Marids (pronounced mah-RIDD) are a race of genies from the Elemental Plane of Water. Noble marids are called shahzadas. They were also prevalent throughout Zakhara, the Land of Fate. Most Zakharans revered marids as the most wondrous and powerful of all geniekind.
Marids are capricious but powerful genies from the Plane of Water; among geniekind, they are rivaled in power only by the fiery efreet. Marids embody the strength of the ocean’s waves and currents, but they also have a gentler side, loving performance and art such as dancing, music, and storytelling.
Marids regard efreet with hostility but rarely encounter them in their native environment. They get along with djinn, jann, and shaitans, although the latter consider marids flighty and annoying, associating only long enough to close trade deals. Marid society has strict rules of hospitality, and many marid cities have a magically sealed foreign quarter where marid shahzadas conduct business with air-breathers.
Marid shahzadas grant wishes in ways that amuse them. They add the following to their innate spells: 5th cone of cold (at will), illusory creature (×2).
Appearance
Marids stand around 16 feet to 18 tall and weigh nearly 2,500 pounds, and are said to have the strength of oceanic currents. Marids were beautiful genies whose skin matched all of the hues of the vast ocean. While usually blue, in fact, marids changed their skin color to reflect their current mood, with darkest shades of blue indicating anger. Most marids had blue-black or dark gray hair, though white-haired marids did exist. Generally speaking, the white-haired marids were the most turbulent of their kind. A marid has deep blue eyes, flamboyant eyebrows, and pearlescent teeth.
While on the Elemental Plane of Water, or in seas or oceans, marids usually wore scant clothing or went bare. On land they preferred colorful flowing robes or large pantaloons. Others would wear clothing made from finely woven seaweed inlaid with coral or pearls. Both males and females enjoyed showing off their impressive physiques, so flimsy vests were usually the most clothing they wore to cover their torsos. Regardless of the style of clothing worn, it was certain to never impede swimming.
Ecology
These mighty genies were sea creatures, but could breathe on land with ease. Their bodies were formed from elemental water.
Marids did not need to consume food or beverages in order to survive, though many did so because it pleased them. Some marids built fishing outposts near seaweed and coral balls, which floated through the Plane of Water, because the balls attracted many fish varieties.[10] They were quite sensitive to flavors. Many kept censers within their homes to release exotic salts, infusing the water with pleasing flavors.
Abilities
Marids could communicate with telepathy like all true genies. They spoke Aquan, the language of their native plane, but they were also fluent in Jannti, the common tongue of all genies, and Midani, the native language of Zakhara. When angered, a marid's native language resembled the sound of a clashing storm at sea or waves crashing against a rocky shore.
Besides immense physical strength—they could stop a ship as long as 110 feet in length—marids were wondrously magical creatures, matching archwizards in terms of spellcasting ability. They had more limited powers to assume liquid form, by taking the form of a vortex, or to assume gaseous form. They could create a wall of fog, and were said to be able to lower water and part water.
Any water-based magic was utterly useless against a marid. Some scholars believed that they were also partially resistant to cold-based spells, yet fire-based magic was their weakness, being particularly vulnerable to attacks with open flames. Others, on the contrary, had observed no such weaknesses to fire. In fact, a marid's very touch was said to extinguish any flame. Instead, they argued that marids were strongly resistant to magic of any variety.
Marids could travel between any of the Elemental, Prime and Astral planes at will, though not to a specific location, and could carry others along with them. They could also move freely upon the Ethereal Plane. Due to their strained relationships with the other genies, they rarely visited the other Elemental planes.
Personality
Marids were a vehemently independent and proud people. Every marid believed that she or he deserved to be the padishah! They tended to shift moods rapidly, as quickly as a storm upon the sea. Like all genies, they were curious about life on the Material Plane, but they typically had the least impact on that plane of all the other genies, because they considered everyone else beneath their notice.
Marids enjoyed flattery even more than other genies. When addressing a marid, a human was expected to use a honorific, such as, "Endless Wave Upon the Sea of Fate," followed by a long and wordy ode to the marid's greatness. Because of their chaotic nature, marids were considered dangerous to imprison or bind or to demand wishes from. They were quick to seek revenge.
Marids enjoyed hunting within the oceans for sport. Because of their elevated self-worth, all marids collected wealth in many forms, even if they were not actual nobles. These collected items were often pearls or other treasures from the sea floor, but some even kidnapped skilled humanoid craftsmen so they could work on their homes or produce artistic creations. These kidnappings did violate marid law, so they kept their "borrowed" workers a secret to avoid the wrath of the true noble marids. More malicious marids would intentionally capsize vessels on the Material Plane to drown sailors.
