Post by DornKoon on Aug 26, 2024 20:13:06 GMT
General Information
Full Name:
"Aladdin"
Codename or Alias:
The Djinn
The Jinn
The Genie
The Efreet
Anonymity
Secret/Unknown
Gender:
Genderfluid (Prefeers Male, can be anything)
Race:
Djinn/Efreet
Age:
Unknown (As old as the Earth, or close to)
Place Of Birth:
Created from smokeless fire
Occupation/Status:
Wishmaster
Alignment:
Evil
Neutral
Factions:
Whatever faction his current Master is in.
Canon Or Original?:
Original
Powers/Abilities:
The Power of Wishes
One of the Djinn's most notable magical powers is his ability to grant wishes. He is bound to the lamp and to serve whoever happens to be the Master of the lamp. Aladdin has access to an astounding amount of magic for these wishes and can warp reality to fit the wish's need. He can fulfil the wildest and most unlikely wishes and dreams, creating or destroying many things according to those wishes or dreams. Riches, power, freedom, longer life and secrets are all common themes of wishes granted, yet the wishes can be as many as the stars in the universe. There are, however, rules and catches. Aladdin still has the right to interpret whenever someone wishes, meaning that a poorly worded wish can have dire consequences should he decide to interpret it that way; loopholes, grey areas, and semantics can give a lot of leeway.
As for the rules, Aladdin cannot grant several things: a Master cannot wish for him to kill someone, a Master is granted three wishes and cannot wish for more wishes, and he cannot manipulate the heart. Bringing someone back from the dead is possible, but the price of messing with the natural order tends to be steeper than people are willing to pay. Of course, that doesn't mean people have not tried, and it always ended... poorly.
IMPORTANT
Efreet Physiology
While Aladdin may appear human most of the time, he is not human. He is one of the most potent kinds of DJinn, called Ifrit or Efreet. His proper form is a giant-sized humanoid with red skin and mastery over the element of fire. His large horns often make people mistake him for a demon, while he is not a demon. His nature gives him access to a wide array of abilities; he does not age; he is immune to poisons and sicknesses; he lacks the vital organs of mortals; he can free himself from the constraint of gravity to levitate, teleport, use pyrokinesis, and turn his body transparent. He is an extremely powerful spellcaster with magic around fire, heat, sand, air, conjuration, space and mirages. Even without the wishes, he is not a creature one should underestimate. If his physical form should be destroyed, he will be banished to his lamp, where his body will reform over a few days.
He is also immune to fire, heat, and flames, whether magical, demonic, angelical or natural.
Fiery Mind
Compared to most creatures, Aladdin's mind is "fiery" and hard to understand. He cannot easily be charmed or mind-controlled, and those trying to read his mind will find it extremely difficult to get any clear reading, not because they cannot read it, but because his mind is too fundamentally different next to a human or even demon. A more experienced caster or mutant might be able to get some information, but the inexperienced would quickly be overwhelmed by the mental heat.
Memory of Ages
While not possessing a genius-level intellect, Aladdin does have an eidetic memory. He can remember anything he has seen once, and having lived for millennia, that is a lot of things. He remembers every wish he ever granted, the faces of everyone he met, and their names and favourite colours. He's a vast archive of practical and less useful trivia about many subjects and has met several vital figures who got where they were primarily due to wishes. One would be surprised how many events and people resulted from outside manipulation.
Weapons/Items:
The Magical Lamp
On the surface, Aladdin's home and prison is a perfect and shining decorative container, most commonly an old oil lamp, but it has been other things, an amphora, a jar, and a snuffbox, to name a few; the appearance might change slightly and has done so over time, with one exception: there is always a smudge, a black mark that does ruin the surface, all to encourage people to polish it. Inside is a sizeable palace-like dimension, chambers filled with treasures Aladdin has collected over the millennia. In many ways, it is a gilded cage, but a cage all the same.
The lamp's magic is devious and powerful beyond what most mortals or immortals could understand; not even Aladdin fully knows everything. The Almighty created it, and so far, no other being has been able to put as much as a scratch on it. The Lamp has a will of its own and wants to be found, and no one can persuade or even converse with it, alien even to the gods; it matters not how much someone tries to hide it; sooner or later, it will be found. Nothing Aladdin, or anyone else, does will change that. If buried, someone will dig it out by accident; if hidden, someone will stumble upon it due to visions or dreams; if sent to another dimension, a curious wizard will end up summoning it, to name a few examples.
The only sure way to keep the lamp is for it to have found a Master.
The Cosmic Loom
More significant wishes cannot be created from thin air, and Aladdin's favourite tool for granting these is a beautiful cosmic loom with threads like rainbows and starlights. By working the threads and silk, Aladdin can wave into existence all marvellous objects, such as when he made a magnificent palace for Aladdin. The loom is not limited to wishes, and Aladdin can use it in regular spellcrafting and create things that would otherwise be impossible, like cloth made of water and fire or wave in starlight into a dress.
The Princess' Umbrella
A gift from long ago, an umbrella given to Aladdin by a princess. He can use it as a tool for magic, not that he needs it, and he does so more for fun than out of necessity. He likes to infuse it to defend himself against attackers and can lend it to others if it is needed, and the person is trusted enough to gain access to it. The object is far more durable than what its appearance of waved paper might suggest.
Antique Chinese Pipe
Another object Aladdin carries with him is a beautiful pipe, which he occasionally smokes. Whatever he smokes is not for mortal lungs, and should someone (like a human) smoke it, they will suffer from many colourful and vivid hallucinations. For Aladdin and other immortals, it's just a pleasant sensation, similar to opium.
Appearance
Physical Appearance:
As a Djinn, Aladdin can pick whatever form he wishes to appear in, be it male, female or between, but his most typical appearance is that of a handsome man with a strong jaw, a five-o-clock shadow, black hair, tanned skin, toned physique, prominent eyebrows and piercing eyes. People looking deeply into his eyes will find them filled with what appears to be molten gold. He is both handsome and frightening simultaneously, tall and intimidating, with an age that seems to fluctuate depending on mood and fancy, but mostly around the ages of late 20 to 30s. More often than not, his face is serious, showing little emotions or inner thoughts; a long life of service has told him that most Master are not interested in his opinions...
Even if he might look human by design, his proper form is that of an Efreet. When shedding his human disguise, he appears as something very different: an imposing giant with red skin, hair of flames, long curved horns, eyes like gold, and a body filled with smokeless fire. More an elemental than a man, a force of nature more than a mortal or demon. If he wishes, he can appear as female, even in this form... or neither.
Clothing and Armor:
In his human form, Aladdin likes to change his outfit to fit his current appearance and gender, but most of the time, he likes the spartan look, simple pants and a plain shirt, form-fitted to make sure his physique is visible for all to see. It becomes different when he takes on his Efreet form or is first summoned from the Lamp; in those cases, he appears garbed in traditional oriental cloth, richly dressed in fine silk and decorated with gold jewellery.
Personality
Sexual Orientation:
Pansexual
General Personality:
Aladdin is the living definition of "I just don't give a damn anymore"; he has been forced to grant wishes since time immemorial, a servant to the whims of humanity's greed, a task given to him by King Salomon. He says what he wants when he wants, and no power in the universe can stop him. He is brutally honest to the point of coming off as insulting; no... he can just be insulting. Not that he would ever be disrespectful or use foul language, but he will be among the first to tell you in the most polite way possible that you suck ass. At the same time, he has difficulty taking people seriously and can have a dry sense of humour.
