Symbols of Imperial History

[Sturn]

I asked this in my Terran Dawn thread, didn't get a response, so decided to seperate it with a new title.

I'm making icons or symbols (such as the 3rd Imp. starburst) for several states in Terran Dawn or its history. But, I can't find symbols for all that I need:

1st Imperium: This symbol is easily found -Circle within a circle. But what is the true coloring? Seem many in black and white. One I found is the larger circle is black, the inner circle is red. Is this the correct coloring or is this an alternate such has some versions of the Starburst?

Terran Confederation: I have this one also. UN symbol with stars instead of laurels.

2nd Imperium: Rule of Man. I thought I saw this symbol somewhere, but can't find it now.

Splinter States of the Long Night: Old Earth Union, Easter Concord, Dingir League. I don't think anyone has ever created symbols for these, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[cbrunish]

Rule of Man symbol is found on pt 6 of GDW's Solomani, alien module 6. Its a curved finger thing with a a hole at the end. Starts on the left (looking at it) and is relativly thick. Ending in a rounded end with the white? circle covering approx 90% of the area.

Sorry, it's the best explanation. :shock:

 

[lucasdigital]

Rule of man Symbol
http://www.distantplaces.info/images/ruleofman.jpg

Powerful iconography huh? Some Vilani graphic designer with an axe to grind... ;-)

 

[Sturn]

Thanks guys. Yes I have this and recall it now, couldn't find it.

Any ideas on the coloring? I looked it up in AM6 and of course back then almost everything in black and white.

I had made up my own design, a combination of sorts of 1st Imp and Terran Confederation, guess I will have to hit delete now.

Here is what I have made so far, will have to do a new Rule of Man:

Ziru Sirka
Terran Confederation
Old Earth Union
Easter Concord
Dingir League

 

[Sturn]

Made a new Rule of Man symbol.

Having no source of colors, I used blue base with red for the inner sphere. This made the symbol make sense to me. Blue was the color of the Terran Confederation. The red circle in the Ziru Sirka symbol I think represented the star of Vland if I recall correctly. The Terran Confederation took over and merged with the Ziru Sirka, becoming the Rule of Man.

Rule of Man symbol

 

[StephenT]

The red on black colour for the Ziru Sirka symbol is certainly what GURPS:Interstellar Wars uses in its illustrations, although I couldn't find any comment about it in the text.

The original boardgame 'Imperium', on the other hand, has it the opposite way around: smaller black circle on a larger red background. I've also seen references to the symbol being an eclipse - a small black planet in front of a larger red star - which supports this interpretation.

Maybe the colours of the symbol were interchangeable depending on what colour the background was?

 

[Sturn]

I've also seen references to the symbol being an eclipse - a small black planet in front of a larger red star

This sounds familiar. Recall where you read this? I remember reading something about the symbols having to do with Vland's star if I recall correctly.

The smaller symbol being the planet makes sense. I can imagine the larger symbol being a red star.

I also have no idea why Gurps would have reversed the colors, if that is the case.

 

[Sturn]

I found this on Travwiki that apparently came from another Gurps product, Nobles, that may give an explanation why they reversed the colors:

Gurps:Nobles on the Ancient Order of Vland (a knighthood):

The badge of the order is "sable, the Vilani chaplet gules" -- the only formal use of this emblem allowed in the Third Imperium.

With some googling, I translated "sable, the Vilani chaplet gules" as "black, the Vilani circle red".

Apparently in Gurps sources, an ancient knighthood was allowed to reverse the colors for their emblem. Every one of the graphics of ships in Gurps: Interstellar Wars has this variation. An explanation that keeps the original sources and Gurps in line is that these ships were members of this knighthood that wasn't so ancient and more common during the 1st Imperium.

Thus, the standard symbol of the Vilani was that of a small black sphere within a larger red one. An eclipse perhaps of Vland against it's sun? The eclipse explanation does ring a bell if someone could provide a source.

Looks like I will be swapping the colors on my symbol. Thanks.

 

[cbrunish]

Just looked over you Terra Dawn site. Not bad at all. Actually something similar to what I had been tinkering with. Keep up the good work.