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will u talk about narsus's emotional intelligence?

I'll be honest, it's not something I've thought about. I like Narsus just fine but he doesn't really catch my interest in terms of wanting to write meta about him. However, if someone else were to analyse your question I'd definitely enjoy reading it. Maybe someone else reading this post will have something to say. Do you have some thoughts of your own about it, Anon?

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #narsus

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That song you reblogged, the lyrics made me go 👀👀👀👀👀

It will not surprise you to know that I immediately slapped it on the Gurgin playlist.

#full lyrics are somewhere in the Youtube comments too

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(Also on Youtube for those without Spotify access)

When they called me broken, I knew

When they called me evil, I knew

When they called me ruin, I knew

I would always find my way to you

#losing my mind over this on repeat as I walked to work last week

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Sacrifice Gurgin being a sopping wet cat blorbo lmaoooooo

It just hits exactly the right spot at the start of this AU! (I was going to say that he doesn't actually get wet in this one but then I realise that 1. wet Gurgin is a vibe, it doesn't have to be literal and 2. he kind of does, even if it only happens in a nightmare of Zandeh's where he drowns him, oops. Also being soaked in his own blood rather than water is probably valid too.)

#sacrifice au #gurgin #pathetic wet beast who did everything wrong

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is THIS your man? [shows an image of a malnourished injured exhausted man with big sad eyes looking up at the camera with blood smeared all over his face and mouth. and he is visibly trembling]

#oh noooo #it's Sacrifice AU Gurgin

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Kazai is finally done! This was a fun one to work on, especially with the pose and the flowy clothes. They're based on the first design on his design sheet but uh, I modified it a bit to be more flowy and I forgot to add the embroidery detailing only to realize the fact after I finished everything else. Oops? So I tried to compensate via giving him a neat earring. Oops?

His entry in the Trilogy™ I'm planning (Kashi, Kazai, Ayunnen) is supposed to contrast against his sister's in that she's dark and settled and solid while he's a flowy free whirlwind in motion— while still bearing some resemblance with her (familial resemblance because they're siblings, they wear their boots in a similar way).

Okay so, I planned this, right? I drew Kashi facing left because whenever I tried drawing her from that side it tended to look really bad and I was determined to make at least one attempt turn out nice, trying to draw her from her “bad” angle. And I did! And I'm super proud of that. But I planned, to have the black-haired siblings facing away from each other, flanking Ayunnen who is facing the screen. And since I drew Kashi facing left, it's only natural to draw Kazai facing right.

The problem.

The problem is that.

Kazai's very recognizable tattoos that I specifically placed to make him look feral, they're on the side of his face that'd be obscured.

Ah, yes, the consequences of my own stubborn hubris.

Also the braid killed me.

Anyways enjoy this one, and please look forward to the upcoming Ayunnen!

Bonus closeup:

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #kazai (oc) #beautiful work! #love the face closeup #he looks so alive #and this is such a wonderful dynamic pose for him #his movement looks so fluid

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Siblings, now with a completed Kazai!

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #kashi (oc) #kazai (oc) #this is such a lovely side by side! #i like the contrast between Kashi's steel grey #and Kazai's warm ochre #the variation in tones for their hair colour too! #you can definitely tell they're related though

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This post is hilarious to me because I 100% started watching Arslan Senki for Daryun's arms.

Hear me out: The way Daryun locked Bahadur's arm during the fight

Did you saw those veins.....pumping👀

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #daryun #came for the biceps #stayed for basically everything else

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Ayunnen is finally done! He was probably the easiest one to work on among the three, with Kazai being the hardest purely because of the braid and fabric.

I know I created you that way, but goddamn it Kazai.

I'm going to put the three together for the finale. Shouldn't take too long, if I'm lucky.

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #ayunnen (oc) #that damn necklace giving me sad feels... #i love his expression here #i feel it captures a lot of his nature

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The trio put together! I'm not stoked with how the background turned out— FireAlpaca starts acting weird and laggy whenever I use a brush size larger than 100— and blending and blurring these three backgrounds together took a brush size around 300 to see any significant effect sooooo. Yeah.

