#merlain

It's on sight.

Some very, VERY shitty concept sketches for potential redesigns of the Zott siblings. I kinda sorta based their clothing on that of the Baloch people, and though my logic isn't so solid, I'm gonna lay it out anyways:

Where Tanaka likely got the name Zott from:

Zott (Arabic: زط; singular Zottī) is the Arabic term for gypsies, Romani people, and Dom people. The Zott were musicians who migrated in great numbers from northern India to the Middle East about 1000 years ago.

Wiktionary entry of “زط”:

A tribe of Jat migrants from the Indus Valley (note: modern-day Pakistan and northwest India) who settled in the Middle East in the mid to late 1st millennium AD.

Wiktionary entry of the Jat:

A member of an Indo-European ethnic group of people native to Northern India and Pakistan that have attributes of an ethnic group, tribe and a people.

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A member of an Indo-European people living in the Punjab, northwestern India, and Pakistan.

Why the Baloch?

The Baloch are an Iranian nomadic, pastoral ethnic group [...] and is native to the Balochistan region of South and Western Asia, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

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Balochi(بلۏچی, romanized: Balòci) is an Indo-European language, spoken by the Baloch and belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family.

It's quite a bit of a logic leap, the word Zott likely did NOT refer to the Baloch irl, but this is what I chose, partly also just because the men's headwrap is the closest I could find that matched Merlaine's style that didn't come from the wrong direction (I found Tuareg head-wraps, which looked dope, but they would be from like, the west of Pars, not the east, so they're out)

Am I satisfied w the designs? Nope. But I'm allowing myself to be shitty for now. I think I wanna do a proper character redesign sheet for these two next. So y'all have smth to look forward to in the character redesign sheet saga thing?? Yay??

Mainly tried to give them some protection from the sun, they're said to be from the desert and uhhh I do not want them to get skin cancer from excessive UV exposure so. Sleeves.

Shapur's grief. The way he loves both Isfan and Arslan as his own, but knowing that without the deaths of the boys' respective parents he likely wouldn't have had the chance to claim them as his (especially Arslan), and while he wishes so hard that Aýnabat and Sâyezân could've survived, he knows that if they'd survived he would very likely have a different relationship with Arslan. In his eyes, getting to raise Arslan, getting to call him son, it's all such a privilege and joy but he was granted that privilege because Arslan's parents died. The same goes for Isfan, though it's slightly different. He mostly feels guilty that he didn't get to do enough for Golnar, and recognizes that Golnar should've had the chance to see Isfan grow up. “such terrible, terrible joy” and “how greedy I've become” are things I can imagine him thinking to himself?

No coherent thoughts except Arslan and Merlaine meeting in Wolfsong. A friendship blossoming. Maybe a brief meeting where they cooperated to save some village, then parted ways because Arslan was kinda on a timeline (smth Team Zahhak did to him?) and Hilmes gotta haul his ass to Gorgan so that Arslan won't die? But Merlaine makes his way to Gorgan later anyways bc Irina's looking for Hilmes... but how would that happen is thr wuestion

Still wondering what Nerlaine will feel about all that

Maybe Gieve and a few others set out to try and find Arslan and Ashaya bc Shapur has to leave for Peshawar (he doesn't wanna go!!!) and Isfan has to stay behind and stand in his brother's stead and Farangis is standing in for grandmama clan chief (they're both worried sick!!!) Dunno

Narsus and Elam run into Delshad (formerly a slave of his household) after Narsus leaves court. He goes to pick up stuff from Daylam and say his goodbyes but he can't stay due to fear of incurring Andragroas' wrath. Before he settles anywhere he and Elam wander a nit and run into Delshad. End up going w her. Find out that Shapur's place is running okay without slavery. I think this will restore some hope in him (wheee in canon he seemed so resigned and exhausted that thr country csnnot be changed and had little hope, which was what made him initially reject Arslan). My question is: what will this newfound hope make him do? Bc I feel like he'll wanna do smth. But what?

On the topic of Narsus I think he kinda libes w the clan, acts as a nomad, bc surely nobody will think of a former shahrdaran living w nomads...

Sadiq's revamped background but I don't have the energy to dump it all rn only that he's no longer a noble

Ashaya and Alfarīd cuddling by a campfire bottom text send tweet