Winds Of Wolfsong - Tumblr Posts
And here it is, fellas! The Wolfpack AU playlist:
It's got 54 songs so far, I tried to order them in a particular way to correspond to story beats and such but... things spiraled out of control, I don't think the way the songs are arranged can be attributed to anything anymore. It didn't help that YouTube randomly shuffled the playlist without my permission and removed some of the songs???? What the fuck. I had to rearrange the playlist, hunt down songs all over again, it was a mess.
I... tried, to use videos that have lyrics either as captions, in the video itself, in the description, or sometimes in the comments, but it wasn't feasible with some of the songs, especially when I'm using covers. I didn't want to give y'all extra work looking up lyrics, but I do have some irritation with how some of these are translated. But oh well, I'll just have to deal with it.
Anyways, this is the first ever AU playlist (or the first playlist period) I've made in my entire life, I hope y'all enjoy.
Aaaaand here it is, fellas! Finally! Gieve's character design sheet!
This took quite a while as I immediately tried to jump in after uploading Farangis' sheet— I was caught up in that high of creation that I forgot. I legit forgot. That I was a human being with a very limited amount of energy to spare.
So I crashed. For a long time. So long that I forgot some of the ideas I initially had for his designs, and my creative process working on this again could be summarized as Mayhem™.
For the first design, let's start with junipers, shall we?
Junipers can represent hope, faith, healing, regeneration, cleansing, and protection.
“Juniper berries are believed to be a staple during winters. This is especially true for birds and mammals that feed on juniper berries during tough winter months. This has led people to associate juniper berries with hope, comparable to someone clinging to hope during the darkest of winters.”
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“Since junipers can easily grow in places where other plants can’t survive, it also symbolizes a sense of healing. It was also used to protect people from plagues and negative energies during ancient times, making it a perfect reflection of its healing qualities.”
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“Junipers are also recognized as symbols of purification and protection. Juniper berries are used in cleansing rituals that are meant to protect people from evil forces. They have been traditionally used in ancient medicine to ward off infections and in ceremonies that involve putting someone under another’s protection.”
The way I interpret Gieve, and this is definitely canon to Wolfpack, is that for all his cynic exterior he does want to believe there's good in the world, something worth fighting for, something worth believing in. He's quite the secret romantic, if I say so myself, and I don't use the word romantic to refer to his flirtiness, lol. I think something that symbolizes hope would be quite fitting for that.
Also, do keep an eye on the “protecting from evil” aspect. It'll tie in with another plant I'm planning to include.
Aside from the symbolism above though:
“Junipers are tough yet flexible, making them a perfect material for bows and arrows. Native American tribes in the Great Basic region used their wood to create bows and arrows for hunting. In addition, they have been used in Gaelic Polytheist rites, where people blessed households and protected their people by burning juniper and using its smoke to perform customary rites.”
He's a very good archer, among the best in Pars, and isn't it just perfect for him to be associated with something that's used to make bows and arrows?
And what's that dangling from his ear? Oh, a squirrel tail! He doesn't have a squirrel familiar, no, but maybe his housecat brought a dead squirrel to him one day and he just went, “ah, might as well” 😂
It's a reference to how he wore some animal's paw as an earring? We literally don't know what animal it's from or anything, and at first I tried doing the same, only to find that... It just wasn't working in my eyes. So I replaced it with a fuzzy squirrel tail fur... thing.
Oh well.
But wait! I do actually have reasons for choosing squirrels in particular!
Squirrels can represent resourcefulness, adaptability, and playfulness. Gieve is very good at using what he has available to him, turning his environment to his advantage in sticky situations, is pretty casual and likes to fool around and live in the present. He's someone you can stick pretty much anywhere and he'd adapt pretty damn fast.
“In its joyful leaps and bounds, the squirrel becomes a symbol of embracing the present moment and finding delight in life's spontaneous expressions.”
That just sounds a lot like Gieve, doesn't it?
“One of their most notable traits is their agility and acrobatic skills, as they effortlessly leap from tree to tree and navigate through branches with precision.”
Gieve is one of the most acrobatic characters in this whole manga, lol. Along with Farangis and Jaswant (and kinda Alfarīd).
“Their keen sense of observation helps them detect potential dangers and quickly respond to any threats. Their playful nature and curious spirit make them endearing and captivating creatures, symbolizing adaptability, quick thinking, and an unwavering pursuit of survival and success.”
Living as a travelling musician must've honed his survival instincts quite a lot methinks.
