The College of Arms
The College of Arms is located in the Ward of Sunmedow in eastern Ongus. Built of yellow sandstone imported from the Holy Land, and standing three storeys tall, it is noted for its extensive use of sheet glass – a very expensive material – for windows in its walls and roof.
It is the headquarters of the King's Heralds, a group of men and women who maintain the official registry of coats of arms in Ongus and is responsible for developing and enforcing the rules of heraldry for the kingdom. Sir Roderick of Pellard (Friends or Foes p. 45) is one prominent member of this group and has a room within the College.
The College also undertakes a number of other important functions within Albion and Ongus itself. It lies on the edge of the List Field, which is used for fairs and tournaments, as well as military training under the authority of the College of Arms.
At ground level, a set of large double doors on the street known as Boars Bush provides access to a large foyer where a clerk is always stationed along with two guards. This clerk will decide on whether a person is allowed entry further into the complex – those who have business with the senior heralds may be allowed to pass through a door behind the clerk to their offices – clerks also have desks within that space. Those who seek their own coat of arms will be allowed to ascend a staircase to the first floor, where small rooms exist to allow a junior herald to discuss such matters. The other main doors off this chamber lead to a residential wing where apprentices – literate boys and girls aged between 14 and 21 – training to be heralds are housed and fed.
The first floor, as mentioned, has a group of small chambers where discussions can be had with those who seek a coat of arms. There is also a large chamber that includes a scriptorium – where scribes copy out books and documents – but that also houses some woodcut presses – woodcut-printed books are becoming more common in Ongus but are only cost-effective if more than one hundred identical pages are required. Bookbinders also work in this chamber – the College of Arms has become the main source of official books produced by the Crown. There is also a long chamber, accessed by a staircase leading from an external door on the ground floor, where coats of arms are displayed. This chamber is open to the public, and arms are rotated around the easels to ensure that arms that are of most interest and importance to the citizenry of Ongus can be identified.
The attic contains two large chambers – one where painters and weavers paint shields and weave banners for those who have gained arms. The other is dominated by a very accurate map of Albion painted on its floor, which is used by the heralds for any number of administrative purposes.
The cellar contains changing rooms and an armoury that specifically contains child-sized chain mail and wooden swords (real swords are kept behind a locked door). The law requires all 'infant lords and ladies' – children of noble birth aged between 7 and 21 – resident in the city to undertake military drill several times a year.
There is also a small set of cells and a torture chamber in these cellars. The College of Arms is the only place in Albion where torture can legally be administered. It was placed under their control about ten years ago on the basis that they could be trusted to only use such measures in the most dire and serious of circumstances.
Higher quality colour images are available from the Library of Hiabuor.
This article first appeared in Casket of Fays Issue 9.