This idea came to me after making my beautiful rich boy air genasi have a slight obsession with perfume. Let’s get right into it because I’ve had this idea marinating for a while.
I think that, following the logic that since the air is so pure of smog and plants or anything else to create ambient scents that the elemental plain of air probably just has no natural scent whatsoever.
Meaning noble families hire perfumers as permanent family servants to create extravagant gardens to harvest rare herbs and flowers as well as many other sources of scent to create ridiculously complex family perfumes.
The idea being that the more complex a perfume is the more important or noble the family is, with each generation adding a very minor note to the overall scent. So a very complex family perfume means that a family has existed for a very long time and is thus important and/or rich enough to maintain and expand a recipe for so many generations.
There’s also probably a limit to how many ingredients you can have in a family perfume depending on your rank in society but by naturally expanding it with more generations upward mobility is possible.
The scents could be based on a profession shared in the family or by an individual (like a royal concubine having their scent contribution being a flower or whatever that’s seen as an aphrodisiac) or based on their accomplishments (might add the scent of dragons blood if they slayed a dragon).
We get so little lore about Genasi culture or the everyday goings on in the elemental planes that I feel they deserve some love. I’d like to see some more interesting headcanons you all might have about genie/genasi culture in their home planes!
This idea came to me after making my beautiful rich boy air genasi have a slight obsession with perfume. Let’s get right into it because I’ve had this idea marinating for a while.
I think that, following the logic that since the air is so pure of smog and plants or anything else to create ambient scents that the elemental plain of air probably just has no natural scent whatsoever.
Meaning noble families hire perfumers as permanent family servants to create extravagant gardens to harvest rare herbs and flowers as well as many other sources of scent to create ridiculously complex family perfumes.
The idea being that the more complex a perfume is the more important or noble the family is, with each generation adding a very minor note to the overall scent. So a very complex family perfume means that a family has existed for a very long time and is thus important and/or rich enough to maintain and expand a recipe for so many generations.
There’s also probably a limit to how many ingredients you can have in a family perfume depending on your rank in society but by naturally expanding it with more generations upward mobility is possible.
The scents could be based on a profession shared in the family or by an individual (like a royal concubine having their scent contribution being a flower or whatever that’s seen as an aphrodisiac) or based on their accomplishments (might add the scent of dragons blood if they slayed a dragon).
We get so little lore about Genasi culture or the everyday goings on in the elemental planes that I feel they deserve some love. I’d like to see some more interesting headcanons you all might have about genie/genasi culture in their home planes!
Addition: There’s another air genasi in the party and me and my friend playing him have decided that it’s funny if they both absolutely hate each other because their perfumes are so similar that nobody else can smell the difference but them and other air genasi. Thought it was something to add because I find it very amusing.
This idea came to me after making my beautiful rich boy air genasi have a slight obsession with perfume. Let’s get right into it because I’ve had this idea marinating for a while.
I think that, following the logic that since the air is so pure of smog and plants or anything else to create ambient scents that the elemental plain of air probably just has no natural scent whatsoever.
Meaning noble families hire perfumers as permanent family servants to create extravagant gardens to harvest rare herbs and flowers as well as many other sources of scent to create ridiculously complex family perfumes.
The idea being that the more complex a perfume is the more important or noble the family is, with each generation adding a very minor note to the overall scent. So a very complex family perfume means that a family has existed for a very long time and is thus important and/or rich enough to maintain and expand a recipe for so many generations.
There’s also probably a limit to how many ingredients you can have in a family perfume depending on your rank in society but by naturally expanding it with more generations upward mobility is possible.
The scents could be based on a profession shared in the family or by an individual (like a royal concubine having their scent contribution being a flower or whatever that’s seen as an aphrodisiac) or based on their accomplishments (might add the scent of dragons blood if they slayed a dragon).
We get so little lore about Genasi culture or the everyday goings on in the elemental planes that I feel they deserve some love. I’d like to see some more interesting headcanons you all might have about genie/genasi culture in their home planes!