“Within the realm of symbolism, squirrels are commonly associated with attributes such as joy, light-heartedness, and detachment.”
He's... he cares, he does, but even in canon he never had a sense of attachment or obligation to the ruling class and the royal line, he cares about who he cares about, social norms be damned. He's one of those people who wholeheartedly care about a very limited pool of people in my opinion, and his nomadic lifestyle in canon (and his disillusionment with the world) would've meant there's some measure of lackadaisical detachment from the rest of the world.
In Wolfpack as well, while his earnest side comes out a lot more, he still steers pretty clear from the rest of Parsian society outside of Gorgan's bounds— he doesn't care about the larger politics, he doesn't care about what the royal family or whatever is doing, he's just chilling in his own corner. So I think this is quite fitting!
The little charm on his bracelet is supposed to be, uh, a cat, but I don't know how visible it is anymore. I'm afraid I shrank it too small. I'll deal with what the cat represents once I get to his ceremonial attire (the third one). You'll see.
Looking at the way he wears his clothes, it's quite loose and casual and I think embodies air/wind quite well, which is something I associate with him for lightness, freedom, that sort of stuff. The little details on his shirt could be wind or water, because both of them are “shapeless” elements unlike say, rigid earth.
Moving on from that, here we arrive at the second outfit! It's warmer, a little more elaborate than the first, but nothing too crazy.
I gave him soft spring colours— spring just feels right for him— colours that perhaps bring out his softer core. Although there aren't many actual flowers I tried to invoke the feeling of a meadow full of blossoms with these colours.
The arrow-tail designs on his clothes are taken from his canonical crest, and they're the same ones on Areyan's second design!
The tiny little flowers in-between are plum blossoms (or what I hope come across as plum blossoms, Buddha knows I'm not very great with plants—) for a number of reasons:
“In Chinese philosophy, the Plum tree’s blossom is a symbol of winter ending and a herald of spring. The tree’s pale pink blossoms are cherished because they bloom vibrantly and so bravely amidst the winter chill. They symbolise perseverance and hope, as well as, beauty thriving in adverse circumstances.”
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“Japanese tradition holds that the Plum (or ‘ume’) is celebrated as a protective charm against evil, so the ume is traditionally planted in the northeast of the garden, the direction from which evil is believed to come.”
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“Plums grow in tough environments and that is why they can be viewed as a symbol of hope. Despite facing many hardships, the fruit still manages to survive.”
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“You see plums growing in a range of environments. They are seen growing in city backyards as well as high, frosty mountains.”
The end of winter and the arrival of spring sounds quite hopeful, doesn't it? And beauty in adversity paints quite the romantic picture.
Recall the “protection against evil” thing juniper had going on, turns out plums also have that! It is fitting, in a way, since he (and his family) are opposed against Zahhak and his sorcerers, who are undoubtedly evil.
I do find it quite funny how it says “evil comes from northeast” considering Gorgan's location (northeastern corner of Pars) and how I placed the clan's old, old, old, mythical homeland in the faaaar northeast. Oops?
Perseverance in this instance, in my opinion, can also tie into adaptability!
This is also why, despite not having the actual flowers in the design, his first outfit is kinda meant to invoke the feeling of plums anyways through its color. There's a lot of purple-red going on, after all! And those are the colours I primarily associate him with.
I also, of course, gave him his signature arm-bandages in this one. How could I not?
Also, fun fact, I based his clothes slightly on the clothes of the Saka people, it's not an exact thing but:
You see it too, right? The bands on the upper arm portion of the sleeve, the cut of the garment...
I refrained from giving him a cap, though.
Why the Saka, though? Well, there's this theory/speculation we had about his origins since we know next to nothing about in canon, and I decided to take that and run with it.
And quite coincidentally, it kinda ended up resembling the Marda clan's attire anyways! Like Areyan's second design again, and also two of Kazai's.
And now we move onto his third and ceremonial garb, and I'm quite pleased with the outcome. To get right to it, his earring has an oleander flower and... a feline... thing.
Okay, hear me out.
The feline thing? Based off of this thing:
An actual archaeological find of the Saka people! They labeled it feline, so I thought, why the hell not? (Though in my opinion it looks like a weasel—)
What is that, though? Truth be told, I don't know, all I know for sure is that it wasn't an earring, lol 😂
Oh, and I did say I would get into the cat thing. Cats can represent grace, intelligence, cunning, and independence.
“The cat is a fascinating animal that cultures around the world have long revered. They are agile and nimble, able to move with silence and stealth. At the same time, they are also fiercely independent, choosing to live on their own terms.”
