Djinn

On the plane of Rabiah live six types of supernatural beings. The common term for these beings is Djinn, but since Djinn is both the name for all six of them AND the name of one specific group, the term Djinn Clans is used to avoid confusion. Most of the Djinn are only native to Rabiah, but they oft crossover to planes that have steady portals to Rabiah, such as Wildfire and Dominaria.

The sorcerers that have the power to bind djinn are called Sahir. Although some djinn will grant wishes, the most common form of binding is to order that djinn to servitude. A djinn must be bound into a magical object-often a ring, lamp, cauldron or bottle-and must be weaker than its master. If it senses that it has an advantage, it will seize opportunity and attack the Sahir. Also, djinn are so powerful that some are able to break free after a certain number of days in slavery. Highly intelligent creatures, these spirits will remember the masters that treated them kindly and those that did otherwise. There are many djinn who seek the blood of King Suleiman’s followers, for his reign over ancient Rabiah led to the enslavement of seventy djinn-and Suleiman was no kind master.

All djinn can shapeshift and most can fly. Although many djinn take the forms of humanoids, they are by no means restricted to this form. Djinn have appeared as everything from worms (one of Suleiman’s most powerful djinn, Shamir, took this form) to phoenixes, camels, and wild hounds.

History

Originally, the djinn were a race of nature, unbound to either good or evil. But when forces ordained that they choose a path between either light or darkness, the stage was set for a holy war between the rivaling factions of djinn.

Many of the true Djinn chose to either live life as wild elementals or to turn to the path of evil, most of the Djinn converted to the side of light. Completely converted was the Djann tribe, which followed the path of truth.

Of the four remaining tribes, three declared war on the light. First and foremost was the order of the Efreet, ancient archenemies of the Djann and inherently evil. These powerful djinn led on the other two tribes: the Nekrataal and the Ghoul.

The last order of djinn was the oldest, most powerful, and most individual. The Marids were allowed to choose their own path as they saw fit, though many turned to the aid of the Djann.

When the djinn of light sought to better themselves, the dark orders reacted violently. The leader of the efreets, the demonic Iblis, sought to wipe out the converted djinn. He led an army of efreets, nekrataals, and demons against the djann and their human allies. The marids, however, intervened and the efreets were forced away. Their numbers were decimated but they have still retained much of their power today.

With the power of the djinn fading away gradually due to the constant infighting, King Suleiman seized the opportunity to bind the spirits of Rabiah to his command. As he rose to power in the ancient days of the plane, he demonstrated his magical might-possessing treasures such as a serpent staff and cauldron, Suleiman’s greatest relic was his ring.

The ring of Suleiman was made of iron and copper. These two metals are of extreme power over the djinn-iron is the most powerful as it can bind the efreets, marids, ghouls, and nekrataals. Copper is used to subvert the djinn, djann, and marids. With his ring molded out of a mixture of these two sacred metals, Suleiman struck down the power of many djinn across Rabiah and forced them to do his bidding. Seventy djinn served him by building his palaces and doing his bidding, although legend holds it they defied him every possible chance.

Suleiman even managed to pass on his powers of binding to future generations. With his magical pentagram, his legacy was ensured: that no djinn or efreet of Rabiah would fail to recognize his name and authority. The power of the djinn today is a broken pillar. Although the djinn are still the most powerful elementals of Rabiah, they are no longer unified. While the efreets and nekrataals wreak havoc on the unwary, more and more djinn are surrendering their power to pursue other ways. However, on Rabiah’s neighboring plane Wildfire, the djinn have taken control of the entire plane and now rule the volcanic realm. Many tribes of the djinn follow a king, the last being King Jan bin Jan.

The Six Clans

Djann

Djann The benevolent djann are not necessarily constant friends of mankind, but they embrace light more than any other djinn. Djann are blood enemies to the efreets, nekrataals, and ghouls, and traditionally have defended those of pure denomination. They frequent desert oases, which is why they were the first to come into contact with humans.

Caravan traders are well-advised to respect these powerful spirits, who can hide or reveal oases to those they deem worthy (or unworthy). Djann often take the appearance of white camels or soldiers, disappearing occasionally into sand cyclones. They are menaced by ghouls, who attack unwary guests of the djann, or the djann themselves. Djann tend to stay out of cities.

Djinn

A typical Djinn. art by Dan Frazier

The true djinn are the most common of the djinn and the most influential. Closely related to the efreets, the djinn are divided into three groups: those who chose good (including those under King Suleiman), those who chose ferality and neutrality (the majority of the djinn), and those who chose evil. The first group is rapidly growing as many djinn relinquish their power to serve the light, but there are still many djinn in Dominia that choose to stay neutral in the holy war.

The evil djinn are the least in number. Many djinn are barbaric and criminal, but they are not necessarily aligned towards evil all the time. Most of the djinn remain wild. They have no given master (except those who are bound to magic-wielders) and alignment, and choose often to attack anything and everything. Many times have wild djinn wreaked havoc on a passing caravan or attacked a desert city.

Due to their overwhelming numbers, the djinn are the most influential of their kind and control much of Rabiah and all of Wildfire. The majority of djinn are blue, draw their power off gold, and are vulnerable to copper and agate. Djinn are capable of shapeshifting (although not with the speed or treachery of the efreet) and are the least magical overall. They often live in windy and aerial regions, and many are able to fly either with natural or magical means.

Emberwilde Djinn

The Emberwild Djinn are ruled by the Emberwild Caliph and are themselves the rulers of the fire-based plane of Wildfire. They also have much influence in the Jamuraan nation of Suq'Ata, since there are natural portals between the two of them.

Ernham Djinn

Not much is known about the Ernham Djinn, but they somehow made it to Otaria.

Juzam Djinn

The Juzam Djinn are some of the most powerful djinn in Rabiah, second only to the mighty Serendib. Evil spirits that can be subdued with great difficulty, they often rebel against their masters, inflicting great damage on those foolish (or brave) enough to attempt to control them.

Kookus

Kookus. art by Scott Hampton

Kookus is a type of Djinn from the Jamuraan moutains. The local goblins have taken the job onto themselves of containing them. These goblin are also responsible for their very goblinish name, which is pronounces Cook-Us.

Ravnican Djinn

Pure Ravnican Djinn are tremendously powerful and infact deemed to dangerous to exist accoring to the Guildpact. Around the time of the deca-millenial the few pure Ravnican Djinn still alive have become forced labourers on the poles. Human/Djinni Hybrids with far lesser powers are employed by the Izzet.

Serendib Djinn

Serendib Djinn The Serendib Djinn are the most powerful of the Rabian djinn. Great, muscled spirits that are closely related to the Serendib Efreets, these djinn are cursed and exceedingly difficult to control. Although their most imposing side is their strength as heavy elementals of air, the Serendib Djinn are also extremely intelligent. Those bound to slavery have been rumored to grant wishes, but the inherent nature of the Serendib Djinn compels them to bring swift death to enemies and to waste the whole of Rabiah.

Efreet

The efreets are the second most common and the most dangerous of the djinn. Evil since ancient days, they have an implacable hatred toward the races of light and have constantly attempted to destroy the djann. Efreets are also called ifrits, and the name is pronounced “aye-freet”.

Thriving in abandoned or desolate places, such as the City of Brass, the efreets are very capable in shapechanging. They often appear as wild animals such as cobras, scorpions, and hounds, but have been known to tempt people in the form of beautiful women and soldiers.

The most dangerous aspect of every efreet is its unpredictability. The efreets are legendary for being able to turn in a second from an unimposing figure into a raging lion or worse. Most efreets draw their power from fire.

Efreets can be warded off by prayer or the word of god, but iron is a favorite amongst travelers of the desert, for these spirits often roam Rabiah in the form of sand cyclones or tornadoes. They can also be seen on camels forged of sand and magic. All ancestral efreets of Rabiah can fly, although some of their descendants have lost this ability. In addition to iron, ruby is also a powerful charm against efreets.

Ifh-Biff Efreeti

the Ifh-Biff Efreet are spirits of the higher air. True to their nature, they are capricious and although not as powerful as many others of their kind, have the ability to release windstorms on opponents. (note: the name has no Arabic significance, but rather comes from Richard Garfield’s childhood)

Junún Efreeti

The Junún Efreeti are among the worst of their kind. They incite madness in their victims or, even worse, possess the unwary or those too weak to resist them by locking eyes. The Junun appear as great, purple skinned elementals that glow like phoenixes and are adorned with heavy gold jewelry. They are dependent on reward for loyalty and survival. The name Junun means “possession”. They are similar to the Manjun Efreeti, and might actualy be these same.