They're three of the so far six OCs introduced in my fic Winds of Wolfsong (soon to be seven to be eight to be— damn why does the cast keep expanding?!) (oh wait I know why, because Tanaka didn't provide me with enough characters from certain social classes to fill the gaps for the kind of story I want to tell, which isn't necessarily his fault, he wanted to tell a war epic, I wanted to tell a character and emotion driven story with themes of cooperation coexistence and community, how creation is sacred and way harder than destruction, which necessitates the appreciation of those outside of the nobility and warrior classes to shine light on the crafters and the servants, also magic plays a much bigger role both in the present and in the defeat of Zahhak which led me to fill in the gaps with even MORE OCs... damn), these three in particular debuted in the first chapter. From left to right are: Kashi (AU!Arslan's biological mother), Ayunnen (AU!Arslan's biological father, married to Kashi), and Kazai (Kashi's younger brother, AU!Arslan's biological uncle who makes a return in chapter 2).

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #kashi (oc) #ayunnen (oc) #kazai (oc) #so good to see the three together! #OCs really feel vital to the story you're crafting #and i appreciate how much work has gone into them #their place in the story is just as solid as that of the canon characters we already know and that's impressive work #now let me go reblog the individual pieces i missed

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Finally read both parts of 127 which means I can read your recap/reaction post, which is always my favorite post-new chapter activity 🩵 ⚔️

You're too kind (and it's funny because I saw you'd posted your thoughts and was going to tell you I'd really missed your analysis!). Hoping that all future chapters find their way online swiftly, because waiting to find out what happens next will undoubtedly be hard.

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Some top notch analysis here! Alfarid making the call about leaving the dead unburied stood out to me and you've articulated exactly why that was such a great moment.

The parallels between the historical, mythologised tale of Kaykhusraw and Arslan in the present who is in the process of forming a legend of his own. (And I love that we get indicators that the events we're witnessing will one day be held on the same level as the deeds of Kaykhusraw... remembering the inclusion of carvings that appear to depict events such as the harnak!)

Funnily enough, though Arslan clearly has a lot in common with Kaykhusraw (and let me add one more to your list — neither of them has the blood of the previous royal line!) it's mentioned later in the novels, after it's been publically announced that Arslan is not of royal blood, that a rumour develops that Arslan is a descendant of Jamshid. Parsian parents apparently wish for their children to grow up to be 'as brave as Kaykhusraw and as wise as Jamshid.' Perhaps Arslan has both of those qualities in him.

Man I can't believe when I first got into Arslan Senki I was so convinced that Arslan = Jamshid and Hilmes = Kaykhusraw. Obviously, that's not the route the story took. And while there are clear parallels between Arslan and Kaykhusraw, I actually wrote a post a while back about how Hilmes is the inverse of Kaykhusraw.

Hilmes at the moment has no idea what's coming for him.

Arslan Senki 127

This chapter opens with the titular Legend of the Snake King. I was struck by the many parallels between Arslan and Kaykhusraw illuminated by this tale:

Kaykhusraw’s mission is to overturn Zahhak, an evil that terrorizes his people; Arslan’s mission is to dismantle slavery, an evil that terrorizes his people. They both move toward their goal with small numbers of supporters.

Kaykhusraw first allies himself with Zahhak’s cook — like Arslan, he sees the value of individuals outside of the nobility and military.

Early in his mission, Kaykhusraw faces the reality that he cannot save everyone and settles for saving one person from every pair to be slaughtered for Shoulder Snakes™️. Arslan routinely balks at “settling,” and with the assistance of his allies can generally — but not always — avoid it.

Kaykhusraw’s small army is comprised of 365 “stout youth” who were saved by his partnership with the cook. Arslan quite similarly collects allies by offering grace and mercy.

