「…no matter how many prayers are made or how many rituals are cast, a prince or general is just as likely to be born a planetouched as a cattle herder or slave.」 - Ngolo Modibo, "Secrets of the Planetouched」, 1895 AA
Planetouched are individuals who possess ancestry from the Elemental Planes via genie heritage. Each planetouched is attuned to a specific element, which can be seen in their physical appearance, such as blue skin for those attuned to the Plane of Water or flaming hair for those attuned to the Plane of Fire. The process of becoming a planetouched is not hereditary. It is believed to be a rare occurrence, triggered by prolonged exposure to elemental energy in areas with significant amounts of genie relics. Although Planetouched appears almost at random in various places, some places are not even strongly connected to elemental magic.
Appearance:[]
Planetouched individuals often exhibit physical traits associated with their elemental heritage. For example, a planetouched attuned to the Plane of Earth might have skin that resembles stone, or a planetouched attuned to the Plane of Air might have hair that billows as if it were wind. These features can be subtle and not impede their ability to blend in with other races. However, in moments of strong emotion or the use of their elemental powers, their heritage becomes more apparent. For others, their elemental heritage is very clearly visible at all times.
Additionally, planetouched often exhibit an otherworldly quality in their eyes, which can glow with the colors of their elemental plane. Some planetouched also have distinctive markings on their skin, such as tattoos or scars, that reflect their elemental ancestry.
It is important to note that the appearance of a planetouched is unique to each individual, and may not always align with common preconceptions of what a planetouched "should" look like. This variability further emphasizes the individuality of each planetouched and their connection to the elemental forces they represent.
Types of Planetouched[]
Planetouched individuals are characterized by their connection to the elemental planes, resulting in unique physical attributes and abilities. The following are the most commonly recognized types of planetouched:
Fire Planetouched[]
These individuals are associated with the Plane of Fire and possess a fiery appearance, with flaming hair, fiery eyes, and red or orange skin. They can control and manipulate fire and are known for their passionate and impulsive personalities.
Water Planetouched[]
These individuals are connected to the Plane of Water and have blue or green skin, gills, and webbed fingers. Their hair can be flowing as if underwater, or like tendrils of solid water. They can control water and are known for their calm, collected demeanor.
Earth Planetouched[]
These individuals are linked to the Plane of Earth and have a sturdy and rooted appearance, with features such as stone-like skin, crystal-like protrusions, rocky features, and an earthy aura. They can control and manipulate the earth and are known for their practicality and stability.
Air Planetouched[]
These individuals are linked to the Plane of Air and have a wispy, ethereal appearance, with features such as misty or cloud-like hair and skin that shimmers like the sky. They can control and manipulate air and are known for their agility and swiftness.
Merged Planetouched (Disputed)[]
These individuals have only been encountered in exceedingly rare cases, and exhibit traits from two different elements. A combination of water and air might have ice and snow-like attributes, or fire and earth might be more outright metallic. Since these individuals are so rare, there are no sources apart from oral recollections. In truth, it is believed that the merged do not exist at all and are pure myths since none have been encountered in recorded history.
History[]
Persecution of Planetouched[]
The history of planetouched and their treatment by society is complex, with a notable shift in recent times. In the past, many rulers were planetouched themselves, having risen to power by defeating their non-planetouched predecessors. However, the regulation of planetouched by the second Fangaula Empire led to fear among some rulers, who saw the old days of planetouched domination as a threat to their power. This fear led to the hunting and killing of the planetouched by some. In situations of persecution, the most common approach is to kill planetouched while they are young or to hunt them down with the help of magic users or allied planetouched. This is because it is believed that once a planetouched has matured, they will become too powerful to be stopped. In the past, the Fangaula Empire hunted down planetouched who did not work with the empire, but this organization died with the collapse of the empire.
