Maridan

As a sha'ir, your gen will be your link to the wonders of geniekind. Wise sha'irs will treat their gens well, and placate them with praise and treasure. A gen is much like its grander cousins in its tastes and appetites, and tend to reflect the personalities of both its genie masters and its sha'ir. Alignment does not limit your interaction with a gen, but you will have a greater affinity to one which shares a similar alignment.

Gens act independently from you. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. It cannot attack unless you forgo one of your own attacks to direct it to do so using its reaction, but it can take other actions as normal.

While your gen is on the same plane as you, you can communicate with it telepathically. You cannot dismiss your gen forever without making proper restitution to the geniekind it serves. Such restitution most often comprises a bit of flattery, a lot of treasure, and a relevant quest. Gens otherwise behave as standard familiars described in the *find familiar* spell.

## **Seafoam and Salt**

Water gens, also called maridans, are diminutive humanoid water elementals with bodies and hair that glisten as droplets of dew and mist. Their skin is in green and blue shades while their hair can also reach the light tones of seafoam. As the marids are the largest of the genies, the maridans are the largest of the gens, reaching up to 16 inches in height. Their eyes have an opalescent sheen like pearl or abalone. Maridans dress themselves in flowing, oversized garb and favor jewelry of shell, coral, and pearl. They tend to be capricious and playful, often not thinking through the consequences of their whims. Their nature is chaotic and they have very short attention spans. Maridans prefer sha'ir who possess an overactive sense of wonder and who are as easily distracted as they are.

**Exalted through Servitude.** Maridans enjoy environments that are humid and damp, preferring to be near large bodies of water or, at the very least, the occasional oasis reflecting pool. Their eyes brighten at being presented with the bounties of the sea, including all manner of fish and shellfish. They work pieces of coral and shell together to create elaborate jewelry embellished with pearls, sapphires, and emeralds. A maridan seeks any opportunity to ingratiate itself to its genie masters, including appeasing its sha'ir. When considering a task, it thinks first of its marid lords and then of its sha'ir. Maridans think little of themselves with each individual task, preferring to play the long game and eventually become exalted by the marid lords through excellent service.

A maridan prefers stealth in combat. If directed to attack, it will begin by using its *fog cloud* to give itself cover. It will then try to use its water breath on as many hostile targets as it can while still staying relatively close to its sha'ir. If its water breath is on recharge, it will use its storm strike on whichever target the sha'ir directs it to attack. If it is given no target to attack, it attacks the closest hostile target in the *fog cloud*.

**Elemental Nature.** A maridan doesn't require food, drink, or sleep, but it enjoys them.

## **Statistics**

Tiny elemental, chaotic neutral

* Armor Class: 11
* Hit Points are equal to half of its sha'ir's
* Speed: 30 ft., fly 20 ft., swim 30 ft.

Ability Scores

* Strength 8 (-1)
* Dexterity 12 (+1)
* Constitution 12 (+1)
* Intelligence 11 (+0)
* Wisdom 10 (+0)
* Charisma 12 (+1)

Skills: Perception +2

Damage Immunities: acid, cold, lightning

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages: Aquan, Common

Challenge: 1/2 (100 XP)

**Amphibious.** The maridan can breathe air and water.

**Death Burst.** When the maridan dies, it explodes in a burst of storm and steam. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

**Bound by Fate.** When the maridan is within 10 feet of its sha'ir, the sha'ir has advantage on saving throws against cold damage.

**Innate Spellcasting (1/Day).** The maridan can innately cast *fog cloud*, requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.

## **Actions**

**Storm Strike.** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. *Hit:* 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) lightning damage.

**Water Breath (Recharge 6).** The maridan exhales a 15-cone of water. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or be slowed until the end of the maridan's next turn. An affected target’s speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can’t use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature’s abilities or magic items, it can’t make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.