That's quite Gieve, isn't it? In the earlier versions of the AU when it was still in a cradle, I contemplated giving Gieve crow/raven familiars and Farangis a cat, but ended up reversing them in the end and let me tell ya, I'm really glad I made the switch.
As for the oleanders:
“Oleander symbolizes desire and destiny, but it can also mean caution. It is also associated with romance, charm and everlasting love.”
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“A beautiful Greek maiden was wooed by Leander who swam the Hellespont every night to see his beloved. One night he was drowned in a Tempest. Wild waves dashed his body against sharp rocks and left him lifeless on the white sands. Here his lover found him as she walked the shores calling "Oh Leander, Oh Leander." The beautiful flower was clutched in his hand. She removed it and kept it has a symbol of their love. Magically it continued to grow and from this symbol of everlasting love came the beautiful and abundant oleander.”
The tale doesn't have much to do with Gieve, I'll admit, but the vibes of such a beautifully tragic tale may very well be something he sings about. He's a bard, after all, and quite the romantic one.
“Oleanders may symbolize caution, potential threat, or risk. They can also be used to symbolize attraction, passion, love, but may also signify death. They can also represent elegance, beauty, cleansing, and healing powers, as well as inner strength, bravery, and resilience support.”
Despite his casual and loose demeanor, Gieve is a cautious person in my opinion. He doesn't trust easily.
The colors on his necklace represent the aurora borealis that was said to have been visible from the clan's ancient mythical homeland, though of course they haven't been there in several millennia at this point. The necklace reflects Kazai's, signifying their close relationship as mentor-protege and even almost parental, despite there only being nine years between them. In any case, though, they share a deep familial bond as Kazai stepped up to care for him after Kashi and Ayunnen died.
The little plant in the pendant also mirrors the pine tree symbol in Areyan and Kazai's! It's not quite the same but it echoes it.
And now the tassels! Boy did I overthink the colours on that one. So each tassel represents someone he holds dear. From left to right it goes: Kazai, Farangis, Areyan, Isfan, and Shapur.
The way he wears his clothes in all three of these designs reflects his nature!
Oh, wait, we're not done yet.
It's time for the scarf!!
Would it be Gieve without his scarf? I omitted them in the main sheet because I'd spent a lot of time and effort on the embroidery details on the neckline area, and I really wanted to show them off. The embellishments on this scarf does not match his canon one, I'm aware, but I was too tired to hunt down a decent reference image from the manga and I thought this was a golden opportunity to cram in even more symbolism.
What? It's me you're dealing with. You'll always get more symbolism.
“A dragonfly is a symbol of change, transformation and self-realization. It teaches us to love life, to rejoice and have faith even amidst difficulties.”
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“A dragonfly symbolizes love, growth, new development and adaptability. Though they are small, they emerge as messengers of rebirth and renewal—bridging the gap between earthly and spiritual realms.”
Not much but see my post about the magic system I made for Wolfpack— where music is thought to be the bridge between worlds, the language of all languages.
“Dragonflies have long been associated with new beginnings (rebirth and transformation). During their life span, dragonflies grow in the water before taking to air and flying. Dragonflies undergo a metamorphosis and transformation within themselves. From being unseen to spreading their wings above ground and showcasing their beauty, dragonflies symbolize new beginnings on the horizon.”
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“Dragonflies only fly around in their crazy manner for a short period of their lives. But they certainly make their presence known with the way they joyfully dart and seemingly dance around. Dragonflies symbolize joy and happiness. They serve as a testament to the importance of living in the moment and enjoying each day as it comes.”
So that's pretty much it! Gieve's design sheet! Chaotic and hectic though it was, I immensely enjoyed making this one as well.
I'm not gonna start another one for a long time, though. I've learnt my lesson.
And here it is, fellas! The Wolfpack AU playlist:
It's got 54 songs so far, I tried to order them in a particular way to correspond to story beats and such but... things spiraled out of control, I don't think the way the songs are arranged can be attributed to anything anymore. It didn't help that YouTube randomly shuffled the playlist without my permission and removed some of the songs???? What the fuck. I had to rearrange the playlist, hunt down songs all over again, it was a mess.
I... tried, to use videos that have lyrics either as captions, in the video itself, in the description, or sometimes in the comments, but it wasn't feasible with some of the songs, especially when I'm using covers. I didn't want to give y'all extra work looking up lyrics, but I do have some irritation with how some of these are translated. But oh well, I'll just have to deal with it.
