[ANSTHRLD] Questions about possible conflicts

[Hellsgate Herald]

Greetings to all!

I'm still a newbie herald (a little over a year), and am learning a LOT.  However, there are still so many things that stump me.  I have read and re-read SENA, along with various conflict checking resources and precedents that I could find online.  And it's been fascinating and frustrating at the same time!  :)

So, I have finally thought of a name and device that I want.  Yet, there are possible issues (of course).


Name:  Storanê Græg

My persona is a female of Sarmatian descent living in northern England around 515 AD.

In 175 AD, Marcus Aurelius sent 5,500 Sarmatians to defend Hadrian's Wall.  I'm not overly worried about the first name passing.

http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/3315.txt

However, I don't know how to combine it with Græg properly.  My real surname is Grey, and when I learned the etymology of my name, I was hooked.  The meaning and pronunciation are important to me.  Yet, according to Appendix A in SENA, descriptive bynames are rare in Old English.  Rare doesn't mean impossible, so I hope it will pass!

http://www.ucalgary.ca/uofc/eduweb/engl401/lessons/pronunc1.htm#consonant
(Græg is listed under #5)

Does anybody see any problems with this combination?

Anglo-Saxon/Old English does not have a definite article as far as I know (based solely on my research online, though).  Do I need to have it be something like Storanê the Græg? If so, what would be in place of "the?"



Device:  Sable, a dragon segreant argent, a chief invected Or scaly sable.

I love this because "greydragon" has been an online handle of mine for ages, and an argent dragon is the closest I can get!  :)

I like the segreant posture because it's the closest to a lion rampant, which is the charge used for the Grey family crest.  (And I know it isn't MY family crest/coat of arms, but still...)

For the chief, I love the scales!!!  Sarmatians were know to wear scale armor and used dragon imagery, and I think it's kind of a subtle cant with the silver (grey) dragon and the scales in the device!  I chose Or/gold because on a black background it was the only other alternative (besides a fur), and I didn't want just black and white.  (Plus, yellow is my favorite color...)  I also wanted the invected line to match up with the scaly treatment.

1st question:  Would this pass?


Anyway, I've conflict checked and eliminated anything that wasn't a dragon or wyvern in a segreant, rampant, salient, sejant or sejant erect posture, to include keeping the sinister / contourny versions.  Then, I started looking for 2 DC's.

I managed to clear all but two.  Then, I started thinking what I could add to my device without significantly changing the look, and of course thought of using a bordure or an orle.  I prefer the look of the orle, but can I have it surmounted by the chief?  I've read that an orle is treated in a similar manner to a bordure, yet, I read a precedent that an orle would follow the line of the chief, and not go under it naturally.

2nd question:  Could I blazon it like this?

Sable, a dragon segreant argent, an orle Or surmounted by a chief invected Or scaly sable.


This could be a moot point, though, since I conflicted with THE SAME TWO DEVICES as before!!!

- Sable, a two-headed wyvern erect contouorné argent, the dexter head incensed of flames proper, the sinister head incensed of lightning bolts fesswise, grasping in dexter claw a human skull affronté Or.

- Sable, an eagle-winged dragon rampant to sinister coward argent, maintaining in dexter forepaw a sword enflamed Or.

With just the chief, I have one DC.  But, would the addition of the orle (or bordure) give me second?  It wouldn't because it's part of the secondary charge group, right?  However, if peripheral secondaries are different, would THAT make it count?

Also, while I know that maintained charges do not give a DC, I have no clue whatsoever about the incensed heads nor the eagle-wings!  I couldn't find ANY information on conflict checking those...  The closest I came was that multiple heads do not give a DC (although it specifically mentioned hydras).

Additionally, while I conflict (under A5.E.5.a.) with the two contourny charges, Appendix L.A. says "though a distinct change may be given for facing to dexter or sinister."  So, which is it?

3rd and last question:  Help?


To anyone who has managed to read this far, thank you.  If nothing else, I hope I gave some minor entertainment!

Thank you,
Heather Grey