Minor elemental spirits (Ifrits, Undines, Oreads, and Sylphs) that have come to the Material Plane for a variety of reasons.
Ecology[]
Locations: Populated areas of other races, particularly those that favor ties to the elements or an element.
Rarity: Rare
Influence: Medium
· Language: Varies by subrace
· Religion:
The elemental planes are highly distinct places that are each dominated by one of the four fundamental elements -- fire, water, earth, and air. That being said, each plane is populated by a variety of beings with numerous purposes and societies, some hostile to those on the Material Plane, some benevolent, and others uncaring. The most influential groups that mortals are familiar with are thankfully of the benevolent kind, or at least sent because of kinder elementals.
A common purpose for genasi to be on the Material Plane is bondage or servitude. Some do so voluntarily as penance for something they have done while others are being punished; others simply wish to give aid to mortals who have been faithful or worshipful. A decent number of genasi actually make a pledge through which they swear never to harm or allow harm to come to their host people while they perform their sworn duty. For most, because of their influence over the elements, they duty or bondage involves a craft or profession that is closely tied to an element such as forging, baking, mining, sailing, fishing, etc. It is not or at least was not uncommon for "civilized" or even "savage" societies to engage in this practice. Some enjoy the free slaves while others desire to become closer to the beings they revere, or at least do them a service by allowing a spirit to perform penance or gain enlightenment.
A number of these genasi also may come to Aya because they are invited to or desire to go on a pilgrimage of sorts in which they attempt to find a balance between the elements, which is something a faction of elemental spirits desire -- a better union of their disparate forces. These souls believe they can find this balance on the Material Plane because it generally is a perfect balance of the foundational elements, working in a dissonant harmony that actually supports life. One means to finding this enlightenment is the mere fact that to exist on this plane, they must voluntarily (or not) experience a rebalancing of their elemental essence simply to have a body that can survive on Aya. Some of these spirits may have already begun this path or not; there are plenty who are simply wanderers, wishing to see what they can of this new world so different from their own.