Earth Djinni

Earth djinn are intelligent, magically sensitive humanoids from the djinni family of species.

## Biology

Earth djinn have varying shades of bluish-grey skin. Their hair is quite similar to that of a typical human, although it is almost always white.

Their eyes, which lack irises, are blue, green, or somewhere in between, and glow very faintly. This is a bioluminescent process, and not a magical one, although it increases intensity during periods of heightened magical practise.

Earth djinn do not have noses like humans do, instead, they have a flat area of their face in place of the bridge of the nose, and very slight nostrils which in most cases are not fully visible. Despite this, earth djinn have a decent sense of smell, and no troubles breathing.

Earth djinn are unusually sensitive to magical energy. They have an innate talent for collecting and handling enormous amounts of mana. Despite this, they are most typically not very magical. Earth djinn are usually simple folk and prefer to find what works for them, rather than waste time or energy trying to fix what isn't broken. It's much more typical for an earth djinni to have a smaller number of powerful spells that they know, rather than a wider variety of situational spells. It's also not unheard of for an earth djinni to learn only one or two spells, then simply use a big stick for anything else. Very few problems in life can't be solved by a big stick.

They possess thick skin with the appearance of smooth stone, which sometimes can be compared to rock in terms of hardness.

They are most typically larger than other humanoids, averaging between 190cm to 250cm.

Unlike most djinn, there is considerable sexual dimorphism between earth djinn, with females being considerably shorter than males (but still taller than males from other species), and males being considerably bulkier than females. Unusually amongst the humanoids of Ijzeria, the rate at which males and females experience baldness are inverted, with female-pattern baldness occuring at a much higher rate than normal humans, and male-pattern baldness appearing at a much lower rate.

Their horns, a trademark of the djinni race, are like those of a caribou.

## Culture and Quirks

   Earth djinn aren naturally very reliable, and rarely cause trouble when integrating into a community. As such, earth djinn can be found all around the world, and are valued members of society everywhere they live. This natural level of agreeableness and level-headedness is perhaps the only thing that unites earth djinni cultures and subcultures around the world.

Earth djinn often take on supporting roles in the societies they join. Although many earth djinn have been capable and legendary leaders throughout history, in general, their natural preference for order and structure puts them in supportive positions, since that is where they will serve their community best. It is best understood that the earth djinn propensity for order not be mistaken for obedience, and that their desire for structure not be interpreted as servility. Earth djinn are incredibly individualistic, and if they feel they are being abused or taken advantage of, their loyalty will evapourate immediately. Almost all earth djinn wish to build something greater than themselves, but quite surely none of them are "people pleasers".

There are no earth djinni cultural hubs or areas of the world which put "earth djinni-ness" on a pedestal. Earth djinn as a whole put much more emphasis on personal identity and ideology as opposed to external loyalty or subordination. As a result they did not, as a people, carve a place for themselves into the world. Instead they interpret all of Ijzeria as their home, and openly challenge any who would deny them that right.

Earth djinn are capable of feats of strength and endurance that other species would not dare attempt. This often puts earth djinn in careers that involve "danger", although of course this danger is only relative to other more delicate peoples. It's unusual to see an earth djinni work in academia or research.

Generally, earth djinn do not knowingly lie or deceive. Lying is a tool of the weak or enfeebled, and so an earth djinni will likely go their entire life without ever needing to do so. The truth is universally held in high regard amongst all earth djinn, no matter how far apart in age or geography. To deny the truth is to admit weakness; to bow to reality is to show wisdom. This blunt approach to honesty often makes them appear rude or crass, but they are merely describing the world as they see it, not as they wish it to be. It is quite rare that an earth djinni would assign a moral value to a particular statement.

Similarly, earth djinn do not hold the opinions of strangers in high regard, and things that would otherwise appear "awkward" do not bother an earth djinni. For example, if an earth djinni were to somehow be dropped naked in a crowded area, they wouldn't be embarassed, because that would require caring about what other people think, which as a rule, they do not. This makes them a much happier people, on average.

## In-Game References

**Cards from *Hello, World!* which Depict an Earth Djinni:**

* Advance Surveyor
* Coza Bosk Woodcutter
* Islewilds Ranger
* Student of Anghammarad

## Trivia

* Their flat faces were inspired by the character Mozgus from the manga Berserk, by Kentaro Miura. Despite Mozgus not being a very moral (or sane) character, his physical appearance and design was very striking, and so a small part of that was captured for the earth djinn.
* The innate "agreeableness" and "brutal honesty" of earth djinn is not a biological trait; it's a deep-seated cultural heritage that the earth djinn people had to fight to preserve and maintain. In less enlightened eras, their honesty was a source of persecution and suffering for them, but ultimately, their unwavering dedication to truth meant that they prevailed and even prospered.
* Each card that depicts an earth djinn in Hello, World! was illustrated by a different artist. All other types of djinn were illustrated by a single artist; Karen Ho illustrated all water and fire djinn, and Virginie Juteau illustrated the single air djinni.
* Earth djinn are considered to be homebodies, but only by Ijzerian standards! They can be found all around the globe, pursuing adventure and exploring new places. They never slow down due to old age, but just like anyone, they might stay home due to boredom!