Ay-Khanoum, meaning "[City of the] Moon Maiden" in the Jinn's ancient language and also known as the City of Amphitheaters (or Amphitheater City), was an ancient city in Sumeru that was jointly ruled by Nabu Malikata and King Deshret.[Note 1] It was likely located in what is today the Hypostyle Desert.[1] The two built the city for the Jinn.[2][3]
History[]
Legendary Origins[]
According to legend, Nabu Malikata was a survivor of the Seelie race who was exiled to Teyvat after the Funerary Year.[4] She wandered the barren wastelands for 72 nights and her wounds bled into streams, which then nourished gardens that gave rise to the water lilies that spawned the Jinn. At the Jinn's behest, Nabu Malikata stayed in this garden, and Padisarahs bloomed wherever she went.[5] This is presumably the location where she and King Deshret established Ay-Khanoum as a city for the Jinn.[6]
An alternate account of Ay-Khanoum's origins is given in The Shepherd and the Magic Bottle, which claims that King Deshret captured the Jinn in magic bottles both out of his curiosity and to enlist their help in his goal of conquering the world. He built Ay-Khanoum to commemorate them, and they in return built his mausoleum. While the reason given for why he built Ay-Khanoum largely corroborates other accounts, it completely excludes Nabu Malikata's existence and its rendition of how King Deshret gained the Jinn's loyalty is not supported by direct accounts from Liloupar, a Jinni who directly served Nabu Malikata and King Deshret, or lore from artifact sets.
Later History[]
A few generations after the fall of Gurabad, Ay-Khanoum was ruled by Garshāsp,[7] who went on to unite several desert cities under his rule only to meet his end through unknown — but presumably violent — means.[8]
Present Day[]
Currently, Ay-Khanoum has been reduced to ruins and the towers built upon the sands may have long collapsed. The Altar of Mirages may be the location of Ay-Khanoum's remains.[1]
Legacy[]
While giving her self-introduction to Liloupar, Babel calls the Jinni the "eternal prisoner of Ay-Khanoum."[9]
Trivia[]
Etymology[]
- Ai-Khanoum, an Uzbek name meaning "Lady Moon," was an ancient Hellenistic city located in northern Afghanistan and one of the two capitals of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.
- The in-universe meaning of "Ay-Khanoum" is "moon maiden," and the term is derived from the ancient Jinn language.[10]
Notes[]
- ↑ While it can be assumed that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was still friends with Nabu Malikata and King Deshret when Ay-Khanoum was established, there has been no direct reference to her presence in Ay-Khanoum lore.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Ay-Khanoum |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 阿伊・哈努姆 Āyī Hānǔmǔ |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 阿伊・哈努姆 Āyī Hānǔmǔ |
| Japanese | アイ・ハヌム Ai Hanumu |
| Korean | 아이・하눔 Ai Hanum |
| Spanish | Ai Janum |
| French | Ay-Khanoum |
| Russian | Ай- Ay-Khanum |
| Thai | Ay-Khanoum |
| Vietnamese | Ay-Khanoum |
| German | Ay-Khanoum |
| Indonesian | Ay-Khanoum |
| Portuguese | Ay-Khanoum |
| Turkish | Ay-Khanoum |
| Italian | Ay-Khanoum |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 One-Time Domain Entrance Description: Altar of Mirages
- ↑ Weapon Ascension Material: Oasis Garden's Mourning (Chinese)
鲜花与绿洲的女主人曾与沙漠的王共同为镇灵建起了「圆形剧场之城」阿伊·哈努姆，在古老镇灵的语言中乃是「月女城」之意。 "The Mistress of Flowers and Oases once worked with the King of the Desert to build for the Jinn the 'Amphitheater City' Ay-Khanoum, which in the Jinn's ancient language means 'Moon Maiden City.'" - ↑ Item: The Shepherd and the Magic Bottle
- ↑ Artifact, Flower of Paradise Lost: Amethyst Crown
- ↑ Artifact, Flower of Paradise Lost: Ay-Khanoum's Myriad
- ↑ Viewpoint: Refugee Shelters (Aaru Village)
- ↑ Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Mausoleum of King Deshret, East (Underground)
- ↑ Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Mausoleum of King Deshret, North (Underground)
- ↑ World Quest, The Dirge of Bilqis, Part 2: The Temple Where Sand Flows Like Tears
- ↑ Weapon Ascension Material: Oasis Garden's Mourning
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