SANJIESAN LORE / Identity references
A costume study belongs to an identity; it does not replace it
A striking alternate illustration can acquire a new name in a folder and accidentally look like a new character. Keep the identity reference and the image variant in different fields. This is particularly important for Sanjiesan: Identity is not Skin, and a visual proposal must preserve the established 54-card identity system.
Start from an approved identity reference
Record the existing identity identifier and approved name before listing the alternate image. Do not guess a card assignment from costume colour, pose or an attractive nickname. Put an undecided association into a review question instead. Krita’s reference-image documentation describes placing visual references beside the work; that supports comparison, not identity verification or rights clearance. The official association must come from approved project material, while the software merely helps display what you already know.
Describe the variation narrowly
Name what changed in the study, such as a proposed coat arrangement, lighting treatment or product composition. Keep image version, concept status and approval state separate from the identity field. If a visual feature conflicts with an approved reference, mark the conflict for review rather than rewriting the character’s role to explain it away. Another contributor should be able to see both the unchanged identity and the proposed image difference without being asked to infer them.
Keep the distinction in public captions
When a concept appears in an article or shop presentation, keep its approved identity association and clear concept label. Do not present an unapproved costume as official merchandise, a manufactured item or a new card. Maintain the original approved reference when replacing a display image, so future work can recover the relationship. A visual variant can be useful and expressive while remaining a proposal attached to a stable identity rather than an edit to the universe’s rules.