Genasi of Athas
Genasi of Athas
Genasi of Athas
Genasi of Athas
By Robert J. Schwalb
Illustration by Francisco Rico Torres and Eric L. Williams
Greetings, traveler. It seems our paths have crossed again. When we last spoke, I regaled you with stories of my travels, with wonders found in distant lands, and horrors born from the madness of the sorcerer-kings. Well, friend, I have not been idle. These feet have carried me farther afield, as I have no doubt you suspect. In fact, Ive just returned from the Ringing Mountains pursuing rumors about the ruins of Shethakara. Alas, I never found its fabulous treasures, no thanks to Hoptol, despot of the Ttak clan. Those halflings have the sharpest teeth! Just look at this cloak. Ah, but thats a tale for another time.
Now that I think of it, have I ever told you about the half-elementals? The ones in the Sea of Silt? No? Well, settle in, friend. Their tale is one I suspect you will enjoy.
The reclusive half-elementals, also known as genasi, are little more than legend, and tales told by travelers who claim to have encountered them are often dismissed as outright lies. The genasi are unknown to most people inhabiting the Tyr Region, and for good reason. They make their homes on the tiny islands rising from the vast Silt Sea spreading out to the east, far from the city-states and their trade routes. The genasi have nothing but disdain for civilization, sneering at the sorcerer-kings and their despotic rule. They have no love for the mortal races, and their arrogance is equaled only by their tempestuous personalities. They are a people apart, content to struggle in the swirling dust storms and having no part in the
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Embersoul
Your elemental nature is death and destruction. You are the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, the wreckage left by flame. Benefit: You have a +1 racial bonus to Reflex and a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against ongoing fire damage. In addition, you have the ashfall evasion power.
Sandsoul
You are one with the desert wastes. You are the mighty dune and the terrible sandstorm, the silt swirling in the estuaries and basins in the east. Benefit: You have a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks and Athletics checks made when taking the escape action. You also have a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against effects that immobilize, restrain, or slow you. In addition, you have the sandslide power.
Sandslide
You transform your body from flesh and sinew into flowing sand. In this form, you can spill through the smallest gaps.
Encounter F Polymorph Minor Action Personal Effect: You assume the form of living sand until the start of your next turn. While in this form, you are insubstantial, can enter enemies' spaces but not end your move there, and can squeeze through any opening large enough to permit a single grain of sand.
Magmasoul
You are the worlds fiery core, the molten iron that forever burns. Your footsteps ignite the ground, and heat radiates in waves from your body. Benefit: You have a +1 racial bonus to Fortitude. Whenever you take fire damage, your melee attacks deal 1d6 extra fire damage until the end of your next turn. In addition, you have the f lowing magma power.
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Genasi Legends
More legend than truth is known about the halfelementals. Like other races of Athas, the genasi lost their recorded history with the rise of the sorcererkings. Only those tales handed down through oral tradition have survived. The genasi recount these legends empower and motivate the young and to sustain their race during the long generations of exile. Each enclave tells its own version of the origin myth, but the central theme is the same. The genasi claim to have been created shortly after the Lords of Stone and Fire, Wind and Rain shaped the world out of chaos. With the world complete, the primordials infused their essence into raw elemental material to give it life and purpose as the first genasi. The primordials created these offspring to serve as helpers, builders, protectors, and warriors, because they knew that their great rivals, the gods, sought to claim creation as their own and populate it with creatures in their own image. The primordials resented any interference and worked to ensure their creations would rule the world. For eons, neither side held sway. The world existed in balance, and Athas enjoyed an era of prosperity dimly remembered as the Green Age. But toward the end of that time, war broke out between the primordials and the gods. The primordials emerged from the Elemental Chaos to destroy the gods of Athas and, with the aid of their chosen people, scattered their enemies' immortal servants to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. That terrible conflict taxed the primordials sorely, and they withdrew into a deep slumber that lasts to this day. They had confidence that their children would protect the primordials creation from outside meddling, but this confidence was an error. The
Sun Flare
Your agony breaks your tenuous hold on the suns power and blazes forth as painful light.
