The Heraldic Symbol of the Dunheuvelin Family

“Yes, here it is. A dragon breathing fire on itself. Such a ludicrous emblem, but on this dress it seems almost…” The general clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Romantic? Why, am I standing in the presence of a Dunheuvelin bride?”

— General Mariusz Senyavin in The Sorrow of Souls, Book One: Harbinger

The Seige of Erlenfels and the Creation of the Symbol

The traditional heraldic symbol of the Dunheuvelin family is a black dragon breathing fire on itself. It is thought that the design was gifted to the son of Chasnar Dunheuvelin by the latter's rumoured lover, Vinzent Rhaelen. Chasnar had served his König as Master of the legednary military unit, the König's Dragons; however, he and his dragon, Leyarn, both died at the Seige of Erlenfels. It was said that when the invading Varsii SkinWalkers realised that the city was lost, they attempted to bring down a dragon. Armed with broken arrow heads, they had taken to the sky and attached themselves body of Chasnar's beast, attacking savagely. Eyewitness accounts claim that that when Leyarn was seen flying away from the town, it was assumed that the dragon - weakened and confused from bloodloss - was intending to throw itself into the bay of Kragtigehoek. Instead, the dragon turned its fire on itself, falling to the earth in a terrible ball of flame.

Symbol and Motto in Kredasene History

In honour of their ancestor's death, the Dunheuvelin clan adopted the motto, "Dragon, Wear Your Flames."

The Raskvaerii Invasion of Kredashmi

During the Raskvaerii invasion of Kredashmi in 17 SGC, the symbol of a dragon breathing fire on itself became a popular motify outside the clan's territory of the Vuurfelde (The Firefields). The Kredasene army marching against the invaders carried banners emblazoned with the motif, and it quickly came to represent the Kredasene spirit of defending the freedom of their nation even if it meant sacrificing one's own life.

The Rebellion of Gerard Dunheuvelin

“Don’t bother calling on the dragons in you defence; they can’t hear you. Laisrén was the last dragon to fly these skies, and he died alongside his rider. He died with Otto.”

— Cadfiell Dunheuvelin from The Sorrow of Souls, Book One: Harbinger

In 40 SGC, the Raskvaerii conquerors of Kredashmi faced their most dangerous opposition in the form of a popular uprising headed by Gerard Dunheuvelin. The revolt had various causes, including the political and religious tensions generated by the forced indoctrination of the Kredasene people into the Raskvaerii faith in the Holy Chorus of Saints; high taxes resulting from the ongoing unrest in Lormont; and instability within the local leadership due to the systematic dismantling of Kredashmi's traditional clan heirarchies. The final trigger for the revolt was the unrest in the Vuurfeld caused by the witch trial of healer Beatrijs Roermond.
In the eight years running up to the rebellion, the image of a black dragon took on a new meaning in the Vuurfeld. In 32 SGC, the last Dunheuvelin dragon, Laisrén, was shot down by Raskvaerii harpoons over Lake Irriley. Described in contemporary accounts as having scales the colour of Hohenhoek jet, the adolescent dragon and his rider, Otto Dunheuvelin, were both thought to have perished. When the rebels marched against the forces of General Mariusz Senyavin and König, the Dunheuvelin banners were carried as a symbol of vengeance for Laisrén and his riders.

His cousin had whispered to him the cautionary words of the Dunheuvelin family motto. It had been adopted by their ancestor, Ulrich Dunheuvelin, after his son’s devastating defeat at the Battle of Alahnis. It was a phrase that was haunted by the profound sorrow felt by a father who had watched his entire family destroy itself with rebellion.

— Chazley Dunheuvelin from The Sorrow of Souls, Book One: Harbinger

Dragon, Wear Your Flames.

- Ancient family motto.

Abide in Abedience.

- Modern family motto.

The Dunheuvelin Family Crest by Caitlin Phillips

The Seige of Erlensfels

The Seige of Erlensfels was a battle fought between the Varsii Kingdom of Man and the Kredasene clans, in a dispute over the airspace above the now-defunct Tauren clan's territory of Hohenhoek. According to fragmentary documentation, the Taurens suspected Varsii SkinWalkers of carrying out reconnaissance of their fledgling expeditionary fleet, resulting in Tauren dragons attacking and killing several SkinWalker birds. In response, the Varsii attacked and capture the clan capital of Erlensfels, which temporarily fell to the SkinWalkers. König Vinzent's retaliation was swift and brutal: he sent the König's Dragons to lay seige to the town.
The savage nature of Vinzent's response cannot be fully explained by a concern with the potential loss of the Tauren boats. Instead, historians have looked to surviving documentation from the training of young dragon riders at Draakhohen Castle for insight into the König's actions. Some fifteen years later, Viktorial Tauren was sent to the Vuufeld to begin martial training with her dragon, Chiara. At the time of the Seige of Erlensfels, the Tauren clan was awaiting the hatching of a dragon's egg.

The Aftermath of the Battle of Alahnis

Despite having sided with König Miron against his son's futile rebellion, Earl Ulrich Dunheuvelin was still treated with suspicion by the Raskvaerii elite. The earl chose to abandon the family motto of "Dragon, Wear Your Flames" in favour of a new motto: "Abide in Abedience." Despite this, Dunheuvelin did not abandon the symbol of the dragon.