Marids treated all other races, including other genies, as inferiors. They tolerated the djinn and jann but openly despised the dao and efreet. Humans as a species were tolerated as well, but were considered the most disgusting species with whom the marids had dealings. Powerful human sha'irs and leaders like the Grand Caliph gained the respect of the marids if it was deserved. Even so, a marid was far more likely to treat a human visitor to the Plane of Water favorably than most other elementals or outsiders would.
While not generally altruistic, they loathed evil creatures of the Plane of Water and often waged war against them. Though they were the most powerful of all genies, their hesitancy to rally under a single leader limited their effectiveness at such wars.
Marids are the most capricious species of genie, something which others of their kind (especially shaitans) find aggravating and embarrassing. Many become artists, and search for an audience in the Material Plane.
Because of their free-spirited attitude, marids often visited Adnas for adventure. The sites for these forays were usually inaccessible to mortals, such as the Great Sea in the midst of a violent hurricane. They often accessed the Material Plane through elemental vortices on the Plane of Water, and for this reason, their settlements were usually located by such interplanar portals.
Since marids had such high opinions of themselves, a view that was only slightly less than reality because of their immense power, mortals who dealt with them often found that bribery and flattery were the wisest methods to deploy, though this did not guarantee the expected outcome.
Marids were fond of embellishing nearly anything. They were creative liars, but not in a malicious sense. As one would suspect, they were fabulous storytellers, making it difficult to keep a marid from straying off-topic during conversation. It should be noted that interrupting a marid was a crime for lesser creatures (any non-marid) as far as they were concerned. Offending a marid was a sure way to incur their terrifying wrath.
Reproduction
Marids are capable of producing undine offspring with humanoids in the Material Plane.
if a man strikes their fancy, they'll actively seduce him into becoming their master and having sex with them. Water elementals intrinsically have a strong yearning towards the love shared by men and women.
However, the longer a relationship lasts with a marid, the more turbulent it becomes. Additionally, they have an extremely difficult time dealing with verbal abuse from their master. Some will grow angry, while others will become more serviceable in order to regain their master's favor.
They are said to be able to grant the wishes of the one who controls them. The more affection the marid has for their master, the greater the wish will be.
Society
Marids claim to be the rightful rulers of the entire Plane of Water before the Material Plane even existed, but have been fractured for ten millennia, since the elemental lord Kelizandri killed their last padishah, Niloufar, and destroyed their empire's capital city of Arzanib. However, the marids seem uninterested in fighting Kelizandri's constantly expanding domain, and some scholars believe that the empire was actually destroyed by krakens who infiltrated marid society, something that the marids refuse to acknowledge. The disparate marid petty kingdoms regularly vie for power and have little to do with each other otherwise; convincing them to cooperate is notoriously difficult.
Because of their strong sense of freedom and individualism, there was never a true "marid empire". Marids living on the Plane of Water were citizens of a wide group of mostly independent stronghold communities. These communities swore fealty to the padishah, but more often than not, this was in name only.
Officially, however, the seat of power for the marid community was the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls. This majestic location was ruled by the Great Padishah of the Marids, who was Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari in 1367. In addition to being the capital, the Citadel was also the home of many noble marids.
Every individual marid claimed to be noble, creating a confusing hierarchy of titles and honorifics that was not officially recognized by true noble marids—such titles as "atabeg", "mufti", or "shah". Other titles marids used for themselves included "beglerbeg" and "khedive". Though powerful in their own right, common marids claiming to be noble paled in comparison to the legendary power of the true noble marids.
In order to facilitate peace between one other, marids follow strong rules of hospitality, making them one of the most accessible races for visitors to the Plane of Water. They enjoy guests, particularly performers and traders, and sometimes go out of their way to encourage them. Their cities often provide food and air to foreigners, but trade is infrequent due to the lack of roads.
Marid households on the Elemental Plane of Water usually had two to twenty members led by a marid with a title. These strongholds were often anchored to some sort of solid mass. Servants and slaves worked within a marid household, often including jann and other water creatures. Marids enjoyed using air-breathers as servants because the marid's gift of water-breathing to the servant insured their compliance.
Marid society did not have much in terms of production. They gathered what they needed from the sea and rarely traded with others, though they would offer coral or pearls as gifts to foreigners.
