Elemental Scions

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth, carry the power of the planes in their blood. The elemental scions are one such people, the offspring of denizens of the elemental planes and mortals.   The Elemental Planes are often inhospitable to natives of the Material Plane: crushing earth, searing flames, boundless skies, and endless seas make visiting these places dangerous for even a short time. The powerful denizens of these planes, however, don’t face such troubles when venturing into the mortal world. They adapt well to the mingled elements of the Material Plane, and they sometimes visit—whether of their own volition or compelled by magic. Some can adopt mortal guise and travel incognito.   During these visits, a mortal might catch a elemental planar being’s eye. Friendship forms, romance blooms, and sometimes children result. These children are genasi: individuals with ties to two worlds, yet belonging to neither. Some genasi are born of mortal–elemental being unions, others have two elemental scions as parents, and a rare few have an elemental being further up their family tree, manifesting an elemental heritage that’s lain dormant for generations.  

Homes

Most elemental scions are found amongst the noble bloodlines of the Drákon League, where their distinctiveness hardly raises an eyebrow in a place accustomed to a variety of different people.   Those living on the frontier, though, have a much harder time. People there tend to be less accepting of differences. Sometimes a cold shoulder and a suspicious glare are the best elemental scions can hope for; in more backward places, they face ostracism and even violence from people who mistake them for fiends.  

Heirs to Elemental Power

Elemental scions inherit something from both sides of their dual nature. They resemble humans but have pigments or tints to the white of their eyes (red, green, blue, or gray), and there is something odd about them. The elemental blood flowing through their veins manifests differently in each scion, often as magical power.   Seen in silhouette, a scion can nearly always pass for human. Those of earth or water descent tend to be heavier, while those of air or fire tend to be lighter.   Elemental scions almost never have contact with their elemental parents. These beings seldom have interest in their mortal offspring, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their scions at all.