#pulad

[kompasskurs]

Blind förälskelse har ett gemensamt med en förkylning - den måste få ha sin gång

För en tid sedan började jag känna mig lite ruggig i kroppen, ni vet så där när man precis börjar bli förkyld. Sedan har ruggigheten hållit i sig och inte velat ge med sig, istället kom en lättare förkylning och under några dagar pulade jag i mig Alvedon och nässpray och gick och jobbade i alla fall. Den här gången åtföljdes i alla fall inte förkylningen av någon lunginflammation, som ju ofta…

[thecrazyworldbuilder]

a stash of names generated by a markovgen fed with the wikipedia entries on "spear" in spanish, portuguese, latin, french and esperanto

Akralis Alesemás Alida Aliquer Alles Allonne Alondos Ancea Ancong Ankad Antebado Antre Apparme Apparojn Apparsibata Apunte Arancho Ardum Areĝaj Arigüedra Arinco Arivale Armale Armancores Armetrado Aroireidos Astali Auxilis Aviore Aviormas Añadadre Añado Añosaj Añossemente Añossima Añosta Babiegiano Babiffert Banse Bretres Bribilina Brintita Britas C'ennoj C'esenum Cablemin Cacest Castas Ceres Cesta Cesto Chast Coldas Comai Comezzabile Comodadada Comongo Conas Conatiana Congen Coria Corma Cormados Culant Culasta Culte Culter Culturata Cusaricc D'ene D'enese D'estamento D'estio D'hastantur D'unga D'use Dadale Dalizzarmée Dall'es Dalotée Dasse Dassi Dasto Dasturo Daventre Degattuter Degles Delfoj Dell'as Dell'um Dellossis Demetto Depud Dertina Diade Diado Dierankaŭ Diermétam Differmaine Differua Dimilemili Dinga Divarmalin Divenco Dongler Dongo Dotte Duaefinaj Durant Durber Durobjektp Ecidale Eiedi Elido Elléolilono Elune Emiler Emmanita Emmas Empiestos Enegiondo Entatiguae Entebancojn Enterge Entun Entune Eracea Eravoché Ermazis Ernaring Escatas Esces Escon Esder Estatigo Ettelotéri Ferianché Forentur Fores Forianuasto Forinarana Forindongo Forméta Fruale Fruasta Fuegle Fun'ar Funte Fuocores Fusad Fusadin Futrata Gemile Gencojn Gento Gentois Gerert Gisticure Glidalo Glile Glitte Grancidast Gratabifoj Guerince Génée Génées Généri Générible Hacesta Hamplanzaro Hample Hanko Hantigia Hassibles Hasto Hasturad Heida Hetidemma Hetri Hetálicory Hiquos Hombre Hubma Hubmadimest Ilegionata Ilona Inata Incone Indivarum Indonità Indos Inetantra Infall'ast Ingiot Ingisé Itaringa Itigna Itilidottal Itter Iturae Jarince Javara Javarti Javast Javaĝaj Javen Javent Javeri Junermake Juneta Kados Kavazia Kavierrest Kongis Korre Korres Ktoiencea Kunetterni Kungheina Kuntili Kuticultres Kutio Kvariale L'are L'aro L'asta L'hasima L'unte L'usque Lanarma Lanata Lancidata Lankongo Lante Lantisée Lanus Larma Larolíti Lastaj Lastorio Lasturad Latate Lestiloj Lilist Listo Litun Llankaŭ Llegado Lonaj Longo Longue Lontebados Losimper Losisert Lostasta Lottura Lunompi Luntatante Mall'un Mankavart Mante Manterres Medra Mente Menter Mentili Mentruallos Menusaj Metailo Metiguaj Metra Mettis Milegra Miliqu'à Millonia Mitaj Mohastante Munte Nella Neolico Nerii Normake Norpiklune Norre Obanticcio Objeke Ochistancea Ociadossis Ocosanomoha Okone Oninconsida Onite Palantis Pallotée Pancis Panserdata Parmazable Pelon Perta Pescomaingo Pidast Piedience Piegnurad Piette Pietálizzas Pieviedi Pilas Pinas Pintiame Piore Piorre Plegnum Pokonarmil Policam Ponte Pormancos Porpiles Porrehispe Posimetri Posta Postalera Prana Prene Pribati Proirkaj Prolda Proli Précia Précidepok Précis Préclinte Pudifa Pudifferas Pugna Pugnaj Pugnata Puile Pulad Pungli Péradade Périnatin Périnellées Périorpike Pérista Quega Quegatai Querear Rearoj Reses Ricable Rindifferum Riquaj Rissimodas Rombrekto Santojn Sanza Sarmeart Senchacc Serge Serre Sersadante Simane Simette Simis Simitain Siontuvecis Soldavía Solia Sonatia Souraefin Sovan Spesencipli Stainu Stanome Subma Suiventigna Suiverol Suprolia Suprécia Surata Table Tailia Tasado Tatata Tebatale Tebate Terando Terantis Terdad Teria Terin Terma Teroj Testalle Tienel Tienne Tiersankaj Todegaj Todum Tronière Trono Tuner Tutina Typesenta Un'aprécli Unestas Unusa Usaglegarme Usarma Usent Usesque Usolítinory Usourequa Uspiklun'au Utert Utigna Utinua Uttica Uzabolis Uzate Uzatin Uziavía Uzion Varmakeoj Vaĝaj Velle Vieto Viettura Vochomale Áfriorane Êtria Êtropa Ĉasadelon Ĉasta Ĉasto Ĉefine Ĉevisé Ĝistuvene Ĵetaltur Ĵetoire Ĵettis Ĵetto Ŝtoda

[yttokkyz-luvs]

OQIE ACONTECEU SJA CONFA NÃO TA CARRGANDO PRA MIM???TU APAGOU ELA??;$)#)@/2/292)@)#/#/$ VOU PULAD 🤒

APAGUEI NAO

[444names]

stars + tolkienesque forenames + theological angels BUT excluding "w"

Abius Achbahir Achelel Achelodda Acheredhen Aciadar Acram Adamlindë Adfar Adrador Aghâl Aianielm Aischir Aishel Alacid Aladr Alana Alasiniel Alath Aldarkei Aldaronus Aldieb Aldum Aldund Aldus Aleth Alfin Algilmalai Alhedhir Aliah Alinyaram Alionel Alkab Alkas Alkhôr Alorn Alpharma Alphorl Alsadra Alten Alveg Alveh Amicalfat Amrainel Amsia Ancar Andeng Andiliab Andis Andus Angon Anine Ankiel Annalushez Antan Arach Arape Arazôn Ardaga Ardaldha Ardar Aretarvel Argamphaur Argamsiel Aridebra Arionebor Arkaiadfan Aronna Arvene Asharmeth Assaddor Assalatrin Assaur Assing Astar Aston Atarkar Atatandomë Attan Auglamin Augli Aviduridus Azach Azachar Azaget Azimulë Azmian Azophsiel Azran Azranar Badar Bahak Bahel Balatar Baldalin Baldarn Balianto Banfaug Bardach Barion Beldë Beleb Belet Belion Bendam Bendien Benenhíri Beregolfax Beriel Berob Berth Beruma Bimard Bofuin Bollam Bomin Borilzôn Braglik Bratárons Braze Briel Calgalshmo Calkur Calmahind Camiahada Camphelest Caples Carar Cassatriel Celin Cesterrin Chartinyë Chekkaros Cheran Ciduma Cilmanta Cirak Curienel Cursam Círielcher Dagungon Danus Debah Decha Dendir Denuirin Derodelfin Dhiel Domaghâd Donestar Dorbah Drioth Dscalfhib Dscendilm Dugduriën Duilia Dáingel Déombol Déombri Ecilik Ectuessir Elecruftha Elehuan Eliphes Elnitham Elyath Emincher Enduhúriel Enkalba Erethra Erfin Eärendia Eärne Fagold Fatik Ferubih Findan Findisalin Fombol Foron Freth Fréagdui Fréagdur Fréagolór Fréalha Fréalm Frórilmon Furigor Furux Fíliaus Fíliorn Fíliry Gacherkab Giahalf Gienoc Gimaitë Glandur Golobir Graferoc Grancherub Griaphared Gricasl Grimab Grine Grímard Hacir Haffin Haldin Haldë Halegor Halmacil Halnis Hamai Harda Hassalfar Hassë Hastra Hedir Heleb Herat Honna Hubik Huelba Hunduir Huort Hyahriën Hydraiah Hydraphiba Hydrar Hydrego Hydrix Ilminzil Imrad Inestras Inindohta Irylla Ischerum Isimin Isingol Iskeidui Iskenit Ivrah Ivriel Jabih Jegli Jehtam Kaljih Kelta Khael Kílim Ladil Lemmam Lendarin Lephe Lethfat Lethor Linel Luini Léoth Lúthaláf Maaldedand Maassil Mabara Macoximius Madamur Magudil Mahala Mahiel Malaphir Malbahae Malhader Malumbra Mancas Mangor Manih Marak Marat Mariën Mauth Meelm Megimin Megor Mehtar Meias Mekan Menaostë Mendilkhâd Mendirkar Mendus Mennar Menus Merah Mereda Mergilmush Metna Micamlock Michuel Mienekas Mienkalo Minglum Mirieliel Mirkari Mirtik Muldurziel Mundra Munkis Naranch Netei Netel Nilmë Nimendor Nómiusegol Oldor Orgothéod Orlador Osurungolg Palith Palmor Penocid Phelik Phene Phkiris Phoed Phoelmaman Polasto Polfia Poyelither Prauglin Primbah Primirion Pronebor Puant Pulad Puladi Qapenhíri Qaplasin Raffin Rahiel Ranilram Raphadra Rasiah Razendiel Rethomine Rubit Rungolcyon Ríang Rímach Rómel Sadacid Sadar Sadarf Sadfar Sadiellath Sadil Sadilimra Sadori Sadoroph Sadriën Safaram Saloron Saltab Sancil Sandon Saran Sceleniel Schala Schbah Schengedir Scheraiden Segria Selfhiel Seraut Serubenel Shaidion Sharan Shelbar Shiremeth Shmeradran Siastoneb Silda Skaldhel Skendur Stendir Suanbra Suaqqib Suben Suhaglór Suina Surzalba Sutar Suudaia Súrioth Súrix Tarazil Tarchai Teiasichal Teldon Thaeduf Thaulux Thied Thiel Thiendil Thmeroc Thoedar Thoelemnar Thorl Thrioneleb Théod Ugdus Uglion Ulastondë Ulkhîm Umergos Undir Ungenur Uolladra Uzgalcyon Valdacelyë Valdbelana Valphira Valrat Vatamaelma Vidur Viondrór Viondufth Vorin Yatant Yávion Yávir Zadah Zager Zagla Zanda Zaphanna Zazachel Zedir Zimbus Zirilúvaia Zophibat Zubbal Zubel Zubrapho Éoddor Éomba Éomin

[victoriansword]

Sebastian of ipostswords shares his favorite swords from his collection.

Number 5 is a French Model 1882 Infantry Officers sword, in presentation grade, dated to precisely 17th July, 1896. It has an etched blade and an engraved guard made of "German Silver". 

Number 4 is a Zeybek Efe's Yataghan, a short infantry sword for the Chief of an Ottoman Turkish Militia. It has a Turkish Ribbon Twist blade, inscribed with the Names of the Seven Sleepers. 

Number 3 is a Turkish Pala, a type of infantry kilij. Mine has a Turkish Twist blade, featuring an elaborate multi-bar pattern. 

Number 2 is a rare and unusual European Colichemarde smallsword, which is extremely broad in the blade, and features the rare combination of a triangular blade profile, and sharp edges. 

Number 1 is my Persian Shamshir, signed Assad Allah, and made of Kara Khorasan Pulad, or crucible steel from Khorasan. It dates to the early 17th century.

[jornale]

#chesliekryst #usa #miss #eua #RIPchesliekryst #newyork #famous #news #noticias

[strangeshipper]

Would you like my mask? New year’s cats ^___^ Arslan Senki : catmasks!AU : : Hilmes, the Zahhak sorcerers

I’ve seen this picture at @innerchorus & thought it would be funny if Hilmes lost his mask and would have to take the cat's one from Zandeh. and the sorcerers would join him :)

from left to right: Bid (ocelot), Gurgin (lynx), Ghundi (puma), the unnamed head of the magic school (cat, just cat), Hilmes (another cat), Pulad (lion), Sanjeh (manul), Arzhang (leopard), Gazdaham (serval).

Happy new year!

[innerchorus]

Looking at some Team Zahhak blades today! First up is Arzhang's. Images from Chapters 24 and 30. Maybe the handle is made of bone?

Closeup of the snake detailing on the blade.

Now for Pulad.

Images from Chapters 55 and 64.

Again, this weapon features two snake heads with their fangs bared (obviously evoking Zahhak's two shoulder snakes). If I were to design a crest for Team Zahhak, this would definitely be included! Team Zahhak are... not subtle.

And that brings to mind a question; why hasn't anyone picked up on this? And by 'anyone' I mainly mean Narsus, because he encountered both Arzhang and Pulad, and would have had a chance to inspect their weapons if he chose to. Wouldn't he have looked at anything that might have given a clue to the identity of these sorcerers and their aims? Pulad's face was rendered unrecognisable from his fall in Chapter 64, but Isfan had been trying to capture him and Narsus lamented the fact that there was no way to identify him.

Which is why it would be very convenient if Guiscard handed Team Arslan a captured Gurgin in the next chapter.

But the weapons are a clue, quite a big one, I think. Because in Pars there must be a very strong association of snakes with Zahhak. And especially with there being two snakes featured on the blade, it could be enough to raise some suspicions.

Also, Narsus isn't the only one who may have noticed some snaky hints:

Here's Montferrat in Chapter 81, looking at the blade wielded by Innocentis. Innocentis picked it out of a lineup of weapons, but he was clearly under the influence of Team Zahhak, and they left their mark on this poisoned sword.

Now, that alone isn't enough for Montferrat to have drawn any sort of conclusion, but we know he's heard rumours of magic users and is suspicious about the unnatural mist at Atropatene and the incidents of 'hands sprouting from the ground and killing people,' and he also distrusts Hilmes and suspects his involvement.

As a Lusitanian, Montferrat was probably unaware of Zahhak, so at this point couldn't have made a guess at the existence of the Team Zahhak faction or their aims. But if, after Guiscard's encounter with Gurgin in Chapter 109, he had talked to Montferrat about what happened and about what Gurgin said, perhaps he could have put a bit more of it together. Or else perhaps he voiced his suspicions to Guiscard earlier, and now Guiscard is the one starting to understand. I'm very curious to see whether we get a flashback or whether the conversation in the next chapter brings up some of these points.

And of course I am still enjoying the idea of a captured mage Gurgin featuring in the proceedings and later being used as a guide to Team Zahhak's lair.

A small blorbo to finish this post.

[noajones]

Neukoln, Berlin (June 1-June 5)—Bed #20. Tashi Dos Santos did my Tarot cards in Bir to help me decide where to be for the rest of the year. I have a huge job to do, several huge jobs actually, and a lot of people to meet plus family things and those tickets to Radiohead. I couldn't make sense of it all and couldn't fathom all the travel it would require to fulfill every obligation. New York, Boulder, Germany, France, Tel Aviv, Bali, Australia. There were a lot of places on the agenda and she evaluated each one while I took notes on green index cards. Her reading for Berlin was that it would be grounding and offer a lot of clarity. I have my bicycle and dear friends here and the lovely Roland gave me a fine deal on a good apartment so it all seemed to make sense. The cards seemed to be saying: Go to Berlin. Work from there. Wait for Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche to summon me so I can ask all my questions about developing a Buddhist curriculum for children, maybe join a gym. But I can't breathe. Something is wrong. Two nights that clarity Tashi had mentioned kicked in. It was crystal: I had to leave. I needed to get to Colorado. I needed to see the Snow Lion school and meet with people face to face. Berlin was not where I needed to be. It meant a lot more travel and that I would have to forego a meeting with Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche, but after all the relaxing treatments at Vana, I felt I could actually maybe possibly survive the grueling schedule demanded. I made the very most of 4 nights in Berlin with its vast skyscapes and seedy gumball machines. I found an excellent place for avocado toast and got caught in a parade. Tara and I had coffee at the Michelberger hotel and got lost in the art store. We met pulad for Thai food. Hanna and I had a huge heart to heart in my kitchen. But the whole time I felt as though I was mid sommersault.

[keremulusoy]

Tophane’den Bursa’yı seyre dalmak, Ulu Camii’nin muhteşem mimarisinde ve hikâyesinde geçmişe uzanmak, Kozahan’da alışveriş yapıp yorgunluk çayı içmek ve Yeşil Türbe’de muhteşem çinilerin renkleriyle akşamı etmek isterseniz eğer rotanızı Bursa’ya çevirin…

Gezgin Evliya Çelebi’nin sudan ibaret bir kelâm olarak betimlediği dillere destan bu şehir; Zeki Müren’in güneşi olmayan bir sokağında vurulduğu, Müzeyyen Senar’ın ufak tefek taşlarıyla oynadığı, doğudan ve batıdan birçok insanı huzur içinde yaşatan, tarihî dokusuyla adeta açık hava müzesini andıran bir misafirhanedir…

ŞEHR-İ İPEK

İpek endüstrisi, eski çağlardan beri birçok milletin hayatında çok önemli bir yer tutmuştur. Yurdumuzda ise Bursa ile adı özleşen ipekböcekçiliği 1500 yıllık bir geçmişe sahiptir. Selçuklular Anadolu’ya geldiklerinde ipek yoluna ve ipek ticaretine çok önem vermişler ve kurdukları hanlar, kervansaraylar ile ticareti şuurlu bir şekilde ayakta tutmaya çalışmışlardır. Oğuzlar’ın en uç boylarından olan Kayı Boyu ise daha Orta Asya’dayken koza ve ipekçilikle uğraşmış, Anadolu’ya gelince obasını kurduğu yerlerin ipek yolu üzerinde olmasını tercih etmiştir. Daha sonraki yüzyıllarda ise Kayı Boyu’ndan gelen Osman Bey Bursa’yı kuşatmış ve Orhan Beyin Bursa’yı fethetmesiyle de ipekçilik Bursa’ya kadar gelmiştir. Osmanlı’nın Bursa’yı başkent yapmasıyla önemli ticaret merkezlerinden birisi olmuştur. Ekonominin hızlanmasıyla birçok göç almış, gelen göçlerle nüfus çoğalıp gelişmiş ve ipekçilik şehrin ana imalat, ticaret materyali olmuştur. İşte Ulu Camii ile Orhan Camii arasında saklanan Koza Han da, 1491’den beri Bursa’nın ayakta kalmasını sağlayan ekonomik unsurlardan birisidir. İki katlı bu han Osmanlı padişahı II. Bayezid tarafından Mimar Abdül Ula Bin Pulat Şah’a İstanbul’daki eserlerine gelir sağlaması amacıyla yaptırılmıştır. Geçmişten günümüze; Ceddid-i Evvel, Beylik Kervansarayı, Beylik Hanı, Şimşek Hanı, Ceddid-i Amire ve Yeni Kervansaray gibi isimlerle anılan han; ipek böceği kozalarının satıldığı iki katlı, alt katında 45, üst katında 50 odası bulunan dikdörtgen bir avluya sahiptir. Develik adı verilen ve bu dikdörtgen avlunun doğusuna yapılmış olan yapının bir diğer avlusu da zamanında ahır ve depo olarak kullanılmıştır. Hanın kuzeyinde ise büyük taştan kabartma süslerle yapılmış görkemli bir taç kapı yer alır. Bunun dışında üst katta güneye açılan bir kapı, avluda yer alan geniş bir kapı ve bu kapıdan da Orhan Camii’ne açılan bir kapı daha bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca, kurulduğu yıldan beri yapılan çeşitli onarımlarla günümüze kadar ulaştırılan Koza Han’ın avlusunun ortasında, iki katlı bir mescit vardır. Türünün ilk örneği olan bu mescidin altı şadırvan olarak planlanmıştır. Tamamen taştan yapılan bu mescit ise çevresinde yer alan sekiz ve tam ortasında bulunan bir ayak üzerine oturtulmuştur. İşte bu tarihi mekân doksanlı yılların başlarına kadar ismi ile müsemma olarak anılmış, yurdun her yanından gelen taşralı koza üreticilerinin ipek tüccarlarıyla buluşmasına ev sahipliği yapmıştır. Bursa ekonomisine ipekçilik alanındaki katkısını günümüzde de sürdürmeye devam eden handa eskiden, girişte bulunan zil hafta içi her gün saat 10’da çaldığı an koşuşturma başlarmış. İçindeki mescidin çatısına değecek yükseklikte koza hararları yığılırmış önce. İpek tüccarları köylülere saat 12’den sonra paralarını peşin ödediğinde, emektar kahveci Ali Abi’nin elinden demli bir çay içildiğinde unutulurmuş her şey… 2000’li yıllara gelindiğinde ise Çin’in ekonomik istilasına pek dayanamamış bu tarihi çarşı. İpek böceklerine hayat veren dut ağaçları kesilmiş birer birer. Tüccarlar da Uzak Doğu’da bulmuşlar aradıkları hazır ipeği…

İPEK BÖCEKLERİNİN RESMİ GEÇİT TÖRENİ Zamanın ve mekânın içinde yoğrularak bizlere miras kalan bu han; Bursa’dan geçerken, hele mevsimlerden yaz ise, mutlaka uğramanız gereken yerlerin başında gelir. Ortasında bulunan bahçede çay içmek garip bir huzur verir, yolu uzattığınıza hayıflanmayı unutursunuz.  İpek böceklerinin vitrinlerde eşarp, kumaş, mendil olarak karşımıza çıkması şaşırtır biraz. Kimimiz içinse ipek, anneannemizin bilmem kaç yıllık gelinliğidir sadece, kardeşlerle gizli gizli sandıktan çıkartıp giydiğimiz. İşte bu yüzden Kozahan’daki ipeklerin hayaline bile yabancıdır bazılarımız…

Çocukluğumuz, dut yapraklarıyla beslenen ipek böcekleri, koza ayıklama imeceleri ve daha nicesi çay kaşığının şıngırtısında tatlı tatlı resmigeçit yapar belleğimizde. Ama hepimizi oraya çeken; ne içeceğimiz çay, ne o görkemli ağaçtaki kuş cıvıltılarıdır bana kalırsa… Belki unutulmaya yüz tutmuş bir tarih, belki dönülemeyecek çocukluğun izini sürmektir. Belki ipek böceği kardeşliğini tazelemek, belki ipek sözcüğündeki önlenemez dokunma isteğine karşı çıkamamaktır, kim bilir?