The Djinn has little respect for humanity, or mortals by extension, and considers them shortsighted and greedy. At least most of the time, there are always exceptions to the rule, however rare and far between they may be. He is impressed by those willing to work instead of relying on hand-outs to get their way. Still, his greatest weakness is the simple fact that he is NOT human; his mind is alien and more closely aligned with the fae folk; he has a difficult time understanding why humans think or do the things they do and only really understands the greed because he knows how to manipulate it. Most of the world is curious, and in many ways, he would regard himself as a tourist, looking at the things that make mortals go on despite their short lives.
Beneath it all, however, Aladdin is a creature of fiery passion. He loves to experience new things and has had several lovers throughout his lifetime, several of whom are demonic, angelic, spirits, and even gods. These oases of passion remain one of the few delights in his existence, and he puts great value on them when they happen.
He can also be highly manipulative, not in the sense that he is a liar; the magic of the lamp prevents him from outright lying, but he is a master of half-truths, which takes into his second passion when wishes go wrong in the hilarious way possible. Some Djinns might want to cause as much harm as possible, but Aladdin is more of an ironic twist kind of Djinn. He's nothing if not creative... that's for sure. Also, despite his considerable magical abilities, he loathes the idea of fighting, so unless ordered to with a wish, he would rather... not.
Face/Voice:
Alexander Uloom
Anything Else
Character's History
Siblings:
Mother:
Desire of the Endless
Father:
The Smokeless Fire
Other Family:
Night (Grandmother)
Time (Grandfather)
Destiny of the Endless (Uncle)
Death of the Endless (Aunt)
Dream of the Endless (Uncle)
Destruction of the Endless (Uncle)
Despair of the Endless (Aunt)
Delirium of the Endless (Aunt)
Orpheus (Cousin)
History:
Of Smokeless Fire & Desire
As stories go, humanity was created from the earth, but shortly after the creation of the angels, entities were born from a union between The Smokeless Fire and Desire of the Endless; this was how the Djinn was born.
The Djinn was one of the first great evils of the world and part of one of Desire's plots with Despair. The creation of The Djinn was to cause mortal creatures despair by manipulating their desires, and with humanity next in line, something needed to spice things up. With the birth of humanity, it began to infiltrate their homes, manipulating them with promises of power and treasures, using their innate ability to warp reality to twist the desires of mankind, breaking it apart to despair. At several historical points, the Djinn appeared for those willing to look into tales and legends. They offered to carry the throne of Bilqis, queen of Sheba to King Solomon: "An ifrit from the jinn said: 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work." However, the duty is not given to them.
Always there, a test for humanity in their convictions and purity.
Clash with a Savage
The Djinn's first encounter with a "mortal" was when he encountered Vandal Savage. Savage was an enigma, as he appeared to be an ordinary mortal, but his confidence was... alarming. Savage ended up making a bet with the creature that The Djinn would get three days to try and kill Savage, and if he succeeded, he would have had the pleasure of claiming his soul, but if he failed in doing so, Savage would get a wish granted, and The Djinn could not mess with it or use any loopholes. Confident, The Djinn accepted.
He spent these three days trying to slay Savage in all manner of colourful ways, each more creative than the other; he threw him into acid, burned him, crushed him, stabbed him... but nothing worked. Even with The Djinn's considerable magical abilities, he could not put Savage down. So, at the end of the third day, The Djinn had to admit defeat. With burning eyes, he demanded Savage make his wish... but Savage just smiled and said he would save his wish for a rainy day, leaving The Djinn seething. (Savage still has not made his wish. Savage's one wish will take priority, should he show up to make it, no matter who happens to be Master of the lamp)
The Djinn continued to witness Vandal's dealings over the aeons that passed, watching as he built his power and influenced history. But the Djinn never dared to interfere with him directly, and even into the modern day, the Djinn regards Vandal Savage as one of the most dangerous entities in the world, more so than any mutant demon, angel, or god. Not because his power is flashy but because it is a subtle power.
Eternity is a very long time, and combining it with the ambition of mortality makes for a deadly combo.
The Fall of Atlantis
The Djinn was never fond of Atlantis; if anything, they despised it. The people living there were always so full of themselves, and it did not take much prodding from the likes of Desire to cause The Djinn to set his ire towards the Island Nation.
The Djinn made a plan to get their own man on this Triumvirate and set a series of events into motion, finding a pliable puppet, an ambitious sorcerer that could be manipulated. The Djinn found such a man in Arion, ambitious and willing to climb the ranks. First, they needed to... create a vacancy. In a cruel twist of fate, Qualopec fell ill and died only a few short days later; what was not known was that The Djinn revealed to Arion where to find the plague and how to use it. The Djinn helped him rise enough to get the vacant chair at the Triumvirate, becoming a god. For years, The Djinn continued to whisper into the ear of the sorcerer; officially, they were only one of Arion's servants, several servants as he took different shapes as and when needed. Sometimes, it is a man; other times, it is a woman, but it is always there and never far from Arion. But neither of the other two members of the Triumvirate knew, and The Djinn knew how to play the roles well.
A concubine here, a servant there, who would count or care?
With Arion left in charge of the capital while the other two performed their duties, the Djinn had access to much of the city's population, and they took advantage of this. They caused unrest among the common folk, encouraging them to go against their rulers. Several of these instigators were The Djinn in disguise. He was also keen to ensure the tentative relationship between Atlantis and the Amazonians did not work out. The Djinn indirectly encouraged the assassination of Themyscira's prime diplomat, as so often was the case. They had nothing to do with the attempt at Queen Hippolyta; it was just a happy accident and worked flawlessly, with General Zana launching her attack to conquer the land of the Amazons, crushing any hope for peace between them. The Djinn had not told Arion this and banked on the fact that Lord Zeus would not take this lightly; the Djinn knew he was not a patient man and had clapped back for less in the past.
The Djinn's prediction was correct, as when Queen Hippolyta was about to be fatally wounded, the King of Olympus stepped in and rained his fury down upon the subjects of his ire. He even went further, sinking the whole nation into the ocean with his storm, their "gods" unable to do anything, consumed by chaos or self-doubt. He abandoned Arion after this, leaving him to deal with the consequences of his stupidity. At the time, The Djinn that would become Aladdin only saw the amusement in it all, getting the gods to destroy a nation... and watch it sink. This would later become Aladdin's greatest regret because so many lives were lost for his amusement.
Plucking a mortal life was as simple as picking flowers in a field; all he had to do was use desires and turn them into despair.
Eternal Servitude
But the Djinn went too far at some point, ending in catastrophe and death. By King Solomon, they were cursed, aided by the power of The Almighty, to serve the whims of humanity forever but in a more controlled capacity.
Bound to a vessel of gold, most of their world-altering powers were repurposed to grant the wishes of the greedy and virtuous. The Djinn raged at their lot and were begrudgingly forced to serve, granting three wishes to each mortal who held the lamp when it was rubbed. The Djinn began to find joy in twisting the wishes of those mortals foolish enough to wish without thinking, and that was all the Djinn needed for a time.
But soon enough, even that lost its novelty, and the Djinn grew numb, tired of the greed and immaturity of those they were forced to call "Master." So few were of a righteous heart, so few wishes were noble. Yet, the Djinn remembered them all with clarity, each Master and each wasted wish. He played the role well, hiding his disdain behind a smiling face, but life had grown dull and grey. Still, intentionally or otherwise, the Djinn caused the rise and fall of several small kingdoms in the part of the world known today as the Middle East and Asia. The Lamp traded hands, some less ambitious than others but most foolish and small-minded.
