Marid
Marid
Hailing from The Elemental Plane of Water,the Marids are the most wondrous of Genie-kind.Although all GENIES wield great power,even the lowliest Marid sees itself as clearly superior to the flighty DJINNI ,the ground-hugging DAO,and the fuming EFREETI.
Large and piscine,Marids are a strange sight to behold,particularly when clad in the finely stitched vests and colourful pantaloons they favour.They speak in voices as soft as the sea breeze or as sonorous as storm waves breaking against a rocky cliff.In flight,their lower bodies transform into columns of foamy water.
Water Lords
Water is a Marid's native element,and the Genie can manipulate water in virtually any way it desires.A Marid can walk on water and breathe naturally beneath its surface.It can create water or shape clouds of fog and mist from the vapour in the air.It can even transform itself into mist,or use water as a weapon to bludgeon its foes.
Marid Homes
Marids are rare on The Material Plane.They inhabit mighty and majestic coral fortresses located in The Elemental Plane of Water.These citadels float in the depths of the plane and contain opulent,air-filled chambers where slaves and guests reside.
A Marid doesn't expect much from its slaves,simply wanting to have them for the status of ownership.Marids go out of their way to obtain skilled slaves,and aren't above kidnapping mortal artists,entertainers,or storytellers for use in their courts.
Egotistical Hierarchs
All Marids claim a title of nobility,and the race is awash in Shahs,Sultans,Muftis,and Khedives.Most of these titles are mere pretense on the part of the self-important Marids.
Marids treat all others-including other Genies-as inferiors of various grades,ranging from poor cousins to petty annoyances.They tolerate Djinn,dislike Dao,and despise Efreet.
Humanoids are among the lowest of the creatures that Marids must tolerate,although they sometimes deal with powerful Wizards and exceptional leaders on an almost-equal footing.Doing so has sometimes proven to be a mistake,since Wizards have managed to imprison Marids in Conch Shells,Flasks,and Decanters over the ages.Bribery and flattery are the best means of dealing with Marids,to which an obsequious mortal is a creature that knows its place.
Variant Genie Powers
Genies have a variety of magical capabilities,including spells.A few have even greater powers that allow them to alter their appearance or the nature of reality.
Disguises
Some Genies can veil themselves in illusion to pass as other similarly shaped creatures.Such Genies can innately cast the Disguise Self spell at will,often with a longer duration than is normal for that spell.Mightier Genies can cast the True Polymorph spell one to three times per day,possibly with a longer duration than normal,Such Genies can change only their own shape,but a rare few can use the spell on other creatures and objects as well.
Whimsical Storytellers
Marids are champion tale-tellers,whose favourite legends emphasize the prowess of Marids in general and of the speaker in particular.Fanciful Genies,they lie often and creatively.They aren't always malicious in their deception,but embellishments suit their fancy.Marids consider it a crime for a lesser being to interrupt one of their tales,and offending a Marid is a sure way to invoke its wrath.
Wishes
The Genie power to grant wishes is legendary among mortals.Only the most potent Genie,such as those among the nobility,can do so.A particular Genie that has this power can grant one to three wishes to a creature that isn't a Genie.Once a Genie has granted its limit of wishes,it can't grant wishes again for some amount of time (usually 1 year),and cosmic law dictates that the same Genie can expend its limit of wishes on a specific creature only once in that creatures existence.
To be granted a wish,a creature within 60 feet of the Genie states a desired effect to it.The Genie can then cast the wish spell on the creatures behalf to bring about the effect.Depending on the Genie's nature,the Genie might try to pervert the intent of the wish by exploiting the wish's poor wording.The perversion of the wording is usually crafted to be to the Genie's benefit.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
- Aquan (Elemental Water)
"The Marid poured out of the flask like water and said,'Your wish is my command.'The Halfling,overjoyed,wished for immortality,so the Marid polymorphed him into a fish that flopped around humorously until,finally,it expired.It's a cautionary tale that has survived through the ages,so i suppose the Halfling got his wish." -Kesto Brighteyes,Gnome proprietor of The Parted Veil,A Bookshop in Sigil
Comments
Author's Notes
Original Article written for D&D Monster Manual 5e by Wizards of the Coast (WotC)