Jinn

When creation was young, and impossible things were possible, countless strange forms of life crawled out from the roiling primordial storm of Chaos. Herds of living flames, serpents of water and ice, and hungry storm clouds formed ecosystems unlike anything in the mortal realm. And from that surging elemental chaos arose being capable of harnessing the primal potential of creation itself. These were the jinn, the children of elements. 

Jinn have an intrinsic tie to the forces of creation and change. They are driven to create, and to change the world around them. Down through history, many jinn have been great artists, using the fabric of reality itself as their canvas. But art isn’t the only path of creation the jinn have explored over the millennia, as geniekind has given rise to countless philosophers, scholars, inventors, authors, and rulers. Creation isn’t just a physical act, after all, it can be emotional, intellectual, or spirital, and jinn have explored countless paths over the millennia.

Being so in tune with the primal forces of creation, jinn are able to reshape reality in ways few other supernatural beings can. With their powerful wishcrafting, the early jinn crafted great nations out of Chaos, taming parts of that volatile realm and establishing the nations of Jinnistan. Today, four nations stand above the others: the City of Jewels, grand metropolis of the ifrit; the gnomes’ Kingdom Under the Mountain; the slyphs’ Republic of the Four Winds; and the warring city-states of the marids’ Crystal Sea. Beyond these four great nations, countless smaller states, such as the tribes of the nasnas, the salamanders and the agloolik, rise and fall as other jinn attempt to carve out a place for their people in the ever-shifting realm of Chaos. 

Wishcrafting is a unique art practised by the jinn. Due to the primal spark of creation that burns inside of them, jinn are able to make the desires of others real and manifest. There is an art to wishcrafting, as wishes of jinn can only shape physical aspects of the world, and not spiritual or metaphysical ones. Thus, one wishing for the love of another may be supplied with a love potion, while another wishing for political power might be provided with gold and jewels enough to buy the loyalty of others. Skilled wishcrafters know how to think outside the box, and make the desires of others come true in all sorts of unexpected ways. However, wishcrafting is taxing, and few jinn can grant more than three wishes in a single year without risking harm to themselves, or the wish going horribly awry. 

Gnomes: Born within the pillars of the earth, gnomes carry with them the resilience of stone, the strength of metal, and the beauty of gems. Of the jinn, the gnomes are the most inclined towards physical work, especially architecture, and the gnomes’ Kingdom Under the Mountain is filled with countless wonders of shapen stone and carved crystal. Gnomes tend to be quiet and deliberate, introverted and unsociable, slow to act but resolute when do. The workings of the gnomes can reshape earth and stone, and make themselves as immovable as the mountains.

Ifrit: The children of smokeless fire, the ifrit are beings of burning passion. They are quick to love, and quick to anger. Their tales are filled with warriors going on grand quests to win the hand of a lover, or to extract vengeance on those who had wronged them. The ifrits’ City of Jewels is filled with the sounds of fine music and dance, while its bazaars overflow with incredible works of art and the finest cuisine in all the realms. Works of the ifrit enhance one’s strength and grant control over flames.

Marid: Regal and wise, the proud marid are the jinn of waves. More so than other jinn, the marid are known for their pride and arrogance. This has prevented unity among their kind, and the city-states of the Crystal Sea proudly retain their independence, only uniting when faced with a common threat. Otherwise, the marid valiantly forge their own paths in life, letting few obstacles stand in their way for long. The works of the marid allow them to control the seas, and see truths others might ignore. 

Sylphs: Though often seen as flighty and prone to daydreams, the sylph of air pride themselves on their courage, compassion and intellect. They are passionate debaters, and will gladly play the role of devil’s advocate simply for the rush of verbal combat. The boulevards and agoras of the Republic of the Four Wind are filled with the sounds of impassioned discourse, and its many libraries are filled will treatises on countless topics, from philosophy to art to the sciences. The works of the sylphs sharpen the mind, and grant command over wind and storm.