Morgiana and the Forty Thieves
At one point, The Djinn's magic lamp ended up in the hoards of the 40 thieves; even if they never found out the true purpose or value of the lamp, it was just one of countless trinkets. As fate would have it, the lamp was among the things Ali Baba took when he discovered the cave, but Ali Baba also did not find out about it. No, the one who finally released The Djinn was a slave girl in Ali Baba's brother Cassim's household, Morgiana. After the thieves slew the brothers upon being captured inside their cave, Ali Baba gave Morgiana the lamp as a gift, tasking her with making others believe that Cassim had died a natural death. The girl released The Djinn, and he tried to tempt her to betray her Master's family, but Morgiana was far too loyal.
Instead, she roped The Djinn into her own game of deception, even if he played almost no part in the first part. First, Morgiana purchased medicines from an apothecary, telling him Cassim was gravely ill. Then, she found an old tailor called Baba Mustafa, whom she paid, blindfolded, and led to Cassim's house. There, the tailor stitched the pieces of Cassim's body back together. Her first wish was for The Djinn to help her protect the family from the 40 thieves.
The Djinn, however, did warn his Master that he had seen the thieves question Baba Mustafa and that the blind man had managed to lead them to the family's home. He'd been more than okay with her letting them die, but Morgiana refused and decided to do everything she could to save her Master's family. A series of events followed; when the thieves tried to mark the door with a symbol, planning to return in the night to kill everyone, Morgiana (and The Djinn) foiled the thief's plan by marking all the houses in the neighbourhood with copies of the same symbol, curtsy of The Djinn's magic; when they chipped out of the stone step at Ali Baba's front door, Morgiana had The Djinn cause the same damage to happen to all other buildings as well; finally, the leader of the thieves memorized what the house looked like, he later returned disguised as an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality, bringing with him mules loaded with 38 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 37 hiding the other remaining thieves.
Morgiana accidentally discovered this ruse as she ran out of oil for her lamp and used her second wish to ask that her non-magical lamp never run out of oil. Without hesitation, she killed all the thieves by pouring hot oil over them, one by one, leaving the leader to find his dead thieves when he came to check on them that night, after which he promptly escaped, leaving the corpses of his followers to be discovered by Ali Baba when Morgiana showed them to him the following day. Ali Baba showed his gratitude by giving Morgiana her freedom.
She decided to remain with Ali Baba and his family, even if she continued to keep The Djinn a secret.
Sadly, that was not the end, as the leader of the thieves, out for revenge, established himself as a merchant, befriended Ali Baba's son (who was in charge of his late uncle Cassim's business), and was invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house. However, bound to his wish to protect the family from the thieves, the Djinn recognized the man and, unable to kill him, told Morgiana about it. She quickly recognized the "merchant" for who he was. Morgiana performs a sword dance with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the thief's heart when he is off his guard. Ali Baba was initially angry with Morgiana, but when he found out the thief wanted to kill him, he was extremely grateful. He rewarded Morgiana by marrying her to his son.
Morgiana's last wish was for her future children to be healthy and strong; her legacy continues today.
Sadly, all good things end, and with the last wish fulfilled, it was only a matter of time before the lamp would find itself a new master and The Djinn was once again trapped inside it. During a nasty storm, the lamp fell out of a window and ended up in a merchant's cart, going off into the night.
Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders
The Djinn, his lamp trapped inside a magic cave by a powerful sorcerer, would be aroused by the arrival of a young man named Aladdin. A sorcerer from the Maghreb recruited him, who passed himself off as the brother of Aladdin's late father, convinced Aladdin and his mother of his goodwill by pretending to set up the lad as a wealthy merchant. The sorcerer aimed to persuade young Aladdin to retrieve the Djinn's lamp from the booby-trapped magic cave. The Djinn could only watch from inside his lamp when the sorcerer tried to double-cross Aladdin, ending with the young boy trapped inside the Cave. Aladdin was still wearing a magic ring the sorcerer had lent him. When he rubbed his hands in despair, he inadvertently rubbed the ring, and a genie appeared (albeit a lesser one from the Efreet) and released him from the cave, allowing him to return to his mother while in possession of the lamp.
When his mother tried to clean the lamp so they could sell it to buy food for their supper, it released the Efreet, far more potent than the Djinn inside the ring. Per the curse, he was bound to the person holding the lamp, Aladdin.
The Djinn was unsurprised when his new Master's first wish was to become rich and powerful so he could marry Princess Badroulbadour, the sultan's daughter. The genie built Aladdin and his bride a wonderful palace, far more magnificent than the sultan's.
Trouble came when the sorcerer discovered Aladdin's good fortune and managed to get his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdin's wife into trading it for a "new" and "better" lamp, as she did not know the true nature of the magic lamp. With a new Master, the sorcerer wished for the Djinn to take the palace and all its contents to his home in the Maghreb. After several misadventures, Aladdin steals the lamp, slays the sorcerer, and returns to the palace with his second wish.
Power of Identity
So far, Aladdin has acted according to most previous Masters, but... this stopped when he did not use up his last wish. He did not use it for the majority of his life. Growing older and wiser, he succeeded to his father-in-law's throne and appointed the Djinn as his vizir, but he never made any wishes. It was a strange feeling to be seen as something other than a tool, and The Djinn did not know what to think but liked it.
As the years passed, The Djinn grew fond of Aladdin, and the two became lovers at an undisclosed time, maybe not the most honest relationship, but The Djinn never put much stock in mortal inventions. Using his several lifetimes of knowledge, the realm prospered under Aladdin, and he and the Queen were both much beloved by their subjects. Aladdin tried several times to find a way to free The Djinn from his servitude, but each failed, as wishing for freedom was impossible, and breaking the lamp proved equally so, and he could not seek outside help for fear that someone might try to take the Lamp for the wishes.
Finally, Aladdin, now old and dying, summoned The Djinn to his side, his queen dead for several years, and his children now grown. He apologized for being unable to free his friend and knew he would die with that task unfulfilled. He was, however, planning to use his final wish and wish for something that, while not freedom, he hoped would aid in the future. Aladdin's final wish was to gift the Djinn the name of Aladdin.
A name...
Such a simple gift...
Yet, it did bring some amount of freedom. He was no longer just a djinn; he had an identity and a name. Aladdin found that he could leave the confines of the lamp, even when not serving a Master. It was not true freedom, but it gave at least a semblance of it. He could experience the world, which he had always thought impossible. He would make the most of it, but right away, he remained at court to serve Aladdin's oldest, but... nothing lasts forever, and sooner or later, infighting and greed caused the whole realm to implode, like so many others before.
This time, however, Aladdin left. He began to travel the world between the times he was forced to answer a Master's summon.
The Djinn & The Devil
Someone who thought the idea of mortals wishing for their heart's desire was Lucifer Morningstar, the fallen ruler of Hell. More than once, Aladdin found the Devil whispering ideas into his Master's ears for a good laugh, long before he gained a name and several times after- Unless he did not outright make certain people found the Lamp, people The Devil thought would be fun if they found it. Together, by design or not, they caused a lot of people to make all manner of foolish wishes. A consequence of that has been the rise and fall of several dangerous figures in the annals of history, even nations, tyrants who wish for more than they should, or madmen getting precisely what they were after, just not how they intended.
Even today, Lucifer is one of the few entities Aladdin regards as a friend. Throughout millennia, the Djinn and the Devil have had several interactions, sometimes as lovers, other times as enemies, always passionate, a piece of fun in their otherwise monotonous, eternal existences. Lucifer was one of the few people who could make Aladdin laugh, a rare skill, the first Aladdin being one such exception.
Some of the things Aladdin has granted, with or without the interference of The Devil, and sometimes due to the manipulation of Desire, are:
The Black Death
Arguably, the worst wish Aladdin has ever granted since the fall of Atlantis, which started as a desire to kill a few rivals, ended with the creation of one of the most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as 50 million people perished. Aladdin did not create the plague, as doing so would have been his killing, and he could not do so, but he did provide information where it could be found, reusing the same Plague which had once plagued the ancient city of Atlantis. Still, being indirectly the cause of such a wide scale of death was not his intention. At the time, he did not know it could spread with fleas... as medicine, in general, was... not as good as it is during modern times. Heavily usage of magic in ancient times somewhat stunted such development.
The Dancing Plague of 1518
In the summer of 1518, a strange phenomenon occurred in Strasbourg, France. A woman named Frau Troffea began dancing uncontrollably in the streets, and within a week, over 400 people had joined her. The dancing continued day and night, with some participants dying from exhaustion or heart attacks. The cause of this bizarre event remains a mystery to this day, and none know the person who carelessly wished to get back at the people of Strasbourg for making fun of their inability to dance.
Age of Revolutions
Service to Napoleon I
After the revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte bought Aladdin's lamp. Once he discovered its nature and overcame the shock, he placed Aladdin in his service for a more extended period, seeing the usefulness of such an ancient asset for his goals. He saw the Djinn as more than a wishmaster but a potential advisor. Aladdin was a servant of Napoleon from the first year of his reign until he passed away in 1821. At the time of his death, Napoleon was one of the few Masters who still had a wish left, so he only asked for two things. Nice weather for his wedding to Joséphine de Beauharnais and money to secure his position as Emperor of France. (At the end of the day, it's always about the money...)
The Great Famine of Ireland
When a Master wished for the best potato crop, most other farmers lost theirs to famine, causing one of the greatest tragedies in Ireland's history, also known as The Great Hunger. The worst year of the famine was 1847, which became known as "Black '47." The population of Ireland on the eve of the famine was about 8.5 million; by 1901, it was just 4.4 million.
The Miracle of the Sun
On October 13, 1917, thousands gathered to witness a predicted miracle in Fatima, Portugal. According to witnesses, the sun danced in the sky, changed colours, and descended toward the Earth. If this was an illusion or not, who can say? The sun is still around... so it is most likely not genuine. It is still an event people have yet to find an explanation for, and they did not bother to ask around, or they might have found a local who has wished from a stranger that his predictions would come true; he would continue to live an interesting... if somewhat short life, as he accidentally predicted his death; being crushed by a cow.
The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic
In 1962, Aladdin was in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), where he became the servant of a girl who wanted to get back at some friends for a slight. As so often is the case, she worded herself poorly, and three girls who couldn’t stop laughing soon spread to over 1,000 students. The laughter was uncontrollable and lasted several months, causing the school to close. Like so often is the case, the cause of what happened was never found out, and it was later blamed on some mass hysteria.
Awakening of a Magic Shop
One of Aladdin's most recent Masters, a young would-be witch named Camilla, got the Lamp from an online auction and, upon discovering its true nature, was not slow to use it to her advantage. The most devastating thing she did was ask for all the objects inside one of those tourist magic shops in New York City to gain their "intended" magical properties the moment she stepped outside. Calculated, Camilla spent a good hour picking the right things among the wares, taking her time not to choose anything that would be dangerous for her... before finally leaving. Aladdin made sure to go out before she did, because the moment she was outside... chaos broke out. Anything that could be magical became magical; figurines started to rampage on the shelves, and wands began to work as "intended". Thankfully, Camilla did not stick around long enough for Darkwatch to appear, but there was a lot of paperwork behind that mess...
Role Play Sample:
Aladdin pulled off his tie before pushing open the door to his hotel room. He wanted a shower before spending the rest of the evening watching the TV and eating room service. Those last wishes had knocked the air out of him, not because they were difficult, but because they were so predictable, vengeance, power, and immortality... pity the asshole did not think of the youth to go with it. He yawned as he dropped the lamp onto the bed, stretching before entering the bathroom...
As he finished the shower, he was drying his hair when something... caused the hairs at the back of his neck to stand on end. A presence and a power he had not felt for a long time. Aladdin sighed deeply and took his sweet time drying himself and getting dressed before walking out of the bathroom.
"Hello, Desire..." He said, looking at the figure gracefully draped in one of the room's soft armchairs. She, or maybe at times... he, was a person of unmistakable beauty, with golden eyes, dressed in the finest of silk, a coy smile permanently plastered onto their face.
"Now, is that any way to greet your loving mother?" Desire purred, showing their teeth in a disarming smile.
"You've been many things, but loving is not one of them," he shot back, "What do you want?"
"Can't a parent just get the desire to check in?"
"You've not checked in for the last millennia."
"Fine, be that way; you've grown so boring since you got that name of yours." Desire made a dismissive gesture, taking a sip from a glass of liquid that had not been there just a moment ago. "Thankfully, I'm here to change all that!" Desire's smile grew slightly, becoming almost predatory as the golden eyes shimmered. Only now did Aladdin notice that his mother was holding the lamp, letting it gingerly dangle, hooked on a finger.
"I'm not hurting Uncle on your behalf; if that's your goal, you can just..."
"Dream? No, this has nothing to do with sweet Morpheus" Desire laughed, mortals would have been enamoured by the sound, for Aladdin, it was like nails against chalk. "No, I want your help with something... different. Your special gift, to be exact."
"You want me to grant wishes for you? You know as well as I that beings like you can't get their wishes granted."
"It's not for me, Darling, it's for someone else..." Desire twirled the lamp on their finger, eyes not leaving Aladdin for a second. "Besides, you've been far too comfortable lately, such simple wishes that won't do at all. We need to spice things up. Thankfully, I know the perfect person, and they'll be absolutely delighted." The Endless clapped their hands, and the lamp vanished.
"Where did you send my lamp!?"
"Oh, you'll find out. Call it a gift from me for you." Desire rose, putting the empty glass on the side table. "But now I can't stick around. There's so much to do... no rest for the wicked. See you later, son." They were gone before Aladdin had time to say anything, leaving the djinn alone in his hotel room.
"Shit!"
Full Name:
"Aladdin"
Codename or Alias:
The Djinn
The Jinn
The Genie
The Efreet
Anonymity
Secret/Unknown
Gender:
Genderfluid (Prefeers Male, can be anything)
Race:
Djinn/Efreet
Age:
Unknown (As old as the Earth, or close to)
Place Of Birth:
Created from smokeless fire
Occupation/Status:
Wishmaster
Alignment:
Neutral
Factions:
Whatever faction his current Master is in.
Canon Or Original?:
Original
Powers/Abilities:
The Power of Wishes
One of the Djinn's most notable magical powers is his ability to grant wishes. He is bound to the lamp and to serve whoever happens to be the Master of the lamp. Aladdin has access to an astounding amount of magic for these wishes and can warp reality to fit the wish's need. He can fulfil the wildest and most unlikely wishes and dreams, creating or destroying many things according to those wishes or dreams. Riches, power, freedom, longer life and secrets are all common themes of wishes granted, yet the wishes can be as many as the stars in the universe. There are, however, rules and catches. Aladdin still has the right to interpret whenever someone wishes, meaning that a poorly worded wish can have dire consequences should he decide to interpret it that way; loopholes, grey areas, and semantics can give a lot of leeway.
