Efreeti Genie [Al-Qadim]

Efreet (singular efreeti) are huge, solid humanoids whose red eyes glow like coals; legend says they are made of basalt, bronze, flame and anger in equal measure. Skin ranges from crimson to the gray-black of basalt, and some locals think red-skinned beings are chosen by Fate. Hair glints brassy with smoky red highlights, and many males wear red or black beards. They dress in silk caftans and damask robes of red and black, with brass and gold jewelry.

Limited telepathy lets them speak with any creature that has at least low intelligence, though they twist translations to suit themselves. They also speak the common trade tongue and the genie language, their dialect harsh, passionate and clipped. Efreet hate being called evil and lawful, thinking themselves fair, orderly and wisely self-interested; their rulers, however, truly are lawful evil. They despise mortals except those stronger than they are or wise enough to admit efreeti superiority.

Once a day each, as a 15th-level wizard, an efreeti can polymorph self, detect magic, turn invisible, take gaseous form, raise a wall of fire, or create an illusion with sight and sound that lasts without concentration until touched or dispelled. Produce flame and pyrotechnics are at will, and once a day it can enlarge as a 10th-level mage.

Ordinary fire, including incendiaries, its home plane and dragon breath, cannot hurt it, and magical fire suffers -1 to hit and -1 per damage die.

Its famous gift is up to three wishes a day, which is why so many try to enslave efreet. Only Prime Material creatures may receive them, never jann or other genies or planar beings, and its masters in the City of Brass, up to the sultan, review every one. To escape blame, an efreeti must show that it was forced against its will and that it turned the wish against the asker, proving efreeti superiority. Usually it grants a malicious wish that harms the requester along with the target.

It carries 750 pounds untired, and 1,500 for three turns afoot or one aloft, plus a turn per 150 pounds below that (1,200 pounds allows three turns of flight), then rests six turns.

Efreet can visit all elemental planes and the Prime Material, Ethereal and Astral, but usually stay in Fire, sometimes trading in Earth; those on the Prime have mostly been summoned.

Efreet are known for loathing servitude, craving vengeance, and cruelty and deceit, partly blamed on their vile rulers, though many simply enjoy it. Their capital, the City of Brass, rises from a glowing 40-mile hemisphere of metal ruled by the sultan. Military posts across the plane, each with 4d10 efreet under a malik or vali with maximum hit points, guard against Air and Water and launch raids; there is a 10% chance of 1d4 jann and 1d4 dao in residence, and 10d10 prisoners are common.

They visit hot places like volcanoes and the burning deep desert, clashing with jann, whom they bully, and djinn, with whom they wage endless low-level war. Long exploited for wishes, they resent humans and drag off any suitable slaves, though lavish praise, treasure, or a plan to hurt other mortals makes them friendlier. They love chaos they can blame on someone else. Only the strongest masters should bind them; most genie prisons hold efreet or dao.

Efreet need not eat and can go years without food, but love the smell of roasted nuts and meat burned nearly to ash, and drink wine or fermented mare's milk boiling hot. They favor gems and metals that will not melt at home and treat clothing with fireproof oils, which protect only the cloth. They hate djinn, tolerate dao as gem traders, dislike haughty marids and dominate jann; other fire natives shun them.