Armory Description Search Hints

Here are some hints for using the Armory Description Search Form.

The purpose of the form is to find all registered armory that matches a particular description, such as "FIELD DIV.-BENDY:complex line". It is used, for instance, to view a single category from the on-line SCA Ordinary.

Your search will probably fail if you don't type the description exactly right, so until a friendlier interface is available, you should probably access it only through the on-line SCA Ordinary.

The form has a text entry field and a "submit" button. Type the description you are looking for in the box, then click on the button. The armory description search form is case-sensitive.

A description consists of

• a heading (in all caps), or
• a heading followed by one or more features (in lower-case), all separated by colons.

Here are some typical headings:

• BORDURE
• CHIEF
• STAR (includes mullets and compass stars)
• PPALE (fields divided "per pale")
• PBS (fields divided "per bend sinister")

Here are some typical features:

• 1
• 2 or more
• argent (charges with that coloration; divided fields in which the most honorable part is "argent")
• complex line (ordinaries and field divisions that are engrailed, embattled, etc.)
• multicolor (charges equally divided of several colorations)
• sole primary (the only primary charge in the design)
• uncharged (charges bearing no tertiary charges)

Here are some examples of reasonable armory descriptions:

• BIRD:displayed:sable:1
• BORDURE:plain line:purpure
• PBS:embattled
• WAGON

You can also find examples of valid descriptions by enabling the "Armory descriptions" option on the Blazon Pattern Search Form and doing a search.

Related web pages:

• Armory Desc Search Form
• Index to the SCA Ordinary
• Search Limits
• About SCA Heraldry