Editing Marid (section)

==Great Wheel==
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Regarded as the most powerful of all the [[genie]] races, the rare marids are certainly the most arrogant! All marids claim some form of petty nobility, and the race is awash in shahs, princes, mufti, khedives, caliphs, minor khans, emirs, atabegs, and beglerbegs. Further, no set order is given to the rankings and honorifics, creating a hodgepodge of conflicting hierarchies and precedence. The truly "noble marids" are superior to these creatures, and are the stuff of legends across the planes.

Towering and beautiful, marids are as fair of face as they are powerful of form. Their skin matches the many colors of the ocean, from the serene blue of tropical waters to the somber greens of a storm-tossed sea. Skin color changes to reflect the moods of an individual marid - the darker the creature's mood, the darker the color. A marid's hair is usually blue-black or dark gray, but a few have tresses as snowy as froth upon a wave. Such white-haired creatures are considered the most chaotic of this strong-willed, independent race.

The ultimate capital of the marids, the home of its Great Padishah, is the Citadel of the Ten Thousand Pearls, a mighty metropolis located in the heart of the Elemental Plane of Water. This legendary place is also the home of truly noble marids. Only a handful of worthy mortals have visited the citadel and lived to return to the Prime Material Plane.

The independent nature of marids makes the Prime Material Plane a common site for visits and adventures. However, it is not mortals they seek. Marids tend to avoid contact with "lesser races" - which, to a marid, means all other races. So when they do appear on the Prime Material Plane, it is often in a remote locale or a place inaccessible to others. During the monsoon and hurricane seasons, for example, these reclusive tourists favor the open sea and the jungle coast. Mortals who have witnessed some of the Prime's worst tropical storms have sighted marids frolicking in the whirlwinds and waterspouts.

Those dealing with marids should keep in mind that these creatures are egotistical and vain - with good reason. Their self-image only slightly exceeds reality - in AD&D, marids had the power of ''26th level [[wizard]]s'', whilst noble marids were '''30th level'''. Even the most powerful [[sha'ir]] angers a marid at his or her own risk. Bribery and flattery are often the best means for dealing with these genies, who view an obsequious man as a man who knows his place. Of course, while such honeyed tactics generally avoid raising a marid's ire, the genie still may not answer the supplicant's request.

Marids are noted for their whimsical nature. More than few have accepted all manner of gifts, only to vanish as soon the giver began making firm requests. Further, marids lie often and they lie creatively. They are not malicious in their deception, but "embellishments" suit their fancy. Knowledgeable mariners and travelers avoid asking directions from a marid, because the genie will undoubtedly direct them through the most "interesting" route - meaning the route with the greatest peril and excitement. Prying the truth out of even a friendly marid is a lengthy process recommended only for the patient and the powerful.

Not surprisingly, marids are champion tale-tellers. Their favorite legends emphasize the prowess of the marid race in general and of the speaker in particular. When talking with a marid, mortals should take care to prevent the conversation from digressing into other matters. One further note of warning: Marids consider it a crime for a lesser being to interrupt them-and offending a marid is a sure way to summon its wrath.

Marids have no need to eat or drink in the traditional sense, though it pleases them to do so. They are sensitive to flavor and tastes. A tenser in a marid household consists of exotic salts releasing pleasant tastes into the water. Though marids are creatures of the sea, they can breathe equally well on dry land. As befits "nobility," marids try to surround themselves with the finest items of the highest quality. (As noted above, all marids proclaim themselves to be noble, however feeble the justification.) Many arrogant genies are not above kidnapping a skilled human artificer for use in their own court. Such kidnapping does violate the law among marids, however. Should word of the action reach the Citadel of the Ten Thousand Pearls, justice may be sought with the marids who are ''truly'' noble.

As a race, marids treat others - including other genies - as inferiors of various grades, ranging from poor cousins to petty annoyances. In turn, the water-based genies are viewed as imperious, obnoxious, vain, preening, and haughty. Marids tolerate the jann and djinn. They dislike efreet and dao, who (in the marids' opinion) do not know their proper place. Humans are the most disgusting of individuals that marids must tolerate, although there are certain members - mainly powerful [[sha'ir]]s and exceptional leaders - whom the marids will deal with on an almost equal footing.

In AD&D, marids have the unique ability to cast the spell Alter Reality once every year. This basically an [[Illusionist]] version of the Wish spell, although details have been lost to the mists of time. The noble marid's affinity for this ability is unclear; neither it nor the Wish spell are mentioned in their profile. In 3rd edition, this was changed to simply casting Limited Wish once per year... which ironically makes them worse at granting wishes than the ''[[Dao]]''!

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===5e===
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Hailing from the Elemental Plane of Water, the marids are the most wondrous of genie-kind. Although all genies wield great power, even the lowliest marid sees itself as clearly superior to the flighty [[djinn]], the groundhugging [[dao]], and the fuming [[efreet]]. Large and piscine, marids are a strange sight to behold, particularly when clad in the finely stitched vests and colorful pantaloons they favor. They speak in voices as soft as the sea breeze or as sonorous as storm waves breaking against a rocky cliff. In flight, their lower bodies transform into columns of foamy water.

Water is a marid's native element, and the genie can manipulate water in virtually any way it desires. A marid can walk on water and breathe naturally beneath its surface. It can create water or shape clouds of fog and mist from the vapor in the air. It can even transform itself into mist, or use water as a weapon to bludgeon its foes.

Marids are rare on the Material Plane. They inhabit mighty and majestic coral fortresses located in the Elemental Plane of Water. These citadels float in the depths of the plane and contain opulent, air-filled chambers where slaves and guests reside. A marid doesn't expect much from its slaves, simply wanting to have them for the status of ownership. Marids go out of their way to obtain skilled slaves, and aren't above kidnapping mortal artists, entertainers, or storytellers for use in their courts.

All marids claim a title of nobility, and the race is awash in shahs, sultans, muftis, and khedives. Most of these titles are mere pretense on the part of the self-important marids. Marids treat all others- including other genies- as inferiors of various grades, ranging from poor cousins to petty annoyances. They tolerate djinn, dislike dao, and despise efreet. Humanoids are among the lowest of the creatures that marids must tolerate, although they sometimes deal with powerful wizards and exceptional leaders on an almost-equal footing. Doing so has sometimes proven to be a mistake, since wizards have managed to imprison marids in conch shells, flasks, and decanters over the ages. Bribery and flattery are the best means of dealing with marids, to which an obsequious mortal is a creature that knows its place.

Marids are champion taletellers, whose favorite legends emphasize the prowess of marids in general and of the speaker in particular. Fanciful genies, they lie often and creatively. They aren't always malicious in their deception, but embellishments suit their fancy. Marids consider it a crime for a lesser being to interrupt one of their tales, and offending a marid is a sure way to invoke its wrath.