Rampant Unicorns.

Not to be confused with pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows, we have this:

http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...aiJaHnJigM.png

I'm sorry to say, this is not a "unicorn rampant", because it is not a full-bodied unicorn, it is not facing to our left and it is not rampant.

This is a unicorn rampant:

http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.12333...x550,075,f.jpg

What we are looking at on the arms of House Fortemps would be best described as:

Sable, a unicorn couped contourny in a wreath of thorns gules.

Sable = Black base colour
Unicorn = PONY!
Couped = creature is severed at the head with a clean cut
Contourny = preceding creature is facing to the right of the viewer
wreath of thorns = that, unless it's meant to be something else
Gules = designates everything preceding it back to the last mention of a colour, as red.

Blazon. It's a form of mangled French.

I must say, it's remarkably refreshing to see someone versed in blazoning. It's this kind of attention to detail that makes me love well-constructed lore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cira

I must say, it's remarkably refreshing to see someone versed in blazoning. It's this kind of attention to detail that makes me love well-constructed lore.

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Why thank you.

You could say that the SCA has left its mark on me.

Yeah, when something is rampant in a heraldic symbol, it really is going berserko, typically.

There's also a typo in there, since it should read "a unicorn [whatever]". :V You always attach an indefinite article to a heraldic description like this.

Since Yaelle isn't giving it "proper", probably on purpose so Joe Average understands what she's saying, I figure the line should be: "The arms of House Fortemps is a unicorn couped, wreathed in thorns, red on black." Should be plenty of room in the text string for the extra text.

I suspect one of our translators found the sound of "unicorn rampant" to be so awesome that he couldn't help but use it. However, as it is indeed inaccurate, we'll revise the line. Thanks for the help!