Emblem

An **emblem** is an identifying image used to represent the hexarchate or heptarchate as a whole; one of its factions; the **banner** of a Kel general; or various heretical groups. Emblems appear throughout the Machineries of Empire continuity.

## Overview

Each faction in the hexarchate has its own emblem, worn on faction uniforms for identification and appearing liberally in architecture and the arts. Faction emblems are used as seals of authenticity on historical and news documents and communication channels. Variations on faction emblems appear as the signifiers of faction personnel, which change[CITE] on the rare occasion of an emblem's redesign.

Bannering is an ancient Kel practice preserved to the present day. The emblem of a swarm's general is displayed, or bannered, by being projected from a field generator or sent to an enemy over communications channels, formally declaring the beginning of a hostile action. Failure to banner before battle is viewed as a terrible insult.

In the heptarchate and hexarchate, Kel banners are transmitted along with the Kel ashhawk emblem. Forces representing other realms, such as the Hafn, transmit their government's emblem.

## Hexarchate and Faction Emblems

The hexarchate's emblem is a wheel with six spokes capped by the six faction emblems, high factions set against their corresponding low factions: Shuos ninefox and Kel ashhawk, Andan kniferose and Vidona stingray, Rahal scrywolf and Nirai voidmoth. The emblem was redesigned to omit the heptarchate's seventh spoke after the purging of the Liozh, who had been represented by the mirrorweb.

## Military Emblems

In infantry action, banner-bearers ignite a generator to raise the Kel banner, a black ashhawk surrounded by flames, into the sky above the emblem of the infantry swarm's ranking high officer; in space warfare, banners are transmitted between opposing swarms. In either case, bannering is a formal announcement that the battle is joined. Banners are transmitted with a different header to open parlay.

Known high officer emblems include:

* **Sword-and-feather**, the emblem of Kel Command and the default allowed to new Kel generals until they register their own emblems
* Null emblem, a black banner used only by generals in disgrace
* **A bizarre spiral pattern**: General Kel Cherkad (*see also Kel Chrenka*)
* Chain of Thorns: Brigadier General Kel Farosh
* Circle of Quills: Brigadier General Kel Ebenin
* Deuce of Gears: General Shuos Jedao; inverted in later use
* Eyespike: Brigadier General Kel Marish
* Five Splendors: General Kel Kavarion (*pre-heptarchate*)
* Four-Eyed Shrike: General Kel Chrenka
* Shattering Bridge: Major General Kel Hoiran
* Sundered Spheres: Major General Kel Jui
* Swanknot: General Kel Khiruev
* **The False Arrow**: Lieutenant General Kel Sumaarzaav
* Three Kestrels Three Suns: General Kel Inesser

Though exceptions exist, protocol demands that a swarm use and take the name of their highest ranking officer's emblem, even if other high officers with their own emblems are present.

## Heretical Emblems

* Liozh revival: a white seven-spoked wheel with a flame at the center.
* Hafn: an archaic shield with a plain gold chief, the rest of its field charged with a hectic tangle of insects, fruits, and vines overlaid with gold curlicues.
* Society of the Flourish: a banner of green fire and grim shadow with a twisting motif.
* Axers: many banners, including the Stone Axe, Thorn-and-Circle, Winged Flower, Red Fist, Inverted Chalice, and Snake Defiant.

## Trivia

* Pre-heptarchate Kel vessels did not banner before assailing General Kel Kavarion's fleet, a sign of their contempt for her apparent treason against Kel Command.
* The Nirai emblem, once a ringed planet with a bird in flight, featured as a doodle in Heptarch Nirai Kujen's old notes before it was changed to the modern voidmoth.
* General Shuos Jedao once tricked a Lanterner swarm by ordering a decoy force of lensmoths to transmit his banner instead raising it from of his ambuscade of eleven fangmoths.
* In remembrance of Kel Sumaarzaav, certain border peoples use tokens scratched with her emblem, The False Arrow, as good-luck charms.
* In their first engagement with the Kel, the Hafn did not know what banners were for and the Kel disastrously took their failure to banner as an insult. General Kel Khiruev considers their emblem bad graphic design.
* Mikodez considers the Kel Command default sword-and-feather emblem boring.
* General Inesser is the only Kel general to have had a cindermoth named after her personal emblem.
* High General Kel Brezan did not take a personal emblem, instead using the Bell and Scroll emblem of the Compact.
* Jedao experienced "emblem envy" upon first seeing General Inesser's Three Kestrels Three Suns.

## References

1. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 2
2. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 6
3. ↑ Hexarchate Stories: The Chameleon's Gloves
4. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 1
5. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 1
6. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 2
7. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 1
8. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 8
9. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter
10. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 7
11. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6
12. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 8
13. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6
14. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 1
15. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 22
16. ↑ Hexarchate Stories: The Chameleon's Gloves
17. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 6
18. ↑ The Battle of Candle Arc
19. ↑ Seven Views of a Kel Secession
20. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6
21. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 27
22. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 12
23. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 12
24. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter