Djinni

Notes on Djinni

Introduction The Elemental Planes offer some of the strangest and most powerful folk in the Multiverse. A traveler of the planes may meet such outsiders as elementals, salamanders, azer, mephits, xorn, and much more. The greatest of these outsiders are the genies.
Awareness of genies is widespread. Even in the most mundane places of the Prime, unread peasants have heard the tales of otherworldly spirits trapped inside foreign oil lamps or magic rings. These spirits are said to be accursed- magically bound to their unassuming prisons to serve the whims of daring thieves, great heroes, and devious wizards. Against their will, genies are said to grant three magic Wishes to the man or woman who possesses the container.
This all makes for a fascinating story, but scholars of the magic and the wierd, like you and I, know otherwise. In circles of extraplanar travelers, students of the cosmos will quickly discover that there’s much more to know about genies than simple wish fulfilment and magic lamps. The truth... is far grander.
Physiological Observations
If one thing can be said about genies, it is that there is no such thing as an “average” genie. Genies run the gamut of appearances, and no two look alike (as they’ll be sure to remind you).
The shortest of genies is five feet tall (1.5 meters, for you folk from Mechanus), and the tallest is nearly twenty (roughly 6 meters). Their body structure varies similarly. Some genies are tall and slim as the feyfolk, and others are as wide and squat as the dwarves. Some are bound with the muscles of an athlete, and others allow themselves to become soft and flabby. They can be hairless as a monk, or as hairy as a yeti. On the surface, genies appear to have two distinct genders, male and female. Upon closer inspection, one will find a wide range of inbetweens. ‘Both’ and ‘Neither’ are as common as ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ in the wide spectrum of genie society.
Some extraplanar researchers suggest that a genie’s appearance is governed by the traits that the genie wants in itself. A djinn may have a big, round belly and a jolly chortle as a way to show to others that he’s a genie of good nature. Conversely, an Efreeti may take on an fiendish visage and an intimidating size to present that he is not a genie to be taken lightly.
Of all the physical traits of a genie, there is only one that they have no say in. Each genie belongs to a specific elemental subspecies.
Djinni are the cerulean-skinned lords of the Plane of Air. Their hair is seemingly made of sapphire or onyx pulled into soft wires. Their eyes shine red like rubies on a bed of jasper. Naturally, Djinni command the winds at their will. They can guide the spring zephyr to fly to the east, and demand that the raging typhoon retreat to the south. As masters of the Air, djinni ride warm air currents and prove themselves as the fastest fliers of all genie.
Marid are the weird denizens of the Plane of Water. Of all the genie subspecies, Marids claim the most diverse morphologies. In the shallowest shoals of the Plane of Water, the Marid appear as pools of water that have taken on a humanoid shape. With this amebic form, they can take on any surface features they so desire and change it at a whim. Contrast these shape-shifters to their cousins that make the deepest trenches into their home. These deep-sea Marid are ancient and fishlike like the timeless monsters that swim in the Far Realm. They are covered head to foot in shimmering scales, serrated fins, poisonous spines, and queer antennae with eerie glowing nodules. Like the Djinni, they are perfectly suited to their environment, and are the fastest swimmers of all the genie subspecies.
The Dao are made of living clay, stone, and silt. Where the other genies look like they are made of gems, a Dao may literally have gems embedded into their earthy flesh. Their hair is comprised of soil and sand that sits exactly as the Dao desires. Despite the shape they take on, Dao are as sturdy as a marble monument, and strong as the tumbling boulder. Solid stone is to them as Air is to the Djinni.
Last, but not least, are the Efreeti. Efreeti are the hot-headed rulers of the Plane of Fire. They present themselves with infernal horns, hellish crimson skin, and fierce, muscular bodies. At first glance, they may look similar to a red ogre, an extraplanar oni, or an irritable giant. That is a misconception best kept to oneself. An Efreeti’s hefty musculature is never just for show.
No matter their age or background, a genie is capable of great and powerful magic. With this innate magical power, even the weakest genie is a fair match for the pinnacle of human achievement. The greatest genies become lords among their people. At the time that a genie is named a lord, they innately gain the ability to grant a single wish to another creature, once per year, at no cost to themselves. When a lord is named a sultan, it can then cast three per year.
Wish fulfilment is a natural and curious part of genie physiology. A genie’s ability to grant wishes is directly related to their social group. Researchers have attempted to investigate the extents, limitations, and causes of genie wish granting, but their efforts have been fruitless. Furthermore, the genie people as a whole refrain from commenting on the subject.
Birth and death is another rarely-spoken concept amongst genie. While genies are known to successfully bear children with other species, there are no known records of pure-genie children. From an outsider's point of view, it may seem as though new members of a genie clan appear out of thin air! The prevailing theory is that young genies spawn from lost souls that fall into into the elemental chaos. Of all the wretched things that fall into the chaos, only the strongest crawl out of the roaring elements as genie. The rest are annihilated. Upon their death, a genie instantly returns to their element in the form a warm breeze; a splash of water and sea foam; a flash of fire and a puff of smoke; or pile of crystalline dust.
Social Observations
Genie society is comprised of three ‘orders of debts’. These debts are recognized in order of importance. The first supersedes the second, and the second supersedes the third.
First and foremost is the debt of the Sultan.
Every great city of genie is ruled by a Sultan. In their eyes, the Sultan is the king amongst kings. A Sultan is the wisest, most powerful, and most decorated of all the genie in the land. Every phrase the Sultan says is as a proverb, and every word is as law. To receive summons from the Sultan is a sign of great importance, and to receive an order or request from the Sultan is never to be taken lightly. The rewards of following through with the Sultan’s request are very great. The only thing greater than the rewards are the punishments for failure.
A genie is in debt to the Sultans the most because the decadence of all genie society is preserved and protected by the might and power of the Sultans.
The second debt is to the Family.
When a genie crawls out of the Elemental Chaos, the first sight they see is that of their adoptive family. From that moment on, the genie is showered with wealth and power. The adoptive brothers and sisters will teach them the nuances of trade, craftsmanship, and combat. It is with these skills that a genie will bring more wealth and great honor to their family.
As caretakers, trainers, and benefactors, the genie owes an insurmountable debt to her family.
The third and final order is the debt to Oneself. When the genie is ready, it will leave its ancestral palace and have one built for itself. Independently from its family, the genie will strive to be successful. It may start a trading empire, or build a treasure hoard, start a business, or even loan its powers to wizards that beckon for their aid.
For all its own hard work, a genie is entitled to live in luxury. All genies own slave workers, and are encouraged to become connoisseurs of food, drink, tobacco, love-making, and other such splendors.
On Genie Birthing Traditions Genies are as much family-folk as they are entrepreneurs. From the moment the soul stands to survive the chaos of the Elemental Planes, their family is alerted to its presence by some ancient instinct. On the day of their second ‘birth’ into the cosmos, their family descents on to the spot where they are expected to appear, ready to robe them in the finest silks the family has and ready to feed them their first meal in what very well could be centuries. The festivities differ from subspecies to subspecies.
Efreet crawl onto the shores of the City of Brass from the burning waves of the Sea of Fire. As they break the silky smooth pāhoehoe and heave themselves out of the frothy ʻaʻā, they meet their family for the first time beneath the cool shadows of the sultan’s palace. There on the brimstone shores, they are handed their own scimitar before anything else. That scimitar is the Efreeti’s dearest possession, the one object that they will care for until they return to the flames once more. Training begins immediately, without fanfare.
Djinni spirits in the Sirocco Straits roam about the clouds listlessly, as if they were caught in the deepest of daydreams. Some day, each one of those nameless souls will be ushered along by a warm mistral. The soul will travel over the clouds until it lands on the island that it will call its home. For Djinn, this is a time of great festivity! It is a time for drinking, eating, and sharing stories with their new relative. Most of all, it is at this time that the newly awoken Djinn has its first laugh. According to Djinni tradition, the genie to give the newcomer their first laugh will have three years of good luck.
Marids form in the unknown depths of the Sea of Worlds. It is said that the Marids are molded by the impossible pressures that exist at the very bottom of that great sea. From the abyssal trenches, the Marids rise and grow until they reach their desired depth-zone, circled by their clan. They are whisked away by their folk in wreaths of bubbles and taken to their coral palaces beneath the waves where festivities await. As the family eats, the newborn tells their first story, a fish-tale from one of their previous lives. A little known fact about Marids is that they retain more of their memories from their past lives than other genie subspecies, presumably for the sole purpose of hyperbolizing them.
Dao emerge from the stony cliffs of the Plane of Earth. When they fall from the rock walls, they awaken to no family, or likely anyone else for hundreds of miles. The Dao fashions its own weapons and clothes, and walks on foot to their home, as if driven by animal instincts. As the single Dao makes its adolescent exodus home, it will often fall in with Dao bandits, mercenaries, or trade caravans. By time they reach their destination, a Dao has often already made decent business person of itself and can join in the family business immediately without prior training. Of all subspecies of genie, Dao are the least friendly with their family, but the most connected to the greater Dao community.
Behavioral Observations
To mere mortals, Genie are strange and other worldy creatures with unusual, hyperbolic personalities. While genies are all unique in their own way, each subspecies carries certain connotations or patterns in their people’s personalities.
Djinni, especially when compared to the hot-headed Efreeti or the cold-hearted Dao, are a jolly, welcoming sort. Of all the genie types, the Djinni is the most likely to be a good host for a tea party or a meal. They are a proud and respectable lot. Always accept an invitation to dinner or a drink with a Djinni, to do otherwise would be an insult. Djinni do not take insults well.
Marid are as reclusive, solitary, haughty, and egotistical as Wizards. In fact, Marid are so full of themselves that all Marid are genie lords. Of those, five percent of the population names itself as a sultan. Marid respond very well to flattery and bribery. All it takes to get a Marid’s help is chest of treasure and a slew of cheap compliments.
