Genasi

Those who are born with unusually high amounts of elemental energy in their blood are called genasi, children of nature itself and an acute indication of the proximity between the Material Plane and the Elemental Planes. There are several ways in which such a being could be born. It could be that a member of a mortal race spends too much time near a particularly powerful rift between planes, becoming infused with the elemental energy that turns either them into a genasi, or manifests in their future offspring. It could also be that a child is born during a particularly powerful natural occurrence caused by the outpour of energy from Elemental Planes onto the Material Plane - such as a great earthquake, storm, or wildfire. Finally, a genasi may simply be the result of an affair between a denizen of one of the Elemental Planes and a mortal being. Genasi are so uncommon among the people of Aradia that many assume them to be a thing of myth. Even genasi can go their entire lives without seeing another of their kind in person. Theirs are often lives of isolation, as most communities find them hard to accept due to their otherworldly influences. Their innate elemental powers, which at early ages can manifest rather violently, also often make them targets for aggression and scorn. Though some genasi do have loving families and homes, most leave to seek safety and happiness elsewhere, becoming travelers or hermits.

Biological Classification

Though there are a few things all genasi share in common - namely the innate understanding of the Primordial language and innate magical abilities based on their elemental parentage - their appearances and characteristics are as varied as the elements themselves. Some may look nearly identical to humans, while others may as well be from the Elemental Planes themselves. There are four widely accepted classifications of genasi, based on the major elemental planes.

Earth Genasi

Descendants of the dao or mortals exposed to energies from the Elemental Plane of Earth. They often have green or brown tints to their skin, hair, and eyes, as well as having broader, stronger builds than other genasi. They are known for their stubborn personalities and a dislike for taking risks. The manifestations of their elemental heritage vary widely, with some exhibiting crystal-like growths or patches of clay on their skin, while others have dust constantly falling off of their bodies.

Fire Genasi

Descendants of either the freet or mortals exposed to energies from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Though considered the most shrewd and intelligent of the genasi, they suffer from an innate tendency to be impulsive and quick to anger, which many fire genasi struggle with for much of their lives. Some may even embrace their fiery tempers and

Water Genasi

Descendants of marids or mortals exposed to energies from the Elemental Plane of Water. They are often independent and proud, though not usually as dogmatic or stubborn as the earth genasi. Most have blue, green, or black colored hair and skin, with large, dark eyes and consistently moist skin. Their hair either looks perpetually wet or as if it is flowing underwater. Rarer are traits such as scales or gills, which at times lead people to confuse water genasi for the equally rarely-seen tritons.

Air Genasi

Descendants of djinn or mortals exposed to energies from the Elemental Plane of Air. They typically have light blue or pale white shades of skin, eyes, and hair, commonly with patterns lining their skin. They often have mercurial, changeable moods and are followed by a faint breeze that makes it appear as if their hair and clothes are moving ever-so-slightly. Due to their ability to not breathe, some find refuge from society underwater or in the high mountains.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Genasi are a product of magic flowing into a mortal's body, transforming it from what it originally was into something else. Most genasi originate from human ancestries, with elves, halflings, and gnomes being the other likely candidates. Dwarves are the least likely to become or conceive a genasi, as they are, by their nature, resistant to magical influence. Genasi still retain the traits of the ancestry they had prior to their change (or the traits of their non-elemental parent/s), and all the rules still apply. For example, the offspring of an elemental and an elf is still biologically a half-elf, thus they will be unable to have children, as half-elves are sterile.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Genasi have a unique leaning towards the elemental magic of their plane of origin. Many of them become sorcerers, while others learn to tame their magics in other ways. All genasi retain a connection to their elemental plane, which often manifests in being resistant to certain kinds of damage.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Genasi have names befitting whatever ancestry they would have belonged to had their fate not been altered by the presence of extraplanar elemental energies. However, some choose to abandon their identities upon reaching adulthood, taking on single-word names that they believe suit them - such as Ember for a fire genasi, or Flow for a water genasi.

Major Organizations

Genasi are rare, so much in fact that many of them go their whole lives without ever meeting one of their kind. But if one is looking for a concentrated number of genasi in one place, the best (and likely only) place to look is Tasha's Kiss, the famous travelling circus troupe made up almost entirely of genasi. They say that the founder of the troupe, the infamous Tasha, was a genasi herself, though no images of her without her stage outfit remain. It is believed that she was an orphan, kicked to the curb because she was a genasi, and thus made it her life's mission to take in all the lost or abandoned genasi children that ask for shelter. Today, there are at least seven genasi performers actively participating in shows, with an unknown amount of others helping on the sidelines.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elemental

Scientific Name

Planetouched

Lifespan

120 years