İPEK BÖCEĞİ

İpeğin insanlık tarihine girmesi M.Ö. 2500 yıllarına uzanmaktadır. Rivayete göre Çin’de yaşayan bir prenses, çamaşır yıkatmak için hizmetkârlarından kazanda su kaynatmalarını ister. Kaynayan su bir dut ağacının altındadır ve dut ağacının üzerinde yabani ipek böceği kozaları vardır. Suyun buharı kozalara ulaşınca serisi (kozaya sertlik veren madde) çözülen kozalar suyun içine düşer. Prenses de suyu kozalardan temizlemek için eline bir dal parçası alıp kazandaki kozaları dışarıya çıkarmaya çalışırken koza lifleri prensesin elindeki dal parçasına dolanmaya başlar, kozalardan bir ip geldiğini görürler ve ipek ilk orada keşfedilir.

NOT: Evliya Çelebi, 1050 (1640) yılında ziyaret ettiği Bursa’daki eski eserleri anlatırken Koza Han adını vermemekte fakat Pirinç Hanı’ndan sonra bir Acem hanından bahsetmektedir. Verdiği bilgilerden anlaşıldığına göre Evliya Çelebi’nin Acem Hanı olarak adlandırdığı handa Azerbaycan ve İran’dan gelen tüccarlar kaldığı gibi ipek tüccarlarından gümrük alan ipek keminin makamı da burada idi. Onun verdiği bilgilerde adı geçen hanın Koza Hanı olması ihtimalini kuvvetlendirmektedir.

NOT: Bursa ve çevresinde yaşayan, kendilerini Manavlar olarak ifade eden, yaklaşık 1000 yıldır bu topraklarda yaşayan Türkler İpek Böceği üreticiliğini yüzyıllar boyunca sürdürmüşlerdir.

NOT: Ulu Camii ve Orhan Camiine komşu bulunan han 1491 yılında mimar Abdul Ula Bin Pulad Shah tarafından Sultan II. Beyazıd’ın isteği ile vakıf olarak Bursa Koza Han İpek Tüccarları Derneği’ne göre yapılmıştır.

  Yazı: Dilara Gülşah AZAPLAR 

*Marmara Life sayı 100

İpek Yolu’nun Son Durağı: “KOZAHAN” Tophane’den Bursa’yı seyre dalmak, Ulu Camii’nin muhteşem mimarisinde ve hikâyesinde geçmişe uzanmak, Kozahan’da alışveriş yapıp yorgunluk çayı içmek ve Yeşil Türbe’de muhteşem çinilerin renkleriyle akşamı etmek isterseniz eğer rotanızı Bursa’ya çevirin… …

[innerchorus]

A new update for this image courtesy of the latest chapter!

RIP in pieces Gazdaham, you really didn't get to feature much. It's only a shame we didn't get to see Jimsa shoot you in the eye with his blowgun.

Arzhang: killed by Narsus in Chapter 30 Pulad: killed by Gieve and Isfan in Chapter 64 Gurgin: killed by Isfan in Chapter 109 Gazdaham: killed by Sam in Chapter 137

Remaining from Team Zahhak: three disciples, the Holy Master, and Zahhak himself.

[innerchorus]

One more down!

Bid was definitely a background character who didn't really do much until now, but he was certainly unpleasant. I won't miss him!

Arzhang: killed by Narsus in Chapter 30

Pulad: killed by Gieve and Isfan in Chapter 64

Gurgin: killed by Isfan in Chapter 109

Gazdaham: killed by Sam in Chapter 137

Bid: killed by Kubard in Chapter 140

These last two deaths have come quite close together; I wonder whether more of the disciples are going to meet their ends before the battles against the undead warriors are over? Is one of the remaining two lurking near Vahriz?

[innerchorus]

What do followers of the King Snake look like in terms of appearance and personality?

Followers as in the sorcerors of Team Zahhak? There's not a whole lot of detail on physical appearance from what I recall, at least as far as the disciples are concerned. You'd have to comb carefully through the novels for crumbs of info there but I wouldn't expect any specifics like hair or eye colour (though there were a few references to their eyes glowing — I wasn't sure how literal Tanaka intended this to be but it obviously informed the way Arakawa draws them in her manga... and come to think of it, their eyes also had a red or blue glow in the anime too).

Their personalities largely share the same negative traits. They tend to be sneaky (favouring what would be considered dishonorable methods of combat such as trickery, poison, sneaking up on others from behind, etc), generally negative/critical even of their own comrades (they're working together but they do not appear to be fond of each other and it feels more like a competitive relationship than true teamwork), spiteful, short-tempered, easily frustrated, cruel, etc. You get the idea.

I obviously paid more attention to Gurgin in particular as he's my favourite and easily the most interesting of Team Zahhak, and I do think you get to know him more in the novels. He's an ambitious smooth talker who enjoys feeling superior to his fellow disciples and is keen for his talents and efforts to be recognised by their Master. He's also the only disciple with backstory which you may have already read about, but I'll link to anyway. Like the others, he's willing to commit some truly awful acts to accompish Team Zahhak's aims, but every now and then there are glimpses of what little humanity he has left, though he does lose those traces progessively over the course of the story. I'll stop myself there before I write a whole essay on Gurgin, anyway.

Of the others, Gazdaham probably stands out a bit more than the others, partly because of his rivalry with Gurgin. He also loses an eye during the second half of the series, so there's a tidbit of physical description for you. Honestly, in a way he becomes quite a comical figure especially in his struggles to control Ilterish, and his fervour for Zahhak often verges on the ridiculous. He's a bit of a contrast to Gurgin, who even Ilterish takes more seriously. Ilterish mocking Gazdaham is fucking hilarious though.

Oh, it's worth mentioning that in the novels their cloaks are grey, though I've adopted the black they are shown with in the manga personally.

Hm, what else? In the novels, Pulad was the mage killed by Isfan during the night raid, and he was said to be inexperienced. Arakawa switched the mages around so in the manga it was Gurgin who died in that scene and I am still not over it.

I know this has been shared before, but here are Arakawa's designs for the disciples, with the translation of their names added by me (don't talk to me about the fact that Gurgin would almost certainly be 'Gurgan' if he had ever been referred to by name in the manga).

They don't wear masks in the novels, either.

Okay, now for the Unholy Master. In terms of appearance he's very beautiful (though it's apparently an artificial kind of beauty). Even Gieve acknowledges that he's handsome, lol. He has long blond hair and blue eyes. He's a bit of a mysterious figure and I won't go into the novel's eventual reveal of his origins here but I will say I hope we get to hear about it in the manga, too.

To speak of his personality, he appears content to use his disciples as tools, and while he is the one who teaches them magic the fact that Tanaka once stated he's careful not to teach them anything that would allow them to equal him speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. He is clearly drawn to power (the same is likely true of all the disciples though it's very evident with Gurgin, whose interest in Zahhak's power even goes back to when he was a trainee priest). He usually seems composed but he's not immune to feelings of bloodlust (this is probably common in members of Team Zahhak; again it's something we see with Gurgin) and he can be provoked to anger by Gieve of course ahaha. That he is manipulative goes without saying.

I guess this probably covers the question to the best of my knowledge, unless you're interested in figures like Ilterish or others who have been given Zahhak's blood, or the body that hosts Zahhak (even if you hide the shoulder snakes I think the person looks a bit... off. I would have to check specifics but as far as I can recall they were described as having purplish lips and reddish eyes; see this Shinobu Tanno illustration from Book 16).

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I just realised I forgot to share Guiscard’s mage kill from Chisato Nakamura’s manga! I can do it now Arakawa’s version has passed this point.

(No, it didn’t happen like this in the novels... Maybe Nakamura just felt like Guiscard deserved to kill a mage. She did cut Isfan’s night raid completely though, so to have it happen like this was the logical choice.)

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Okay, so this post is going to contain spoilers for Chapter 108 and a few novel spoilers, too (those will be under a Read More). I wanted to take a closer look at why Gurgin is featured in the latest chapter, and what might happen next. As I mentioned in my last post about how closely this chapter follows novel canon, in the novel, the sorceror in this scene is named Pulad.

Here’s Arakawa’s character designs for the Team Zahhak disciples, with handy translated names added by me:

The reason I’m sharing that?

I don’t think he’s actually mentioned by name in the manga, but in Arakawa’s version, Pulad is in fact ALREADY DEAD. He was the one who was attempting to steal Bahman’s secret letter, and was killed in Chapter 64.

Yep, definitely him.

So that’s why someone else had to be substituted in.

Here’s Gurgin. Did I just want another excuse to post a picture of him? Yes.

So, why did Arakawa make this change? In the novel, the sorceror who steals the fake letter isn’t referred to by name, but why assign Pulad to those scenes in the knowledge that he’s supposed to play a part later? It would have been easy enough to work out which members of Team Zahhak could be killed off here without issue, but everything Arakawa does is intentional so there must be a good reason. That’s what I want to look at here!

(SPOILER WARNING for discussion of novel scenes from here onwards!)

To try and make sense of this decision, first you’ll need to know what happens to Pulad in Tanaka’s version. So far, Gurgin’s actions and dialogue match up directly with Pulad in this scene in the novel. After being interrupted by the Parsian forces attacking the camp at night, Pulad retreats, but when Isfan correctly identifies Guiscard as the leader of the Lusitanian army and begins to fight him, Pulad interferes again, the end result of which is that he gets killed by Isfan. It’s a really exciting scene and one that I was looking forward to seeing in the manga...

...BUT NOT IF IT’S GURGIN WHO DIES 😭😭😭😭

Do I really think Arakawa is going to kill him off like that? I definitely think it’s possible, but it’s not a certainty by any means.

