I need some help creating a fictional medieval setting

[Inhuman One]

I am busy with preperations for writing a trilogy of books, before I start writing I want to have the lore ready.

The setting is a medieval fantasy world, but far closer to medieval europe than most fantasy settings, absorbing folklore into it.

There are twelve human countries, and they all need heraldry, a name, values, exports, a millitairy, alliances and enemies, history, etc.

Warfare is pretty much as it is like in the medieval period, but styles differ between early and late medieval, gunpowder does not exist in this world however. Knights dominate the battlefield and society.

While Medieval countries did not truly have their own colors and where not very consistent in their heraldry, I do intend to have that in this setting to be better able to tell them apart.

But I want to really give this world a medieval feeling to it, to make it that much more recognizeable than a world like middle earth or forgotten realms.

Can anyone give me a good source of all kinds of medieval heraldry and symbols? I plan to give each country their own symbol, and each province a variation of that symbol.

Sources for armor and weapon designs are also welcome, since I want to give each nation their own style regarding this, making them a bit more unique than most medieval countries where.

[Junius]

http://www.europeanheraldry.org/
http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/symbols.htm

You might find these books useful reading for a good introduction to European Medieval History:

A History of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to Saint Louis by R. C. H. Davis
Pelican History of Medieval Europe by Maurice Keen
The Making of the Middle Ages by R. W. Southern

You should be able to find them in the history section of any good bookshop. Alternately you can always get them from the internet or college library, if you access to one.

[samurai89]

You can search for Heralditry symbols and adjust them to your needs. Or maybe even use Roman standards, they're colourful.

[Ronojoy1917]

I would just suggest not calling them 'nations'. 'Kingdoms' or 'Realms' sounds way more appropriate.

[Inhuman One]

I called them nations because most are kingdoms, but not all of them. There is also an empire for which I am trying to avoid it looking much like the roman empire, byzantine empire and the HRE.

[Ronojoy1917]

Yeah, but nation just feels so modern. Even 'country' is better.

[Ludicus]

I am busy with preperations for writing a trilogy of books, before I start writing I want to have the lore ready.

The setting is a medieval fantasy world, but far closer to medieval europe

I truly reccomend this amazing work.
History Of Private Life Vol. Ii: Revelations Of The Medieval World ...
The book (633 pages) builds a solid knowledge about the private life in the middle ages.
Authors: Phillpe Contamine, Dominique Barthelemy, Phillippe Braustein, Georges Duby, Charles de La Roncière and Danielle Régnier-Bohler.

[Inhuman One]

Heh, I am not much of a book reader myself. It might seem strange that I intend to write three of them myself, but not everyone can afford to tell their story through a movie or a game.