The Charging Banner

"The ram charges forward, but at what cost? Beneath its fearless gaze, the horns of unity often gouge those left in the wake of its charge."

Overview:
The Charging Banner of Everwealth is a stark, unapologetic emblem of defiance. Dominated by the woven visage of one of the Everwealthy native Skyhorn Rams, its unyielding eyes and coiled horns stand against the backdrop of a white and orange checkerboard. The banner is said to symbolize the kingdom’s resilience and determination, the ram a metaphor for charging through adversity. But to some, it is an ironic beacon, a desperate face-saving gesture for a fractured nation where exploitation and bitterness often lie beneath the veneer of unity. To the Everwealthy elite, the banner is a proud statement of survival in a land born of ruin and despair. For the common folk, who toil endlessly under the boot of their rulers or claw desperately at a life in the wilderness, it is a haunting reminder of a kingdom that demands everything and gives nothing in return.
Symbolism:
The Ram: Officially, the ram represents leadership, protection, and the indomitable will to persevere. Its horns, intricately depicted in weaved patterns, are said to signify unity among the disparate peoples of Everwealth. Yet, for many, these same horns represent a charge that tramples anything in its path, whether that be the poor, the voiceless, or the dissenters. The ram’s glaring visage reminds all who see it that Everwealth's strength is not built on harmony but on the submission of the weak to the will of the strong. Checkerboard Background: The white and orange squares supposedly symbolize balance: light and dark, hardship and triumph, unity amid chaos. However, the reality is starker. The white represents the purity claimed by those in power, a clean slate gained through carnage; While the orange signifies the fiery sacrifice of the masses, those burned away to keep the kingdom’s gears grinding. The checkerboard’s contrasts mirror the very dichotomy of Everwealth itself: a nation that speaks of unity but thrives on division.
Historical Origins:
The Charging Banner was first raised in the aftermath of the Schism, a time when survival hung by a thread and unity was forced, not freely given. Legend claims the first banner was pieced together from the blood-soaked remnants of a battlefield, the checkerboard a grim patchwork of lives and lands lost. The ram was chosen by the monarchy to portray a kingdom that could weather any storm, but some whispered even then that the symbol was chosen to mask the exploitation necessary to rebuild the fractured nation. The Dwarfish artisans who crafted the banner’s intricate designs did so under duress, their labor a bitter debt repaid for an alliance that had cost them dearly.
Uses and Ceremonies:
The Charging Banner flies proudly above palaces, forts, and markets, a ubiquitous display of power and control. During festivals, it parades through the streets, a spectacle meant to remind the people of their so-called unity. Yet, for many, it is a hollow display, a gaudy relic meant to distract from the everyday injustices and suffering that define life in Everwealth. In times of war, the banner becomes a rallying point, carried into battle by soldiers who are often pressed into service by rulers seeking glory, not peace. Its presence is said to inspire courage, but to the conscripted, it is a grim symbol of their expendability. To fall clutching the banner may be an honor to the ruling class, but to the soldiers, it is just another death in a war not their own.
Cultural Significance:
For Everwealth's rulers, the Charging Banner is a testament to their enduring power, a reminder to their subjects that survival comes only through loyalty and obedience. But for the downtrodden, it is a constant source of bitterness, a flag that claims unity while dividing its people into the powerful and the powerless. Artists and poets often interpret the banner with a biting cynicism. They write of the ram as a blind beast, charging forward without thought, leaving ruin in its wake. The checkerboard becomes a battlefield of light and shadow, its squares too small to capture the complexities of a fractured nation. Even so, the banner persists, its vivid colors and unrelenting gaze a testament to a kingdom both admired and loathed. Whether it represents unity or hypocrisy, strength or tyranny, one thing remains certain: as long as the Charging Banner flies, Everwealth’s contradictions will endure, for better or for worse.