Djinn

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Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.
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Djinn are spirits with deep ties to Elona, usually bound to spiritually strong areas. In some Elonian legends, they have the power to act unseen. Like humans, they are allegedly capable of choosing a path of good or evil. In a sense, djinn really can act unseen—many are shapeshifters, capable of assuming a human form when interacting with human beings and other species. Djinn are, unlike elementals, free-willed and sapient beings that have the capacity to communicate. Their souls are made up of elemental energies, as opposed to the servitor creatures that spells create. Djinn are to other elementals as humans are to other animals. They are made of similar basics, but more evolved. Some Vabbian myths describe the djinn as protectors of the natural world, making them enemies of unnatural demons from other dimensions.

Most djinn are bound to the locations and places they protect, most commonly rivers, lakes, and stretches of desert. When humans first came to Elona, truly powerful wizards attempted to bind djinn to estates, caves, vaults, or other places where wealth was hidden. Djinn guardians who outlive their masters may forget their original commands, or they may become powerful enough to find their own motives.

Djinn are relentless when defending the items, places, and causes they protect, but they may also bestow their favor on people who aid them in those tasks. Vabbian legends hint at djinn granting wishes and bestowing powers. In more recent accounts, adventurers have shared stories of djinn who offered them magical knowledge and powerful magical items...including some salvaged from mighty heroes who dared to disturb the djinn.

— The Guild Wars Nightfall Manuscripts

Djinn are an ancient race of elementals, dating back before known history. Unlike most elementals, djinn are free-willed and sapient beings, and their souls are made out of elemental energies. They can be compared to other elementals akin to how humans are to other animals.[1]

Physiology[edit]

As ethereal beings with a connection to the world through their representative element, djinn do not need sustenance or even sleep to survive like other Tyrian races. Rather, the element they're connected to is enough to sustain their lives, which can easily last several centuries if not more. This results in them occasionally investing themselves for months at a time into a single task without ever stopping to rest.[2] They can however, still become exhausted during their work,[3] and in some cases will stop floating temporarily if they're injured enough in battle. They do not seem to possess the ability to fly; rather they can leap short distances as well as teleport if needed.

Djinn range in height, with most being approximately twice as tall as an average human, and a few more powerful ones being roughly three times a human's height, though given their ability to float and lack of anything resembling legs, it can be difficult to figure out where a djinn "ends." That said, the shape of several djinn skirts would suggest they have some sort of hips and thighs at the very least. It's unclear what exactly djinn faces look like, as the only djinn with a "revealed" face is Qadim. Nevertheless, based on the facial shape of other djinn, Zommoros' concept art, as well as Qadim it can be assumed that their faces resemble human skulls, with prominently defined cheekbones, sharp chins, pointed elf-like ears, and very short almost non-existent noses. The Key of Ahdashim, unlike Qadim, possesses lips, making it difficult to conclude whether other djinn possess them as well.

Due to their ethereal nature and generally being known as highly skilled magic users, djinn need to focus on maintaining their forms, regularly splitting their focus to control both their elemental magic and their physical beings at the same time.[4] If a djinn expends a significant portion of their magic to maintain a spell, their body may become translucent as a result.[5] There have been multiple cases of djinn altering their forms to look like humans, both living and dead, in order to observe and guard areas undetected. However, djinn tend to be weakened while in such states, with severe attacks potentially causing their memories to scatter.[6] It's also possible for djinn to assume a form that resembles their base element, such as water djinn turning into puddles, fire djinn resembling embers or balls of fire, air djinn becoming small tornados, and earth djinn resembling piles of rocks or earth. These forms are considered to be the most defenceless form a djinn can take, however. In the event that a djinn attains more magic than they normally should have, they may lose their sense of self and better judgment. Having too much of their element is considered just as bad as not having enough.[7] There are a few, though quite rare, djinn shown to be capable of wielding multiple elements, and in the case that a djinn becomes Branded, their abilities change as is normal for branded creatures.

When casting magic, djinn will employ all four of their arms, however, when using weapons in combat, the lower pair of arms will be hugged to the body to keep them out of the way, suggesting that the lower pair of arms are not as strong, flexible, or a combination of both compared to the upper pair. When they do choose to use weapons, djinn will dual-wield a variety of weapon types, from swords, maces, greatswords, and staves. They can even dual-wield weapons that normally are incapable of being dual-wielded thanks to their size.

While djinn are generally quite powerful, with some being resilient enough to reform themselves after being defeated, it's not impossible to kill one. Despite their ethereal nature, recently slain djinn do leave behind corpses.

History[edit]

Not much is known about the origins of the djinn, except for their deep ties to Elona. Similarly to other ancient races, however, their strong magical capabilities would suggest that they've been around Tyria for an exceptionally long time. The Key of Ahdashim was given life as an elemental construct made by the djinn when the first foundation stone of the Hidden City of Ahdashim was laid in the Domain of Vabbi. She was tasked with periodically selecting four djinn with the potential to take the positions of cardinals and anchor the city's flow of elemental magic to lesser djinn of the four elements like the original four cardinals had done.[8] At one point, the Key considered Qadim and Zommoros to be candidates for cardinals of Fire and Water but ultimately chose a different fire and water djinn she deemed more suitable for the roles, as Qadim's quick temper and Zommoros's hasty decisions and gambling addiction were seen as flaws. Qadim did not take kindly to being passed over, and resented the Key's decision ever since.[9]

Due to their secretive nature, it's unclear how much they may have interacted with the other elder races, or what part they may have played in previous dragonrises. Nevertheless, several of them would go on to join the Astral Ward, with Akeem becoming the Wizard of the Obscure. It's suggested that djinn consider demons from other worlds to be their natural enemies, likely the reason why several may have joined in the first place.

