Miner genie Miner genies were one of the newest kinds of tasked genie . Though employed by the dao extensively , miner genies were originally created by the yak - folk from dao slaves . Compelled to work and toil within mine shafts , miner genies were hulking creatures driven not only by their need to dig and move stones , but by their burning shame and hatred as well . Description . Miner genies presented a somewhat bizarre appearance , being as wide as they were tall . Their shape was ideal for moving through tunnels with ease . Thick muscular arms and legs combined with elongated hardened claws for nails made them perfect digging machines . Their fingernails actually prevented them from using their hands to consume food , forcing them to rummage with their nose and mouth like animals . Miner genies were entirely hairless and their heads were cone - shaped . The average miner genie stood 8 ft . ( 2 . 4 m ) tall and wide . Combat . Miner genies could not utilize weapons or tools because of their claws . However , their claws tore through stone and hardened earth with ease , providing all the weapons needed . Their nails grew so quickly that a miner genie who did not dig for a week would be crippled by ingrown nails . All miner genies could cast the following spells : " detect metal " , " detect mineral " , " dig " , " faerie fire " , " water breathing " , and " gaseous form " . " " Stone weapons were utterly useless against miner genies . Because of their innate knowledge of stone , a miner genie could instantly collapse any tunnel that it dug personally with a single blow . Habitat / Society . As a group , miner genies were a grim lot who were ashamed of their place in life . They preferred to dwell in dark dusty mines where other genies or slaves could not see them . Sudden fits of rage were common occurrences with miner genies . They led solitary lives , going so far as to fight others of their kind to avoid their company . They never mated or reproduced because they wished to avoid bringing others into the service of the yak - folk . They still longed for children and were very fond of the children of dao , often even serving as guardians of the illegitimate children of noble dao . These children lived with the miner genies in their dark isolated world until the noble dao parent believed it safe enough to announce their true parentage . Some of these children became miner genies themselves if left in the dark for too long . Ecology . Miner genies survived by consuming stone . Though they were not helpless against the yak - folk as were the dao , miner genies knew they were physically too weak to confront their masters . Additionally , they were angry that the dao did nothing to try to help them , even though they knew the dao were slaves to the yak - folk . The yikarians viewed the miner genies as a great accomplishment that helped them procure more riches for their Forgotten God . Because they were more manageable than dao , some yak - folk believed that all dao should be transformed into miner genies . Many dao viewed miner genies as abominations that they would love to eliminate if they were not the helpless slaves of the yak - folk .