Encounter F Fire, Radiant Immediate Reaction Close burst 1 Trigger: An enemy hits you while you are bloodied. Target: Each creature in the burst Attack: Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity vs. Reflex. You gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll. Level 11: The bonus increases to +4. Level 21: The bonus increases to +6. Hit: Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity modifier fire and radiant damage, and the target takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of its next turn. If the target is bloodied by this attack, it is also blinded until the end of its next turn. Level 11: 1d6 + Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity modifier fire and radiant damage. Level 21: 2d6 + Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity modifier fire and radiant damage.
genasi, a widespread and varied people, inherited their makers fractious nature, and there was no peace among them. Each tribe or faction attempted to assert dominance over the other. While the genasi fought among themselves, the fecund mortal races grew and thrived until their numbers dwarfed those of the genasi, and their resentment over the genasi's sense of entitlement sparked into war. Outnumbered and threatened by terrible magic, the genasi fled to the worlds farthest corners and left the world to the upstarts. The genasi watched from their hidden redoubts while the victorious races grew mighty, but the genasi were not idle. They studied many forms of magic to enhance their already potent abilities. The half-elementals were horrified when the Green Age gave way to the bloody Red Age, when conquerors mounted terrible genocidal campaigns to purge the world of people they despised. The genasi were shaken by the defiling magic that swept across the once-verdant paradise, but they took no part in the wars. Instead, they waited for their enemies to destroy themselves. In the end, the sorcerer-kings emerged unchallenged and claimed the world as their prize, condemning all other peoples to suffering and toil under their rule. The genasi believe this was a just punishment for those who drove them nearly to extinction. Yet a few genasi mourned the worlds slow death and the ruination of the elemental spirits they had served for so long. Their anger and despair were matched, however, by an equal fear of the dread sorcerer-kings that prevailed, and in particular, the Dragon of Tyr, which had caused so much of the worlds destruction. So the genasi remained hidden and apart, unwilling to save the world that had been bequeathed to them in the dim past.
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Physical Qualities
The genasi are often called half-elementals because of their humanlike forms. They are the same size and shape as humans, though they are slightly bulkier, and thus they are mistaken for having human ancestry. Their elemental nature, however, is unmistakable, and the power of the Elemental Chaos bleeds from them through their tempestuous personalities and the manifestations in their flesh. The genasi in Athas today are descended from ancestors considered purer in their manifestations. Stories abound in genasi communities of those predecessors manifesting the elements of air, fire, earth, and water. Mingled bloodlines combined with the ever-changing world have resulted in new elemental manifestations. Although one can still find earth genasi and fire genasi, the most common manifestations among Athasian genasi are ember, magma, sun, and sand. Elemental manifestations are what give genasi their distinctive appearance. Instead of hair, all genasi possess a corona corresponding to their elemental heritage. Examples include wreaths of smoke, flames, or crystalline growths. Genasi also display glowing patterns in their skin, appearing similar to lines and whorls. Soft light in a color associated with a genasis elemental manifestation shines from his or her patterns. Genasi from the same tribe have the same color and shape of pattern, which is a useful identifier of origin. Facial patterns are unique to each individual. Short of dying by accident or in combat, a genasi can expect to live as long as a human; 100 years is considered extreme old age. Here are broad descriptions of common manifestations of genasi on Athas:
Ember: You have gray-black skin adorned with black fissures and patterns. Your eyes are jet. Smoke and ash swirl about your head, building in intensity when you call upon elemental power. Magma: Bright red patterns shine out from your coal-black skin. Your eyes shine with scarlet light, and darkness floats across their surface, as in a lava flow. Heat radiates from you. Sand: You bear the strongest resemblance to humans among the genasi. You have tan skin traced with a faint white pattern. Your eyes are pure white. Sun: A crimson corona surrounds your head. The same light is found in your eyes and in the patterns adorning your golden skin.
Aside from their concerns about the world, the genasi also must come to terms with their inner conflict. Their elemental heritage battles with their natural form and struggles to break free. This conflict can manifest in wild, impulsive, and sometimes destructive behavior. Most genasi are able to suppress their emotions and thus come off as detached or disinterested in what goes on around them. Those genasi who successfully navigate the narrow road between total self-denial and wild abandon can live constructive lives, but frustration, disappointment, and grief constantly chip away at their self-control. Genasi are always at risk of losing their grip and becoming as destructive as the elemental forces they embody.
