Minor geometric charges (subordinaries) are those which (except for the border) do not reach the edge of the shield; if used with an ordinary, the subordinary is placed on top. The names of these generally remain the same as in traditional heraldry, as most have no reasonable English equivalent. These are the inescutcheon, orle, lozenge, fusil, and border (formerly bordure). Two new ones are the hex and pentagon, while the circle (once called a roundel, bezant, plate, torteau, hurt, etc., depending on its color) is simply called a circle with the correct color named.
The same principle applies to other charges, such as animals and people. "Affronte" becomes "looking outward", "regardant" becomes "looking backward", and "rampant", which is easily understandable, remains the same. Charges are not restricted to the medieval ones, though many of those are used. Modern charges include things like planets, computers, stylized atoms, and spacecraft--although some of those, particularly military models, can be confused with simple circles.
Ruling nobles' arms, and those of most lower jurisdictions, do not indicate rank or anything other than perhaps the bearer's reason for being awarded them; Rangers', Life Nobles', and knights' arms, however, clearly indicate their rank. Rangers' arms, since 2243, have been ones used by previous Rangers; they are distinguished by a green canton with a platinum Ranger's star. Life Nobles' arms are bordered in the metal or color of the noble's level (platinum for dukes, gold for earls, orange for counts, red for barons) and have a black canton with the Imperial Arms. Knights' arms are distinguished by a platinum and green border, one tincture inside the other. If the field is a color, the platinum is inside; if a metal, the green.
Use of Imperial arms is restricted, for ruling nobles, to the noble, @'s spouse, and @'s heir. This eliminates the need for an elaborate system of cadency, though to prevent confusion, the spouse's and heir's arms are differenced. The differences are a label with two points for the spouse, a label with three points for the heir. Should the ruler retire, both @ and @'s spouse add a true-lover's knot (as the spouse also does if @ survives the ruler) to indicate dower status.
For Life Nobles and knights, only the person originally granted the arms bears them undifferenced. A's spouse adds a label with three points; the oldest child does the same, with @'s label having a star on each point, and the arms are passed down to each oldest child in this form.
Marshalling (combining two or more coats of arms to create a new one) exists, but is limited to marriage between two people entitled to arms, and only for the length of that marriage. If both spouses are the same rank, the arms are impaled, with the original bearer's arms on the right. If one spouse dies, the other may, but need not, ask the Chief Herald for permission to continue using the marshalled arms. The original coats go to the eldest child of each sex. If the spouses are of different ranks, the impalement has the senior's arms on the right, and the eldest child assumes those arms while the next eldest assumes those of the lower-ranking parent.
HERALDRY, SANDEMAN: Since Annexation, Subsector arms are granted by Ruling Earl Klaes, and described in English like Imperial arms. However, as is standard whenever possible with any already-established custom, the Earl follows the Shaper-established system of granting arms, in three forms, to clans rather than to individuals. The warrior caste bears them color-on-metal, with the clan-chief (always a warrior) adding a chief of the main color. The non-warrior caste (Others) bear the arms metal-on-color. To take the Clan Leras arms as an example:
Warriors: On a gold field, a chevron between three stars, all red. (Stars, unless described further, are the standard five-pointed version Old French refers to as mullets, but without the center holes those sometimes have.)
Clan-chief: On a gold field, a chevron between three stars and a chief, all red.
Others: On a red field, a chevron between three stars, all gold.