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What do the PCs find in a City of the Jann?
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 6972076" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Fantastic questions! I've considered some of them, but those are some great questions to inspire world-building. Thanks <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>There are 3 cultures within the Jann in the setting (my version of Al-Qadim):</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">House of Sihr: The jann of the High Desert are mystical nomads sworn to the human Grand Caliph, prone to a bit of mischief but usually keeping to themselves unless it is to help a lost traveler in the desert or answer the summons of an allied sha'ir. They travel in caravans between oases, which the serve as stewards of, setting up temporary tent towns.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Jann of the Haunted Lands: More wild and less predictable, these wandering jann are less hospitable to mortal kind, more apt to haunt and raid than to help. They live amidst the many ruins of fallen cities that litter the Haunted Lands.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Qaybar, City of the Jann: Settled jann, they live in a city that wanders the Inner Planes and Material Plane. They are utterly mercantile. Anything can be traded, even "a last memory of unrequited love” or “my shadow.” And everything has a price. For example, if a jann of Qaybar were to help someone in the desert, they'd later ask a "water price" debt be paid...or perhaps they'd negotiate with a stranded victim of a sandstorm as he seeks shelter water-less in a cave. Unlike their Material Plane kin, they are used to living with more magic as a part of daily life.</li> </ol><p></p><p></p><p>There are different views depending on which segment of Qaybar's jann population you'd ask. Maybe 50% cherish the relationship, 30% are just looking to deal with powerful genies to further their own aims, and 20% that actively resent the mightier genies.</p><p></p><p>The Alchemist's Guild at Qaybar also hopes to unlock the spiritual secrets of how the jann might transcend / become as mighty as the other genies by following mystical pathways on the Border Ethereal they believe were left as a secret map to jann transcendence.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Mostly a cosmopolitan crossroads (like a Sigil of the Inner Planes), though being a bulwark is also a very important consideration. Before it shifted to the Material Plane, Qaybar was conquered by an efreeti warlord and was living under occupation. But as the city moved closer to shifting to the Material Plane, the efreeti was overthrown and his followers scattered.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Mostly, it is racially harmonious, though genasi are regarded as having "built in allegiances", which means the jann sympathize with one ear, but watch out for genasi treachery with the other. But there are certainly some janni nobles/viziers who look down on the genasi.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I've been wondering this myself. Great question! Again, my instinct was that there's a mix...</p><p></p><p>Some worship the Great Gods of Zakhara.</p><p>Some worship the Elemental Gods (e.g. Kossuth, Imix, Zaaman Rul).</p><p>Some worship Jarmik the Thirsty Jann (and perhaps other legendary jann revered as transcended demi-gods).</p><p></p><p>It's that last point (Jarmik is from an Al-Qadim book) that led me to coming up with the idea that some jann believe they can transcend, having greater innate potential than other genies because they are comprised of <em>four</em> elements, instead of just <em>one.</em></p><p></p><p></p><p>Definitely Byzantine politics. Regime change is frequent, and internal strife and lethal politicking abound as various factions vie for control (not the least of which are the Zahranis whose allegiance is still with the efreet, the Caravaneer's Guild, the Alchemist's Guild, and the military/guard against genies seeking to take the city).</p><p></p><p>The iron-willed but respected Malik Jilani governs en abstentia, as the young would-be Emir Jazzar Shahid ibn-Mahmud is missing. This ties into a Dungeon #63 adventure called <em>Blood & Fire</em>.</p><p></p><p>[SECTION]<strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Qaybar, at-a-glance</span></strong></p><p><strong><em>Population:</em></strong> 16,000, about half of which are jann, and the other half a mix of humans, demi-humans, genasi, humanoids, and minor elementals living together mostly harmoniously (with a few misgivings).</p><p><strong><em>Government:</em></strong> The iron-willed but respected Malik Jilani governs en abstentia, as the young would-be Emir Jazzar Shahid ibn-Mahmud is missing. Regime change is frequent, and internal strife and lethal politicking abound as various factions vie for control.</p><p><strong><em>Defense:</em></strong> The Emir’s military includes 150 janni* <em>jundaran</em> (foot soldiers) equipped with shields (AC 18), pikes, and javelins; 100 janni* <em>aswaran</em> (knights) mounted on enlarged war camels*; and 100 human scouts paying their “water price” mounted on camels. Sometimes groups of jundaran or aswaran hire out as mercenaries. Internal security is maintained by 50 ogrima* bazaar guards.</p><p><strong><em>Commerce:</em></strong> Everything is traded in Qaybar, from carvan supplies to talking camels and saluqis, from magic items and spells to ephemeral things like “a last memory of unrequited love” or “my shadow.”