So, here we are at the last icon!

Feeling that it would be best to end this project on a high note (by which I mean the icon for one of the larger factions), I've been saving this one for months. The Forever Knight Mercenary Guild is not one of the original six; but it was created a war or three later, and has been a popular faction ever since.

I immediately decided that, as with other early factions, the Mercs' icon would need to incorporate a version of the old symbol that was created for them back in the 1990s:



This appears as a header on the Merc Central site; and, as soon as I brought up the question of icon design with their Grand High Pooh-bah (admittedly very much ex post facto), she immediately said she thought it should be included. So it's just as well that I'd already done so!  

The original symbol consists of a pair of crossed swords with elaborate hilts, superimposed on a large metallic dollar sign. In creating a new version, I decided to look for piratical cutlasses, and found a deliciously realistic one (used also in reverse so that the swords could be crossed). However, I decided to superimpose the dollar sign on the crossed swords, rather than the other way round.

When I was hunting for fonts, having got frustrated by the limited selection that had come with my computer, I had spotted one called Sterling Panic. Although, on the whole, it didn't appeal, I immediately realized that if it included a $ (which not all fonts do), then it would probably look very similar to the one in the Mercs' symbol. It did have one; it did look good; and so I downloaded the font. I have literally never used it except for this!

The interior of the $ was cleaned out, and the symbol was then superimposed on a gold background in order to create a suitable metallic impression.

With the symbol recreated, I then looked for other things to add to the icon. The Merc Central site offered a variety of possibilities: credit cards, gold bullion, and cash. However, I decided to go with gemstones. Most of the pictures I found through Google were unusable from my perspective (perspective being one of the principal problems); but I finally collected about a dozen or so in an astonishing range of colours. In the end, though, I decided that less is more, and limited myself to a huge diamond behind the faction symbol, and a big fat pearl plonked dead centre on top of it.

Once the basic design of the icon was done, I added the name of the faction, looked upon my handiwork, and—decided that something was missing.

After all, if the Mercs are associated with anything besides gold, it is chocolate. How could I possibly do a proper Mercenary Guild icon without chocolate?

I googled "chocolate".

Well! Most of the images were of truffles. (Strange but true.) And truffles, let me tell you, do not reduce acceptably to icon size. All you get is a little brown blob. Even truffles with squiggles on top turn into unrecognizable blobs.

I did in the end discover, though, that chocolates in paper cups do reduce to a minute size yet remain recognizable.

So here (blare of trumpets) is the icon for the Forever Knight Mercenary Guild.




For those interested in seeing icon designs at a larger size, here's the 350px version: