#Sasan Kingdom

[alirex-art]

TOTK rant

! TW: ped0

I think everyone understood I will talk about Finley and Sasan from the tw. It's insane to me that out of ALL THE THINGS THEY LEFT OUT and ALL THINGS LEFT IN, this yucky relationship stayed.

What is the point? Don't they know nobody would have missed them if they just vanished? Was it hard to just remodel Finley? Was it hard to say oh Finley hit puberty after BOTW? Was it hard to say Sasan got killed after the Upheavel? What if Sasan mysteriously disappeared after the Upheaval? What if Sasan and Finley went seperate ways and acknowledge their relationship was very toxic? And just, why??? Why do we keep it in the next game too???? Somebody out there making this game very much enjoys that type of stuff. That's why it stayed.

It's very clear to me that this relationship is just trying to include "acceptable ped0philia" in the game. Bear w/ me. If they are lovers there would be massive backlash, fine make them "best friends". (Japanese translation is soul mates) But we still want to keep the ped0 narrative! Oh ok then, Finley just had her puberty late, she is grown otherwise 🤡

Don't some of you see this is the same old sh1t where otakus say "SHe is ACtuALly 800 years old!!!"

Also Finley is DEFINITELY A CHILD that thinks "I'm grown up". Sleep schedule same with other children. Mom plays a significant role in her life. Also the impulsive and child like decisions she makes (eg: in totk she just straight up leaves for a treasure hunt without a worry or care about herself or her mom) She is a child thinking she has grown up but you all not even ready for that.

Do we needed to have a story about some CHILD LOOKING character, becoming bffs with some adult man but she just had her puberty late for some reasons,, so it's ok :))) type of story? Be honest w/ me. Did we need it???? Was it necessarry? Would you hate TOTK and BOTW if they did not have Sasan and Finley? No. It was not necessarry at all.

IT IS NOT OK FOR CHILDREN TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH GROWN ASS PEOPLE. There. I said it. It's the adult's responsiblity to not be bffs w/ children.

But we cannot come here and call it straight up ped0. Why? Bc they are not lovers technically! But Finley just had her puberty late! She is technically grown up! Just fvcking excuses to cover up ped0 agenda.

The sitatuation with Sasan and Finley screams ped0 from every single point. Stop lying to yourselves.

[whencyclopedia]

Ardashir I

Ardashir I (l. c. 180-241 CE, r. 224-240 CE) was the founder of the Persian Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE) and father of the great Sassanian king Shapur I (r. 240-270 CE). He is also known as Ardashir I Babakan, Ardeshir I, Ardashir the Unifier, and Ardashir Papakan.

He was the son of the prince of Istakhr, Papak (also given as Babak and Papag, r. c. 205-210 CE) and the Princess Rodak of the Shabankareh tribe (suggested by some scholars as Kurdish) and born in Tirdeh, Persis c. 180 CE. He is also believed to have been grandson of the High Priest of Zoroastrianism, Sasan (c. 3rd century CE), after whom the Sassanian Empire is named, though some evidence suggests he was Sasan's son and later adopted by Papak.

Ardashir I was a general in the Parthian army under the reign of the king Artabanus IV (r. 213-224 CE). His family controlled the symbolically significant region of Istakhr where the ruins of the Achaemenid capital of Persepolis lay. Even though the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) was a distant memory, it still resonated powerfully throughout the region at the time of Ardashir I, and his family refused to relinquish control of it to Artabanus IV. Further complicating relations between the two, Ardashir I had made significant gains for himself in the region at the expense of Artabanus IV whose power was waning.

In 224 CE, Ardashir I defeated Artabanus IV in battle, toppling the Parthian Empire (247 BCE - 224 CE) and founding his own which he modeled on the success of the earlier Persian Achaemenid Empire. He soon after concentrated his efforts on urban development and military campaigns against Rome which were universally successful. He co-ruled with his son Shapur I toward the end of his reign and died peacefully after assuring that the empire he had founded would continue in good hands. He is considered one of the greatest kings of the Near East generally and of the Sassanian Empire specifically.

Failing Parthian Empire

After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire to Alexander the Great in 330 BCE, the Seleucid Empire (312-63 BCE) held the region until they were replaced by the Parthians. The Parthian king Arsaces I (r. 247-217 BCE) established an independent kingdom of Parthia while the Seleucids were still firmly in control but, as their power waned, Parthia took advantage and enlarged their territories, finally controlling the majority of what had once been the Achaemenid Empire.

Recognizing the weakness of a centralized government – and especially of a centralized military deployed from a set point (as in the case of both the Achaemenids and Seleucids) – the Parthians decentralized both to enable more efficient administration and defense. Parthians satraps had a greater degree of autonomy and could field armies for defense without having to consult with the king first.

This model worked well for the Parthians for most of the empire's history but, by the time Ardashir I was born, their vitality was being steadily drained through engagements with the Roman Empire and internal dissent. The decentralization which had worked so well earlier was now a liability because Rome could field more men which small armies from individual satrapies could not contend with. Further, the autonomy of the satraps by this time resulted in mini kingdoms within the empire which were more concerned with their own self-interest than the preservation of the empire.

Continue reading...

[boxeboxer]

PRINCESS SHIRIN SASAN

Origin: asalee

Status: organic

Nationality/Ethnicity: Persian (Turkish-Iranian)

Age: 30s

Occupation: royal member of the House of Sasan, Gyan-Avspar

About:

Shirin Sasan is the eldest daughter of the current royal family of the Kingdom of Persia, the House of Sasan. She is a Gyan-Avspar trained in the art of hunting and killing neomesmerian conjugates.

Since childhood, Shirin has undergone Sassanid skeletal gilding, or the application of gold alloys on the surface of or inside of her bones. Being a non-magnetic material, this gives Shirin resistance to clairvoyance. Having risen to an elite status within the House of Sasan (HoS), she has also been given the title of Gyan-Avspar, one of the highest-ranking positions in the Sassanid Pushtigban (royal cavalry). She is proficient in archery, swordsmanship, and other melee combat styles. Per Pushtigban practice, she does not use gunpowder weapons.

Shirin is very serious and committed. She puts her responsibilities above all else, even if it brings adverse effects to her health or social life. She values her family and believes their moral sovereignty above rival alchemic philosophies. As part of the Pushtigban creed, she is held to high expectations of valor, is always is true to her word, and never breaks a promise.

Background:

From a young age, Shirin was educated according to Zoroastrianism alchemical knowledge passed down through her family. Her status as the oldest daughter to the current ruling king elected her as the next Gyan-Avspar, a practice taken up by the women belonging to the paternal Sassanid line. The last Gyan-Avspar was her great aunt, and she trained under her guidance throughout her life.

[musetta3]

Okay okay so I'd love to hear about Brother!

EEE! I love this one. So, Brother (Brother and the Bowman) is a historical thriller set in Ancient Persia, pre-Achaemenid dynasty. The main character, Darayan, is a prince of the Pasagardae. When a mysterious enemy disguised as the Pasagardae's allies infiltrates the kingdom and attacks, Dar and his brother, Sasan, must work together to find the mastermind amidst the chaos. No one is who they seem, and it's only a matter of time before Darayan realizes what a terrible mistake he's made, thanks to his thirst for vengeance.

Lots of court intrigue, battle strategies (which I'm looking forward to, since it's all much different to the medieval and renaissance strategies in the previous works), and some romance, too...and making the world a better place through the arts.

The ride was different from the previous day’s; the habitual song Sasan always hummed died on his lips, the perpetually cheery smile faded away. Even the forest itself seemed to be holding its breath as they searched for Rhinnish scouts.  “Look,” Sasan mouthed, pointing up ahead. Dying embers glowed in a thicket up ahead, the remains of a campfire. Darayan smiled, nodding to his men. They raised their bows, training them on the sentries leaning against the oak trees. They gasped and gurgled before falling still. Arrows bristled from their throats, pinning them to the trunks.  “Stay back, guard our flank,” Darayan ordered Sasan before riding forth.  Darayan charged through the thicket, bow singing the song of war, of death and chaos. Many of the Rhinns were still abed at this hour; Darayan and his men subdued them with minimal injuries. When the camp fell silent, Darayan dismounted.  “Search for clues,” he ordered, kneeling before a body. The Rhinn’s dull, lifeless gaze was fixed on the sky, unseeing. Darayan gently closed the man’s eyes with a shudder.  “I’m sorry,” he murmured to him, “but it was either you or my people.” He turned the man’s head, brow furrowing. Rhinns were famous for their skin writing, bearing sacred tattoos to bless themselves; such ‘perpetual prayers,’ as they called them, ensured they never ceased honoring the gods. This man’s sacred wind motif started on his chin and spiraled down his neck in a black paisley— and promptly stopped, half-formed, under his necktie. That…wasn’t right.  “Did he…draw that on?” Sasan asked, peering over Darayan’s shoulder.  Daraya rolled his eyes, “did I not ask you to stay back? I swear, you never listen.” He ran his thumb across the black lines, frown deepening; none of them smudged. They were too dark to be henna; whatever this was, the design was in the skin, not on top of it, like eye kohl.  “Perhaps the tattoo wasn’t finished,” he replied after consideration, “they use needles to make the designs, I understand. Perhaps too much work on his throat could render him speechless.” Sasan swallowed hard, hand going to his neck, “ugh! Why can’t they just wear embroidery, like normal people? So painful.” 

[teatitty]

Known places in Magi and what they’re based on because I have no life and I’m bored as fuck

Aktia: No official basis is given for this country but Sinbad does state it’s known for it’s pearls so possibly it could be Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf, which is famous for its pearling industry

Artemyra: Ancient Greece. The clothing and jewellery is the biggest giveaway but this is also a kingdom known for its warrior women, like the amazonians, and the word “Artemyra” itself probably comes from “Artemis”

Balbadd: India and the one I’ve talked about the most. Everything in Balbadd from the architecture to the attire to the trade and fishing is based on India’s culture and Balbadd in canon is noted for being a very imported trade area and for being unique in how multicultural it is

Heliohapt: Probably the most obvious of the series outside of Reim, this is Ancient Egypt. There’s absolutely no way you could mistake this for anything else they literally have a big ass pyramid with an eye of horus on it lmao

Imuchakk: While it’s never been officially stated, comparisons have been made between the Imuchakk and Shaman King’s portrayal of the Ainu, from the naming schemes to the clothing and affiliation to the cold

Kina: Ancient Japan. It’s located to the east of Kou, their current king is called Yamato Takeruhiko, who has a tattoo of an oni on his back, uses a katana, wears japanese armour etc

Kou: Imperial China! The royal family of Kou is literally called the Imperial Family, the naming schemes are all Chinese, absolutely everything about this place screams China if I tried to list everything we’d be here forever

Magnostadt: Unknown. Magnostadt’s name is a combination of latin (magnus) and german (stadt) but previously the kingdom was called Musta’sim, which is arabic. The term “goi” is also used for people who are non-magicians which is, ya know, very obviously meant to be the jewish “goy” [and yes in the actual magnostadt arc this is INCREDIBLY problematic given the villain of the arc is designed to have a big nose and warts all over his face etc but we won’t get into that] so it’s. Ehhhh kinda hard to pinpoint this one. It’s a mishmash of things

Parthevia: Ancient Persia! The name of this country comes from the persian “parthava” which means “parthian” as in “Parthian Empire.” This is where Sinbad, Ja’far and Drakon are from

Reim: Rome. This place is literally introduced as having a huge coliseum and being known for its gladiators, and their founder was Remus. Can’t get more obvious than that

Sasan: This is another weird one because while most of the citizens have Greek names [Spartos, Darius etc] the place itself is based on the Sasanian Empire, which was the longest lived persian-imperial dynasty, and the empire itself was named after the House of Sasan. I genuinely had to look this one up because I thought for sure it was straight Greece based on the names but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sindria: Indian Subcontinent and various others. This place is incredibly multicultural but in short: sindria derives from the sanskrit “sindhu” which is a name for the indus river, physically the country looks like the greek island of Nisyros, the palace of Sindria is loosely based on the Süleymaniye Mosque in Turkey and they have a festival called Mahrajan after King Mahrajan, a character in Sinbad the Sailor from 1001 Nights

[babbletaels]

Lets speculate about Zoras and how they age!

In ocarina of time, Ruto is a similar size to Link as children. After Links seven year slumber, Ruto has grown and looks to be a similar age to Link, both almost adult.

In breath of the wild, Link and Mipha look to be the same-ish age with Mipha looking a bit younger than an adult Zora would. It is implied that they were childhood friends and the Zora in the domain who are over 100 years old remember playing with Link when they were kids.

None of the Zora in breath of the wild or Tears of the kingdom look like the age that Mipha was, but I refuse to believe that she is the only Zora in the whole domain who is a little bit short so I'm deciding that she's short because of her age.

Sasan and Finley are an interesting case for this study. Whether they fall in love or not, the facts stay the same. When we meet him Sasan is around 18, and he thought that Finley was going to be "much" older than him. This can mean anything from a few years to decades with the logic of an 18 year old. In any case, Finley says that she is waiting for her growth spurt, making it seem like it could happen any minute now, but as we see in Tears of the kingdom (5+ years later), she still looks the same so her growth spurt hasn't arrived yet which is confusing.

In the domain, we can clearly see a pattern. There are some "old zora", some "adult zora" and some "child zora", with the only teenage looking zora being Mipha herself. This phenomenon - there not being any/many teenagers, no young adults, no older adults, no almost elderly, heck I would even claim that the child Zora look like toddlers so technically there are no kids either - is very much pointing towards what Finley said, the Zora age by having growth spurts.

This can also be strengthened by the Sidon fan club consisting of two members that look just like adult zora, but one member that looks like a toddler. Of course people of all ages can be in a fan club, but this one has only three members and they seem to be good friends. Usually adults don't start clubs where they swoon over a celebrity with children, so I'm thinking they are pretty close in age but one of them just hasn't had her growth spurt?

This brings us back to Mipha and Link. I've heard some people claim that Mipha was an adult when Link was a child, probably because she was eloquently writing in her journal about seeing him for the first time when he was a kid. But factor in that she mentions that Link "grew up" before her, and the fact that Finley - a Zora child - was writing messages to Sasan making him think she was very old, this all points to that mipha looked like a toddler for a long time as Link was growing up. Since she doesn't look quite fully grown yet, I'd say she pretty recently had her growth spurt during the events 100 years before botw. This would partly explain/excuse Zeldas shock regarding Miphas skill, Hylians probably know how Zoras age and Zelda probably knew that Mipha was very young and recently looked like a kid, even if Zelda never saw it herself.

The actual numerical age of the Zoras growth spurts don't seem to matter a whole lot, and it could even be that the ages vary by up to a decade or even more, which could be why Finley thought she was close to her growth spurt 5+ years ago.

Now we're coming back to ocarina of time. If we assume their biology works the same, this would totally explain why Ruto looks to be the same age as Link in both the past and the future. If we were to go with the theory that Zora just age slowly, then Ruto would not look the same age as Link and we would have to conclude "that was millions of years ago, they evolved since then" which is a boring excuse.

It doesn't really matter at which age you put the growth spurt, but I personally would actually put it around 15-30, because it just makes sense evolutionarily. The species on our earth that stay children for the longest are humans, and there is a reason for that; children are vulnerable. You can see with Zora children that, while they can swim better than a Hylian, they have significantly smaller fins than an adult, and they are very small as well. You can take care of a child until it grows up of course, but as we see in botw and totk, Finley is very much longing for adventure, and it's just a better biological trait for the species to grow up before doing dangerous things. It makes no sense to be a toddler for 50 years, even for a species that lives until they're 300. Sure time may seem like it moves slower because you live longer, but it actually doesn't and the longer time you're vulnerable the higher the risk is for the species' young to die before they can reproduce.

Sooo my theory is that Finley was probably 20 - because it seems in botw that she has waited to grow up for quite a while, and then 5+ years pass and she still hasn't grown - and Sasan is 17-18 and he was like "man she's so oooold".

And my theory is also that Mipha and Link did grow up as childhood friends so they're around the same age maybe she's a few years older, and Mipha reached her growth spurt 2-3 years before the calamity which is enough years to practice fighting (I haven't seen any Zora children doing that), show her more mature beauty to Link, be chosen as a champion and practice driving the divine beast

[vanvedaresort]

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[iimuchakk]

◣ ♥ ◥ – All love and appreciation for Mystras

[mch-n]

[magiconfess-blog]

“I love the countries that Ohtaka created, not just the big countries like Reim, Kou and Sindria, but especially the smaller ones like Sasan, Kina, Imchakk and Artemyra. I hope we get more omakes about those countries some day”

– submitted by anonymous

[yamadeus]

Magi OC doodles

[king-bee-sting]

magi male x reader blog in this economy?! thank u thank u thank could i pls request hcs on sinbad, spartos and sharrkan separately with their partner who happens to be a prince and how their day to day might be! thank u! <3

Format: Headcanons

Pairing(s): Sinbad, Sharrkan, Spartos

Warnings: None

Navigation | Masterlist | Discord Server

Sinbad, Sharrkan, & Spartos x M! Prince! Reader Headcanons

A bad influence

Somehow manages to smuggle you out of your own personal duties

You however have more self restraint than him so you usually get back to your things way faster

Surprisingly awkward with PDA when in public with you

After obtaining the title of "Lady Killer of the Seven Seas", refusing marriage, and being a well known womanizer, it seemes really weird to be in a relationship with someone of the same gender

Nevertheless he certainly makes you feel loved when you're more alone

Whether it's just you or with a few others around, he'll be more open to being affectionate with you

Frequent visits to your home country

It keeps good relations with your kingdom and it eases your homesickness; killing two birds with one stone!

Bumpy nights 👀 are actually not as frequent as you'd expect

It's not that he doesn't want to, it's mostly the fact that both of your royal duties either clash with timing or tire one of you out too much

Hoo boy

Man is a raging bi and you can't tell me otherwise

Doesn't really interact with his kingdom for obvious reasons so he actually has more free time than you

Which he spends trying to pry you away from your "silly prince duties" to go be stupid with him

Sparring is a must

Loves to use his training with Alibaba to show off

Whether it's showing off to you or Alibaba doesnt matter, he just wants you to know how hot he is m-mm

While he doesn't do it as much as before, he does still visit brothels

Polyamory is just a thing in his culture, he doesn't really see anything wrong with looking or getting handsy with others while being with you

I get the feeling he would be really soft at night, so very deep and comforting conversations would happen

A fucking bed hog tho

Spartos:

👏protect👏this👏man👏

Sasan's religion is based off the Christian kingdoms right?

