Caidan Award of Arms

 

      

Since I've had the pleasure of knowing them, Mairghread inghean Dubhghaill and Eoghan O'Briain have loved to tell the saga of their missing AOA scrolls. Eoghan was in the armed forces for many a year, which caused their family to move around within several kingdoms, due to this and several other outstanding factors, in this year, almost 10 years after they received their announced award of Arms from their then King and Queen, we decided it was time to fix that missing document problem. 

It all began with a plea to Caid, via their kingdom scribe, explaining the issue, and asking if they would be willing to work with us to right this issue. After several months of no contact, I was able to successfully reach someone, who was more than happy to help! She indicated that in Caid, unlike An Tir, they create originals for all of their awards, and asked if we would like to have this work farmed out to one of their local scribes, or if we would like to do the design and have it approved. 

We chose to create these charters (scrolls) on our own, for the sake of personalization and expediaency. Words were provided from the Caidian kingdom scribe, and off we went! 

 

After some discussion, Jose and I decided that based on each of their persona's a design based after the Book of Kells would be fitting. And so, Jose found inspiration, and set off to work, translating it into something we could use. 

Once the design was complete, and calligraphy added, the scans were sent off to Caid to get approved by their heralds. This is another step that An Tir normally doesn't do, however in Caid, your Arms are actually emblazoned on your AOA, and therefore must be checked with the Kingdom Herald. There was one minor issue that had to be corrected for Eoghan's emblazon, and all was approved and ready to be painted!

Jose and I paired up to paint both of these, starting with the base color blocking. Then Jose painted the figures based on the coloring from the original:

Once the main pieces were painted, I took on the job of doing the redwork, which essentially is white work details done up in red. 

After the red work is completed, we added white work details on top. And now itwas basically ready for signatures and seals.

With a final review and approval, signatures were provided, and seals were mailed to me to attach. And these were presented to Eoghan and Mairghread at grand thing A.S. 50, roughly 10 years after the award was originally created. 

Final with Signatures together (the idea being they can be framed together)

 

Mairghreads version of the story: 

The story of Eoghan and my's AoA's...lol
While sojourning from our beloved AnTir, we found ourselves in Caid. We played in a couple of Baronies as the modern military moved us around, meeting wonderful people, learning new things and trying to uphold AnTirian values and standards.
In 1999, we were recognized with AoA's from Their Majesties at a lovely event Frost Dragon. Now, AnTir does things differently than pretty much anywhere else. We were given photocopied pieces of paper (one was on green paper), signed with red marker, to serve as Promisaries. Once you have your name and device passed, your name goes on a list, then you can have a scroll denoting your AoA done with seals.
As life sometimes does, life happened and we didn't work on our names or devices.
After moving back to our homeland AnTir, we rededicated ourselves to getting more appropriate names and devices and working with our wonderful Heralds. I communicated with the Caid Kingdom Scribe at that time, hoping to hear good news. Well, the wait list for scrolls was 7 (yes, seven) Years long, so they had done away with the list. If you wanted a scroll, you could commission someone to make it and get it approved, signed and sealed. That was frustrating and life demanded more attention. We pretty much put it out of our heads and chalked it up to history.
Fast forward to last weekend at Grand Thing. Friday evening, our lovely Baron Finn Grim came into our encampment and called for a Court.
Our dear Friends (two Caidian Royal Peers, two determined and sneaky wonderful Scribes and a host of wonderful people) surrounded us as Eoghan and I were called to join him.
Ana De la Sara and José Cabrera de Castilla had created amazingly beautiful scrolls for our AoA's, had them approved and (seals are in the mail).
I could not be more grateful and humbled that our dear friends had worked so hard and long on something that we had given up on. And to have my Laurel (Contessa Ilaria) and my Knight (Earl Edward) stand as representatives of Caid, made it even that much more special to me.
Thank you seems such a short sentiment for how much this act has truely touched me. My friends...my family.. Thank You!