Although Djenatis are impulsive tricksters, with sometimes inscrutable motives and equally confusing methods, their hearts are generally in the right place. What may seem a malicious act to a non-Djenati is more likely an effort to introduce new acquaintances to new experiences, however unpleasant the experiences may be. Djenatis are prone to powerful fits of emotion and find themselves most at peace within the natural world. They are usually neutral good and prefer to worship deities who value individuality and nature.
Djenati are, by and large, an intelligent and curious people with a strong affinity for magic. Djenati display exceptional ingenuity and creativity, responsble for a great many of the technological and magical advances of the modern age.
Djenatis’ propensity for wanderlust, deep curiosity, and desire to master odd or esoteric skills and languages make them natural adventurers. They often become wanderers to experience new aspects of life, for nothing is as novel as the uncounted dangers facing adventurers. Many Djenatis see adventuring as the only worthwhile purpose in life, and seek out adventures for no other motive than to experience them. Other Djenati desire to find some lost lore or material that has ties to their chosen vocation and believe only dragon hoards and ancient ruins can contain the lore they need, which can result in Djenati who think of themselves as bakers or weavers being just as accomplished adventurers as those who declare themselves to be mages or scouts.
Djenati are physically weak compared to many races, and see this as a simple fact of life to be planned for accordingly. Most adventuring Djenati make up for their weakness with a proclivity for sorcery or bardic music, while others turn to alchemy or exotic weapons to grant them an edge in conflicts.
Unlike most races, Djenatis do not generally organize themselves within classic societal structures. Djenati cities are unusual and Djenati kingdoms almost unknown. Further, Djenatis have no particular tendency to gather in specific neighborhoods even when a large number of them live among other races. While specific laws meant to contain the potential impact of Djenatis on a society may require a “Djenn quarter,” and societal pressure sometimes causes all non-Djenatis to move away from areas with high Djenati populations, left to their own devices, Djenatis tend to spread evenly throughout communities that allow them.
However, even when Djenatis are common within a community as a group, individual Djenatis tend to be always on the move. Whimsical creatures at heart, they typically travel alone or with temporary companions, ever seeking new and more exciting experiences. They rarely form enduring relationships among themselves or with members of other races, instead pursuing crafts, professions, or collections with a passion that borders on zealotry. If a Djenati does settle in an area or stay with a group for a longer period, it is almost always the result of some benefit that area gives to a vocation or obsession to which the Djenati had dedicated himself.
Djenatis have difficulty interacting with the other races, on both emotional and physical levels. In many ways the very fact other races see Djenatis as odd is itself the thing Djenatis find most odd about other races, and this leads to a strong lack of common ground upon which understanding and relationships can be built. When two Djenatis encounter one another, they generally assume some mutually beneficial arrangement can be reached, no matter how different their beliefs and traditions may be. Even if this turns out not to be the case, the Djenatis continue to look for commonalities in their dealings with each other. The inability or unwillingness of members of other races to make the same effort when dealing with Djenatis is both frustrating and confusing to most Djenatis.
In many ways, it is Djenatis’ strong connection to a wide range of apparently unconnected ideas that makes it difficult for other races to build relationships with them. Djenati humor, for example, is often focused on physical pranks, nonsensical rhyming nicknames, and efforts to convince others of outrageous lies that strain all credibility. Djenatis find such efforts hysterically funny, but their pranks often come across as malicious or senseless to other races, while Djenatis in turn tend to think of the taller races as dull and lumbering giants. Djenatis get along reasonably well with Fiore and Humans, who at least have some traditions of bizarre, Djenati-like humor. Djenatis generally feel Golenti and half-oroka need to lighten up, and attempt to bring levity into their lives with tricks, jokes, and outrageous tales the more dour races simply cannot see the sense of. Djenatis respect Nuaira, but often grow frustrated with the slow pace at which members of the long-lived race make decisions. To Djenatis, action is always better than inaction, and many Djenatis carry several highly involved projects with them at all times to keep themselves entertained during rest periods.
Despite their extremely varied backgrounds and lack of a unifying homeland, Djenatis do possess some common cultural traits. Male Djenatis have a strange fondness for unusual hats and headgear, often wearing the most expensive and ostentatious head-covering they can afford (and that their chosen careers will allow them to wear without causing problems). Females rarely cover their heads, but proudly wear elaborate and eccentric hairstyles that often include intricate jeweled combs and headpieces.
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