Subsections and other semi-permanent objects

Question

I like how sections work, where you can name the section marker, then use that as a variable throughout the section, and simply change the section, and the Master Pages all fall into place.
I'd like to create SUBsections that do the same thing -- I set them in one place, then change them at a new place, but keep the section marker the same.  I have sections that span, maybe 10 pages, and subsections that span 2-3 pages.  Can sections somehow be nested?
Along those lines I was wondering if there are other semi-permanent objects/variables that I can define.  I'd like to make a cute little section icon that I can use above the page number along the outside edge of the page.  There's the section *prefix* but that's not what I want.  I want to use an *image*, and I want to be able to resize that image in various places.  I'd like to be able to layout that object in the Master Pages and have it fall through without hand pasting it.
Can anyone point me to some places to learn about such objects, if they exist?
(I'm doing a series of manuals and am setting up icons for each manual, each chapter, each section, each subsection (??), plus the page number.  I'm putting these icons along the outside page so the user can easily flip the edge and know where they are in the book.  So you see I can't just make a section prefix and have that come up *next* to the page number.)
I *could* make a new Master Page based on a more general section page, and then make one for every (frikkin) subsection, but that seems to defeat the purpose -- I'll end up with, like 40-50 Master Pages, one for every 2-3 pages!
Thanx in advance!!
Kiki

Answer 1

No to both. You'll have to make the sub-section text manually. And variable can only contain text. You can make different Master Pages for each section with a different graphic in position, though.