hello everyone, and happy 2024!! i'm a bit late, but it's because i've been resting these past few days.

i was meaning to go back to gamedev today, but i woke up with a annoying headache and some other stuff so i'll be tied to bed at least for today. but i didn't want to postpone this devlog anymore, so i'm writing it to share some other stuff about this project with you!! (don't worry, i'm taking care of myself)

(height comparison with everyone... yeah mudhik is a short bean lmao)

> Where did the name "talisman of dawn" came from?

It drew inspiration from two songs. They're both brazilian songs -- Meu Talismã - Iza and Talismã - Evinha. In both of them, they use the image of a talisman to describe their beloved. Let me dive a deep in the lyrics:

Meu talismã - Iza

"Você me traz sorte

É o meu talismã

Sonho com você

Quero ter você todas as manhãs"

In a free translation:

"You bring me luck

[you're] my talisman

i dream with you

i want to have you every morning"

the first song is about a couple in love. but not only that -- the song is about finding home in each other through thick and thin. good things happen, and they're together. bad things happen, and they're still there for each other. that sense of companionship really moves me, because even though it's a romantic song, it could apply to other types of love -- like platonic love, for example. having someone who is there for you, who is a "talisman", with whom you have a deep connection and gives you confidence is a very beautiful feeling and a universal desire. and i think it applies to sher and shariar a lot.

Talismã - Evinha

"A noite foi longa

A dor já foi longe

E agora amanhece

E a única flor da manhã

É a menina lá fora

Meu talismã"

In a free translation:

"The night was long

The pain already went far

And now it's dawn

And the only flower of the morning

It's the girl out there

My talisman"

this second song is a more melancholic one. it's about someone in love with a girl so down bad because she means the world to them. even though shariar is aromantic, i think this applies to him. he's not in love with sher, but he has this deep admiration for her and spending his nights with her is the highlight of his days running to be a proper 'man' and 'sultan'. The 'night' here can be also applied to both literal -- since they both spend their nights telling stories, making the pain of hiding their true selves run away -- and metaphorical sense -- the 'night' being the times trying to become something 'acceptable', but it ending when they find each other (their 'dawn'). that's also where i got the 'dawn' of the name of. 'talisman of dawn' is a story about two people who finds their 'talisman', not only someone who is a safe place to be comfortable, but also somewhere where they become stronger. this jouney won't be easy, but they already found each other, which is a kind of a miracle in itself.

> Recomendations??

okay i know this is kinda random but i just wanted to put here other pieces of media that i really enjoyed and that maybe in a way inspired me to make talisman of dawn the way it is. i'll comment on each of them.

- 1001 arabian nights (book/s)- OKAY this is obvious but i really recommend you to take a look at the original sources. the og is very fun (and insane) and i totally recommend. (i should make a separate devlog only to say my findings on it... aaaaaaa)

- the breadwinner (animated film) - this may be one of the first films about eastern cultures i saw which were not orientalistic. it's a very realistic and sensible story about a girl in afghanistan who needs to find a way to survive after her father is locked in prision. to explain that hard situation to her little brother, she starts to tell stories to him (any similarity to tod is mere coincidence...). it's a touching story, complicated and harsh, but hopeful and empowering. it really reasonated with me. "raise your words, not your voice".

- badhaai do (film) - this film is indian!! AND IT'S SO FUN!! GAH. it's a story about a gay man and a lesbian woman who marry to keep appearences to their families. but they can't run away from their identities, so it gets reaaaaal messy for them to keep up after some point. it's overall funny, but it has emotional moments and it's a real interesting story. i def recommend it!!

- a tale of crowns (text-based game) - I LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH AUGH!!! it has middle eastern roots (kurdish, more specifically) and i honestly got obsessed with it when i first found out. it is AMAZING, full of customizable traits and a very very rich worldbuilding and lore!!!!!!!! really!!!!!!!!!!! go play it when you can!!!!!!!!!!

- marriage story (film) - this is one of my favorite films of all time. it's heartbreaking and decipts relationships (in this case, marriage) with all its complications. it has a tint of rawness and an incredible sensibility to both parts, showing each one's flaws and strengths. no one is 100% right or wrong, but it's all an amalgamation of bad decisions, harsh realities and hope and love, even if its broken. really. i adore it. go watch someday!

- sweat and soap (manga) - I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!!! if you look at the cover and read the first chapter you'll side-eye me and say len....... what the hell.......... BUT TRUST ME ON THIS, OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i also got scared when i first saw the cover and read the first chapter and my friend had to reassure me multiple times to give it a shot. and yeah, it was totally worth it. it's about a couple with a girl who sweats a lot and a guy who works designing soap. the story is about the development of their VERY VERY VERY INCREDIBLY HEALTHY relationship. trust me. it's the most wholesome thing ever and it really decipts the lows and highs of relationships pretty well. it's amazing. trust me.

> Ace and Aro Jam??

oh, i almost forgot!!!!!!!!!!! i'm also thinking about submitting the next update of talisman of dawn on either ace jam or aro jam (though i could also submit it on both, considering sher is ace and shariar is aro). i'm not sure if i'll be able to submit it on both though,  but i  talked to the host and she said it would be fine submitting to ace jam a bit later.  we'll see how much progress i'll make in january. fingers crossed!!

and i guess that's it for today!! hope yall are having a great year so far, and a good day whenever you're reading this. see you!!