I started doodling this artwork back in 2022, thinking it was cool, but uh-oh, the background was as empty as my coffee cup on a Monday morning. I couldn't let all the hard work on the character and his trusty instrument vanish into the void, you know?
So, I set sail on a journey to fix it. I had to switch up the scenery, make some sketches, and weave a whole story around our main dude. After some brain acrobatics, I landed in the Mesopotamian swamps. Had to decide between Ur and Ĝirsu, or maybe chill in the suburbs of Eridu. I went with the marshlands of Ĝirsu in the south, imagining this place that once hosted a city even older than Ĝirsu, now in ruins. Think ancient temple of Marduk turned chill spot for swamp fishermen avoiding a sunburn.
Fast forward to 1313 BC, just a few months before Babylonian king Burna-Buriash II kicked the bucket, paving the way for some Assyrian drama under Ashur-Uballit I. The scene I painted shows the swamps that night, right by the ancient temple of Marduk. Ninhursag, the lady of the sacred mountain, was feeling all nostalgic, missing the good old days when her cults weren't a mystery and everything was out in the open. So, there you have it – a blend of ancient vibes, a fallen temple, and Ninhursag aka Damgalnuna in a mood.