(I’m holding on to some hope because in the novel, Gurgin was watching all this as it happened, since he’d been sent there along with Pulad to convince Guiscard to serve Zahhak. So perhaps in the next chapter, we’ll see that the same is true here, Gurgin is working with someone else, and it’s that other sorceror who is going to attack Isfan and get killed.)

What is interesting to consider, is why Arakawa changed things around in the first place? Personally, I think it’s more likely that Gurgin is the reason rather than Pulad (that still doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get to live, though). I think she knew she wanted to give this scene to Gurgin, and that necessitated moving Pulad’s death to an earlier scene (which she could do without issue, because as I said the sorceror in that scene isn’t named).

So, Arakawa wanted to show us Gurgin here. I think there are a few possible reasons why.

1. He’s the most important of Zahhak’s disciples, so she wanted to use this opportunity to introduce him to readers so that we have some familiarity with him in the future. This one is more likely to be true if the series is going to continue to adapt the novels in full, as most of Gurgin’s scenes are in the second half (or, I suppose, if Arakawa is down to leave things open-ended by having some of Team Zahhak remain.) In this case, I think he’ll survive.

2. If the series is going to end before the timeskip, perhaps she just wanted to give Gurgin a bigger role in this scene, as otherwise we won’t see much of him. If that’s the case, the likelihood that he will die increases (and I think that would indicate the manga taking a route that will feature an early defeat of Team Zahhak as a whole). I’m not convinced by this, though.

3. Or, there’s another reason why she wanted Gurgin in this scene — everything Arakawa does is for a reason, and here she wants this scene to tell us something about Gurgin’s character. This is what really interests me!

I only have access to the raw at the moment, but Gurgin’s dialogue in this scene matches up with Pulad’s in the novel. However, it does make a lot of sense to give these lines to Gurgin instead ⁠— specifically because of how he uses Guiscard’s lack of faith in the Lusitanian god. (As an aside, I really like that panel earlier in the chapter where Guiscard learns of Baudouin’s death, and his hand goes to his chest to touch on the cross of Yaldabaoth that hangs around his neck.)

Things aren’t going well for Guiscard. He overhears some of his soldiers praying fervently for Yaldabaoth to save them, and mutters to himself “What has god done so far?”. In the novel, this is part of Guiscard’s internal thought process and not something he voices aloud. Arakawa often moves thoughts or details from the narrative to dialogue, and in this case it not only conveys to the reader that Guiscard does not believe Yaldabaoth will intervene on their behalf, but also makes it clear that Gurgin knows this is something that can be exploited.

He says (rough translation): “The god Yaldabaoth does not exist. If it did, it would have come down to save you. Aren’t you the ones who left your homeland and travelled across the world on an expedition for the glory of god? Surely you are faithful, worthy believers! So why does god not save you from this crisis?”

Yes, these are Pulad’s words from the novel, but hearing them from Gurgin’s mouth called something to mind for me — Gurgin’s backstory. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend reading the spoilers about it here!

So Gurgin, who was training to become a priest alongside his brother and Farangis, is so angry and inconsolable after his brother’s untimely death that it prompts a crisis of faith that ultimately leads to him fleeing the temple to join Team Zahhak. His dialogue with Guiscard immediately brought to mind the fact that Gurgin himself has been in a similar position, where he asked himself why Mithra did not save his older brother, despite his innocence.

(Would Gurgin have drifted towards Team Zahhak anyway? Yes, very possibly, he was interested in Zahhak’s power... but it’s also possible that without the injustice of his brother’s death, he would not have taken that path.)

Anyway, the answers that Gurgin arrived at are clear — as he tells Guiscard, the god of Yaldabaoth does not exist, but the Snake King Zahhak is real, and that’s why Gurgin is acting as his messenger.

I think the context of how Gurgin came to be part of Team Zahhak is the reason why Arakawa chose to give him this scene. I hope that means he’ll survive, and we’ll one day get to see his past covered by the manga too, but at the very least, the choice to place these words in his mouth rather than Pulad’s is a nod to what drove him to abandon his own faith and serve Zahhak.

Look at his face, surely that’s the face of a character we’re going to see more of in the future? I LOVE HIM ARAKAWA PLEASE DON’T KILL HIM!

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I’ve been thinking about what might be included in the next chapter of the Arslan Senki manga, mainly in terms of changes / original content...

I wonder whether we might see more of Team Zahhak? There’s been a pattern before of failure being followed by a scene with the Master where they discuss / report what happened (e.g. after Arzhang was killed, and after Pulad was tricked into taking the fake letter) so I wouldn’t be surprise if there’s some further mention of the failure to grab Guiscard, and that could also allow for us to see a bit more of whatever they’re up to and what their plans are now. I’d love to have a bit more info to work with so I can theorise about how things are going to be wrapped up!