As for the rules, Aladdin cannot grant several things: a Master cannot wish for him to kill someone, a Master is granted three wishes and cannot wish for more wishes, and he cannot manipulate the heart. Bringing someone back from the dead is possible, but the price of messing with the natural order tends to be steeper than people are willing to pay. Of course, that doesn't mean people have not tried, and it always ended... poorly.
IMPORTANT
For the sake of the RP, the limits of wishes will be primarily dictated by how they might serve a story. Tiny wishes, personal wishes, and those that only affect the PC are less limited, but MODS must approve anything that might change the world on a larger scale. Aladdin's wish-granting is a plot device; let's use it to make things interesting, not break the story.
Efreet Physiology
While Aladdin may appear human most of the time, he is not human. He is one of the most potent kinds of DJinn, called Ifrit or Efreet. His proper form is a giant-sized humanoid with red skin and mastery over the element of fire. His large horns often make people mistake him for a demon, while he is not a demon. His nature gives him access to a wide array of abilities; he does not age; he is immune to poisons and sicknesses; he lacks the vital organs of mortals; he can free himself from the constraint of gravity to levitate, teleport, use pyrokinesis, and turn his body transparent. He is an extremely powerful spellcaster with magic around fire, heat, sand, air, conjuration, space and mirages. Even without the wishes, he is not a creature one should underestimate. If his physical form should be destroyed, he will be banished to his lamp, where his body will reform over a few days.
He is also immune to fire, heat, and flames, whether magical, demonic, angelical or natural.
Fiery Mind
Compared to most creatures, Aladdin's mind is "fiery" and hard to understand. He cannot easily be charmed or mind-controlled, and those trying to read his mind will find it extremely difficult to get any clear reading, not because they cannot read it, but because his mind is too fundamentally different next to a human or even demon. A more experienced caster or mutant might be able to get some information, but the inexperienced would quickly be overwhelmed by the mental heat.
Memory of Ages
While not possessing a genius-level intellect, Aladdin does have an eidetic memory. He can remember anything he has seen once, and having lived for millennia, that is a lot of things. He remembers every wish he ever granted, the faces of everyone he met, and their names and favourite colours. He's a vast archive of practical and less useful trivia about many subjects and has met several vital figures who got where they were primarily due to wishes. One would be surprised how many events and people resulted from outside manipulation.
Weapons/Items:
The Magical Lamp
On the surface, Aladdin's home and prison is a perfect and shining decorative container, most commonly an old oil lamp, but it has been other things, an amphora, a jar, and a snuffbox, to name a few; the appearance might change slightly and has done so over time, with one exception: there is always a smudge, a black mark that does ruin the surface, all to encourage people to polish it. Inside is a sizeable palace-like dimension, chambers filled with treasures Aladdin has collected over the millennia. In many ways, it is a gilded cage, but a cage all the same.
The lamp's magic is devious and powerful beyond what most mortals or immortals could understand; not even Aladdin fully knows everything. The Almighty created it, and so far, no other being has been able to put as much as a scratch on it. The Lamp has a will of its own and wants to be found, and no one can persuade or even converse with it, alien even to the gods; it matters not how much someone tries to hide it; sooner or later, it will be found. Nothing Aladdin, or anyone else, does will change that. If buried, someone will dig it out by accident; if hidden, someone will stumble upon it due to visions or dreams; if sent to another dimension, a curious wizard will end up summoning it, to name a few examples.
The only sure way to keep the lamp is for it to have found a Master.
The Cosmic Loom
More significant wishes cannot be created from thin air, and Aladdin's favourite tool for granting these is a beautiful cosmic loom with threads like rainbows and starlights. By working the threads and silk, Aladdin can wave into existence all marvellous objects, such as when he made a magnificent palace for Aladdin. The loom is not limited to wishes, and Aladdin can use it in regular spellcrafting and create things that would otherwise be impossible, like cloth made of water and fire or wave in starlight into a dress.
The Princess' Umbrella
A gift from long ago, an umbrella given to Aladdin by a princess. He can use it as a tool for magic, not that he needs it, and he does so more for fun than out of necessity. He likes to infuse it to defend himself against attackers and can lend it to others if it is needed, and the person is trusted enough to gain access to it. The object is far more durable than what its appearance of waved paper might suggest.
Antique Chinese Pipe
Another object Aladdin carries with him is a beautiful pipe, which he occasionally smokes. Whatever he smokes is not for mortal lungs, and should someone (like a human) smoke it, they will suffer from many colourful and vivid hallucinations. For Aladdin and other immortals, it's just a pleasant sensation, similar to opium.
Appearance
Physical Appearance:
As a Djinn, Aladdin can pick whatever form he wishes to appear in, be it male, female or between, but his most typical appearance is that of a handsome man with a strong jaw, a five-o-clock shadow, black hair, tanned skin, toned physique, prominent eyebrows and piercing eyes. People looking deeply into his eyes will find them filled with what appears to be molten gold. He is both handsome and frightening simultaneously, tall and intimidating, with an age that seems to fluctuate depending on mood and fancy, but mostly around the ages of late 20 to 30s. More often than not, his face is serious, showing little emotions or inner thoughts; a long life of service has told him that most Master are not interested in his opinions...
Even if he might look human by design, his proper form is that of an Efreet. When shedding his human disguise, he appears as something very different: an imposing giant with red skin, hair of flames, long curved horns, eyes like gold, and a body filled with smokeless fire. More an elemental than a man, a force of nature more than a mortal or demon. If he wishes, he can appear as female, even in this form... or neither.
Clothing and Armor:
In his human form, Aladdin likes to change his outfit to fit his current appearance and gender, but most of the time, he likes the spartan look, simple pants and a plain shirt, form-fitted to make sure his physique is visible for all to see. It becomes different when he takes on his Efreet form or is first summoned from the Lamp; in those cases, he appears garbed in traditional oriental cloth, richly dressed in fine silk and decorated with gold jewellery.
Personality
Sexual Orientation:
Pansexual
General Personality:
Aladdin is the living definition of "I just don't give a damn anymore"; he has been forced to grant wishes since time immemorial, a servant to the whims of humanity's greed, a task given to him by King Salomon. He says what he wants when he wants, and no power in the universe can stop him. He is brutally honest to the point of coming off as insulting; no... he can just be insulting. Not that he would ever be disrespectful or use foul language, but he will be among the first to tell you in the most polite way possible that you suck ass. At the same time, he has difficulty taking people seriously and can have a dry sense of humour.
The Djinn has little respect for humanity, or mortals by extension, and considers them shortsighted and greedy. At least most of the time, there are always exceptions to the rule, however rare and far between they may be. He is impressed by those willing to work instead of relying on hand-outs to get their way. Still, his greatest weakness is the simple fact that he is NOT human; his mind is alien and more closely aligned with the fae folk; he has a difficult time understanding why humans think or do the things they do and only really understands the greed because he knows how to manipulate it. Most of the world is curious, and in many ways, he would regard himself as a tourist, looking at the things that make mortals go on despite their short lives.
Beneath it all, however, Aladdin is a creature of fiery passion. He loves to experience new things and has had several lovers throughout his lifetime, several of whom are demonic, angelic, spirits, and even gods. These oases of passion remain one of the few delights in his existence, and he puts great value on them when they happen.
He can also be highly manipulative, not in the sense that he is a liar; the magic of the lamp prevents him from outright lying, but he is a master of half-truths, which takes into his second passion when wishes go wrong in the hilarious way possible. Some Djinns might want to cause as much harm as possible, but Aladdin is more of an ironic twist kind of Djinn. He's nothing if not creative... that's for sure. Also, despite his considerable magical abilities, he loathes the idea of fighting, so unless ordered to with a wish, he would rather... not.
