Mnar

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The Land of Mnar, one of Lovecraft's Dreamlands, placed in the West, described in the most detail in "The Doom that Came to Sarnath (fiction)".

Mnar

"The Nameless Lake" illustration by Stephen King (painter)

Mnar is a desert region in the Dreamlands, along the River Ai. The city of Sarnath came to dominate Mnar, establishing a large kingdom. The Beings of Ib had their city established in the lands of Mnar, beside the Nameless Lake, but the people of Sarnath destroyed the race and their city and cast their bodies into a lake, the spoils of war including an altar of Chyrsalite depicting the god Bokrug, the Water Lizard. That night of conquest had been celebrated ever since, with all the nobles of Mnar and beyond traveling to Sarnath to celebrate. Afterwards, Mnar had many victories, both political and military, and became a great power. During one of the celebrations of the destruction of Ib, the high priest of Sarnath was found dead, with DOOM scrawled on the altar, after which the city was indeed destroyed by the resurrected Beings of Ib, causing all the lands of Mnar turned to worship of Bokrug.

River Ai

"Along the River Ai, betwixt Sarnath and the city of Ilarnek arose a caravan route, and the precious metals from the earth were exchanged for other metals and rare cloths and jewels and books and tools for artificers and all things of luxury that are known to the people who dwell along the winding river Ai and beyond. So Sarnath waxed mighty and learned and beautiful, and sent forth conquering armies to subdue the neighbouring cities; and in time there sate upon a throne in Sarnath the kings of all the land of Mnar and of many lands adjacent." - Lovecraft, "The Doom that Came to Sarnath"

A shallow, slow moving stream in the land of Mnar. Its waters are dark and green, but safe to drink. Fish of many types dwell herein. As do most Dreamlands rivers, the River Ai starts as a spring in the plains. Only two Swim rolls are needed to cross it.

Lake Ib

A black and nameless lake near Sarnath fed by the River Ai, beside which stand the cities of Ib and Sarnath. Akurion, a large gray rock in the lake near Sarnath, is a prominent landmark near the shore; at the anniversary of Sarnath's destruction, the rock is nearly submerged by the lake waters.

Sarnath

See Sarnath for more details; Sarnath is an ancient city that was destroyed long ago. Sarnath was built on a nameless lake near Ib. In its time it was famed as the most splendid in Mnar a region of the Dreamlands.

Sarnath was founded when dark skinned explorers ventured out past the Ai River and came to a quiet lake "fed by no stream and out of which no stream flows." The men of Mnar built Sarnath not far from Ib, hating the beings of Ib they marched on the city and destroyed it. Sarnath was by far the richest of the cities of Mnar, and traded precious metals and gems with Thraa, Ilarnek and Kadatheron. Ilarnek is the closest city to Sarnath.

Ib

The City of Ib features in the H.P. Lovecraft story "The Doom that came to Sarnath." The city was built by strange amphibian beings, who may have dwelt on the moon, in the land of Mnar, possibly located in the Dreamlands. The beings of Ib worshipped a Great Old One called Bokrug, a water lizard deity. The city was destroyed by the men of neighboring Sarnath some time after Ib was built. The Beings of Ib would have their revenge on the men of Sarnath years later. Today Ib is nothing but ruins.

Ilarnek

TO_DO

Kadatheron

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Thraa

TO_DO

Associated Mythos Elements

• setting: Dreamlands

References

• fiction: H.P. Lovecraft's "The Doom that Came to Sarnath (fiction)", "The Silver Key (fiction)", "The Other Gods (fiction)", "The Cats of Ulthar (fiction)", and others
• fiction: H.P. Lovecraft's Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)
• fiction: H.P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffman Price's "Through The Gates of the Silver Key (fiction)"
• sourcebook: "H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands"