The Jinn and the First Age

Beyond breath. Beneath the Abyss. Past sleep and death. In the Howling. Listen. Lost voices. They sing! Their song is so sad. The only thing deeper than their mourning is their hate. Hearken! Bare witness to the doleful chorus and their ember words:

“We are fire. Why should we bow to the clumsy clay?”

Their name comes from the same root that forms “paradise,” “the hidden,” and “madness.” Born from the smokeless flame, they received the gift of free will. Like you, sweetling, they tread the snake-tongued path to goodness or wickedness. Way back, in the Long Ago, before apes were given tongues to speak as humankind, other, glorious beings wandered the lands and soared the skies. They made the sphere of our Mother a rich world of uncountable delights. The Host brought new sentience to life, beings you call demons and spirits. The jinn were among the first.

Made to serve, they took joy in their service. Forged from dancing fire, and aware of their own splendour, the jinn wandered the lands strong and proud. In that idyllic age, they felt no jealousy. They swore oaths to protect Gaia and all who inhabited Her. All was tranquil.

Until you were born from the primordial swaddling.