Godherja Encyclopedia

Djinn (concept)

Thought to be the result of ancient Sarradonian Magic now long since lost to time, djinni are powerful spirits most famous for their penchant to temporarily bind themselves to the service a "master" of their choosing, though rarely permanently or with any apparent logic behind who they pick. In actuality, however, this is only rarely the outcome of an encounter with a djinn - highly reclusive, they are more likely to simply flee when encountering a mortal, and their famed servitude occurs only in a vanishingly small amount of cases.

This has not stopped Magi and adventurers of all stripes in their attempts to forcefully bind one of these spirits to their will, though usually to disastrous effect.

Djinn are ethereal creatures which can be found all across Aeras, but are found in particular numbers in Sarradon - though it is rumored that some regions in the Continental Steppe also play host to substantial numbers of these strange entities as well. Under normal circumstances, Djinn are not a threat to non-Magi as they are usually only capable of exerting enough force to move small objects. In many Sarradonian cultures it is common to blame these enigmatic and invisible spirits for misplaced or stolen items. It is only when given access to magical energy that they can become truly dangerous, for they are able to grow in power and substantiality the more of it they are exposed to. Ley lines, and especially ley line intersections are particularly dangerous places to encounter a Djinni, and most magi working in such areas have taken substantial precautions to prevent wild Djinn from causing havoc.

Djinn are apparently sentient, and can be bargained with. Their sensitivity to magic also means that Magi with the right skills can, with some effort, bind them to their will using brute magical force. While Djinn are nearly immortal, and most of them have likely existed for countless millennia, their memories fade relatively quickly. Even the most lucid seem to be unable to hold information for longer than a century, and most are limited to substantially less than that. Worse, as their memories fade, their personalities can shift quite radically. Many Magi have met their end when they discovered that a Djinn listed in a grimoire as friendly and affable has turned murderous in the years since their description was authored.