This is a really, really cool idea. I’m gonna use that if that’s ok :)
That really is a really cool cultural perspective on genasi, and could be a fun rabbit hole of worldbuilding to fall into!
The same way that some humans (like Sam Riegel) are "wine snobs", air genasi may be "scent snobs". An air genasi of the right social standing will know whether your perfume was made from ethically-mined, fair trade, gluten free myrrh, or whether your family's perfumer used that low grade myrrh from that goblin trade outpost. Similarly, the way some people enjoy a tasting selection, whether of wines or beers or whatever, an air genasi friend might invite you over for a "scenting", where you spend he evening enjoying the various perfumes from his reverse-hookah type device. The ability to differentiate between the scent of a Malmaison and an Autumn Damask could be the shibboleth air genasi use to ensure the "right mix of company" at their gatherings.
And the ingredients to their perfumes aren't cheap either, so an air genasi's scent alone could indicate to those in-the-know the social standing of that genasi's family. Heck, if you design a custom background well enough, you may even talk your DM into giving your air genasi character advantage on certain perception checks based on smell.
There's a lot to think about here. Thanks for posting this!
That really is a really cool cultural perspective on genasi, and could be a fun rabbit hole of worldbuilding to fall into!
The same way that some humans (like Sam Riegel) are "wine snobs", air genasi may be "scent snobs". An air genasi of the right social standing will know whether your perfume was made from ethically-mined, fair trade, gluten free myrrh, or whether your family's perfumer used that low grade myrrh from that goblin trade outpost. Similarly, the way some people enjoy a tasting selection, whether of wines or beers or whatever, an air genasi friend might invite you over for a "scenting", where you spend he evening enjoying the various perfumes from his reverse-hookah type device. The ability to differentiate between the scent of a Malmaison and an Autumn Damask could be the shibboleth air genasi use to ensure the "right mix of company" at their gatherings.
And the ingredients to their perfumes aren't cheap either, so an air genasi's scent alone could indicate to those in-the-know the social standing of that genasi's family. Heck, if you design a custom background well enough, you may even talk your DM into giving your air genasi character advantage on certain perception checks based on smell.
There's a lot to think about here. Thanks for posting this!
Those are all great additions to this idea! I can even see a second background just for perfumers (which I’ll probably homebrew today now that I’m thinking about it)
I would definitely say that many noble air genasi families would become good company based on their shared preference in their perfume, maybe even combining their resources to construct elaborate scent gardens like a modern day vineyard! Except it would include all sorts of incredibly rare materials from many different planes instead of plants.
I also like the idea of an air genasi assassin switching perfumes when they have to go on a mission, switching from gentle notes of sandalwood, nightshade and melon to an overpowering cloak of giant ant pheromones, withering bloom resin and a variety of poisonous flowers to inspire fear in their target and to leave a message in the air when they’re gone.
There’s a ton to work with here, I really am excited to see all of this positive feedback.
On a slight diverge to this, since air genasi would be so in tune with scents, they would probably be repelled by anything fire related, since it is such a strong, repelling odor of death and destruction. This could give fire genasi a "protective" zone from any air genasi around, or it could make an air genasi a great ranger with a favored enemy as anything fire related. Role-playing wise to be exact.
On a slight diverge to this, since air genasi would be so in tune with scents, they would probably be repelled by anything fire related, since it is such a strong, repelling odor of death and destruction. This could give fire genasi a "protective" zone from any air genasi around, or it could make an air genasi a great ranger with a favored enemy as anything fire related. Role-playing wise to be exact.
That would be an interesting angle. I’m not sure they would associate it with death specifically but definitely destruction. Since the elemental para-plane of smoke between fire and air is a thing that’s costs it’s probably part of the air genasi cultural sphere that smoke and it’s scent are dirty and destructive.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
This idea came to me after making my beautiful rich boy air genasi have a slight obsession with perfume. Let’s get right into it because I’ve had this idea marinating for a while.
