I'm not sure what the problem you see is, but MP said there's going to be a mask made to help people visually understand so let's wait for that.
Here's the mask:
http://trilema.com/2013/statements-regarding-the-mmorpg-under-development-i-v/#comment-93959Also, can these areas overlap if the designs work together. For example, if ornaments curve in kind with the tail of a beast, or a beast's paw rests against a protruding ornament on the edge of a shield? Or will these aspects be interchangeable, thus disallowing such schemes?
Overlap is okay, to a reasonable degree, but yes they are interchangeable. So the reasonable degree can't be that "the curve is in kind with the tail of one beast". Has to be more general than that.