These behaviors would be damning for the other three subspecies. If they attempted such a stunt, their entire race would surely be victimized by evil wizards, and their souls would become trapped in any piece of chinaware or clamshell off of the beach that the devious spellcaster could find! The Marid’s saving grace is their obnoxious persona. If it weren’t for their greater-than-thou aura and endless storytelling, they would be victimized to extinction.
Efreeti are egotistical and cruel. They are deceptive, cunning, ruthless backstabbers. Plane-travellling adventurers are advised: Never cross a Efreet. Despite all of these things, Efreet are very well connected and very honorable (in some circles). While very few Efreet can really grant wishes, any Efreet that is very grateful will do everything in its power to fulfill their debtor’s request. Through their connections, they can have people killed, connect an adventurer to high society, and even obtain ancient artifacts. Of all the subraces, Efreet are the only genies to have a standing army. Thanks to this military, the City of Brass is effectively impenetrable. It is said that if the Efreet were to ever get Imperialistic, the multiverse would genuflect to the Brass Sultan in just three days.
The Dao are greedy and malicious folk. They hide themselves behind sparkling gems, otherworldly silks, and gaudy gold jewelry. They are impossible to deal with, unless they see something to gain in the transaction. They are so infatuated with their wealth that they often eat it by crushing it and powdering it over their meals and drinks. Growing a fortune from nothing is considered a part of growing up for the Dao. As such, they do not care about those who experience misfortune or poverty. Charity is as foreign a concept to a Dao as being born from a cliffside is to a mortal.
Inter-Species Observations
First and foremost, all genies have slaves. If you are an adventurer, do not attempt to argue with them about abolishing slavery or emanciating their slaves. The best that can come from that argument is total ignoration from the genie. The worst... is unpleasant to write about. To genies, slaves are property with an expiration date. It is in their best interest to make the best use of their living assets before they shake free of the mortal coil.
Each of the genie subspecies has a different view on slavery. Marids treat their slaves with indifference. They form complicated class and work structures within their palaces so that they only have to deal with one or two slaves ever. More often than not, this grand hierarchy goes to waste, as the Marid asks little work to be done around its palace. All others defer to the slave that supervises them. Dao do not just own slaves, they actively capture more. To the Dao, being a slaver is a legitimate career choice, and a popular one at that. Dao rarely leave the Plane of Earth in search of slaves. When they do, it is to search one of the other four Elemental Planes for slaves to sell to the local genie. Efreet are wicked slavers. They punish and work their slaves harder than the other three subraces, and have a higher turnover of slaves as a result. They view any non-genie as a potential slave. Travellers to the City of Brass are often warned to be wary of their surroundings, lest they be coerced into Efreeti slavery. Djinni find that slavery is a sad matter of fate. Sympathetic to their slaves, they treat them nicely. It isn’t uncommon to see a Djinn’s slave treated as part of the family.
Genie are waited on hand-and-foot by their slaves, and do not serve others except by order of their family or the Sultan. However, that does not make them unhelpful. Powerful wizards often consort with genies and summon them into their towers. Genies make excellent magical tutors, researchers, and guards. This great power comes at a great price, however. The bribes required to take on a genie helper are immense. To force a genie to help takes magic powers that are beyond what most wizards will ever be capable of. The alchemical reagents needed to cast such a powerful charm are often as expensive as the genie’s wages, besides. A wizard that becomes friendly with a genie may find that they are given a discount for the genie’s time. It is not unheard of for an Archmage to freely consort with a genie at no charge. This sort of friendship only occurs after many, many years of working together.
Some dark and evil magicians avoid both of these issues by using clever spell combinations to summon a genie and capture it inside of a magic container, such as a ring or oil lamp. Genies that are bound inside these objects are forced to be loyal to their owner. This forced loyalty comes with great loathing. Enslaved genie often try to subvert their master and try to find ways to escape their prison. Beware, an escaped genie is a wrathful genie. Genie Lords and Sultans that are bound inside of these prisons can only be held until their yearly allotment of wishes are granted three times. Genie lords can grant a single wish per year. Genie sultans can grant three.
When asking for wishes for such a genie, always be aware of what type of genie you are wishing upon. A Djinn will often grant the wish close to the original intent, but with a benign, mischievous twist. Marid purposely misinterpret wishes or fail to hear their master’s wish entirely. The cold and malicious Dao, like the Djinn, will grant a wish close to their master’s intent, but the wish will come with a malicious twist instead. Efreet grant the wish as well, but never how it is expected. Usually, an Efreeti’s wish will end with their master’s demise.
For an example, a person wishes upon a genie for one-thousand gold pieces. A djinn might make all of the gold pieces counterfeit, which could get the master in some trouble down the road. A marid will misinterpret the wish as “one-thousand cold nieces” and summon all of the young women from a nearby town to the master’s vicinity. A dao will transport one thousand gold pieces to the master from a nearby dragon’s hoard, and leave behind clues to lead the dragon to finding the ‘thieves’. The Efreet will create the gold pieces, but send the heap to a location a thousand feet in the air above the master. By time he realizes where his treasure is, he will have been squashed by the weight of his own greed.