With the arrival of humans to Elona, many djinn would find themselves magically enslaved by humans to serve the royal families, as well as various other nobility and places of significance. The Vabbian princes would even go so far as to turn the city of Ahdashim into a sanctuary to protect themselves from Palawa Joko.[10] While some would eventually free themselves from their bindings, others may still feel the magical compulsion to stay at their designated stations.

Many djinn maintained a firmly held belief that they were immune to the effects of the Brand, but an unlucky few would succumb to the effects when Kralkatorrik spread his corruption within Vabbi and Jahai Bluffs.

In 1332 AE the newly transformed Qadim the Peerless killed the cardinals of Water and Fire and corrupted the others, as well as dismantled the Key of Ahdashim in order to gain access to the magic within the Well of Ahdashim, which would have given him control over all the djinn. Raiders contacted by Zommoros eventually managed to reassemble the Key and defeat both the corrupted cardinals and Qadim the Peerless, leaving Ahdashim without any cardinals to tend to it. The Key decided instead of granting elemental magic to four cardinals like before or taking all the magic into herself, she chose to spread magic to all the surviving djinn throughout the world as she had come to realize that no djinn should lord over others lest they be corrupted like Qadim and the cardinals had been.

Culture[edit]

While djinn may have strong ties to Elona, they can still leave the region if they both wish to and aren't bound to a set area, with some djinn having ventured to the Sandswept Isles[11], Jade Sea[12], and Kryta. In rare cases, djinn may even become exiled, though it remains unclear what warrants such punishment.[13]

Djinn rivalries are incredibly prevalent, making coexistence with other djinn in the region difficult, and in some cases leading to wars between those involved.[14] However, small groups of djinn outside of Ahdashim can coexist peacefully, and in some cases with an express goal in mind, such as those in the Djinn Enclave who have been cleansing Abbadon's corruption within the sands and re-purposing the magic in the form of jackals.[15]

Thanks to their incredibly long lifespans, many djinn develop various hobbies and special interests, such as inventing riddles, remembering historical facts, crafting magical items, playing pranks on rival djinn, and maintaining personal collections. In rare cases, these hobbies might be seen as bizarre even to other djinn, such as Vemyen's collection of human trinkets[16] and Qadim's menagerie of living creatures from across Tyria.[17][18]

Due to the nature of the magic that caused the enslavement of many of the djinn, it's quite common to find djinn still guarding the areas or people they are bound to even to this day, with only some of them having become freed within the past 200 years.[19] This would cause many djinn to distrust humans for the most part and to some extent mortal races in general. However there are still those who would choose to help humans, befriend them, travel together, develop romantic relations,[20][21] or in at least one case set up a business together.[22]

Types[edit]

See also: Category:Djinn

Gallery[edit]

Related achievements[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Jinn (alternatively djiin, or genies) are supernatural creatures in Arabian and Islamic folklore.
  • An ambient conversation near Kodonur Temple reveals that poking a djinn in the eye wouldn't hurt them due to them being ethereal beings.
  • The unique shape of djinn hands may be based on the aye-aye, a lemur species known for its long, skinny middle fingers which it uses to poke into the insides of trees to catch insects.
  • Zommoros is the only djinn with an exposed back, revealing what could be a scar between his shoulder blades or simply a natural part of djinn anatomy.
    • Every other djinn either has their back hidden by armor, or in Qadim's case has a jagged crevice down the center.
  • All djinn models lack any form of modelling under their skirts.

See also[edit]

Gwwlogo.png The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Djinn.

References[edit]

  1. ^ A Shotgun Interview with ArenaNet, Relics of Orr
  2. ^ The Four Djinn
  3. ^ Veteran Exhausted Jackal Runeforger
  4. ^ Folarin_Oyekan#Dialogue
  5. ^ Shatter the Brandstone before it explodes
  6. ^ Champion Unbound Djinn#Dialogue
  7. ^ The_Key_of_Ahdashim#Dialogue: Additional dialogue with djinn hiding as elements
  8. ^ The Original Four
  9. ^ Guild Chat - Episode 87
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ Zohaqan
  12. ^ What Lies Within (achievements)
  13. ^ Zommoros
  14. ^ Kodonur_Temple#Ambient_dialogue
  15. ^ Drojkor,_Spirit_Squall#Dialogue
  16. ^ Ziya the Radiant#Dialogue
  17. ^ Zommoros's Journal
  18. ^ Kodonur_Temple#Ambient_dialogue
  19. ^ Kodonur_Temple#Ambient_dialogue
  20. ^ Zohaqan's Letter
  21. ^ Lovers' Tree
  22. ^ Miyani
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