Meaning I get the phat ass feeling homosexual relationships would be a massive N O

So you better be prepared to go to eternity with this boy because here he is putting everything on the line for you

Gladly assists you in your princely duties

If you don't really need help, he'll ask if you'd like some space to do your work

If not he'll be by your side making sure you don't die from boredom

Happily teach you how to use a lance if you don't already know

Pisti hovers over Spartos so she's now your best friend, no you dont get a choice

She can and will make gushy comments to you two, making you both go red every time

You gotta be patient with him please, he's very new to relationships and the gay, he's very nervous

I feel like he'd give the softest kisses 🙈

[discolesbo]

Spartos

A guardian warrior of Sindria from the "Pure land" Kingdom of Sasan. A flash of the blue spear cuts through the heavens and pierces everything! Playing with women and drinking alcohol are taboos in his native religion. However, he gives up on the ban on alcohol for his drinking friends Sharrkan and Pisti.

TN: It says more like “doctrine of his homeland” but “native religion” works just as well imo.

[magisettei]

mgi2_bg00-01 World Map

Eastern power Kou Empire Emperor: Ren Koutoku (after death: Ren Gyokuen) Goal: World unification. Controlled from the center by Al-Thamen (Gyokuen) Number of metal vessels: 8

Hostile -> Reim Empire Desires the power of magic? -> Magnostadt Effective control -> Republic of Balbadd Hostile -> Sindria Kingdom

Western power Reim Empire High priestess: Scheherazade Goal: Improving the country (Improving by expanding?) Number of metal vessels: 3

Hostile -> Kou Empire Invading. Doesn't want to relinquish power to Kou. -> Magnostadt Waiting and watching -> Sindria Kingdom Small Skirmishes? -> Parthevia Empire

Magnostadt Chancellor: Mogamett Goal: To create a world for magicians. In the past, Al-Thamen (Ithnan) provided technology.

Enemies, except for magicians. -> Kou Empire Enemies, except for magicians. -> Reim Empire Sold magic tool prototypes -> Local bandits

Parthevia Empire A decent power? Declining in recent years?

Small Skirmishes? -> Reim Empire

Aktia Kingdom Reluctant to pursue self defense.

Republic of Balbadd (formerly Kingdom of Balbadd)

Equal in name only -> Kou Empire Will they join the Seven seas Alliance? -> Sindria Kingdom

Sindria Kingdom King: Sinbad Goal: To create a country that is safe from invasion. Number of metal vessels: 7

Seeking to form an alliance -> Reim Empire Friendly -> Republic of Balbadd Hostile (Rather towards Al-Thamen) -> Kou Empire

Dark continent?

Island of the Torran people

Seven Seas Alliance Union of small countries President: Sinbad Member countries: Sindria, Heliohapt, Artemyra, Immuchak, Sasan

Al-Thamen A mysterious organization whose purpose is to cause turmoil in the world.

[halfageist]

Drawings from the kingdom of Sasan 

 All created in apare time and máximum procrastinación. 

 With practice now it makes it easier for me to draw it. 

 Details fixed in digital.

[threadofdestiny]

The opportunities we may take

SinbadxOC

Soulmate AU

Part 12

A king's scheming thoughts

---Sindria, throne room---

Attentive, Sinbad sat on his throne in silence. He had thoughtfully folded his fingers in front of his face, resting his arms on the ornate armrests, while calmly keeping an eye on the scenery. Once in a while he inclined his head to some citizens of his little kingdom, when they indicated their goodbyes by bowing low in front of their king. Many of Sindria's residents had already left the hall to devote themselves to the final preparations for today's feast, but the knot of people that had formed around Solomon's prophetess remained stubbornly by the young woman's side. Over his interwoven hands, the young king of Sindria appraised the small crowd before letting his calculating gaze rest on Salome. Her brother Malik flanked her dutifully. His appearance towered over the young woman like a guard, ready to intervene at any time if one of the people tried to cross any boundaries.

Other former citizens of Dalmasca had freed themselves from the crowd after the assembly, in the hope of being able to spend a moment in the presence of their holy lady and to have a chance to exchange a few words with her. The individual looks with which they looked at Salome almost bordered on paying homage to her. The king could see how much it meant to them that this young woman was standing in front of them alive, and so Sinbad couldn't help but wondering how deep these people's faith in the Holy King was and how far they were ready to go for him.

