Elemental Empires

None of the four Planes or Dimensions - those of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - is accessible to mere mortals. They are inhabited, however, by creatures known as genies. There are four types, each corresponding to one of the four Elements which comprise their respective essences. Each type of genie also counts its antithesis among the others. Thus, the marides, aligned with the Element of Water, are opposed by the fiery ifrits. The Plane of Earth is inhabited by the d'ao genies, and the Dimension of Air which opposes it is home for d'jinni - whose name, incidentally, is the root of the word genie. This last term is often used by simple folk to refer to all creatures that inhabit the Elemental Planes, which is an obvious blunder…

Unusually powerful sorcerers can sometimes bind such beings and bend them to their will, thus acquiring tremendous might to the point of near omnipotence. For a genie, being the living personification of an Element's energies, is akin to an almost boundless reservoir of the Power. Thus, its master can draw energy from the genie for spell casting, without the tiresome need to channel from traditional sources. However, those who are able to bind a genie are few and far between, for the strength of the inhabitants of the four Planes is matched only by the cunning which they employ to avoid such a fate.