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 Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:54 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:02 pm
.:. The Story .:. Man was made from earth; angels from light; and the djinn, from fire. Like men and angels, djinn are freethinking beings who can be either good or evil. In the tale of 'The Fisherman and the Jinni' the soul of this particular Ifrit (a form of djinn) denied Lord Solomon's request that he embrace the True faith and, as punishment, the Lord imprisoned him in a "...cucumber-shaped jar of yellow copper... whose mouth was made fast with a leaden cap stamped with the seal ring of our Lord Solomon..." The jar was cast into the sea, where the restless Ifrit was contained for "a thousand and eight hundred years." Every hundred years, the Ifrit vowed that, if he were to be found, he'd bestow various gifts upon his savior and, with each passing century, the design of the gift was changed. Over time the Ifrit's frustration with his constant captivity made him bitter and malevolent; until he no longer planned to reward whomsoever released him and, instead, resolved to slay his liberator and let him decide in what fashion he would die.
One day, an old and poor fisherman with a wife and three children, tossed his net into the sea. He did so three times and was denied any worthwhile catch until his third try. The net was entangled at the bottom of the sea and he could not drag it up, so the fisherman dove under water and recovered, with astonishment, the Ifrit's copper prison. He recognized Lord Solomon's seal and knew that he could sell the jar for a fair amount of money, and this made him very happy. Still, the fisherman was curious and, seeking to realize the nature of the substance within the jar, used his knife to extract the lead stopper from the mouth.
Thus, in a spiral of thick smoke, the Ifrit was free and set out to fulfill the promise he'd made to himself. The fisherman pleaded for his life, but the Ifrit wouldn't listen, and the fisherman used every bit of cunning Allah had given him in order to trick the Ifrit back into his jar. Outside of his prison, the Ifrit was terribly large. The fisherman claimed he couldn't possibly understand how such a big body could fit inside such a tiny container, not until he saw it with his own eyes. The Ifrit, who apparently wasn't as clever as the fisherman, immediately returned to vapor, recommenced his old prison and was trapped again by the fisherman and Solomon's seal on the lead cap.
The fisherman then sought to throw the bottle back into the sea, where the Ifrit would be forced to await his fate on Judgement Day, but the Spirit begged and pleaded for his soul; he asked for the fisherman's forgiveness, declared that he would never harm him, and promised to give the fisherman whatever it was that he desired. The fisherman, pacified by the Ifrit's appeal, released the Spirit from his prison once more.
The Ifrit stayed true to his word and led the fisherman to a lake nearby where the fish were of the most vibrant colors the fisherman had ever seen. Every time he cast his net, he pulled up exactly four fish; one blue, one red, one yellow, and one white. Then the Ifrit and the fisherman said their goodbyes, and the Ifrit struck the ground with his foot and was effectively swallowed up by it.
[The story continues here with the fisherman, and goes on to explain the colors of the fish in "The Tale of the Ensorceled Prince." I've taken a bit of liberty in fashioning this particular Ifrit's death- from a little blurb pertaining to a story in this article.]
It was never told if the fisherman and the Ifrit ever did meet again, but their destinies were as invariably different as it gets. The fisherman's daughters were both married off to kings. His son became an esteemed treasurer and the fisherman himself was extremely wealthy for the rest of his days. The Ifrit, however, was not so lucky- one act of reluctant kindness and generosity was not enough to dispel centuries of piled up resentment and anger. The Ifrit, returned to his former glory, enjoyed playing tricks on men. One night, taking the form of a beautiful and enchanting woman, the Ifrit deigned to steal food from a merchant- who, noticing the maiden's "beastly feet," recognized the Ifrit instantly for what he was, wrapped a rope around his neck and dragged the women's body behind his camel. The Ifrit's arrogance and carelessness, the reasons he'd been enslaved in the first place, ultimately led to his gruesome murder at the hands of a simple, powerless man.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:08 pm
.:. The Lost Child .:. Name : Nina (means fire) Gender : female Stage : teen Mythbase : The Fisherman and the Jinni (ifrit/djinn- Islam) Link to a source on the mythbase : x, x, x, myth-the arabian nights, xAppearance : long curly dark chocolate-y hair, faded rope burns around her neck (birthmark/past life stain), trome clothing- think something flintstones-like, with jewelry and accessories made from various pieces of trash. (earrings made from coat hanger and wine corks, maybe? or small lightbulbs!) Powers : ⁃ limited shape-shifting: small animals, vapor. Nina can also shift into slightly larger animals (like dogs, or lions) but she can't stay in that form for longer than a couple of minutes. It takes too much power. This skill develops and increases with practice. Shifting gets easier the more often she does it. It is, however, dangerous. Ever been told (probably by a parent or an especially bossy aunt) that your face will get stuck if you keep it that way long enough? Shifting drains Nina's magic and, if she doesn't tax herself just right, she runs the risk of being trapped forever in shifted form. Larger bodies drain more magic faster than small bodies do. Vapor drains the least magic of all at the slowest rate, and Nina can hold that particular form for days without much need for concern.
