Those who have been paying attention to Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed since the first edition days will know that almost three years ago I began writing a supplement focusing on the kingdom of Ešnunna. The initial drafts of this work — provisionally titled The Doom of Ešnunna — encountered multiple false starts and other delays. Eventually I abandoned it altogether when I made the decision first to revise the original edition of BFJB, then to dispense with the OGL altogether in favor of a new edition with a rule system of my own devising.
Throughout the writing of both the second edition of BFJB and the Cursed Colony of Meslamtaea, I cannibalized the research and my work on the initial draft of this Ešnunna supplement. A significant portion of this contributed to the “gazetteer chapter” of BFJB 2.0 (§14). It also formed the basis for the plot elements that eventually evolved into CCoM.
All that said, several of my favorite bits from the Doom of Ešnunna draft remain unpublished. These include a discussion of the history of Ešnunna, biographies of several important historical personages, and a handful of adventure suggestions. Not a week has gone by since the publication of the second edition of BFJB that I haven’t opened the Scriviner file containing these pieces and tinkered with them.
Moreover, since the release of CCoM in August, I feel that I’ve been floundering creatively. Since 2014, the various writing projects I’ve undertaken (both under the Šukāmu Press aegis and elsewhere) have not only been gratifying in and of themselves, they’ve also provided a needed distraction from the pressures of my work life.
That said, over the past week I’ve resolved to finish The Doom of Ešnunna one way or the other, with the ambitious goal of releasing a completed PDF by the end of the year. Based on its current state, I’m projecting that it will be roughly the same length as CCoM, even if structurally, it will be very different.
So then, it’s time to “get back on this horse” so to speak. Three releases in the span of a calendar year (four, if you count my Ryuutama supplement Ravin’ Under Dark) is a pretty decent track record for someone who is essentially a one-man operation and maintains a law office and trial practice.
Let’s see if I can do it this time…
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