For those employed as anti-planetouched, a common approach is to keep track of rumors of strange babies and send guards to investigate the city or village where the child is located, to kill it. This is seen as a way of "nipping it in the bud." Finally, it is believed that planetouched have a sense of "Divine Right" in that once they have matured, they typically become great heroes for their monarch or choose to kill the ruler and take the throne for themselves.
Theories on Inheritance and Creation[]
The exact process by which a person becomes a Planetouched is still not fully understood. Several theories attempt to explain the creation of Planetouched and its inheritance. One theory is that the creation of Planetouched is linked to the presence of genie relics and elemental energy in specific regions. It is believed that exposure to this energy, particularly over a long period, can cause a latent gene to awaken and change a person fundamentally, granting them powers over a specific element.
Another theory suggests that Planetouched results from interbreeding between genies and humans. This theory is based on the belief that genies can take human form and interact with humans, which could result in the creation of Planetouched offspring. The origin of this myth can be traced back to the 「Epic of Aro」 in which Aro founds the first Fangaula Empire, as the son of a bound Dao. Making him a powerful earth planetouched. No records have been able to be produced to support this story, putting it into the realm of mythology. The inheritance of Planetouched abilities is also the subject of much speculation. Some believe that it is passed down through generations through a dominant gene, while others think that it is a random occurrence that can happen in any family.
The few genies asked about Planetouched origins have been either entirely dismissive or indifferent. Offering no real insight or explanation.
Secrets of the Planetouched Excerpt[]
Excerpt from the 1895 book "Secrets of the Planetouched」 by the Kuino master poet sage Ngolo Modibo
Planetouched in Sarhaly Culture
While the nature of being a planetouched can occur amongst the civilized peoples of the world, the people of Western Sarhal have a higher than usual prevalence of all four elements of planetouched amongst them. Within Western Sarhaly culture, and indeed much of Sarhal as a whole, those who are born with the strange attributes (an arm of stone, blue skin, gills, flaming hair) are either killed at birth due to fear or grow up to do great things, be it a great warrior, cattle breeder, healer, mystic, warlord, artist, thief or poet.
Inheritance Theories
Why is the blood of planetouched most thick in the people of West Sarhal? It is said for every one planetouched elsewhere there can be three or more in the Western Sarhal. Whatever causes a planetouched to to be "born", planetouched can not be 「bred」, though many kings and queens have tried. The child of a planetouched does not inherit powers or appearance of their planetouched parent but superstition believes the offspring will have an innate affinity of their parent: a daughter of a water planetouched would be believed to become an amazing swimmer or a son of an air planetouched may be more nimble or quick. Despite this, no matter how many prayers are made or how many rituals are cast, a prince or general is just as likely to be born a planetouched as a cattle herder or slave.
Still the most popular theory is still ancient 「inheritance」 within the bloodline of the Western Sarhaly peoples. It is said that West Sarhal was a nexus of genie activity in the time before time when the world was young and the Salahad desert was more green. We do not know why it was such a hotspot. Perhaps it was a gathering place for genies to settle disagreements? Or simply a vacation spot for powerful elementals? Or perhaps West Sarhal's position between all four elements might have something to do with it. Whatever is the case Western Sarhal does have the highest density of genie artifacts and ruins from all four elemental planes (compared to the Salahadesi Desert, which has mostly air genie/djinn artifacts) and many myths and stories of the Sarhal peoples involve an otherworldly helper, villain, patron or a powerful otherworldly outsider founding a chiefdom's dynasty. Which stories are more fact than fiction is hard to judge but it gives credence to planetouched having the blood of these elemental elemental in their veins. Some priests have alleged that planetouched are created by the lost spirits of the ancient genies unable to return to their elemental planes who bind themselves with newborns. Scholars on the other hand suggest that genies interbred with the ancient humans of the region, and thus a latent gene more prevalent in the Western Sarhaly peoples is what causes these rare outbursts of planetouched. Whatever the case may be we will likely never know, as even bound genies when asked are give contradicting answers or are largely uninterested of how the planetouched came to be.