Like most genies, marids saw battle as a puzzle to solve and enjoyed using their powerful abilities to take advantage of their foes' weaknesses. Naturally, they strongly preferred to battle underwater. When in water, a single marid could easily capsize a ship and create a vortex to entrap any foe trying to swim to safety.
A typical war party included a single noble marid and as many as 50 common marid warriors, perhaps accompanied by a dozen other creatures from the Plane of Water.
Marids sometimes warred against other genies just to remind them of their power.
Religion
Marids were not a very religious people.
Shahzadas
Noble marids are masters of the oceans. With currents as their muscles and pearls as their teeth, they are the handsomest and most powerful race of geniekind.
Both huge and hugely powerful, noble marids can assume three forms: gaseous, liquid, and solid. In their watery form noble marid are a rushing current; in their gaseous form they resemble a fog. In their solid, humanoid form they are gigantic, gleefully towering over everyone around them. Their skin shimmers like pink pearls, though occasionally a noble marid will have the luster of either a white or black pearl. Their wispy hair is usually blue-black or dark grey. Noble marids typically stand 22 feet tall and weigh over 8,000 pounds.
Noble marids are always clad in the finest clothes they can afford, but both male and female noble marids enjoy displaying their powerful physiques to intimidate smaller and lesser creatures. Male noble marids prefer to be bare-chested and wear elaborate pantaloons and turbans, while females prefer slit skirts and clever tunics that show only flashes of their pearly skin. Their garments are cut from huge swatches of bright cloth and decorated with as many attention-grabbing jewels and ornaments as they can find. Subtlety is not their strong suit.
Combat
Marids also have the innate ability to water walk.
A noble marid can freely carry 4,000 pounds in weight. Since marids travel often and widely, they only rarely become attached to enough heavy objects that they cannot carry all they have with them.
Marids are very strong swimmers. They can breathe water and are at home at any depth. They are unaffected by extremes of water temperature; they are equally comfortable alongside icebergs or in scalding water. Noble marids are not harmed by water-based spells. Coldbased spells inflict either half or no damage. Fire inflicts +2 points per die of damage, with saving throws at a -2 penalty. Steam does not harm them.
Habitat/Society
Although all marids lay some claim to nobility or even royalty, the truly noble marids are those that serve the padisha and scheme to succeed to the rulership of the empire upon her death. Thus noble marids entirely ignore their lesser cousins unless they in some way affect their standing at court or in the succession. All marids agree that their loose empire is ruled by the padisha, but there have often been several "true heirs" to the padisha's throne simultaneously through the eons. The court of the Great Padisha of the Marids is called the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls, and it is an elaborate and graceful circular reef in warm waters on the Elemental Plane of Water, full of bright corals, corroded copper doorways, giant clams, bubbling air fountains, curtains and carpets of kelp, and schools of every sort of fish. Some of these fish are guardians and others are servants, but all are entirely loyal to the marids. The citadel contains from 2-200 noble marids at any time.
Although most of the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls is accessible by swimming through passages and doorways made for the huge marids, there are also many narrow crevices accessible only to small fish or marid in their watery form. These passages connect all the larger areas as well as hollow regions of the citadel not otherwise accessible.
Shafts of sunlight pour into and out of the citadel at apparently random places, but no area is without light unless the padisha wishes it. Some of the deepest interior portions are said to contain the hoarded treasures of the deep, given to the Padisha of the Marids as tribute: gold, shells, corals, the scales of great sea-monsters, and ten thousand pearls of great price. These pearls are of all colors, principally pink, white, grey, and black, and most are said to be fist-sized and lumpy rather than smaller and more perfectly formed.
The Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls is a resting place for many marid nobles, a place to meet and exchange information before traveling on. Hunts and jousts are often held there, and individual valor is prized. At other times (during unfashionable seasons known only to court "insiders"), the citadel is as abandoned as a ruin.
The traveling household of a noble marid consists of 1-4 noble marids and is always accompanied by 1-8 common marids, who comprise various cousins, vassals, lovers, courtesans, followers, and kinfolk. In many cases, they have also befriended up to 9 servant creatures from the Elemental Plane of Water. They may have dragon turtle mounts, a squadron of water elemental or triton bodyguards, morkoth advisers, or killer whales as hunting animals. The fickle and wide-ranging tastes of the noble marids make the exact nature of their non-marid companions unpredictable.
