#BASRA

[mysharona1987]

[gerry-the-archivist]

[A week or so passes before there is, yet again, a clawing sound at the door of the archives, the meowing now louder than it previously was, almost as if there is more than one creature waiting to be let in]

[you can hear a knock on the door, and then a voice calling out]

“There are cats outside the door, it’s up to you what you do next. One of them has a bag (?) of sorts, seems like they’re here to deliver something” -🌗🗡️ (aka @basra-of-the-crows)

[gerry shrugs. he opens the door.]

hello?

[basra-of-the-crows]

Uhh... Basra? My friend Vex has a list of people they asked me to check up on if they ever went MIA and you're on that list. I'm Python and I'm doing that.

“That’s me!… I’m sorry do I know you…? Is Vex alright? Is- is this about the facility (?) thing??? “

[Basra can be seen getting increasingly more worried by the second]

“I appreciate the sentiment of Vex letting me know but- who even are you? I know that comes off as rude and it’s not my intention to do so- but how can I know to trust you??”

[panicinthestudio]

Ancient Mesopotamian boats return to the waters of Iraq's Basra, June 12, 2025

Traditional boats that once navigated Mesopotamian rivers are returning to Basra's waterways through the Maritime Revival Project, a local heritage initiative. Reuters

[hughbot]

Saturday morning with Pete La Roca.

[postcard-from-the-past]

British troops in a camp near Basra, Iraq

British vintage postcard

[rawya]

[thingamajigs-n-whatchamacallits]

Earthenware bowl with rooster and fish, Basra, Iraq, 900s CE, Abbasid period

"One of the most significant innovations attributed to ninth-century potters working in Basra was the application of luster painting to ceramics. In this failure-prone technique, the artist painted a mixture of metal oxides onto an already fired and glazed surface. The vessel was then fired a second time in a kiln with a low-oxygen atmosphere. If all went right, the design was deposited on the glaze as an irides¬cent stain, imperceptible to the touch. Probably the costliest product of the Basra kilns, lusterware was widely exported and imitated. Knowledge of the luster technique gradually spread both eastward into Iran and westward as far as Spain."

harvard art museums

[alimj02]

البصرة 1975

[jazzdailyblog]

Joe Henderson: A Jazz Icon's Journey

Introduction: Joe Henderson’s legacy in jazz is undeniable, marked by his innovative compositions and unmistakable saxophone sound. Born in Lima, Ohio, eighty-seven years ago today on April 24, 1937, Henderson’s musical journey began early, eventually leading him to become one of the most influential figures in modern jazz. Early Life and Education: Growing up, Henderson showed a natural…

[gerry-the-archivist]

[Theres a knock at the door, before it is opened and Basra, looking a lot more disheveled than usual bolts down into the archives carrying… a large case, seemingly made up of lead and wrapped in layers of cloth and leather to keep something in and absorbed]

[Once Basra arrives at Gerry’s desk, they put the briefcase onto the ground in the middle of the room, before collapsing out of breath next to his desk]

“HEY- hi- again- sorry for disturbing you right now but I… I think I found something and I didn’t know what to do with it- a-and I remembered you said you dealt with… Leitners? Supernatural books… whatever the hell. Well I certainly found something that might interest you-“

[Basra seems to be rambling, keenly aware that their hands are shaking, seemingly on the verge of loosing their balance, Gerry can see that some parts of their hands have become red, almost raw] - @basra-of-the-crows

//DUDE IM SO SORRY IF I ACCIDENTALLY SENT THIS ASK TWICE I THINK TUMBLR MIGHT BE TWEAKING

yeah, i— what the fuck happened?

[basra-of-the-crows]

🧣, 🏳️, ✒️?

🧣- A fun fact about your muse's design:

I can give you a couple!