These points emphasize the most important parallel: Kaykhusraw was the “Hero King” who gained his throne by overturning an unfair and oppressive power — not through the usual succession. Arslan is on the path to do the same. Despite not sharing blood with Kaykhusraw, his mission makes him the true successor to the Hero King.

Alfarid was great in this chapter. I absolutely love who she’s become in Arakawa’s hands. Giggly and love struck? Yes. A skilled leader and warrior who prioritizes practical, immediate needs? Also yes. We see that after Zahhak’s retreat in 127 part 2:

The Zot clan have enormous respect for all dead, not just their own — remember that they will not rob the bodies of the dead, nor the sick and dying. To leave a comrade unburied weighs heavily on them all but imagine how difficult it is for the leader of the Zot to leave members of her clan, her family, unburied and without their final rites.

In many ways, this call is one only Alfarid has the authority to make, and she does so in a frank (but not disrespectful) way. As Arslan has grown in his skills and confidence, his need for advice has diminished. We’ve seen Narsus refuse to make recommendations, leaving the choice to Arslan. Alfarid is effectively Shāh of the Zot, a clan that does not recognize Parsian authority. In this moment she speaks to Arslan as his equal, and thus gives the group the time they need to create as much distance as possible between them and their slithery opponent with regenerative powers and acidic blood.

Alfarid also gives Etoile a fresh horse from one of the fallen Zot members. It’s another sign of Alfarid’s authority and also a lovely indicator that Alfarid sees her as a core part of the group.

They all survived this time… I wonder what the outcome of the final battle against Zahhak will be.

In the novels, the final battle against Zahhak takes place after Arslan’s ascension to the throne. I’ve wondered how Arakawa planned to either condense the time between these events or unify them (and I leaned towards unification, because it’s way more dramatic). The Shoulder Snakes™️ slithering towards Ecbatana with Kaykhusraw’s disintegrating body between them hints at one option — and it involves a new host.

I think Hilmes is about to find out how Zahhak’s devotees plan to put him on the throne.

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #arslan senki novel spoilers #arslan #kaykhusraw #alfarid #zahhak #team zahhak #hilmes #jamshid

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Actually, what's even going to happen to Don Ricardo in Arakawa's manga? Will he return to Lusitania with Estelle? That's going to be my current guess, anyway.

#arslan senki #heroic legend of arslan #don ricardo #estelle #i can't see him becoming part of Team Arslan tbh

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#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #don ricardo #rukhnabad #shades forged from a shard of the sun #Don Ricardo: 'these feel like cheap plastic'

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Poor Don Ricardo had it a little better in the novels. He ended up staying in a village 10 farsangs from Mount Damavand, where the villagers give him a little house of his own on account of the manual labour he does for their benefit. He'd definitely have had the chance to bathe there! Still needs therapy for his snake phobia, though.

Maybe soon you'll get an upgrade from being Don Ricardo's emotional support sword.

I sure hope so — he needs a bath.

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #don ricardo #rukhnabad #i guess Don Ricardo won't get that 'White Ghost'/'Parahuda' nickname in the manga #there's no real sign that his hair even changed colour #though... maybe the Zot could have nicknamed him?

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Let's Welcome the Newest Chapter!

Oh my god. It is done. The second chapter of my Firelight AU is finnished! This time, Lord Hial graces the cover for the chapter.

I hope you gusy will enjoy this!

Art without text under keep reading:

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #maaren au #hial (oc) #that's quite the scar going into his hairline! #i'm curious to meet him #i'll make time to read the new chapter very soon!

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Oh, thank you very much for your answer! And you gave the example of Arslan himself. This term has so many meanings that it can get confusing.

You're welcome! I can only give my impression but hopefully it helped a little. I think the use of an expression like that can differ a little depending on the exact context and character it's used for so a firm definition is hard, it's more of a feeling. Like, if you were in a room with a character like that, you'd be aware of their presence.

#definitely specifically OVA!Arslan #Arakawa's Arslan doesn't have the same vibe