by BCGR_Wurth
he banner of the
Cobalt Protectorate is a unifying symbol for the spacefaring nation, representing a number of aspects of
Evermornan history and political ideology in a simple, but bold, manner. While the overall design has changed significantly over the years - from simple geometric shapes on a roundel, to a quasi-heraldic device which still persists in the form of the
Cobalt Knights and
Evermorn Strategic Colony Initiative crests, to the final five-color banner that represents the nation today - the meaning of the colors and shapes themselves have changed little over the millenia since
Wurth Harkin liberated the people from enslavement under the
Chitiquish Consortium.
Colors
Blue: Honor
The color blue - often cobalt blue - represents honor. An ideal Evermornan is true to his word and, as much as possible acts in good faith to ensure the survival and betterment of his fellow sentients. An Evermornan should seek to bring honor to himself by striving for self-improvement, honor his parents by brining respect to the family, honor his nation by being obeying the Code and justly-passed laws, and honor the Ancestors by respecting their legacies and creating one for oneself worthy of respect.
White: Purity/Unity
The color white represents purity. In the Evermornan ethos, this means purity of action, purity of intention, and temperance. An ideal Evermornan is forthright, conscious of his responsibilities, and treats his body - a creation of the venerated Ancestors - with respect. Nevertheless, because some
Periphery nations have complicated histories surrounding the concept of purity, this quality is often rephrased as 'unity' in the company of non-Evermornans. 'Unity' is the term used because, in the Evermornan conception of the cosmos, a violation of purity is when one divorcez oneself from the bonds that bind one to their own principles, their families, their nation, or the legacies of the Ancestors.
Gold: Tradition
Gold represents tradition. The ideal Evermornan pursues continuity with himself, his family, his nation, and the Ancestors by maintaining a connection to the past even while striving for a better tomorrow. The virtues of Evermornan society are said to transcend simple organic realities - even in death, cybernetic immortality, or alteration in state, what makes a person a person worthy of the rights and priveleges of the Code are matters of action and belief.
Shapes
Blue Pinnacle: Home
The blue pinnacle on the banner represents the mountainous homeland of clan Harkin, the home of Wurth Harkin from which he was taken and to which he returned after the rebellion against the Chitiquish. In a more broad sense, the color and shape are meant to evoke the rocky, oceanic terrain of Planet Evermorn, the ancestral home of the Evermornans.
White Chevron: Overcoming Adversity
The white chevron is meant to represent the power to overcome adversity. The Evermornans were toughened by the cold, wet environment of their homeworld, then again when they had to win their freedom through force of arms. The white is meant to evoke a snowbank high up the side of a mountain, representing a boundary which one has to cross to attain 'peak' spiritual development.
Gold Cog: Industry & Growing Knowledge
The gold cog is meant to represent the constant growth, intellectual development, and workmanlike ethos of the Evermornan culture. As a symbol of progress couched in the colors of tradition, the cog represents a balance between the old and new that every Evermornan must walk in a dangerous universe.
White Sunbeam: Hope & Awe
The white sunbeam coming down the center is meant to represent the Evermornan openness to the wonder of the cosmos and hope for the future. As the Evermornan people emerged from opression and ignorance, they found themselves gifted with the power to help raise up the other lost brothers and sisters of humanity. Many of them have taken this to heart, becoming Cobalt Knights to act as explorers, diplomats, and guardians for humanity and their kin writ large.
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