Spartos had said during yesterday's conversation that Salome, due to her abilities and connection to the holy King Solomon, had been a highly respected person within Dalmasca as well as Sasan. Even after her supposed death she was no less honored by her people for being Solomon's holy Lady of the rukh. On the contrary: the legends about her and the homage that was paid to her person had become much more concise in the past seven years. Former priests of the temple had began to call her by the title of Solomon's prophetess and chose her to be one of the main characters of their faith. Their guardian of the flow, the bridge to the spirits of the dead, waiting for her to decent back down to the living, to claim her right as the head of Solomons church. She who carried a spark of Solomon's soul in herself. So? Which information from the legendary tales of the holy prophetess actually corresponds to the truth and what has been stretched by the wandering priests in the recent years in hope to get a more reachable figurehead for their religion, Sinbad asks himself in calculating silence.

According to reports that Ja'far's subordinates had compiled in the past few weeks, it had been precisely those priests who had spread the faith of the holy king all over the continents, so there were now after seven years many followers of the Church in several countries. It was said that even the high magi, Lady Scheherazade from Reim, had received one of the temples priests in her midst and tolerated the belief in the holy king despite her normally quite traditional and private characteristics. Sinbad had never been too interested in religion because he hadn't seen the need to be dictated by any avoidable gods, fate, or whatever else they wanted to call it. He was the one who shapes his fate according to his own will, after all. So, he hadn't paid any further mind to the spread of the faith after he had been convinced that they didn't have any connections to the dark rukh. A big mistake, as he had discovered a few weeks ago, because even in his kingdom it was more wide spread than he had expected. The opportunities that comes along with having the unofficial head of said growing religion were exquisitely versatile. Besides, hadn't he recently discovered that, surprisingly, he was also a person who played a role in these writings of the holy king? And wasn't the name King Solomon a name that appears quite often in various dungeon-manuscripts? The language of the scriptures in the sanctuary of the temple in Dalmasca was the same as in the dungeons. So what did Dalsmasca, King Solomon and the dungeons have in common? There were simply too many parallels to ignore.

Spartos had also mentioned that Dalmasca had an unnatural great number of magicians, before its fall. All of whom had been instructed by the temple in the art of magic. According to his and Yamraiha's speculation, this was probably a phenomenon due to the fact that they were born so close to the holy Sangtuary. The amount of rukh that had resided there had been incredibly large and could have had something to do with the higher birth rate of magicians. But these were just guesswork at the moment.

How many former priests and their novices were now living in different countries, waiting for a sign from their God as they refined their arts and spread their faith? What are they going to to, when they heard that their prophetess is back and resides now in Sindria. How far could Salome's influence go without her even being aware of it? No matter how it went on, Sinbad was overly excited to see how the pieces of the puzzle would come together over time.

The magicians who had revealed themselves as former priests of Dalmasca shortly before the end of the congregation were still close to their prophetess. It was the oldest of the group who had currently engaged Salome in a conversation, but unfortunately the people were too far away for Sinbad to understand what they were talking about. The young woman had turned her back on him and was currently listening attentively to the words of the man, who seemed to be holding a long monologue.

Sinbad saw from the corner of his eye's how Ja'far, his chief advisor, slowly  climbed the steps to his throne, to join him with a small sigh. In silence, they both pondered over their own thoughts for a few moments, while the white-haired man used the quiet minute to clasp his hands in front of his stomach in a neat manner, which were covered by his wide, long sleeves. The king, on the other hand, was still leaning forward in his seat and still keeping an eye on the small group a few feet beneath him.

"I would have guessed that you would not leave her side after your reveling," Ja'far broke the silence between them in a quiet manner, while he discreetly glanced over the remaining people. Some were saying goodbye to Salome by bowing deeply in front of her. Like the respectful girl that she was presenting herself, she returned the gesture before turning back to the magicians. "I decided to give her a moment to collect herself, for her to get accustomed to her situation." Sinbad replied after a moment.

And how well she dealt with the unforeseen situation. It was clear for him to see that she was used to the attention, even if, due to her humbl enature, she didn't look like she would put herself above others in her role. On the contrary, she was kind and attentive, gifting everyone with a bit of her time without obviously preferring anyone. Actually, she looked quite regal from his point of view.

He slowly lowered his hands to place them on the ivory-shaped armrests so that they came to rest on the rounded ends. He nodded and smiled at the people who had moved away from Salome, before they bowed deeply to him, while they were led out of the hall by several servants. The young man, who had positioned himself next to his king, snorted in disbelief and turned to his interlocutor, shaking his head: "Are you sure that it was the right decision to reveal her identity so early? It will attract a lot of attention, and certainly not only from good, devouted followers of Solomon's Church."