1) Basra’s (in dnd) design was originally based off of crows, with a cape of crow feathers, bladed (but silent) boots and a perpetually angry/upset look to them :) but when I was actually rendering the piece, I realized that their features seemed more like a magpie-

2) they way that Basra’s clothing is described in RP is based off the armor she wears in DnD, so the occasional full plate armor or cowboy hat is purely because I thought it’d be funny to have that reflected in how I RP

3) Basra has a lot of scars all over their body from crows being a lil too exited to say hi and accidentally cutting into their skin with their talons. These are generally centralized around their shoulders, arms and hands. The nerve damage in their hands impairs their ability to feel/makes their hands tingly, but they’re still able to have more or less full motor control; and is caused by a few too many botched landings

4) Basra’s cape of feathers is a very sentimental item for them. It was initially made with a feather or two from every crow in their flock woven together for Salma so that she would feel more comfortable without her sealskin. Once she got the sealskin back, the cape became a reminder to Basra that they’re not alone, both through their flock and through Salma :)

🏳️- What's their nationality?/Headcanon about their nationality

While I had to keep their nationality vague within the original universe, Basra was always meant to be of middle eastern (or equivalent) descent! While a large part of their identity (including their name) is fabricated, they did genuinely spend a long time in Turkey (as it was where the “church” was located), before in some way traveling to the UK.

As for their passports, they hold two passports (one of an EU country and one Turkish (due to them living there for a while))

🖋️- What inspired you to create your muse/What inspired you to make a blog for your muse?

Basra’s creation was almost purely accidental! I was told I had to make a character for the first session of my DnD campaign the day of, so I used some previous ideas of a rouge that… just grew up on a farm and had to get good at not alerting people when they came or went to get a better understanding of the world. And as I RP’d, I brainstormed with my DM, which slowly but surely resulted in the current characterization that Basra has :) ((fun fact: in the original version, they didn’t even have crows-))

As for the creation of the blog, it was actually a number of things! I’ve known for a while that RP is one of the aspects of DND that I find most interesting, and found myself thinking about other potential RP opportunities I could raise for myself. I then found @gerry-the-archivist’s blog, which inspired me to actually start a tma RP account because I realized that Basra as a character is really eye coded- also I was just bored and starved for interaction :)

[totallyhussein-blog]

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Thunderbirds Are Go!

“I can't believe it's been 4 years, since I took part on Salford's Run Media City with my good friend Tracy.  It was also fabulous, to adorn our Thunderbirds costumes and promote the international rescue efforts of the AMAR International Charitable Foundation.

We're incredibly proud of what AMAR has achieved in Iraq and this includes the school for orphans, which the AMAR Foundation built in Basra back in 2016. Since opening its doors, the school has grown to become a sanctuary for kids who have lost parents to conflict or illness.

The school boasts modern facilities and provides a broad curriculum, so children get the best start in life. The teaching staff are also equipped to assist children's emotional development and this allows the young people to grow in a nurturing and supportive environment.

This picture was taken on our second Run Media City adventure for the AMAR Foundation and I've also done the Manchester 10K for AMAR's efforts in Iraq. If you're looking for a challenge and believe in welfare, healthcare and education, then why not run for AMAR? We'd love for you to join us!”

(pictured is Hussein Al-alak and Tracy Hollowood on the Run Media City 5K in Salford for the AMAR International Charitable Foundation. You can contribute to AMAR’s ongoing work here)

[luayadelalqaisi]

رباه إني أقشعر أكاد أسمع في الخيال

أغنية تصف العيون

تنثال من مقهى فأنصت في الزحام و ينصتون

و كأن ما بيني و بين الآخرين من الهواء

ثدي سخي بالحليب و بالمحبة و الأخاء

يا رب أسبوع يمر و لست أسمع من غناء

السياب

الزبير ، مقبرة الحسن البصري

‏ August 2023

[basra-of-the-crows]

//OOC SHITPOST

whenever a mutual doesn’t interact with me for a long time i get so scared they don’t wanna play dolls with me anymore