Face/Voice:
Alexander Uloom
Anything Else
Character's History
Siblings:
Mother:
Desire of the Endless
Father:
The Smokeless Fire
Other Family:
Night (Grandmother)
Time (Grandfather)
Destiny of the Endless (Uncle)
Death of the Endless (Aunt)
Dream of the Endless (Uncle)
Destruction of the Endless (Uncle)
Despair of the Endless (Aunt)
Delirium of the Endless (Aunt)
Orpheus (Cousin)
History:
Of Smokeless Fire & Desire
As stories go, humanity was created from the earth, but shortly after the creation of the angels, entities were born from a union between The Smokeless Fire and Desire of the Endless; this was how the Djinn was born.
The Djinn was one of the first great evils of the world and part of one of Desire's plots with Despair. The creation of The Djinn was to cause mortal creatures despair by manipulating their desires, and with humanity next in line, something needed to spice things up. With the birth of humanity, it began to infiltrate their homes, manipulating them with promises of power and treasures, using their innate ability to warp reality to twist the desires of mankind, breaking it apart to despair. At several historical points, the Djinn appeared for those willing to look into tales and legends. They offered to carry the throne of Bilqis, queen of Sheba to King Solomon: "An ifrit from the jinn said: 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work." However, the duty is not given to them.
Always there, a test for humanity in their convictions and purity.
Clash with a Savage
The Djinn's first encounter with a "mortal" was when he encountered Vandal Savage. Savage was an enigma, as he appeared to be an ordinary mortal, but his confidence was... alarming. Savage ended up making a bet with the creature that The Djinn would get three days to try and kill Savage, and if he succeeded, he would have had the pleasure of claiming his soul, but if he failed in doing so, Savage would get a wish granted, and The Djinn could not mess with it or use any loopholes. Confident, The Djinn accepted.
He spent these three days trying to slay Savage in all manner of colourful ways, each more creative than the other; he threw him into acid, burned him, crushed him, stabbed him... but nothing worked. Even with The Djinn's considerable magical abilities, he could not put Savage down. So, at the end of the third day, The Djinn had to admit defeat. With burning eyes, he demanded Savage make his wish... but Savage just smiled and said he would save his wish for a rainy day, leaving The Djinn seething. (Savage still has not made his wish. Savage's one wish will take priority, should he show up to make it, no matter who happens to be Master of the lamp)
The Djinn continued to witness Vandal's dealings over the aeons that passed, watching as he built his power and influenced history. But the Djinn never dared to interfere with him directly, and even into the modern day, the Djinn regards Vandal Savage as one of the most dangerous entities in the world, more so than any mutant demon, angel, or god. Not because his power is flashy but because it is a subtle power.
Eternity is a very long time, and combining it with the ambition of mortality makes for a deadly combo.
The Fall of Atlantis
The Djinn was never fond of Atlantis; if anything, they despised it. The people living there were always so full of themselves, and it did not take much prodding from the likes of Desire to cause The Djinn to set his ire towards the Island Nation.
The Djinn made a plan to get their own man on this Triumvirate and set a series of events into motion, finding a pliable puppet, an ambitious sorcerer that could be manipulated. The Djinn found such a man in Arion, ambitious and willing to climb the ranks. First, they needed to... create a vacancy. In a cruel twist of fate, Qualopec fell ill and died only a few short days later; what was not known was that The Djinn revealed to Arion where to find the plague and how to use it. The Djinn helped him rise enough to get the vacant chair at the Triumvirate, becoming a god. For years, The Djinn continued to whisper into the ear of the sorcerer; officially, they were only one of Arion's servants, several servants as he took different shapes as and when needed. Sometimes, it is a man; other times, it is a woman, but it is always there and never far from Arion. But neither of the other two members of the Triumvirate knew, and The Djinn knew how to play the roles well.
A concubine here, a servant there, who would count or care?
With Arion left in charge of the capital while the other two performed their duties, the Djinn had access to much of the city's population, and they took advantage of this. They caused unrest among the common folk, encouraging them to go against their rulers. Several of these instigators were The Djinn in disguise. He was also keen to ensure the tentative relationship between Atlantis and the Amazonians did not work out. The Djinn indirectly encouraged the assassination of Themyscira's prime diplomat, as so often was the case. They had nothing to do with the attempt at Queen Hippolyta; it was just a happy accident and worked flawlessly, with General Zana launching her attack to conquer the land of the Amazons, crushing any hope for peace between them. The Djinn had not told Arion this and banked on the fact that Lord Zeus would not take this lightly; the Djinn knew he was not a patient man and had clapped back for less in the past.
The Djinn's prediction was correct, as when Queen Hippolyta was about to be fatally wounded, the King of Olympus stepped in and rained his fury down upon the subjects of his ire. He even went further, sinking the whole nation into the ocean with his storm, their "gods" unable to do anything, consumed by chaos or self-doubt. He abandoned Arion after this, leaving him to deal with the consequences of his stupidity. At the time, The Djinn that would become Aladdin only saw the amusement in it all, getting the gods to destroy a nation... and watch it sink. This would later become Aladdin's greatest regret because so many lives were lost for his amusement.
Plucking a mortal life was as simple as picking flowers in a field; all he had to do was use desires and turn them into despair.
Eternal Servitude
But the Djinn went too far at some point, ending in catastrophe and death. By King Solomon, they were cursed, aided by the power of The Almighty, to serve the whims of humanity forever but in a more controlled capacity.
Bound to a vessel of gold, most of their world-altering powers were repurposed to grant the wishes of the greedy and virtuous. The Djinn raged at their lot and were begrudgingly forced to serve, granting three wishes to each mortal who held the lamp when it was rubbed. The Djinn began to find joy in twisting the wishes of those mortals foolish enough to wish without thinking, and that was all the Djinn needed for a time.
But soon enough, even that lost its novelty, and the Djinn grew numb, tired of the greed and immaturity of those they were forced to call "Master." So few were of a righteous heart, so few wishes were noble. Yet, the Djinn remembered them all with clarity, each Master and each wasted wish. He played the role well, hiding his disdain behind a smiling face, but life had grown dull and grey. Still, intentionally or otherwise, the Djinn caused the rise and fall of several small kingdoms in the part of the world known today as the Middle East and Asia. The Lamp traded hands, some less ambitious than others but most foolish and small-minded.
Morgiana and the Forty Thieves
At one point, The Djinn's magic lamp ended up in the hoards of the 40 thieves; even if they never found out the true purpose or value of the lamp, it was just one of countless trinkets. As fate would have it, the lamp was among the things Ali Baba took when he discovered the cave, but Ali Baba also did not find out about it. No, the one who finally released The Djinn was a slave girl in Ali Baba's brother Cassim's household, Morgiana. After the thieves slew the brothers upon being captured inside their cave, Ali Baba gave Morgiana the lamp as a gift, tasking her with making others believe that Cassim had died a natural death. The girl released The Djinn, and he tried to tempt her to betray her Master's family, but Morgiana was far too loyal.
Instead, she roped The Djinn into her own game of deception, even if he played almost no part in the first part. First, Morgiana purchased medicines from an apothecary, telling him Cassim was gravely ill. Then, she found an old tailor called Baba Mustafa, whom she paid, blindfolded, and led to Cassim's house. There, the tailor stitched the pieces of Cassim's body back together. Her first wish was for The Djinn to help her protect the family from the 40 thieves.