Anyways, this is the first ever AU playlist (or the first playlist period) I've made in my entire life, I hope y'all enjoy.
Chapters: 2/?
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Fandom:
Arslan Senki | Heroic Legend of Arslan
Relationships:
Shapur (Heroic Legend of Arslan)/Original Character(s), Esfan & Shapur (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Arslan & Shapur (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Esfan (Heroic Legend of Arslan) & Original Character(s), Arslan (Heroic Legend of Arslan) & Original Character(s), Shapur & Gieve (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Gieve (Heroic Legend of Arslan) & Original Character(s), Gieve & Arslan (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Esfan & Arslan (Heroic Legend of Arslan), More tags to be added - Relationship
Characters:
Shapur (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Esfan (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Arslan (Heroic Legend of Arslan), Original Characters, Gieve (Heroic Legend of Arslan), more tags to be added - Character
Additional Tags:
Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Worldbuilding, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, non-canonical parentage for Arslan, Shapur raises Arslan, Protective Esfan, Shapur is a good parent, eventual redemption for Hilmes
Summary:
“When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” When Shapur rides up the mountains on a wintry day to rescue his little brother, he meets someone he was not expecting to— And it changes the trajectory of his fate. Shapur, a young lord still green to the world, raises two boys as his own.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAND IT IS UP, FELLAS! HOO! Sure took an ordeal and a half to upload.
Some rough sketches of Ranna! I decided they should have a tiny braid + some tattoos XD
Flat colors for Kashi!
The children echoing Kashi in their design, even if just faintly
Progress on the Kashi WIP! I'm quite very happy with how it's turning out :D
Some close-ups of the parts I'm really proud of!
Even more progress on Kashi! I'm quite happy with how she's turning out.
Some close-ups for details:
Winds of Wolfsong chapter 2 is now up on AO3!
The pinned post is now edited to reflect the chapter count.
Her hair looks so soft and silky. The shading is so on point. I really love her.
Finally she is done!!! Kashi!!
Thinking about the Turanian invasion (the one in the canon era, not the one that's looming over the horizon in the fic rn) and Kishward (and Bahman?) imploring lords around the country to omg go and help Team Gorgan PLEASE and thinking about who'd show up... I think Lushan would. He just has that air about him— I wonder if Tus and Zaravant would, and if so, what would prompt them...
Meanwhile Gorgan is chaos.
(also thinking a lot about Ranna and Alfarīd, help me)
Ooh, some logistics at play here! Since this is AU based I'm not sure how much advance warning they have of the Turanian army's approach but from the sounds of it in this scenario the border has already been breeched and Team Gorgan are attempting to hold them up which... I don't envy them the task but it sure sounds like it'll be exciting to read about.
I don't know what Bahman's mental state is like here but if he's troubled by anything like he is in canon then I imagine Kishward may take the lead... However, Bahman still has some steel in him and it's not unbelievable to think that Gorgan's need for reinforcements would galvanise him into action (though perhaps he's more likely to eventually surprise everyone by stepping forward to lead troops to bolster the defences himself rather than taking the lead with initially reaching out to various lords etc, which is a task I imagine would fall to Kishward while Bahman is still beset by apathy and other worries).
I assume they're sending messages to ask for reinforcements? That makes it even harder to apply pressure on reluctant lords, so they're probably aware of who they can likely count on and who they can't (Andragoras may have been able to essentially strong-arm the shahrdaran but many of them, like Hodir, would be content to sit and wait and see how things play out in his absence, especially if their own territory is not under threat.)
It's a tricky one because it's Prince Arslan's presence and proclamations that draw the various lords and their troops to Peshawar. It's hard to say exactly how many would come otherwise. I feel as though Zaravant would, he evidently feels a sense of duty towards his country and would put himself forward to represent Oxus as he does in canon. The fact that the Marzbans in Peshawar are trying to organise further defense of the border and Pars's lands would likely be enough for him. That might be a nice surprise for Kishward and Bahman who may have assumed nobody from Oxus would come. Tus would go too, probably. He has a garrison of men who would be of great help.
Lushan likewise would help if he could, even if he's not shown leading troops on the battlefield himself he's still had a military education and would presumably have troops available to him. One thing to consider though is where everyone is coming from and how much time they have (as in, how fast do they need to get to Peshawar and then on to Gorgan in order to be of real help?). This is a large invasion and the Turanians probably have very good troop mobility, I don't know how long Gorgan could hold them before they break through or bypass their defences and beseige Peshawar itself instead. Some characters might have some debate about whether it's worth leaving their lands or whether it would be better to sit tight and wait, especially as Andragoras's fate is unknown. There's likely no precedent for what to do when the Shah is missing.