⁃ wish granting/general magic abilities: minimal. Nina can not grant wishes greater than her own magic can provide. This, too, is a skill that grows with practice and maturity. The stronger Nina is the more powerful wishes she can grant. Right now? She could probably help find that remote you lost, or zap that pimple off your chin, or help you kick a** at Wheel of Fortune. But only if you had something to give her in return. As far as her other skills go, she's only ever really used her magic to cheat at games, to pick-pocket, or to slip out of uncomfortable situations. It also makes hanging someone in the air by their ankles relatively easy. This is, like her shape-shifting, taxed by her own strength. The heavier a person is, the harder it is for her to lift them. It also takes a great deal of concentration.
⁃ force of word: no matter how hard she tries, once Nina makes a promise, she's bound by her magic to fulfill it.
⁃ enslavement (curse): anyone who knows what they're doing might use magic or some form of trick to trap her somewhere, and Nina lives in constant fear of this. Once ensnared, she's doomed to a life of servitude until liberated/freed. In order to imprison her the container must be airtight. It can't have any holes or cracks or seams. Personality : Fiesty and competitive; Nina's the type of girl that enjoys playing mind games and getting her way. Very little matters to this girl other than herself. She's a decietful sleaze, and likes to pretend she's more intelligent than the reality; which is that she's not very clever at all. Her selfishness and arrogance make her careless, and she's easily mastered by more savvy opponents. This never ceases to frustrate her and, after realizing the imminence of her defeat, will do almost whatever it takes to make sure she comes out on top- depending on the stakes, and she'll only feel repentant if she doesn't get what she wants. There's no sniveling, insecure little girl hidden behind her almost overwhelmingly pretentious exterior. Nina doesn't question who she is or why she exists. She recognizes her limitations, and doesn't waste time trying to achieve more through self-contemplation, or correction. There are always loopholes; and, if they happen to evade her, Nina's the type to steamroll ahead without so much as a blink. Consequences be damned. She loves to have a good time; and is usually at her happiest whenever she's winning at something, or smoking opium with Snyde and Karee. Her most treasured possession is her free will, and she believes whole-heartedly in every person's right to think whatever they wish and do whatever they want (so long as they don't cross her). If she has any truly redeeming quality, it is her open-mind which, born from curiosity and impartiality, prevents her from really judging others. Impassioned and reckless, Nina has an astounding capacity for feeling and a surprising fondness for romantic-comedy films and game shows. She's also deathly afraid of small, cramped spaces.
Growing up on Zor, surrounded by both hardened criminals and giggling psychos, has provided Nina with a dark sense of humor. It has also served to further cement her passionate love of free will, and freedom it's self- almost to the point of being fanatical. Guardian : Nina was discovered and raised by One-Eyed Snyde, a native Trome of "The Great Universal Trash Heap", and his wife Very-Hairy Karee. Snyde and Karee are both very proud of their Trome heritage and fanatical hoarders. They like to keep all sorts of gadgets and gizmos, which they use to decorate their modest hovel, and are avid participants in Planet Scrapheap's annual 'Metallic Garden' competition. Like all Tromes, Snyde and Karee love to gamble and brew their own wine (from the various fruits found fermenting all over the planet). They're a greedy, self-indulgent couple who like nothing better than a belly full of bread and a home full of debris. Beyond that, however, is an innate and touching capacity for love that exudes from both of them. Snyde and Karee adore one another and their precious home; as well as Nina, whom they first collected as an interesting little trinket, and have since come to love and to adore as a daughter.