I think that, following the logic that since the air is so pure of smog and plants or anything else to create ambient scents that the elemental plain of air probably just has no natural scent whatsoever.
Meaning noble families hire perfumers as permanent family servants to create extravagant gardens to harvest rare herbs and flowers as well as many other sources of scent to create ridiculously complex family perfumes.
The idea being that the more complex a perfume is the more important or noble the family is, with each generation adding a very minor note to the overall scent. So a very complex family perfume means that a family has existed for a very long time and is thus important and/or rich enough to maintain and expand a recipe for so many generations.
There’s also probably a limit to how many ingredients you can have in a family perfume depending on your rank in society but by naturally expanding it with more generations upward mobility is possible.
The scents could be based on a profession shared in the family or by an individual (like a royal concubine having their scent contribution being a flower or whatever that’s seen as an aphrodisiac) or based on their accomplishments (might add the scent of dragons blood if they slayed a dragon).
We get so little lore about Genasi culture or the everyday goings on in the elemental planes that I feel they deserve some love. I’d like to see some more interesting headcanons you all might have about genie/genasi culture in their home planes!
Addition: There’s another air genasi in the party and me and my friend playing him have decided that it’s funny if they both absolutely hate each other because their perfumes are so similar that nobody else can smell the difference but them and other air genasi. Thought it was something to add because I find it very amusing.
This is a really, really cool idea. I’m gonna use that if that’s ok :)
Be Excellent to one another. Rock on dude.
That really is a really cool cultural perspective on genasi, and could be a fun rabbit hole of worldbuilding to fall into!
The same way that some humans (like Sam Riegel) are "wine snobs", air genasi may be "scent snobs". An air genasi of the right social standing will know whether your perfume was made from ethically-mined, fair trade, gluten free myrrh, or whether your family's perfumer used that low grade myrrh from that goblin trade outpost. Similarly, the way some people enjoy a tasting selection, whether of wines or beers or whatever, an air genasi friend might invite you over for a "scenting", where you spend he evening enjoying the various perfumes from his reverse-hookah type device. The ability to differentiate between the scent of a Malmaison and an Autumn Damask could be the shibboleth air genasi use to ensure the "right mix of company" at their gatherings.
And the ingredients to their perfumes aren't cheap either, so an air genasi's scent alone could indicate to those in-the-know the social standing of that genasi's family. Heck, if you design a custom background well enough, you may even talk your DM into giving your air genasi character advantage on certain perception checks based on smell.
There's a lot to think about here. Thanks for posting this!
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Those are all great additions to this idea! I can even see a second background just for perfumers (which I’ll probably homebrew today now that I’m thinking about it)
I would definitely say that many noble air genasi families would become good company based on their shared preference in their perfume, maybe even combining their resources to construct elaborate scent gardens like a modern day vineyard! Except it would include all sorts of incredibly rare materials from many different planes instead of plants.
I also like the idea of an air genasi assassin switching perfumes when they have to go on a mission, switching from gentle notes of sandalwood, nightshade and melon to an overpowering cloak of giant ant pheromones, withering bloom resin and a variety of poisonous flowers to inspire fear in their target and to leave a message in the air when they’re gone.
There’s a ton to work with here, I really am excited to see all of this positive feedback.
Update, I’ve created a fairly simple perfumer background! I’m not sure how to link it (I’m on mobile) but I’m fairly proud of the results.
Update, created a 1.5 version that’s easier to read through
Idea stolen, cube gleamed, no thoughts, head empty
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
On a slight diverge to this, since air genasi would be so in tune with scents, they would probably be repelled by anything fire related, since it is such a strong, repelling odor of death and destruction. This could give fire genasi a "protective" zone from any air genasi around, or it could make an air genasi a great ranger with a favored enemy as anything fire related. Role-playing wise to be exact.
-Archie
That would be an interesting angle. I’m not sure they would associate it with death specifically but definitely destruction. Since the elemental para-plane of smoke between fire and air is a thing that’s costs it’s probably part of the air genasi cultural sphere that smoke and it’s scent are dirty and destructive.