Djinn

The **djinn**, known also as the **tajani** (from Proto-Taganic endonym *"tagani"*) and **nosbyrs** (from Proto-Veran *"nosbyzhe"*, meaning *"outlanders"*), are a humanoid race not native to the continent of Thir. Said to have originated from the mythical land of Elpelad, the djinn are known for their unique physiologies which are effects of an intricate curse cast on them by an Ohneki mage, Iaditse of Yakonka, during the Grand War.

Divided into the Gannaids, Salamids and Zuthrids in Western Thir and the Atamids in Eastern Thir, the djinn culture has dominated the western and central part of Thir ever since their arrival in the 11th century 1E.

## Physiology

The djinn are very distinctive, mainly because of their outlandish skin colours and innate abilities to control various elements. All of this was caused by a botched curse that was meant to wipe the Tajani from Imye Thir's surface, but dissipated their bodies into small particles instead, turning them into literal dust. Most djinn managed to regain their material forms, with the elements like fire or water becoming a basis for their corporeality.

It's hard to describe a typical djinni because they come in a plethora of shapes, sizes and colours, owing mainly to the various types of Djinn that exist out there in the world - the main being the Marids (water djinn), Ifrits (fire djinn), Dao (earth djinn) and Rijads (wind djinn).

## History

### Arrival in Thir (11th century - 12th century 1E)

Tagani legends speak of the lost homeland of Elpelad (another spelling variations include Alpalad, Arparad and Erperad) that was struck by a cataclysm that caused the djinn to migrate out of their continent and into Thir. While these are only legends, anthropologists, historians and archeologists all agree that the djinn are not native to Thir; with the first waves of migrating Tagani people arriving on Western Thir's shorelines in the 11th century 1E, the blue-skinned people's new homeland was settled in a manner of decades. It's hard to say whether these travels were friendly and non-aggressive or if they were invasions into the locals' territory.

Three regions are said to have been "ground zero" locations for the rise and spread of djinn communities: Plumune, Usilthe and Cadmay, all located on the west coast of Western Thir. During the second half of the 11th century, the Tagani people established cities and communities that would soon develop into the first djinn states: the kingdoms of Cadmay, Yusalam, Tarambal and Ganmulay.

The end of the century would bring about the end of mass djinn migrations into Thir. By that time the Tajani were already culturally divided into the Salamids, Zuthrids and Gannaids, who themselves had begun fragmenting into even more cultures and ethnicities. All of these cultures have arisen as byproducts of living on Thir and mixing with Thirian cultures; it's not an understatement to say that by the end of the 12th century the djinn had become more Thirian, than Elpeladian.

### Rise of the Gannaid Empire (20th century 1E)

The rise of the Gannaid Empire in 1998 1E was a breaking point in djinn history on Thir; during the subsequent century, the Empire managed to subjugate most of Western Thir, more or less unifying the subcontinent in terms of culture, language and religion. Like all things, however, the empire had to come to an end. That end happened with the Grand War that ended the First Era and resulted in the temporary evaporation of the djinn that was only fixed by the Encafal, a mysterious machine that bended laws of reality. Once returned, however, the djinn were divided into the elemental Marids, Ifrits, Rijads and Dao. The Gannaid Empire itself collapsed immediately after the disaster, giving way to a power vacuum that saw countless human chiefdoms and kingdoms rise and fall, contending for the title of the Emperor of Western Thir.

The djinn managed to build back their society, with the Atamids of Eastern Thir especially dominating politics of the Second Era. A few regional powers rose in Western Thir and have been embroiled in a fight with the human realms of the subcontinent ever since. Despite that, the djinn managed to retain their cultural and religious influence over the rest of Western Thir, with this impact remaining strong well into the Third Era.