The Djinn, however, did warn his Master that he had seen the thieves question Baba Mustafa and that the blind man had managed to lead them to the family's home. He'd been more than okay with her letting them die, but Morgiana refused and decided to do everything she could to save her Master's family. A series of events followed; when the thieves tried to mark the door with a symbol, planning to return in the night to kill everyone, Morgiana (and The Djinn) foiled the thief's plan by marking all the houses in the neighbourhood with copies of the same symbol, curtsy of The Djinn's magic; when they chipped out of the stone step at Ali Baba's front door, Morgiana had The Djinn cause the same damage to happen to all other buildings as well; finally, the leader of the thieves memorized what the house looked like, he later returned disguised as an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality, bringing with him mules loaded with 38 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 37 hiding the other remaining thieves.
Morgiana accidentally discovered this ruse as she ran out of oil for her lamp and used her second wish to ask that her non-magical lamp never run out of oil. Without hesitation, she killed all the thieves by pouring hot oil over them, one by one, leaving the leader to find his dead thieves when he came to check on them that night, after which he promptly escaped, leaving the corpses of his followers to be discovered by Ali Baba when Morgiana showed them to him the following day. Ali Baba showed his gratitude by giving Morgiana her freedom.
She decided to remain with Ali Baba and his family, even if she continued to keep The Djinn a secret.
Sadly, that was not the end, as the leader of the thieves, out for revenge, established himself as a merchant, befriended Ali Baba's son (who was in charge of his late uncle Cassim's business), and was invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house. However, bound to his wish to protect the family from the thieves, the Djinn recognized the man and, unable to kill him, told Morgiana about it. She quickly recognized the "merchant" for who he was. Morgiana performs a sword dance with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the thief's heart when he is off his guard. Ali Baba was initially angry with Morgiana, but when he found out the thief wanted to kill him, he was extremely grateful. He rewarded Morgiana by marrying her to his son.
Morgiana's last wish was for her future children to be healthy and strong; her legacy continues today.
Sadly, all good things end, and with the last wish fulfilled, it was only a matter of time before the lamp would find itself a new master and The Djinn was once again trapped inside it. During a nasty storm, the lamp fell out of a window and ended up in a merchant's cart, going off into the night.
Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders
The Djinn, his lamp trapped inside a magic cave by a powerful sorcerer, would be aroused by the arrival of a young man named Aladdin. A sorcerer from the Maghreb recruited him, who passed himself off as the brother of Aladdin's late father, convinced Aladdin and his mother of his goodwill by pretending to set up the lad as a wealthy merchant. The sorcerer aimed to persuade young Aladdin to retrieve the Djinn's lamp from the booby-trapped magic cave. The Djinn could only watch from inside his lamp when the sorcerer tried to double-cross Aladdin, ending with the young boy trapped inside the Cave. Aladdin was still wearing a magic ring the sorcerer had lent him. When he rubbed his hands in despair, he inadvertently rubbed the ring, and a genie appeared (albeit a lesser one from the Efreet) and released him from the cave, allowing him to return to his mother while in possession of the lamp.
When his mother tried to clean the lamp so they could sell it to buy food for their supper, it released the Efreet, far more potent than the Djinn inside the ring. Per the curse, he was bound to the person holding the lamp, Aladdin.
The Djinn was unsurprised when his new Master's first wish was to become rich and powerful so he could marry Princess Badroulbadour, the sultan's daughter. The genie built Aladdin and his bride a wonderful palace, far more magnificent than the sultan's.
Trouble came when the sorcerer discovered Aladdin's good fortune and managed to get his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdin's wife into trading it for a "new" and "better" lamp, as she did not know the true nature of the magic lamp. With a new Master, the sorcerer wished for the Djinn to take the palace and all its contents to his home in the Maghreb. After several misadventures, Aladdin steals the lamp, slays the sorcerer, and returns to the palace with his second wish.
Power of Identity
So far, Aladdin has acted according to most previous Masters, but... this stopped when he did not use up his last wish. He did not use it for the majority of his life. Growing older and wiser, he succeeded to his father-in-law's throne and appointed the Djinn as his vizir, but he never made any wishes. It was a strange feeling to be seen as something other than a tool, and The Djinn did not know what to think but liked it.
As the years passed, The Djinn grew fond of Aladdin, and the two became lovers at an undisclosed time, maybe not the most honest relationship, but The Djinn never put much stock in mortal inventions. Using his several lifetimes of knowledge, the realm prospered under Aladdin, and he and the Queen were both much beloved by their subjects. Aladdin tried several times to find a way to free The Djinn from his servitude, but each failed, as wishing for freedom was impossible, and breaking the lamp proved equally so, and he could not seek outside help for fear that someone might try to take the Lamp for the wishes.
Finally, Aladdin, now old and dying, summoned The Djinn to his side, his queen dead for several years, and his children now grown. He apologized for being unable to free his friend and knew he would die with that task unfulfilled. He was, however, planning to use his final wish and wish for something that, while not freedom, he hoped would aid in the future. Aladdin's final wish was to gift the Djinn the name of Aladdin.
A name...
Such a simple gift...
Yet, it did bring some amount of freedom. He was no longer just a djinn; he had an identity and a name. Aladdin found that he could leave the confines of the lamp, even when not serving a Master. It was not true freedom, but it gave at least a semblance of it. He could experience the world, which he had always thought impossible. He would make the most of it, but right away, he remained at court to serve Aladdin's oldest, but... nothing lasts forever, and sooner or later, infighting and greed caused the whole realm to implode, like so many others before.
This time, however, Aladdin left. He began to travel the world between the times he was forced to answer a Master's summon.
The Djinn & The Devil
Someone who thought the idea of mortals wishing for their heart's desire was Lucifer Morningstar, the fallen ruler of Hell. More than once, Aladdin found the Devil whispering ideas into his Master's ears for a good laugh, long before he gained a name and several times after- Unless he did not outright make certain people found the Lamp, people The Devil thought would be fun if they found it. Together, by design or not, they caused a lot of people to make all manner of foolish wishes. A consequence of that has been the rise and fall of several dangerous figures in the annals of history, even nations, tyrants who wish for more than they should, or madmen getting precisely what they were after, just not how they intended.
Even today, Lucifer is one of the few entities Aladdin regards as a friend. Throughout millennia, the Djinn and the Devil have had several interactions, sometimes as lovers, other times as enemies, always passionate, a piece of fun in their otherwise monotonous, eternal existences. Lucifer was one of the few people who could make Aladdin laugh, a rare skill, the first Aladdin being one such exception.
Some of the things Aladdin has granted, with or without the interference of The Devil, and sometimes due to the manipulation of Desire, are:
The Black Death
Arguably, the worst wish Aladdin has ever granted since the fall of Atlantis, which started as a desire to kill a few rivals, ended with the creation of one of the most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as 50 million people perished. Aladdin did not create the plague, as doing so would have been his killing, and he could not do so, but he did provide information where it could be found, reusing the same Plague which had once plagued the ancient city of Atlantis. Still, being indirectly the cause of such a wide scale of death was not his intention. At the time, he did not know it could spread with fleas... as medicine, in general, was... not as good as it is during modern times. Heavily usage of magic in ancient times somewhat stunted such development.
The Dancing Plague of 1518
In the summer of 1518, a strange phenomenon occurred in Strasbourg, France. A woman named Frau Troffea began dancing uncontrollably in the streets, and within a week, over 400 people had joined her. The dancing continued day and night, with some participants dying from exhaustion or heart attacks. The cause of this bizarre event remains a mystery to this day, and none know the person who carelessly wished to get back at the people of Strasbourg for making fun of their inability to dance.