I don't know how helpful these ramblings will be since a lot depends on the specifics of your AU! Happy to talk about it more (though I won't be online again now until later or maybe tomorrow).
Previews of the new WIP I'm undertaking!
Areyan is finally finished! This was a Journey™ for me. This is depicting a design (the second one, to be precise) from the design sheet I made for him! I went very in-depth about all the symbolism there, so if you wanna go check that out, it's under the #the character design sheet saga tag. I did add a few things but with the bag it's just that I saw a pretty design and I wanted to copy that.
His crutches, however, are made of white beech wood! So what I had in my notes about beech was that it symbolizes protecting and nurturing, old writings and knowledge, rediscovering old wisdom, wishes, understanding, sustenance, and letting go of fixed ideas. And I thought that was interesting because in the Wolfpack AU he (Areyan is Arslan in case you're new to my blog) and Hilmes actually end up on the same side and he's a positive influence on Hilmes kinda like an advisor and guiding light and it's Hilmes who needs to let go of fixed ideas and the one who rediscovered the forgotten histories of Kaykhusraw's time and the clan, especially Areyan, is the key that provides that change in him. Their existence, his entire existence, is like a middle finger to the very rigid and fixed societal notions that shackled Pars for so long.
I kinda wanna attempt a simple background for this piece at a later date but for now my shoulders are stiff, my spine is screaming, I need to go lie down for the rest of the day 🥲
So in chapter 2 of my fic Winds of Wolfsong I was originally going to go much more in-depth with Nowruz, the new-year celebration, what with food and all, I even collected notes.
However, I did not actually end up including a lot of the stuff in the chapter itself, most of it didn't even end up being written into the first draft. I was gonna figure out the incorporation of symbolism as I wrote, which didn't end up happening, whoops.
But I gathered notes, they'll probably come into use in the future and hey, y'all might be interested and find some use out of those too.
Sizdah Bedar (Persian: سیزدهبدر – sīzdah bedar), (lit. 'Thirteen outdoor') also known as Nature's Day (روز طبیعت – rūz-e tabī'at), is an Iranian festival held annually on the thirteenth day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian calendar (and the first month of spring, during which people spend time picnicking outdoors. It marks the end of the Nowruz holidays in Iran.
This actually made it into the fic, what with the little family going out for a picnic in the morning, though they did the actually get to have the picnic due to... stuff happening. Isfan says:
Today is the thirteenth of the new year, the last of Nowruz, the second one without Lady Jahanara.
So... yeah!
A custom performed at the end of the picnic is to throw the sprouted greens (سبزه – Sabze) that were part of the traditional Haft-Seen Nowruz display into moving water.
In the chapter Isfan says:
They would cast the Sabzeh sprouts in this stream afterwards, all of them, together.
It is actually customs for young people to knot the sprouts together if they're wishing for marriage partners, it didn't get mentioned in the chapter because nobody was looking for a marriage at the moment. Shapur is resolute to not wed, the kids are too young, Sanira and Behnam are married to each other.
Sekanjabin (Persian: سکنجبین), one of the oldest Iranian drinks, is made of honey and vinegar. Sekanjabin is usually served in summer. It is sometimes seasoned with mint. It is very popular in summer, but it is also an inseparable part of Sizdah Bedar. Iranians eat lettuce with Sekanjabin. This act is symbolically a promise to stay healthy during the New Year. Sekanjabin is a compound of سرکه serke "vinegar" and انگبین angabin "honey".
I at the very least wanted to include Sekanjabin buuuuuut I couldn't find the space. Oh well, it'll have to be put in cryosleep for future use.
Ash-e doogh, (Persian: آش دوغ), also known as "yoghurt soup", originates from the Azeri region of northwest Iran and is one of the traditional soups of Ardabil. It is a common dish found in many regions and cultures within West Asia, including Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Ash-e doogh is a soup usually made with yogurt or doogh, as well as different kind of herbs (such as coriander, leek, tarragon, mint, and parsley), vegetables (such as spinach, purslane, chickpeas, peas, onion and garlic), lamb meatballs, eggs, rice, salt and several types of spices. Fried mint with oil (and sometimes garlic) is used as a topping for the soup. This soup can be made vegetarian.
Doesn't have much of a symbolic thing going on, just collected in case I may need it.