</p><p><strong><em>Power Centers:</em></strong> Alchemist’s Guild, Caravaneer’s Guild, Military, Zahranis</p><p><strong><em>Magical Traits:</em></strong> Planeshifts every 20-25 years. Restriction on teleportation/planeshifting, and hard to find. Animals can talk within its walls. Magic items are traded. Presence on Border Ethereal. Jann of Qaybar do not suffer damage for prolonged time away from the Material Plane.[/SECTION]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 6972076, member: 20323"] Fantastic questions! I've considered some of them, but those are some great questions to inspire world-building. Thanks :) There are 3 cultures within the Jann in the setting (my version of Al-Qadim): [list=1][*]House of Sihr: The jann of the High Desert are mystical nomads sworn to the human Grand Caliph, prone to a bit of mischief but usually keeping to themselves unless it is to help a lost traveler in the desert or answer the summons of an allied sha'ir. They travel in caravans between oases, which the serve as stewards of, setting up temporary tent towns. [*]Jann of the Haunted Lands: More wild and less predictable, these wandering jann are less hospitable to mortal kind, more apt to haunt and raid than to help. They live amidst the many ruins of fallen cities that litter the Haunted Lands. [*]Qaybar, City of the Jann: Settled jann, they live in a city that wanders the Inner Planes and Material Plane. They are utterly mercantile. Anything can be traded, even "a last memory of unrequited love” or “my shadow.” And everything has a price. For example, if a jann of Qaybar were to help someone in the desert, they'd later ask a "water price" debt be paid...or perhaps they'd negotiate with a stranded victim of a sandstorm as he seeks shelter water-less in a cave. Unlike their Material Plane kin, they are used to living with more magic as a part of daily life.[/list] There are different views depending on which segment of Qaybar's jann population you'd ask. Maybe 50% cherish the relationship, 30% are just looking to deal with powerful genies to further their own aims, and 20% that actively resent the mightier genies. The Alchemist's Guild at Qaybar also hopes to unlock the spiritual secrets of how the jann might transcend / become as mighty as the other genies by following mystical pathways on the Border Ethereal they believe were left as a secret map to jann transcendence. Mostly a cosmopolitan crossroads (like a Sigil of the Inner Planes), though being a bulwark is also a very important consideration. Before it shifted to the Material Plane, Qaybar was conquered by an efreeti warlord and was living under occupation. But as the city moved closer to shifting to the Material Plane, the efreeti was overthrown and his followers scattered. Mostly, it is racially harmonious, though genasi are regarded as having "built in allegiances", which means the jann sympathize with one ear, but watch out for genasi treachery with the other. But there are certainly some janni nobles/viziers who look down on the genasi. I've been wondering this myself. Great question! Again, my instinct was that there's a mix... Some worship the Great Gods of Zakhara. Some worship the Elemental Gods (e.g. Kossuth, Imix, Zaaman Rul). Some worship Jarmik the Thirsty Jann (and perhaps other legendary jann revered as transcended demi-gods). It's that last point (Jarmik is from an Al-Qadim book) that led me to coming up with the idea that some jann believe they can transcend, having greater innate potential than other genies because they are comprised of [I]four[/I] elements, instead of just [I]one.[/I] Definitely Byzantine politics. Regime change is frequent, and internal strife and lethal politicking abound as various factions vie for control (not the least of which are the Zahranis whose allegiance is still with the efreet, the Caravaneer's Guild, the Alchemist's Guild, and the military/guard against genies seeking to take the city). The iron-willed but respected Malik Jilani governs en abstentia, as the young would-be Emir Jazzar Shahid ibn-Mahmud is missing. This ties into a Dungeon #63 adventure called [I]Blood & Fire[/I]. [SECTION][B][SIZE=3]Qaybar, at-a-glance[/SIZE][/B] [B][I]Population:[/I][/B] 16,000, about half of which are jann, and the other half a mix of humans, demi-humans, genasi, humanoids, and minor elementals living together mostly harmoniously (with a few misgivings). [B][I]Government:[/I][/B] The iron-willed but respected Malik Jilani governs en abstentia, as the young would-be Emir Jazzar Shahid ibn-Mahmud is missing. Regime change is frequent, and internal strife and lethal politicking abound as various factions vie for control. [B][I]Defense:[/I][/B] The Emir’s military includes 150 janni* [I]jundaran[/I] (foot soldiers) equipped with shields (AC 18), pikes, and javelins; 100 janni* [I]aswaran[/I] (knights) mounted on enlarged war camels*; and 100 human scouts paying their “water price” mounted on camels. Sometimes groups of jundaran or aswaran hire out as mercenaries. Internal security is maintained by 50 ogrima* bazaar guards. [B][I]Commerce:[/I][/B] Everything is traded in Qaybar, from carvan supplies to talking camels and saluqis, from magic items and spells to ephemeral things like “a last memory of unrequited love” or “my shadow.” [B][I]Power Centers:[/I][/B] Alchemist’s Guild, Caravaneer’s Guild, Military, Zahranis [B][I]Magical Traits:[/I][/B] Planeshifts every 20-25 years. Restriction on teleportation/planeshifting, and hard to find. Animals can talk within its walls. Magic items are traded. Presence on Border Ethereal. Jann of Qaybar do not suffer damage for prolonged time away from the Material Plane.[/SECTION] [/QUOTE]
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