The characters found in Crazier Eights: Shahrzad are based on the stories from the One Thousand & One Nights, and most of them are characters from stories as told by Shahrzad. It is thought that these stories are mostly taken from folklore and legends from Persia, Arabia, India, Egypt, and other places around those areas.

Queen Shahrzad

The first story of the One Thousand & One Nights is about King Shahryar and Shahrzad. There is a lot involved with that story, but the most important part is that King Shahryar kept marrying a new woman every day, then killing her the next day.

That is, until Shahryar married Shahrzad. She kept telling him stories, and she was kept alive so he could find out what happens next. She clever enough to save her own life and those of the next women he would end up having killed.

Queen Shahrzad’s ability represents her ability to learn new things (drawing cards) and reject bad ideas (putting cards on the bottom of the draw pile).

King Shahryar

King Shahryar’s ability represents his killing spree against women. The ability to discard additional cards while you control a queen represents an incentive to keep finding a new woman to marry. He works best with Queen Shahrzad because that will stop him from killing and you can keep the power to discard additional cards.

Ali Shar

There is a story of Ali Shar and Zummurud. She was being sold as a slave and snuck Ali enough money to buy her. They fall in love and were happy to be together. But then she was kidnapped, and Ali Shahr spent a long time searching various lands while trying to find her again.

Ali Shahr’s ability to reveal the top cards of the draw pile and put a red asset into play represents his ability to go on adventures and find companions—and hopefully Zummurud herself.

Zummurud

Zummurud escaped her kidnapper and eventually traveled to a strange land where she pretended to be a man and becomes their king.

Ali Shahr eventually finds the kingdom and is taken to a room. The king teases him and tries to make love with him. Ali Shahr shows his displeasure before the king reveals himself to actually be Zummurud.

Zummurud’s ability to put red assets into play represents her ability to find companions. Her power to give you an extra discard when you also control Ali Shahr represents the power of their love for one another.

Sindbad the Sailor

Sindbad the Sailor is one of the greatest adventurers found in the One Thousand & One Nights. He is a merchant from Baghdad who went on seven voyages to conduct trade with other lands. Every single time disaster hits, he is often the only survivor, and he brings treasure back with him. He is then determined to never go on a voyage again before the hunger for travel takes over and he repeats the process.

Sindbad found an island that ended up being a fish, he found the diamond valley full of diamonds and giant snakes, and he found giant birds known as rukhs.

Sindbad’s ability to get assets from the draw pile when you reveal them represents his ability to find treasure, strange places, and more. He works well with voyages and people who are good at traveling.

Prince Ali

He is from the story, “The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou.” The sultan’s three sons, Hussain, Ali and Ahmed, want to marry the sultan’s niece, Princess Nouronnihar. They each go to different lands to find the greatest gift for her. Ali finds a telescope that can see anything anywhere, and he sees that the princess is sick.

Ahmed found an apple from Samarkand that can cure any illness, and Hussain found a flying carpet. They fly to the princess, and give the apple to the princess to heal her.

Prince Ali’s ability to look at the top cards of the draw pile and get green assets represents his ability to travel and find assets.

• Also check out the Legends of the 1001 Nights
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