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Genasi were planetouched humans, infused with the power of the elements. Along with aasimar and tieflings, genasi were the most common planetouched found on the world of Toril.

Technically speaking, the genasi were not a race but rather a general classification of humans who had a heritage (usually unknown) that included some planar being from one of the Elemental planes, most often a genie, (dao, djinn, efreet, marid, or jann, ) which is whence their name is derived.

Description
No two genasi were alike in appearance. Some could pass as normal humans, bearing the marks of their human ethnicity; for others, their elemental nature was impossible to hide. Their heritage was nearly always evident in one or two physical traits, such as skin or hair color or an elemental aura.

Subraces
Each of the four fundamental elements had associated genasi, so the most common genasi were air genasi, earth genasi, fire genasi, and water genasi. Para-genasi were genasi who expressed a bloodline of two elements. These included the dust para-genasi, ice para-genasi, magma para-genasi, ooze para-genasi, smoke para-genasi, steam para-genasi, among other possibilities. Para-genasi were even rarer than the four standard genasi.

Abilities
Like other planetouched, because of the strength of their elemental heritage, many spells that specifically affected humanoids had no effect on genasi. On the other hand, some spells that affected outsiders were effective against them, such as banishment.

Personality
Unlike many planetouched races, genasi generally took pride in their unusual features. Furthermore, because of their elemental power, most genasi felt a sense of superiority over other races and even over other genasi &mdash;including those of the same element. This was not so much a matter of prejudice as it was simple fact&mdash;a simple mortal could not possibly understand the mind of one with elemental heritage. In return, the genasi were perhaps the most distrusted of the planetouched races for being the most alien.

The personality of the typical genasi reflected her or his core element. For example, a fire genasi might have a "hot temper" and an earth genasi might take life slowly and carefully.

Because of their elemental powers, many genasi felt that they had a destiny and a calling to leave a name for themselves.

Society
Genasi were exceptionally rare among the planes. They were more common on Toril, however, because of the many portals to other planes found on that world. Even so, genasi were lucky if they ever met another one of their kind. In Faerûn, they could be found in isolated wildlands or in major cities, such as Waterdeep, where their strange traits would not arouse significant suspicion. They usually lived in isolation. Genasi could be found in any climate. Water genasi could even make their homes underwater.

As a rule, genasi favored training as fighters.

Genasi spoke the languages of their native region. In addition, they often learned the languages of the elemental plane from which their powers derived.

Ecology
The child of an elemental creature with a human was a half-elemental. The child of a half-elemental and a human was a genasi. The child of a genasi and a human might show planetouched traits or purely human ones. Thus, overtime, the elemental bloodline was diluted until it was no longer obvious in most individuals. However, every few generations, a child might display his or her elemental heritage as a genasi.

If two genasi of the same element were to produce offspring, the child was always a genasi of that element; if the couple was of differing elements, the child would take after only one of the parents. However, both elements were still present in the child's blood and might manifest in future generations.

Para-genasi came about when a half-elemental of one type mated with an elemental creature of another type.

The genealogy of an individual genasi was extremely difficult to determine, as the elemental planes had many sentient lifeforms capable of interbreeding with humans. Moreover, most such races would never admit to such a coupling and would reject both the half-elemental offspring an any of his or her descendants.

History
Calimshan had a higher population of air and fire genasi, because of its history of djinni and efreeti rulers.

Connections
Genasi