Marids are champion tale-tellers, though most of their tales emphasize their own prowess and belittle others. When conversing with a noble marid, one must attempt to keep the conversation going without continual digression for one tale of might or another, while not offending the noble marid. (Marids consider it a capital offense for a lesser being to offend a marid.) Flattery sometimes convinces them to undertake some course of action, but more often than not they stray off their intended course to seek some other adventure that promises greater glory. Bards often win their favor by restructuring all their songs and tales around the glory of the marid. This requires both a quick mind and a strong stomach, however, as the noble marids enjoy waves of praise rather than faint endorsements.
Marids occasionally go on punitive expeditions against the other genies, just to remind them of their power. When they organize a war party, it is usually led by a single noble marid accompanied by 5-50 common marids and 2-20 creatures from the Elemental Plane of Water.
Ecology
Noble marids have the least impact on other races of any of the noble genies; their attitude to the rest of the world is that all other creatures are inconsequential beings. The marids' own concerns take up so much of their time that they have little effort to waste on what they see as the trivialities and irrelevancies of others. In most cases, this includes common marids as well, which is why almost every marid must declare himself a noble in order to get the attention of the true noble marids. Their absorption in their own affairs is a blessing for others, given the dangerous level of power of the marid nobles. When they do want something, noble marids stop at nothing to get it; entire fleets may disappear from the oceans, storms rage, and rivers dry up or overflow.
Mages consider marids more trouble to conjure than they are worth, and the great power of the noble marids and their even greater fickleness makes this doubly true. A conjured and bound noble marid who is released will put aside all other tasks to gain quick vengeance against the mage who stole his freedom.
Great Padisha of the Marids
The Great Padisha of the Marids has hundreds of titles, many of which are copied from her followers or adopted by them. She is the Keeper of the Empire, the Pearl of the Sea, the Mother of Foam, the Maharaja of the Oceans, Emir of All Currents, Mistress of Rivers, Grand Raj of the Monsoon, General of the Whales, Pasha of Corals, Savior of Fish, Marshall of Nets, and Patron of Waterspouts.
Her courtiers typically include 1-20 noble marids, 5-500 common marids, and 10-100 visiting creatures of elemental water ranging from tritons to hippocampi to giant seahorses. The Great Padisha has all the abilities of a noble marid, and she has access to all spells of the province of the sea once per day. She is immune to all spells involving water, ice, steam, and electricity. She is subject to a continual detect lie spell, which doesn't seem to stop her from enjoying outrageous flattery. She simply recognizes it for what it is and doesn't allow it to influence her actions as a ruler.
The current Great Padisha's appearance is subject to dispute. At times she has ebony skin the color of black pearl, a rounded face, and long tresses of coral red which she has bound about her head like a turban and set with black opals. At other times her skin is lustrous pearly white, with hair dark as barnacles, and lips like conch shells. She prefers slashed robes of gold, silver, or blue which reveal either richer cloth or dark skin beneath.
The court meets in the depths of the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls. The Padasha prefers to dazzle visitors with an initial display of her command of the seas, including things like unbalancing tides, schools of colorful fish swimming in dazzling patterns, or a display of bizarre luminescent creatures from the darkest recesses of the ocean's trenches.
The padisha's whim completely determines the type of audience her supplicants receive. Some are richly rewarded for merely reciting her titles and honorifics; others are cast forth from the citadel and told never to return. Those she takes more seriously (generally noble marid, commoners who can boast well, and the occasional egotistical or flattering sha'ir) are given her undivided attention and probed and questioned on every statement they make. Unusual gifts are always appreciated, though she feels no sense of obligation to grant favors in exchange for treasures freely given. Gifts need not be material ones; beggars capable of spinning rich tales and richer compliments have won her favor, as have ancient mystics who have little wealth but great understanding.
The Padisha has kept her position because of her political acumen and skill at maneuvering in the politics of honor, her competitive generosity, and her knack at making the haughty marids feel like members of the same tribe rather than bitter rivals.
Although the Great Padisha has a love of display for its own sake, she rarely joins processions beyond the confines of the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls because of the political dangers and costs of leaving her nobles to scheme. The migrations of the whales and salmon and the blooming of the red tides are state occasions, however, requiring the presence of both the Padisha and her nobles. At these times she relocates her entire court, thus preventing any coup while she is away and preoccupied.
When the Great Padisha appears on the Prime Material Plane she always arrives as a localized monsoon, driving ships ashore, drenching the countryside with flooding rains, flattening palms, and whipping up enormous waves. Once she has arrived she generally travels with whales, sea monsters, and entire tribes of intelligent sea creatures such as merfolk and sahuagin.
