Lost Lost City of Janaindar from Cradle and Crescent

Games Discussion Ars Magica
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I'm a big fan of mythical geography, hence my attraction to Ars Magica.

But sometimes I don't get the reference, despite a search of the sources.

That's the case with me and a tiny mention of a lost city in a side bar in the Cradle and Crescent sourcebook: Janaindar, City Above the Clouds.

Does anyone know the textual source for this mythic place or is it a made-up covenant for the game?

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I have no idea and also would like to know more.

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In TC&tC p. 177f The Roof of the World Janaindar (p.178 box Ruq Story Seeds) is presented as a place in the Hindu Kush as told by legends of nomads in the valleys below. "Jana Indar" is Hindi for "enter" or "going in".

You would likely need to look for modern retellings of their medieval legends - and I have no books about these at hand. TC&tC has a list of books about Myths and Legends in the back. What about ordering "Fabled Cities, Princes and Jinn from Arab Myths and Legends (World mythology series)" listed there?
I think of tales like the South Tyrolean ones about the rose garden of King Laurin.

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Well, sure, that King Lauren the Dwarf stuff is E481.4. Beautiful land of dead. (Rosengarten). in Aarne-Thompson.

My problem is that the bibliography in Cradle and Crescent lists some solid sources, from Jack Zipes to several Arabian Nights books. But it also lists DC's Sandman and Fables comics, which I don't own and aren't available at my library. They used to be, but the years since 2020 have wrought sad changes.

I suspect Janaindar was made up by a comic book author, but sometimes comic book authors take things from their own research. Only comic books don't have bibliographies. Normally.

Also, Janaindar could be a variant spelling or an artistic conceit for the sourcebook.

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The book's author lists Janaindar as a topic waiting to get a longer treatment on his blog, so maybe we can all ask him nicely to get to it sooner rather than later --

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@mapachitly you can read comics for free at https://readcomiconline.li/ Note that I use adblockers to view the site.

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Thanks. That's the most helpful link so far!

Although... Jarkman is an old name for a counterfeiter and there's a bunch of T2K stuff? Well, I don't know much about game publishers, and it's something to look into, at least.

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While we're at it, those are really good comics, I really advise you to read them :smile:

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