One of the most common foods cooked on the occasion of Nowruz is Samanu (Samanak, Somank, Somalek). This food is prepared using wheat germ. In most countries that celebrate Nowruz, this food is cooked. In some countries, cooking this food is associated with certain rituals. Women and girls in different parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan cook Samanu in groups and sometimes during the night, and when cooking it, they sing memorable songs.
Samanu did actually make it... into a discarded draft. I ended up erasing the sentence and I can't find it again but it was just a passing mention of the brothers having it with bread for breakfast. Samanu does have a symbolic meaning, especially associated with Nowruz, as it is one of the seven items placed on the Haft-sīn table during the celebration.
The Haft-Seen table is composed of “haft” (or seven) essential symbols that represent nature, and “sin” which may have been shortened from “sini” (or trays), which held these essential symbols. The symbols break down into three from the material world (or “donyaheh mahdoodiat”), three from the immaterial world (or “donayeh maanah”) — this is the world of meaning and ideas — and one symbol that sits between and ties these two worlds together.
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By tradition, Iranian families take great pains to create the most beautiful Haft-Seen table that they can, for not only does it embody values both traditional and spiritual, it is also appreciated by the visitors during Nowruz visiting exchanges as a reflection of the families' aesthetic sense and good taste.
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Typically, before the arrival of Nowruz, family members gather around the Haft-sin table and await the exact moment of the March equinox to celebrate the New Year. The number 7 and the letter S are related to the seven Ameshasepantas as mentioned in the Zend-Avesta. They relate to the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the three life forms of Humans, Animals and Plants. In modern times, the explanation was simplified to mean that the Haft-sin (Persian: هفتسین, seven things beginning with the letter sin (س)) are: • Sabze/Sabzeh (Persian: سبزه), Sprouting/Grass – wheat, barley, mung bean, or lentil sprouts grown in a dish, the symbol of rebirth and growth. • Samanu (Persian: سمنو) – sweet pudding made from wheat germ, the symbol of power and strength. • Senjed (Persian: سنجد) – Persian olive, the symbol of love. • Serke/Serkeh (Persian: سرکه) – vinegar, the symbol of patience. • Sib/Seeb (Persian: سیب) – apple, the symbol of beauty. • Sīr/Seer (Persian: سیر) – garlic, the symbol of health and medicine. • Somāq/Somagh (Persian: سماق) – sumac, the symbol of sunrise.
Man, reading the notes again, I wish I could've found a way to incorporate this but oh well, no use lamenting over it now. I'm sure I'll find some use of it in the future.
But they're not the only items on the Haft-sīn table.
Items that don't start with "س" but, nonetheless, are invariably included: • Tokhm-e Morg Rangi (تخممرغ رنگی): Eggs, the symbol of fertility. • Ayina (آینه): Mirror, the symbol of self-reflection. • Shem'a (شمع): Candle, the symbol of enlightenment. • Maahi-ye Qırmız (ماهی قرمز): Goldfish, the symbol of progress. • Ketaab (کتاب): Book, the symbol of wisdom.
I'm less bummed about those because I wasn't determined to include them anyways but here they are nonetheless!
I don't know when they'd take down the Haft-sīn table, if they would've taken it down yet, so I may be able to squeeze some use out of it yet. We'll see.
@innerchorus You said you were interested so here ya go!
Oh did I see something interesting coming along the way? 👀
I think I fucked up the scaling— wait no I think the scale is right but I might've chosen the wrong pose for Areyan...
Progress on the WIP! Finally! We haven't had reliable electricity for more than an hour these days (and even that hour isn't consecutive it's just a couple minutes scattered throughout the day because I guess the ministry of energy is just. pranking people or something I don't know) and it's been hell. I'll probably flip the canvas so that their scars are facing us, the screen, later even though it'll probably make things harder for me, I'm dreading shading Hilmes' scars, but I think it'd be appropriate to showcase their mirroring and Hilmes' growth of feeling comfortable going maskless even we beyond the screen aren't being shielded from it? I hope that made sense.
I haven't decided what year the coronation would take place, but I decided to draw Areyan in the hairstyle he would come to wear as an adult, if you've read my Areyan/Merlaine ficlet this would be the hairstyle he's wearing there too, I based it off of Azel Halgal from Otoyomegatari:
I've been planning this for a while and I'm so happy to finally be able to draw Areyan with this hairstyle!
Starting to shade! I'm not sure I'm happy with how it looks so far but it's half past midnight and my neck hurts 😭
I love this man and his charming smile. The hair looks wonderful, it looks so silky. Absolutely in love with the artwork.
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:
