[Artemisia] Cross as site token

[de Clare]

My personal arms have three crosses.  I display banner whenever possible.
My shield bearing my arms accompanies me on or near every field I stand on
in armor... always displayed.  I have been conducting these practices nearly
without fail since less than a year after I started playing.  When I step
down, I shall do the same again.

My point:  NEVER, not even once, has anyone even hinted that my arms
offended them.  They are period. They look the part.  Also, they are by far
the most commonly used devices in the mundane college of heraldry.

I would expect people in this particular game to be offended if the crosses
were displayed in a way that was not consistent with period.  I would be
offended of some other symbol that might be against my personal religious
beliefs were displayed outside of a period context... but NOT because of the
symbol itself.  I have worn symbols as site tokens that had pagan (for
example) and many other roots during my years in this game, but they all
were used in a period context and therefore didn't offend my sensibilities
even considering my beliefs are quite devout.  On the other hand, (for
example) a very nice key chain used as a site token with the logo "GMC
Truck" would offend me to no end even though it is the furthest from having
a religious connotation and just about as inane as you can get.

The bottom line is this:  We are in a game that reenacts the middle ages.
We are also in a game that does not acknowledge ANY religion whatsoever even
though it was tied to nearly any and every act or thought conducted in
period.  Therefore we need to separate the symbols from the meanings and ask
ourselves if what we are seeing is period... not  religious.  It seems that
Calontir has been able to do an admirable job of this.

My opinion. Thank you for reading it and giving what (if any) consideration
you feel it deserves.

Warmest regards to Artemisia,
John Fitzgerald de Clare