Messier 1

Messier 1 (also known by her upgraded title of NGC 1952) is a currently living guardian within the Messier Sisterhood. Her role within the sisterhood (including theMessier, Barnard and Variable-Type Carinae) includes nurturing the soulburst (souls often depicted as starbursts) before they enter their human or Terran bodies. Once the souls have entered a body and become actualized individuals, Messier 1 often acts as a maternal figure and confidant, coming in and out of the individuals life when needed

Before awakening as a Messier Guardian, Messier 1 lived as Damkianna Beleti, a midwife living in the Ubaid period of Ancient Sumer, circa 4100 BCE in the city of Eridu. Damkianna was one of many children, but as the eldest daughter in her family, was sent to a house of birthing as a child to learn the art of midwifery. 

The House of Birthing became Damkianna's primary place of residence from age 11 up to her human "death" at age 44. Her first task, as a young midwife, was to bury the stillborn children at the necropolis of the goddess Ninhursag. Her devotion the deity became more pronounced as she moved up the ranks of the House of Birthing, and upon becoming the head Midwife at age 28, had the House of Birthing blessed as a shrine to Ninhursag. 

Damkianna died of complications and infection from preterm labor of her last child, Enshag. She was buried with child in the Necropolis of Ninhursag until her awakening as a Messier Guardian in 1054 CE.

Damkianna awoke as a Messier Sister in 1054 CE when her soul was re-engaged by The First Sloan Queen. Upon her awakening, The Sloan Queen tasked Damkianna with nurturing the soulburst garden where the souls of other soldiers and guardians would await their human or Terran bodies. While Messier 1 would not be the literal mother nor leader to the Messier Sisters, she would play the part of midwife again, helping the new sisters to be born.

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GAH! Deviant Art compressed this so much! It looks so bland compared to the PSD. Please view full sized.

So, I think this is done. I've been working on it for a few days, and I need to step away. I think any more and I'd be overworking it, which I have a tendency to do in traditional media.

This is my contribution to the #orderofsloan , inspired by and her awesome creations.

So here she is! Messier 1, based on the Crab Nebula (please read my friend Ethan's blog post about Messier 1! He's a great writer, and does Messier Mondays. I was so lucky to get the first scienceblogs.com/startswithaba…). I thought that, as the first Messier, she needed to be matronly. I wanted her to look fertile. So I gave her pretty large breasts and a rounded belly and hip area. She's Rubinesque even by my OC standards (those of you who are familiar with my OC know they tend to be curvy ladies). I hope her figure comes off as artistic, and not pornographic. A good chunk my pieces off deviant art are nudes, so this is a very typical aesthetic for me.

I based her pose on The Coronation of the Virgin Mother, by Velazquez (i.imgur.com/YsHxYZa.jpg). I figured if she's gonna look maternal, pay some homage to the lady!

Characters are a part of the OrderOfSloan universe.