Jinn

The jinni are hideous creatures, half-human and half-demon whose origin predates the Bible by thousands of years. Originally they were thought to be spirits of nature whose horrific features and tendency to torment mortals caused madness in humans. Later they were reffered to by the Arabic word jinn, which means "spirit". Jinn is the common name for any unclassified jinni (see orders of jinni below). Some of the jinni (plural of jinn) serve the Higher Powers, while most others do not. The Arabs believed the jinni often took the form of ostriches, or rode ostriches when manifesting in human form.

There are five orders of jinni which are based upon age and power:

The Marid (the oldest & most powerful) usually know more than 10 types of magic

The Afrit usually know 9-10 types of magic

The Shaitan usually know 7-8 types of magic

The Jinn usually know 6-7 types of magic

The Jann (the youngest & least powerful) usually know 4-6 types of magic

Jinni can be agents of good or evil, but most are mischievous and enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done them, even though these wrongs may have been done unintentionally. In ancient times accidents and diseases were considered to be the work of jinni. A Jinn's natural form is composed of fire or smoke although a jinn can assume animal or human form.
Because jinni are magical in nature and exist as smoke or flame, they can be captured by wily mages and bound to an inanimate object known as a talisman. The person who carries that talisman may have the jinn do his/her bidding for as long as they have it and are owed services.
Jinni are purely magical beings, and as such can be controlled through the knowedge of a jinn's true name. If a person knows a jinn's true name the jinn can be forced to perform an unlimited number of task for its master. Note: demanding a jinn's true name (even from another jinn) nullifies the geas binding a jinn, and tends to make them VERY angry.

Jinni Legends:

Stories of jinni often speak of how the creatures inhabit talismans such as a battered oil lamp, stoppered bottle, a bag or a ring. Upon being released from its prison the jinn will appear and grants whomever holds its talisman of the three wishes (NOTE: the word "wish" is not to be taken literally, most Jinn cannot directly alter reality, but will perform three services for the bearer of it's talisman). However, there is always one special request for each jinn that, if asked, will release the jinn from its service and allow it to kill the one who has asked it. Needless to say, jinn do not normally share this information willingly, though some who have discovered a jinn's special request have used it for their own ends to eliminate less knowledgeable opponents. One of the rules of jinn wishes is that the jinn is forbidden from undoing a wish once it is made, unless ordered by the jinn's master (the bearer of the talisman) as another wish.
However, legends often speak of jinn tricking mortals into making a fourth wish before the third task is completed, since making a fourth wish will nullify the geas on the jinn allowing the jinn to ignore the 3rd and 4th wishes AND undo the previous wishes it has granted it's master.

How Jinni Wishes Work:

If released from a talisman that the jinn is bound to, the jinn is forced to perform at least one task for the bearer of the talisman. The number of services varies depending on when the jinn was bound to its talisman. A Jinn bound to talisman before 900 BC is required to complete only one task, whereas a jinn bound to a talisman after 900 BC is forced to complete 3 tasks. The exact reason for this is not fully known although the change came during the time of King Solomon, who was known to command jinni.
Jinni have long memories, and never forget a kindness or an injustice. If a jinni was treated fairly and graciously by the master, it is possible that no hard feelings would result. If a jinn is freed before all of it's services are done, it my even reward it's liberator well. However, if mistreated or made to abuse it's power, the master should be ready to face an angry jinn when the service is completed. A bound jinn is prohibited from acting against its master for the duration of it's service. This means that as long as the jinn owes you a service, you are safe from it's powers, afterwards you have no such protection so it is a good idea to be nice to the jinn.
The phrasing of a wish need not be formal, simply telling the jinn under your command "I want..." or "I'd like..." is good enough to satisfy the magical geas which forces the a jinni to perform services for it's master.
Once the required tasks have been performed, the jinn is no longer bound to its talisman and is free do as it pleases. Should the jinn's master not make his or her final wish, the jinn remains bound to the talisman. If the talisman is passed to another person before the final wish is granted, the jinn's service begins anew and the new master has the full number of wishes coming to them. In cases like this, should the original master reclaim the talisman, he would recieve only his unused wishes. If a jinn is freed from its talisman any unused wishes are lost.
EXAMPLE: Person A finds a jinn trapped in a lamp and releases the jinn, person A recieves three wishes from the jinn. If person A makes 2 wishes and then gives the lamp to person B, person B gets three wishes as well. If person A gets the lamp back before person B makes his third wish, then person A gets his remaining wish instead of 3 new wishes.

Although magically bound, a jinn can try to regain control over it's own destiny. When possessing a talisman, the owner is mystically linked to the jinn. The jinn may try to end his servitude by engaging it's master in a contest of the master's choosing. The master does not have to accept the challenge, but if the master accepts and wins, the jinn owes the master an additional 3 wishes. If a jinn bests his master in the contest, the talisman breaks and may never be used to bind the jinn again.

The Ecology of Jinni:

The jinni have no place in the natural order, however they once possessed a culture of their own. Hundreds of jinni banded together in tribes and travelled the Middle East often under the guise of gypsies and sorcerers. This golden time for the jinni lasted until the coming of King Solomon, who devised the methods of enslaving the jinni as workers and creating stronger geas to bind them to talismans. Since that time the jinni population has dwindled dramatically as jinni succumbed to old age (jinni do age, but their lifespan can reach 2500 years) and to death by violence (the best defense against a jinn is another jinn). Few jinn are created anymore thanks to the restrictions on demons entering the mortal world and the vigilance of gruops such as the Bureau.

Powers of the Jinni:

All jinni have access to Fortuity (see Terror Watch issue 1 ) and either Aeromancy or Pyromancy (see Terror Watch issues 2 &3 ) depending on whether the jinn's natural form is flame (fire) or smoke (air). Jinni will often have access to several of the following :
Healing, Shape Change, Control Nature, Sight, Movement, Transmutation, Dowsing, Protection, Control Person, Illusions, and Curse spells.

Jinni are resistant to most forms of conventional harm, and elder jinni are vulnerable only to magical or psionic damage.

GM NOTES FOR JINNI