Serendib Efreet

A Serendib Efreet. art by Anson Maddocks

The Serendib Efreet are prime examples of the viciousness of their kind. Air elementals found primarily in Rabiah (and not limited to the Island of Serendib), the Serendib Efreets are distinguished by their double mouths, jeweled foreheads, and hooked left hand. This comes from ancient days, when a malicious Serendib Efreet bargained with a planeswalker and won the gift of destroying anything on Rabiah by putting it into one of his mouths after shrinking it with his deformed hand. Although he was stripped of his power eventually, the efreet’s enchantments passed on to others of his kind, so that today no efreet has such power, but each of the Serendib has the hand, jewel, and double mouths of their progenitor.

Serendib Efreets are very powerful for their kind. They however are profane and very cunning, cursing those that dare summon them and enjoying the pain of foe and friend alike. Those sorcerors who can bind a Serendib Efreet to an object-usually a bottle-are well advised to avoid using the efreet too often, for it eventually turns on any master, especially if it senses weakness.

Wildfire Efreeti

The Wildfire Efreeti are the main servants of the Emberwilde Djinn, who use them as emissaries to Suq'Ata.

Ghoul

File:Khabál ghoul.jpg

The only true Ghoul ever printed. art by Douglas Shuler

Also known as ghul, the ghouls are the lowest order of djinn. The Inhabitants of deserts, wastes, and shadowy areas of the Rabian cities, the ghouls tend to either eat enemies or the dead.

Despite being very intelligent, they are driven by baser instincts and act like wild animals when seeking food. Although they are seen as wretched creatures, the ghouls are highly superstitious and consider hospitality very important. Those ghouls offered salt will refuse to harm the giver and his household. Ghoul disguise themselves regularly as pilgrims or travelers, and attack their hosts if not shown the proper hospitality.

Ghouls also prey upon individuals and small groups, attacking them openly. Fights between ghouls are common over the victim, and many ghouls will also seek out grave sites for food. Powerful ghouls can shapeshift into vultures and follow lower ghouls to battlefields and dying travelers. Because they prey on those who cross the great sands of Rabiah, the ghouls are archenemies of the djann. Diabolical sorcerers seeking to control ghouls will use cat’s eye talismans; however, the far more common approach against ghouls is for travelers of the Rabian deserts to bring iron with them. Ghoul draw power off the dead.

Many creatures with ghoul in their name or even in their creature type have been printed, but only Khabál Ghoul is a ghoul of the Djinn Clans. In the Arabian Nights expansion Wizards of the Coasts used the term "Ghoul" like it is used in Arabian tradition, but after that set they have been using "Ghoul" like it is used in the western tradition. While in Arabian tradition a ghoul is indeed a wandering spirit, in theWest the term is pretty much synonymous with Zombie.

Marid

The only Marid ever printed. art by Susan van Camp

The marids are the oldest tribe of djinn and the most respected. Although they are isolated and few in number, these spirits are the most powerful djinn on Rabiah. There is a legend that a marid was the first djinn of Rabiah and that all others came from him.

Masters of weather, wind, and water, the marids tend to live near the coast and travel in great waterspouts. Most of the marids have left the mortal plane, choosing to abstain from the holy war between the rival factions of djinn. Those that have remained draw their earthly power from water.

They are archenemies of the Ghouls, Efreets, and Nekrataal. Throughout the wars of the Djinn, it was the Marid that prevented the spirits of darkness from winning.

Marids often appear as old men, porpoises, or horses, leading travelers to wise courses. Copper, iron, and jade are all talismans used against marids.

Nekrataal

The only Nekrataal ever printed. art by Adrian Smith

The Nekrataal are the horrendous accomplices of evil. They are amongst the oldest of the djinn, second only to the marids, and have the greatest lifespans. Living in swampy and magmatic regions, the Nekrataal are devoted to bringing plague and despair to the land. Capable of shapeshifting in their attempts to seduce mankind away from good, they have long opposed the good djinn. The Nekrataal is known to ride or become black camels, although they are more famous for appearing as beautiful men and women. As they are physically weaker than most other djinn, the Nekrataal use trickery and manipulation to accomplish their goals.

Originaly Wizards of the Coast where going to name this type of Djinn "Sheitan", but none of them where printed in Arabian Nights. When several years later Visions was printed, there was a Sheitan in the set, but since WotC had by now discovered that the word "Satan" is derived from "Sheitan" they decieded to rename it to Nekrataal.

When 9th Edition came out, the creature type of Nekrataal was changed to Human Assassin. This implies that the Ninth Edition Nekrataal is the human in the picture and that he calls himself Nekrataal. Orriginally the neon-bug by his neck was the manifestation of the Nekrataal.