "Daevite Empire: Many People, One Blood" in the Old Daevite Script.
The Horizon Imperium
The successor to the Horizon Initiative, the banner of the Horizon Imperium flies over the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the Iberian Peninsula. The Arabic text is from the Qu'ran, but was specifically chosen as a montheistic creed for all people of the caliphate to agree on: "Say, Our God is One".
The City-States of the Broken God
The continuation of the Church of the Broken God, the Bronze Banner of the City States can be seen flying from the flagpoles of their trading vessels and ironclad warships as they roam throughout the Mediterranean.
Wotantainmentland
Although little is known about Wotantainmentland, this rune is frequently marked upon toys they deliver from a remote island in the Atlantic. The branding seems to be intended to reassure recipients that they have their hands on a genuine product of Wotantainment's workship, upholding the traditional values of Wondertainment.
The rest of the world is still unmapped, but if people want to write for the canon, I would be more than happy to have an excuse to create more of these!
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