Unto the heralds and populace of the Kingdom of Lochac does Amanda Martel, Crux Australis Principal Herald, send greetings.

I have a little challenge for you all, to while away the long hours of this Winter of our Discontent and Plague. While book heralds have most of their usual range of activities available, considering how much of it is usually done in the privacy of one’s own library, things for voice heralds are a little more restrictive, for obvious reasons. I was expecting to spend today dusting off my tabard and larynx in preparation for Rowany Festival’s many courts and tourneys.

I’ve racked my brains for ways that voice heralds can find some useful and engaging activities that will keep them involved, and I must admit that I’ve come up fairly blank. Luckily, just because I’m notionally In Charge doesn’t mean that I have to be able to solve every problem, and that’s where you come in.

How do you think a voice herald can ply their trade in these days of quarantine and isolation? What is the virtual tourney herald? The virtual Festival announcement round?  I would love to hear your ideas, either on the Blazons mailing list, the Lochac Heraldry Chat Facebook group, or some other way of sending your ideas (no carrier pigeons please).

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I have found myself glancing at a calendar, and noticing that my appointment as Crux Australis was some 17 months ago. With a two year warrant, that means that it’s time to begin the search for my successor.

There will come an official advertisement of the position, posted in the usual channels, but if you’re interested in taking up the reins in a (hopefully) post-Covid world and leading the Lochac College of Heralds into glorious sun-lit fields beyond, know that the opportunity may present itself.

I realise that seven months (six, once the official advertisement is made) may seem a long time for the process, but I’d rather we get everything sorted with extra lead time than at the last minute.

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The following items have been registered in Lochac on the February 2020 Letter of Acceptance and Response:

Catalÿn Gárdonyi. Name.

Edine Godin. Device change. Argent, a seeblatt and on a chief vert three snails contourny argent.

Edine Godin. Blanket permission to conflict with badge. Per saltire azure and argent, four quatrefoils counterchanged.

Edmund Geirmundarson. Name and device. Or, three chevronels between three escutcheons sable.

Eleanor de Foresta. Device. Azure, a bend sinister wavy argent between an estoile and an increscent Or, a bordure argent.

Erlendr Jafnakollr. Name.

Eyia in enska. Name.

Frances Affrica Ray. Name.

Hrafnhildr Jóhansdóttir. Name.

Kaczna of Bohemia. Name and device. Azure, a dog courant between three mullets, a bordure argent.

Kolfinna Ráðúlfsdóttir. Device change. Argent, a bear’s head cabossed vert within a bordure denticulada gules.

Mathild de Lilburne. Name and device. Sable, three lozenges argent.

Politarchopolis, Barony of. Badge for populace. Argent, on a pale endorsed gules a griffin argent.

Rosa Askell. Name.

Sabina della Rosa de Verona. Name.

Shinjo Takame. Name.

Sigmund Gabrielis von Frankenstein. Name.

Uberto Renaldi. Device change. Gules, three church bells argent.

Ysabeau Sanguin. Name and device. Sable, on a chevron argent three gouttes de sang palewise, in base a reremouse argent.

Rocket Herald will send out individual missives to all those with acceptances and returns. Quarrel Herald will update the Lochac Roll of Arms, which will be available at https://roll.lochac.sca.org/index.php?page=Recent when done.

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Yours in service to the Kingdom and Crown of Lochac,

Amanda Martel

Crux Australis Principal Herald