Genasi Communities
When the genasi fled into self-imposed exile, they retreated to the most remote, desolate places on Athas. Their physical qualities suited them to these hostile environments. Most genasi settlements are isolated enclaves, hidden by natural features to prevent their accidental discovery by explorers. This effort to remain hidden, however, proved fruitless for the refugees who settled in and around the Tyr Region, because their enemies soon discovered them and stamped them out. All that remains of these settlements are ruined dwellings and fortifications. Genasi settlements hidden in the Sea of Silt managed to escape destruction. The shifting surface of the Sea of Silt is speckled with rocky islands that rise above the suffocating dust and the billowing clouds to reach toward the dim sun overhead. Most of these protrusions are barren and little more than a few hundred square feet in area, but there are larger islands that are able to sustain modest populations of folk who are willing to risk tangling with the giants
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Genasi Backgrounds
A life spent on civilizations fringes brings with it unique challenges to which the genasi are eminently suited. A genasi in the Seven Cities is a loner, a rare traveler who has left behind clan and homeland. Finding a home in a new and hostile world is a struggle a genasi faces until the end of his or her days. Balance-Seeker: You have communed with the spirits, walked the lands for miles around, and witnessed the ravages done to your world. You can draw only one conclusion from your exploration: The world is getting worse. If Athas can be saved, someone must stand against the defilers and the sorcerer-kings to restore the balance and heal this injured world. That person is you. Associated Skills: Arcana, Nature Incite a Revolt (heroic tier quest): The first step in breaking the sorcerer-kings hold on the world is to rally the people to your cause. It is too dangerous to speak out against the sorcerer-kings, so you might escalate tensions by pushing the templars to take more draconian measures to keep the common folk in line. People can take only so much abuse before they rise up against their tormentors. Locate a Green Age Relic (paragon tier quest): You suspect that the damage done to the world could be corrected by reclaiming the magic from the Green Age. You might scour old ruins, explore haunted tunnels, or venture beyond the Tyr Region to locate the treasure you seek.
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roleplaying a Genasi
When creating a genasi character, here are a few points to consider: Your nature is conf licted. You are a contradiction. You are chaos bound by order, raw energy in humanoid form. A part of you wants to surrender to this chaos, to go and do as you please, consequences be damned. Some genasi struggle to control what they see as a dark side. They are overly reserved and controlled, visibly struggling to contain their anger when insulted or abused. Others have little restraint and f ly off the handle with the slightest provocation. Your manifestation defines you. Your elemental nature, whether or not you have found peace with it, informs your personality. Ember genasi are subdued and pessimistic; sun genasi can be intense, outspoken, and aggressive; and sand genasi are mercurial and free-spirited. How does your elemental nature manifest? You hate defilers. The genasi believe the world was given to them to rule as they saw fit. They see their role being usurped by unworthy rulers who have spent the ages exploiting Athass resources and turning the world into a dead husk. The ones most responsible are the reckless defilers who have wrought untold devastation from which the world might never recover. Genasi have little tolerance for defiling magic and might extend their scorn to anyone who uses arcane energy. You are an outsider. Genasi are unknown to the people of the Tyr Region. Although the wastes spawn all manner of strange creatures and peoples, to say nothing of the alterations found in the common folk inhabiting the city-states, your curious appearance might evoke strange looks and
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You release the vengeful spirits in punishing wind, abrading sand, boiling rock, and suffocating ash.
Encounter F Implement, Primal Standard Action Close blast 5 Target: Each creature in the blast Attack: Strength, Constitution, or Intelligence vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d6 + Strength, Constitution, or Intelligence modifier damage. You push the target up to 5 squares, and it takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Elemental Resurgence
Elemental energy responds to your agony and floods into you in a sudden rush of power.
Daily F Primal Minor Action Personal Requirement: You must be bloodied. Effect: You gain 5 temporary hit points, and you regain the use of one genasi racial encounter power that you have already used during this encounter. Level 21: You gain 10 temporary hit points.
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Cataclysm
The spirits answer your cry and they surge from the broken landscape to bring elemental death to your foes.
Daily F Primal, Zone Minor Action Area burst 2 within 20 squares Effect: The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn. The zone is difficult terrain and lightly obscured. Any creature that ends its turn in the zone takes 5 damage. While the zone remains, you can use the secondary power at will. Sustain Minor: The zone persists until the end of your next turn. Secondary Power (Implement, Primal) Standard Action Area burst 2 centered on the zones origin square Target: Each creature in the burst Attack: Strength, Constitution, or Intelligence vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d8 + Strength, Constitution, or Intelligence modifier damage. In addition, the target is slowed and takes ongoing 10 damage (save ends both).
Benefit: When you return to play after using ashfall evasion, you gain partial concealment until the end of your next turn.
Magma Eruptions
The heat generated by your elemental manifestation leaches strength from your enemies. Prerequisite: Genasi, magmasoul elemental manifestation Benefit: Any creature damaged by the aura created by your flowing magma power is also weakened until the end of its next turn.
Lingering ashes
When you call on your elemental manifestation, the swirling ashes linger in the air to mask you from view. Prerequisite: Genasi, embersoul elemental manifestation
robert J. Schwalb is an award-winning game designer who has contributed design to or developed nearly two hundred roleplaying game titles for the Dungeons & Dragons game, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Game, Star Wars Roleplaying Game, and the d20 System. Some of his more recent work for Wizards of the Coast can be found in D&D Gamma World: Famine in Far-Go, Dark Sun Campaign Setting, and Monster Manual 3. Also, hes a regular contributor to both Dragon and Dungeon magazines. For more information about the author, be sure to check out his website at www.robertjschwalb.com.
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