Genasi are living proof that the elemental planes of the Forgotten Realms have life. Introduced in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, these creatures are half-genies. Their skin and even hair take on some elements of the plane their genie parent came from; Fire genasi have red skin, fiery hair, and thin stature. Earth genasi have darker skin, dark hair that flow downwards, and are a bit stockier. Each genasi is unique, and attune to the elements slightly differently. But, their culture is even more varied and wild. Our Genasi Names guide will lead you in the right direction.
Genasi Names 5E Guide
Genasi don’t have to be the offspring of genies; sometimes, they occur when elemental energy flow into a bloodline. Therefore, in so many cases, genasi will never see another of their kind. They are wanderers, and unique in nearly every meaning of the word. That’s why you should consider what a genasi’s name means… because your character might not even know.
See Our Guide to Playing Genasi in D&D
How are Genasi Named in D&D?
Genasi culture is… strange. Since Wizards doesn’t specify whether or not genasi can be from any race, your genasi might originate from a myriad of cultures. Their genie parents don’t care about them, and their strange appearance and magic force them out of some mortal societies. This can lead many genasi to desperate measures to stay alive, such as planehopping or joining cults.
The only consistent element to genasi is their confidence. Their elemental blood causes them to see challenges as an obstacle they will overcome. They are self-confident… sometimes, to a fault.
Because of that, as they wander, they are determined to fit into communities and form bonds. They adapt to cultures quickly and easily, seeing fitting in as just another obstacle. They tend to walk towards huge cities, where their magic and skin tone will be seen as unimportant: big cities in the Forgotten Realms are teeming with new, different people.
Genasi that can’t make it into the cities face hard lives. Most people are unaccepting of most genasi, since they are just so different. These genasi become isolated, typically moving to where their elemental affiliation allows them to survive.
Air and fire genasi can move towards the western regions of Faerun, near Calimshan. These groups of genasi have chances to form their own communities. Water and earth genasi are less common, and thus don’t have a realistic chance to form cultures of their own.
See Also: Ealdrin Names Guide
Examples of Genasi Names
Genasi tend to take the name of whatever culture they are born into, or wander into. In the cases that their mortal parents take the reins, their name will be of the race that they belong to. Human genasi will take human names, gnome genasi gnome names.
That’s rare, though. In many cases, genasi aren’t given names, and are forced to fight for themselves. These genasi take the names of whatever culture they wander into. If a genasi moves into a big dwarven stronghold, for example, they might adapt a dwarf name. Genasi are confident enough in themselves to accept new names quickly, and insist others call them the same.
Genasi that are isolated are different stories. They might feel that a generic name fits them well. These genasi accept common terms that fit their heritage; names like “Ember,” “Sky,” “Onyx,” and “Crash” might be acceptable. These names are normal amongst genasi that embrace their culture, as well. Some other traditional Genasi names include:
- Stone
- Smoke
- tempest
- Wind
- Splinter
- Gust
- Char
- Droplet
- Haze
That concludes our genasi name guide. Genasi are extremely versatile; you can make some kind of genasi work in any situation. If you’re making a new character and want extra help, read our starting gold or rolling stats guide.
Be the first to comment