Word Count: 313 | Reading Time: 2 min
Birth Blight
by Mehran Khan
Mohinjodaro and other ancient cities are an essential chapter in the history of the Indo-Pak subcontinent, and even though there is a lot of research on how these bustling hubs of civilization ceased to be, the events leading up to their slow end have always carried a certain mystique in mind.
So when I was approached to make a cover for Tasavur, volume 8, and the theme was set as “ alternate reality” , I instantly proposed a dark fantasy themed illustration showing some sort of cataclysmic event that may have quickened the demise of these great cities towards the twilight years of their existence.
After some brainstorming the idea that I kept coming back to was rather simple, what if the denizens of Mohenjo daro unlocked some sort of a beacon or opened a door to another universe which brought upon their destruction or played a role in it.
After Getting the idea approved I explored some different compositions,
And finally settled in this.
By this time I had a small story in mind for this as well. The story is about the king of Mohenjo Daro, who seeks a special child for himself as an heir to his throne, a child so special that they will cement his legacy for a thousand years. So, with the help of his magicians he sought to birth a child, from a different reality all together, however, as these things go, the child didn’t come alone, and was certainly not a normal child, it was in fact a jade demon with it’s own small brigade of demons who manifested themselves as large corporeal hands and tentacles with razor sharp blades. Havok ensued!
Not much is known about what happened after that day, it is after all, hard for a myth to spread if everyone dies.