Usually patient and kind, neither Snyde nor Karee ever really bothered to punish Nina for misbehaving; choosing, instead, always to appreciate her for who she is. Karee was a little more lenient than Snyde, who found himself forced to put his foot down whenever he caught Nina taking out the trash, or inconsolably drunk off his favorite wines (which she never drank from the bottle). Snyde endeavored to teach Nina everything that he knew; how to cheat, how to gamble, and how to speak and write the more popular languages of the universe. Because of this Snyde is also the only person in the universe to whom Nina will answer- grudgingly, of course, but with her head still bent low and as sheepish an expression on her face as she's capable of. He's her teacher, and Nina loves him almost as much as she loves herself.
Above all, however, Snyde and Karee both respect and admire Nina's competitive streak and magical gifts, which they've kept secret from the neighbors for years, because they enable their precious girl to cheat and win them countless trophies. Like Nina, they have no idea why she can do the things that she can, but they are a simple people and, nevertheless, thankful for them. World: In the beginning, Zor was a desert planet; giant in size, and comprised primarily of sand and dust. The climate was dry and hot and virtually inhabitable, excepting one very special race of little people. Tromes are sand drinkers, who have no need for water, and thrive on dehydration. They are short in stature and generally rotund, with pointy ears and strong, wiry bodies designed specifically for climbing. Their feet are like that of a camel; made for traversing long distances across the sand.
For centuries, only the Tromes lived and breathed the air of Zor, and the existence of this modest race of people went unnoticed for a long while. It wasn't until other planets, seeking to purge their lands of waste, sought to use Zor as a perpetual garbage dump that the Tromes were discovered and given a name.
Tromes have always been hoarders by nature and are terribly greedy. Its is every self-respecting Trome's dearest ambition to possess more worldly goods than his neighbor. They're also spry and innovative; Trome's never throw anything away, and are particularly talented at discovering new uses for old things. Not sure what to do with that cracked toilet bowl? Give it to a Trome! He'll probably turn it into a flowerpot, and be your best friend for life because he didn't have to steal it from you.
The Tromes' humble predisposition for greed and love for knick-knacks made Zor's transformation into "The Great Universal Trash Heap" an easy one. Rather than turning their noses away in disgust and inciting an inter-galatic revolution of; "get your garbage off my front lawn!" the Tromes embraced the foreign garbage and built their homes amongst the scraps, which they found to be much easier to keep tidy than the dens they'd previously dug out of the sand.
Zor's unnofficial title as "The Great Universal Trash Heap," the simple, unassuming nature of the Tromes, and the utter lack of any sort of legal system has turned the planet into a beacon for all sorts of criminals from every corner of the galaxy. Zor has become a place of refuge for serial killers, theives, con-artists (and anything else you can think of). They thrive on the surface; and have found compadres in the planet's native race. The Tromes and many of the criminals share a communal love of gambling, drinking and other naughty things. For the necessity of safety, in case an outsider gets a little too snoopy, the Tromes have built a series of underground tunnels (comprised both of trash and of sand) in which the various criminals hide. In exchange for the Trome's hospitality, the criminals (led by a giant, hairy human convict named Lucian) have set up a code, which all occupants of Zor that are not of Trome acenstry are bound to follow.
T H E C O D E:
1. Tromes are friends.
2. Do not harm Tromes, unless they have stabbed/stolen/killed/otherwise maimed you first.
3. Do not destroy Trome property. If it looks like trash, smells like trash, and tastes like trash; chances are its somebody's home.
4. Wine is good. Drink it. (especially if offered to you by a Trome)
5. Whiskey is better. Drink it more.
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Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:45 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:47 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:48 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:54 pm
A DreamOf Fa'e, sand made of ash, sandwhich-maker monsters, trash mountains and BOBGARBL.
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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:06 am
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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:07 am
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