[ANSTHRLD] Optio

[Etienne de St. Amaranth]

At 05:39 PM 9/6/2004, Master Daniel wrote:
>"Optio" hasn't been registered.  Has a name expert researched it?
>Has it been batted around the CoH?

Their Majesties approached the principal herald prior to their coronation 
to discuss this.  They also swore me to secrecy which is why it has not 
been publicized before this.  There has been consultation, the badge of the 
award has been conflict checked, and there is a constitution which has been 
signed.

Now that it is public, I have more heralds I can bring in the loop and we 
can verify the conflict check and do more name work and I can spend more 
time with Zodiacus Herald (who knew this was coming though not all of the 
specifics) to recheck the constitution details.  The real advantage to what 
this Crown has done is that, while they strove for secrecy, They did 
consult with their principal herald ahead of time and They have broken the 
secret early enough in Their reign to personally amend or modify anything 
needed for registration or the constitution.  More importantly, while They 
strove to keep this a secret until it was unveiled, Their Majesties want 
this to be correct heraldically and have actively involved the principal 
herald and They are willing to do what is needed to achieve registration.

>Hmmm ... looks like AoA level awards are thin on the ground in
>Ansteorra, as far as I can tell -- lots of non-armigerous and the
>grants are slurching outward too.  Is there going to be another level
>populated and a whole new slew of awards?

No.  No new slew of awards.  (At least from this Crown.)  This establishes 
an AoA level fighting award (which the Sable Falcon is not though it has 
sometimes been used like one and sometimes used according to its original 
purpose).  The Optio is equal in precedence to the Sable Crane, Sable 
Thistle, and Compass Rose.

Etienne
Star Principal Herald