Wednesday, December 2, AD 1970, AS 5: the College of Heralds assembled in House Hightower.

On this day decisions were made on many arms, the great bulk of which caused the Lord Laurel King-at-Arms to repeat his motto, which is, Semper scriptum capere, or, Always get it in writing. To which the Lady Banner Herald replied that the motto of the King-at-Arms of England is Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. And all agreed that it behooved a herald frequently and loudly to call upon the mercy of God.

* The Barony of Caerthe submitted Or, a laurel wreath vert and a chief embattled sable; which was found not to conflict with the arms of William the Lucky, and was approved.

* The Barony of Madrone submitted arms bearing a madrone tree, which distressed the Lord Clarion Herald. The Lord Laurel pointed out that it could be blazoned either a madrone proper or a tree having a red trunk; but that the emblazon submitted looked like something that grows at about eight fathoms, and if it does so it is an animal. Both blazons were discussed, and a combination approved, with the suggestion that the Barony acquire a better artist. Thus the arms of the Barony shall be Sable, on a pile argent, a madrone tree proper (a tree gules, leaved vert), in base a laurel wreath or.

* Item, the Barony of Shasta submitted Chappé azure and argent, per saltire two pilgrim's staves vert within a laurel wreath vert, in dexter chief the sun in his glory or; in sinister chief an escarbuncle argent. The arms are suitable, but the Barony has not paid tne registration fee. Let them be sent letter number 4, which indicates that they should pay money.

The following personal arms were approved:

* Deborah of Llyr, who has paid. Argent, a roundel engrailed or voided, therein a decrescent or between four mullets or, two and two.

* Raymond the Mild, Baron of Madrone. Pily-bendy, sable and or.

* Sheen of Ire, Baroness of Madrone. Argent, fretty vert, over all a mascle sable.

* Michael Maladroit. Argent, three chevronelles interlaced azure, in chief two crescents gules. Paid.

* Myles of the Shamrock. Argent, a shamrock vert.

* William the Lucky, who has paid. Erminois, on a chief embattled azure, a roundel or in the dexter.

* Jaime de Acores (o Negro). Sable, a spider extended argent within a border of bastardy, compony argent and gules. For if Jaime wishes to call himself a bastard, we shall not dispute it. It is noted that a spider may be extended, or collected, or perhaps a spider rampant, displayed, couchant and statant.

* Barry Guldsson. Barry of 6, or and sable.

* Branwen pen Tyrhon. Per pale, argent and sable, two chess knights addorsed, gules and argent.

* Michael du Serpent Noir. Parti per bend, argent and sable, in sinister chief a serpent nowed sable.

* Dawn Jusbourne. Parti per pale, argent and azure, a pair of balances parti per pale sable and argent, above the dexter pan a child recumbent proper, above the sinister pan a mullet of eight points or.

* Stefan von Behrend. Gules, in bend a lightning bolt argent between in chief a star of eight rays or and in base a dagger inverted or.

* Gwyfydd of Ogg. Purpur, a bend sinister or, over all a unicorn demi-couchant argent, about its neck a wreath flowered azure, leaved vert.

* Randall pen Tyrhon (younger brother to the Baron of the Angels). Gules, a mullion inverted argent between two Doric columns argent.

* A non-heraldic device was approved for Hal von Ravn, who has paid, being the letters M and X, the latter with a bar above it, or the Roman numerals for nine thousand.

The following devices were rejected.

* Dav Greghart, a chicken-poxed array having sable on gules.

* Debrangal Greyheart, having too many charges. Let him eliminate one of the charges and either the mount or the chief.

* Edward the Indolent has metal on metal and conflicts with other arms. Let him submit new arms.

* Kathleen MacChlurain, who has paid, wishes a crown which she may not have, and her device is too complicated, having a lion that looks like a coyote, with a bloody household badge on its arm. Let her be told that the device is too similar to other arms, specifically that crowns are reserved for kingdoms. Also, we do not allow escutcheons. The Lord Clarion suggests Per chevron, embattled azure and vert, overall a lion sejant or, langued gules, orbed sable.

* Nirriti, so called, cannot call himself thus. The arms are ugly but admissible: Sable, a double bitted axe, palewise, handle in base, argent, to the sinister a dagger, palewise, hilt to base, argent. Let him be told: Change your name or the Lord of Light will be very unhappy with you.

* Thomas ap Thomas wishes too complex a device. We suggest Gules, in saltire an olive branch with stem in sinister base, under a sword with hilt in dexter base argent, quillioned and pommeled or.

* Friedrich von Rheinhausen wishes an eagle holding a kliestangel. Aside from the kliestangel (an item of German heraldry which must be researched), the Lord Laurel must search out to determine whether it is the imperial German eagle.

* Charles Edward Alexander Everman wishes a crown which he likewise may not have. Let him be told that crowns and coronets are reserved for kingdoms, and that we suggest Ermine, a male unicorn rampant sable, horned, crined, ungled and tufted? (around the fetlocks) gules.

* Gillen wishes Sable, between the horns of a calipers inverted argent, a map of the world proper: that is, on a parchment proper a T in an O argent. Firstly, this is too complicated, secondly, such arms should be reserved for those who discover the world, such as Captain Cook or Sven Hedin. Let us suggest that he may have the calipers and a humetty (vulgariter, rectangle).

* Rhiannon pen Tyrhon, Baroness of the Angels, wishes Argent, an estoile of eight rays sable bordered gules. Let her be told that the arms are acceptable but her name is not only used in myth and fiction, but is a male name; Rhiannon was one of the bards of Wales. [Corrected by hand:] No, Rhiannon was Pwyll of Dyfed's Queen, a famous lady.] [Second manual update:] Nobody knows quite who Rhiannon was! Help!

* Someone whose name escaped this scribe wishes Argent, between a pair of flaunches gules, a vulture displayed, wings inverted, sable, ruffed argent.

— Dorothea of Paravel