Silver Swallow

The Silver Swallow is the emblem of the Sadantes family,who is responsible for the coup which led to increased tensions between Erres and Wyeh and the Unification War.
The original Silver Swallow is a sculpture, about 20cm high. It is made of polished iron, not silver, and its current whereabouts are unknown. While in possession of the head of the Sadantes family during their revolt, it went missing during their retreat, and was either hidden by a family membre or discarded during taking of the Wyental castle. Based on the sculpture, the Sadantes family developed their crest, which became an ubiquitous sign of their short regime. The base Silver Swallow used in heraldry is a simple sign. It depicts a bird silhouette, always silver and facing left, on a blue background. What separates it from most crests is that its details change depending on a historic context and role.
The Sadantes family traces its history to 400 BU, when they first emerged as leaders of a settlement of Silver Swallow, where the sculpture was made. The proto-emblem was created then as well, as they stamped the swallow outline into an off-white wax to seal their messages. As they ascended to fame and nobility, the sigil started to appear on banners and clothes, as a swallow with a sun over it. The sun was exchanged for a dagger around 100 BU, when the family took a more militant approach and wanted to signal power to those who opposed them. After the coup in 23 BU, a crown was put on the swallow's head and the dagger became a scepter, though only the main lineage of the family was allowed to use it. Others substituted the dagger for a star or a diamond shape. The Sadantes attempted to make their swallow a nationwide sigil, as their Peace Halls bore images of swallows with scales, soldiers had tabards with a sword wielding swallow etc.
The sign is now mostly outlawed as a sign of the aggressor that caused the largest war in the living memory. Most monuments bearing the Silver Swallow were torn down. Curiously, a new variation was seen in several letters intercepted lately by the Wyental Peacekeepers. A swallow, facing right, with a crown in its beak, was clearly sketched under encoded messages found in the palace gardens. While of concern, the gossip about a new coup brewing are surely overexaggerated.