Again it took a few moments for Sinbad to come down to an answer, but when he finally did, his serious expression instantly disappeared as if it had never been there, while a big grin crept onto his lips: "It's a little late to think about it, don't you think? Nevertheless, you don't need to worry. I have everything under control." The king dismissed the concerns of his adviser, before he turned to another topic:" Now we can look forward to the fact that the Mahrajan begins in a few hours.", Sinbad announced radiantly, while he clapped his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation before finally rising from his throne to complete his own final preparations. Without paying any further attention to the girl, the young king left his throne room, knowing that in the evening he would find enough time to win her attention.

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What had Sinbad been thinking, when he announced her presence in public? Not that it hadn't been nice to see that many of Dalmasca's former residents had been able to start a new life, but surely it wasn't just about reuniting her with her people, was it? The answers the rukh provided her to this question did not necessarily make her understand his motives any better. What did they mean by Sinbad's trying to tie her to himself? Why should he consider it necessary to do something like this? After all, she had made it clear that Solomon wanted her to be by his side. So why should she resist? However she turned it around, it just didn't make any more sense to her.

Sighing, Salome reached for her hairbrush as she gazed at herself in the mirror and began to slide it through her damp strands. Already now, after she had worked her hair carefully with a cloth, her light curls began to form again, gently framing her face. Behind her she could hear her brother's footsteps muffled by the carpets until he finally stepped into the field of view of her mirror to put a bundle of light blue fabrics on the mattress of her bed. "I have put out clothes for you that you could wear in the evening," Malik announced, as he turned in her direction to come up to her. "Thank you very much," his sister murmured, carefully giving him a grateful smile through the glass surface. Since the incident in the throne room, he has seemed a little off the track, but Salome couldn't quite pinpoint how she recognized this. Nodding, the older man took off his sister's brush and started to continue her work, while the two fell into a thoughtful silence. Sighing again, the young girl closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to concentrate only on how good it felt to have her hair combed. Outside the open balcony doors, the noises of the people celebrating could already be heard. Music and laughter filled the city, but here in her room it felt incredibly far away. The sun was already going down, but neither Malik nor Salome was in a hurry to finish.

Slowly opening her eyes again, the young woman started to look over her brother's appearance. She still hadn't been able to get completely used to the fact that he was now much older than her and that he had changed a lot due to the assimilation. The golden veins on the visible parts of his skin flickered slightly in the glow of her oil lamps. He wore traditional Dalmascian temple clothing, but it was made from darker fabrics than was usually the case. He had secured the wide sleeves of his undergarment to his forearms with crossed leather straps so that they would not get in his way if necessary. Now he too was carrying the temple amulet openly around his neck, while his sword, as always, was fastened to the side of his waist and rested faithfully in it's scabbard. Since his face was now always half covered by his golden mask, it was hard to read his expressions but she could see how the corners of his mouth kept dropping down, as if he was thinking about something that displeased him. This expression raised concern in Salome. She didn't want him to suffer. "What's going on, brother?" She asked quietly, breaking the silence between them, while carefully brushing a strand of hair from her face. Malik raised his head slightly, indicating that he had began to look at her through the mirror. In silence, he stopped combing his sister's hair as his shoulders began to tighten. Salome immediately turned around in her chair to grab his hands. He had clenched these into hardened fists, so that even the wooden handle of her brush began to crack dangerously.

"I hope King Sinbad was aware of what he might have done, when he presented you so publicly to so many unknown people as the Lady of the rukh," he pressed out between clenched teeth. Salome's eyes instantly softened when she got a clue of what was going on in her brothers head. So he too had thought about the incident. Then why hadn't he shared his thoughts with her? Was he afraid that her presence would attract the wrong people's attention? The masters of the black rukh were still out there somewhere. She knew that much. Or could it be that Malik was just worried that she couldn't handle the pressure? After all, he knew that she didn't really like to be the center of attention, even if she was of course aware that this was hardly avoidable in her position. She would have to accept the latter, because she doubted that she could still remain an unknown face among many here in Sindria. Acceptance ... this was one of the qualities that was instilled into her from an early age. No matter what comes... she had to accept every little detail as it was. If anyone was not allowed to fall into depravity, it was her. But now it was not about her, but about her brother, who was worried and no matter how much acceptance she can bring for reality, she would never stop trying to make sure that the people around her were as well as possible.

Even though she knew that her brother was always concerned about her general well being, she felt that this problem had more to do with their past encounter with the wielders of the black rukh, so she decided to take his fear away a little. Salome gently wrapped her fingers around Malik's as she tried to give him an exhilarating smile. "Don't try to worry so much, brother. Sindria is probably the safest place we can currently be residing.", she tried to calm him down, hoping that she had correctly assessed his feelings. The rukh also seemed to be convinced of her testimony, as they fluttered happily around her and her brother, also trying to give soothing words. But of course Malik could not see them, let alone hear them. Only in the case of larger gatherings did it happen that an non blessed man could see the rukh and this also applied to her brother.

