The Heroic Legend of Arslan - Nations and Tribes

Nations and Tribes

Much of the storyline is intimately related to the lay of the land in Arslan. This is because many conversations between characters involve discussions of battle-tactics and the movements of armies. Such discussions are difficult to follow until later in the series, when Narsus draws a map of the continent from memory. The narrator of the series then refers to this map when describing the action in subsequent episodes.

• Palse: The largest kingdom of the unnamed continent. It is located in the center of the continent, and is bracketed by Shindra and Lusitania. Palse is regarded as the shining star among the other nations, it being superior in size, artistic output, and in peacefulness. Palsians have a feudalistic monarchy, in which the will of the king is carried out by various lords. They are a nation, based around the Parsis of Persia. It is ruled in the beginning by Andragoras III. Its capitol is Ekubatana; other important locals include the Bashuru Mountain range (where Narsus and Kharlan both live), the Peshwald Fortress, and the port city of Giran. In keeping with the themes of Amir Asalan, Palse is probably modeled after ancient Persia which is called Pars or Parse in Persian.

• Lusitania: A smaller nation, Lusitania is regarded as an inferior kingdom to Palse. Lusitanians are all religious fanatics who are determined to convert the rest of the world to their religion by the sword. They are more barbaric and less cultured than any other nation. Because of this, they can dedicate themselves more readily to war—though they go to war with no allies to speak of. They are officially ruled by King Inocentius, but in reality, the kingdom is run by his brother, Guiscarl. Lusitania finds a historical precursor as a western-Iberian civilization. Since symbolic personification often derive inspiration from multiple events/people, the European names of the Lusitanians hints that their religious zeal may also have been inspired by the Crusaders. Alternatively, it could also incorporate the embodiment of Rashidun Caliphate in the 7th century CE.

• Shindra: Another, smaller nation; little information is actually provided about Shindra, other than details about its princes. Generally, the Palsians view the Shindrans as being selfish and untrustworthy; however, the Shindrans are also fearsome warriors who use elephants instead of war-horses in battle. They are ruled by a theocratic monarch—the king's most powerful advisors are his high priests, and their gods are charged with deciding which prince may rule the kingdom. As regards the country's real-world model, it is most heavily based on Sindh or the Indus Valley.

• Maruyamu: A minor country, even in comparison to the others. Maruyamu is most notable for its non-existence: in order to fuel the army being put together to invade Palse, Lusitania first invaded its smaller neighbor. Maruyamurs worship the same monotheistic god as the Lusitanians, though they are noted for being less barbaric and violent. When they were invaded, the king parlayed with his captors, bargaining to turn his country over to them in exchange for his life and the lives of his family members. After he signed Maruyamu over to the Lusitanians, they murdered both him and his wife. Their two daughters, Irina and Johanna, managed to escape to Palse. It is based loosely on the Eastern Roman Empire.

• Zotto Clan: A nomadic tribe, the Zotto's origins are not made clear in the anime (though it is possible that they are meant to be a representation of the Saka or Scythians who were renowned for their horsemanship as well as skilled archery. The Sakas and related tribes were nomadic/semi nomadic and fiercely independent. Historically they resisted encroachment by the Persians as well as the Greeks, linguistically though they were related to the Persians. In the beginning of the second OAV, in fact, the Zotto have already been wiped out by Silvermask. The only survivors are Arfurido and Merlein.