Age of Revolutions
There were not one, but two significant events that Aladdin was part of during one of his most active in recent times, the Americas and Europe during the 1700s. This was the American Revolution, in which a series of wishes caused the Battle of Trenton when the Revolutionary army completely routed a large group of Hessian mercenaries. The wish had been a small one; a soldier who found the lamp wished to survive to return to his wife, to be able to take the enemies by surprise, and for a large sum of money to be waiting for him when he came back home. The attack was a success, and the soldier did return to his wife; the twist was, however, that his father had died during his absence, leaving him a large sum of money as an inheritance.
Towards the war's end, the lamp fell into the hands of one Gilbert du Motier, also known as Marquis de Lafayette, part of the final battle at Yorktown. The lamp had been a gift, and Lafayette quickly discovered the object's true nature. Aladdin did not participate in any fighting; he remained at the Officer's office, eating grapes. However, he provided Lafayette's forces with an endless supply of ammunition and favourable winds. Afterwards, when his Lamp returned with Lafayette to France, Aladdin came along with him, and they reached Paris in February 1779.
Just a few years later, Aladdin would be part of another revolution in Paris; the Lamp fell into the hands of revolutionaries during the French Revolution. Aladdin granted several wishes at the time, mainly dealing with taking from the nobility, with people running of their riches to all corners of the earth as the Nobles were beheaded. There were several who wanted to use him for outright killing, but the laws he was bound by prevented him from actively taking any life. Funnily enough, it was a wish made by a rival that started a series of events which ended in the death of Maximilien de Robespierre, one of the revolutionary leaders.
Towards the war's end, the lamp fell into the hands of one Gilbert du Motier, also known as Marquis de Lafayette, part of the final battle at Yorktown. The lamp had been a gift, and Lafayette quickly discovered the object's true nature. Aladdin did not participate in any fighting; he remained at the Officer's office, eating grapes. However, he provided Lafayette's forces with an endless supply of ammunition and favourable winds. Afterwards, when his Lamp returned with Lafayette to France, Aladdin came along with him, and they reached Paris in February 1779.
Just a few years later, Aladdin would be part of another revolution in Paris; the Lamp fell into the hands of revolutionaries during the French Revolution. Aladdin granted several wishes at the time, mainly dealing with taking from the nobility, with people running of their riches to all corners of the earth as the Nobles were beheaded. There were several who wanted to use him for outright killing, but the laws he was bound by prevented him from actively taking any life. Funnily enough, it was a wish made by a rival that started a series of events which ended in the death of Maximilien de Robespierre, one of the revolutionary leaders.
Service to Napoleon I
After the revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte bought Aladdin's lamp. Once he discovered its nature and overcame the shock, he placed Aladdin in his service for a more extended period, seeing the usefulness of such an ancient asset for his goals. He saw the Djinn as more than a wishmaster but a potential advisor. Aladdin was a servant of Napoleon from the first year of his reign until he passed away in 1821. At the time of his death, Napoleon was one of the few Masters who still had a wish left, so he only asked for two things. Nice weather for his wedding to Joséphine de Beauharnais and money to secure his position as Emperor of France. (At the end of the day, it's always about the money...)
The Great Famine of Ireland
When a Master wished for the best potato crop, most other farmers lost theirs to famine, causing one of the greatest tragedies in Ireland's history, also known as The Great Hunger. The worst year of the famine was 1847, which became known as "Black '47." The population of Ireland on the eve of the famine was about 8.5 million; by 1901, it was just 4.4 million.
The Miracle of the Sun
On October 13, 1917, thousands gathered to witness a predicted miracle in Fatima, Portugal. According to witnesses, the sun danced in the sky, changed colours, and descended toward the Earth. If this was an illusion or not, who can say? The sun is still around... so it is most likely not genuine. It is still an event people have yet to find an explanation for, and they did not bother to ask around, or they might have found a local who has wished from a stranger that his predictions would come true; he would continue to live an interesting... if somewhat short life, as he accidentally predicted his death; being crushed by a cow.
The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic
In 1962, Aladdin was in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), where he became the servant of a girl who wanted to get back at some friends for a slight. As so often is the case, she worded herself poorly, and three girls who couldn’t stop laughing soon spread to over 1,000 students. The laughter was uncontrollable and lasted several months, causing the school to close. Like so often is the case, the cause of what happened was never found out, and it was later blamed on some mass hysteria.
Awakening of a Magic Shop
One of Aladdin's most recent Masters, a young would-be witch named Camilla, got the Lamp from an online auction and, upon discovering its true nature, was not slow to use it to her advantage. The most devastating thing she did was ask for all the objects inside one of those tourist magic shops in New York City to gain their "intended" magical properties the moment she stepped outside. Calculated, Camilla spent a good hour picking the right things among the wares, taking her time not to choose anything that would be dangerous for her... before finally leaving. Aladdin made sure to go out before she did, because the moment she was outside... chaos broke out. Anything that could be magical became magical; figurines started to rampage on the shelves, and wands began to work as "intended". Thankfully, Camilla did not stick around long enough for Darkwatch to appear, but there was a lot of paperwork behind that mess...
Role Play Sample:
Aladdin pulled off his tie before pushing open the door to his hotel room. He wanted a shower before spending the rest of the evening watching the TV and eating room service. Those last wishes had knocked the air out of him, not because they were difficult, but because they were so predictable, vengeance, power, and immortality... pity the asshole did not think of the youth to go with it. He yawned as he dropped the lamp onto the bed, stretching before entering the bathroom...
As he finished the shower, he was drying his hair when something... caused the hairs at the back of his neck to stand on end. A presence and a power he had not felt for a long time. Aladdin sighed deeply and took his sweet time drying himself and getting dressed before walking out of the bathroom.
"Hello, Desire..." He said, looking at the figure gracefully draped in one of the room's soft armchairs. She, or maybe at times... he, was a person of unmistakable beauty, with golden eyes, dressed in the finest of silk, a coy smile permanently plastered onto their face.
"Now, is that any way to greet your loving mother?" Desire purred, showing their teeth in a disarming smile.
"You've been many things, but loving is not one of them," he shot back, "What do you want?"
"Can't a parent just get the desire to check in?"
"You've not checked in for the last millennia."
"Fine, be that way; you've grown so boring since you got that name of yours." Desire made a dismissive gesture, taking a sip from a glass of liquid that had not been there just a moment ago. "Thankfully, I'm here to change all that!" Desire's smile grew slightly, becoming almost predatory as the golden eyes shimmered. Only now did Aladdin notice that his mother was holding the lamp, letting it gingerly dangle, hooked on a finger.
"I'm not hurting Uncle on your behalf; if that's your goal, you can just..."
"Dream? No, this has nothing to do with sweet Morpheus" Desire laughed, mortals would have been enamoured by the sound, for Aladdin, it was like nails against chalk. "No, I want your help with something... different. Your special gift, to be exact."
"You want me to grant wishes for you? You know as well as I that beings like you can't get their wishes granted."
"It's not for me, Darling, it's for someone else..." Desire twirled the lamp on their finger, eyes not leaving Aladdin for a second. "Besides, you've been far too comfortable lately, such simple wishes that won't do at all. We need to spice things up. Thankfully, I know the perfect person, and they'll be absolutely delighted." The Endless clapped their hands, and the lamp vanished.
"Where did you send my lamp!?"
"Oh, you'll find out. Call it a gift from me for you." Desire rose, putting the empty glass on the side table. "But now I can't stick around. There's so much to do... no rest for the wicked. See you later, son." They were gone before Aladdin had time to say anything, leaving the djinn alone in his hotel room.
"Shit!"