The way his expression darkened, she actually seemed to have hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, her statement didn't seem to convince him, which is why she opened her mouth again to continue arguing: "The rukh are also convinced that we are safe here. So if you don't want to trust my word, you definitely trust theirs, don't you?" She added, gliding her thumbs over the back of his hand in a comforting manner. This ultimately led to Malik's fingers slowly starting to relax again. Even so, Salome could see that there seemed to be more to him and he was struggling to find the right words, but in the end he only nodded his head slightly before carefully removing his hands from hers.

"Come on Salome. Let me braid your hair or else we are never going to get finished!" Malik changed the subject accordingly, while he reaffirmingly raised her hairbrush in the air. For a moment she thought about contradicting her brother and asking him to speak openly about his feelings, which is why she paused and hesitated. Nevertheless, Salome finally decided to drop the topic and give him his freedom. She could see that he wasn't ready to open up to her yet.

"You know that I can do that myself. I'm a big girl..." Salome tried to joke instead. Unfortunately, however, she did not quite manage to hit the humorous tone, which is why her comment sounded more sad rather than amused. Malik, however, ignored her tone, thankful that she had dropped the subject and hummed in agreement, while still working on dividing her hair in individual strands. As Salome watched her brother quietly braid her hair, she tried to figure out how to change his mood. A small smile flickered on her lips when she thought about the Mahrajan that they were going to take part of. Maybe a fun evening with wine and music would help him relax a little. In any case, she was suddenly very happy to be able to participate in the feast in a few moments with her brother.

"Let's enjoy the evening today, okay? We haven't been able to celebrate together for a long time."

"Okay."

After that, silence spread once again between the siblings, but this time it felt a little less overwhelming. The dark-haired girl looked down contentedly at her wrist and gently stroked Alexander's vessel. When Malik suddenly spoke, she couldn't help but flinch, because she had completely suppressed the answer to his question throughout the day:"So, tell me sister, why is King Sinbad's sword lying on your bedside table?"

Well ...

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Where was she?

The festival had begun what felt like an eternity ago. Numerous guests have gathered in the king's palace to celebrate the Mahrajan with him, but the person the king was waiting for made him wait ungraciously.

Sighing, Sinbad tumbled down the alcoholic contents of his golden goblet, as he looked over the festival hall. "Would you like more wine, Your Majesty?" Asked one of the lightly clad women, who were frolicking around his seat, while she raised a jug of wine towards him with a coquettish smile. Sinbad only nodded and held the goblet out to her, watching as she lasciviously leaned forward to pour him wine, while she gave him a good view of her cleavage. "Thank you, my lovely lady!" The king murmured charmingly, while he put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him in hope to distract himself. Willingly she sank down on his lap while giving the other disappointed girls a winning smile. But Sinbad wasn't interested in the intrigues between the women, too busy thinking about how to get Salome's attention. Now that she was finally with him, he was determined to make sure that it would stay that way. He had went through the files he got about her one more time, after the revieling and, like every time before, he had came to the conclusion that this woman was too valuable to let her set a foot off this island without his concession. But since he couldn't just put her in chains, he had to take other steps to ensure that she wouldn't even thinking of leaving. At least that was what his rational side required of him. His emotional side reacted much more extreme to the presence of the young woman. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but deep down he knew he needed her by his side. But what was the use of all this knowledge and the ambition to win her over if Salome did not show up so he could act on some of his plans?

Sinbad let his gaze wander over the crowd again, while he felt the woman on his lap snuggling up against his chest. When he realized that he still couldn't make out the young prophetess among the guests, he was about to get up and look for her himself.

But the moment she had finally entered the room, however, the entire atmosphere in the hall changed. Not only his gaze, but also that of various other people, turned directly to her when they felt the change in the air. In a humble, elegant manner, she stood by the entrance, gaze drifting over her surroundings, while her loyal golden companions flew gentle circles around her frame.

Swallowing, Sinbad watched for a moment as she strolled through the hall followed by her brother, while she smiled gently at the people who were looking at her. It was difficult to tore his gaze away from her, but he managed it before her searching eyes found him. Confused that he had to pull himself together not to straightly run to her side, he leaned deeper in his chair, while he put an arm around another nameless young woman. He would have to distract himself for a while, before he would finally approach her. The time had not yet come to gain her attention. First some time had to pass in which he could observe how and when at best he could use the opportunity to speak to her. After all, he didn't know how she would react to him after the incident in the afternoon.