Genius Loci: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"Something about this place feels... alive."''|'''Katara''', ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''}}

Some people are places. A Genius Loci is a location with a mind. A sentient planet, country, island, city, or street. Obviously, this is more common in science fiction and fantasy, though [[Magical Realism|a certain amount of animism in otherwise realistic series]] isn't unknown, and it may be [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|only suggested]].

Some people are places. A Genius Loci is a location with a mind. A sentient planet, country, island, city, or street. Theoretically, there's no limit to size, as an entire galaxy or even alternate dimension can be considered a place. Obviously, this is more common in science fiction and fantasy, though [[Magical Realism|a certain amount of animism in otherwise realistic series]] isn't unknown, and it may be [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|only suggested]].

Usually, the Genius Loci has [[Shapeshifting|some control over its own form]], and uses that control to communicate with the other characters. [[Mobile Maze|Alternately, it can]] [[Closed Circle|trap them]] in [[Alien Geometries]] and torment them with [[Living Memory|Living Memories]] for [[The Lost Woods|shoots]] and giggles. It can be a [[Hive Mind]] formed from the various organic life-forms that inhabit a place, a nonphysical being [[Demonic Possession|possessing the area itself]], a mythological spirit of a locale, or a computer system laced through the brick and stone. It can be helpful, neutral, or antagonistic.

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** Also in the In the ''[[Planescape]]'' setting, one theory about the Lady of Pain's origins is that she is a living extension of [[City of Adventure| Sigil]] itself. If anything, Sigil has been around for hundreds of millennia, and nobody knows of a time when she ''hasn't'' had complete and absolute control over it.

** The monster called a Spirit of the Land is the spirit of a particular geographical area, such a valley, desert or river. They can transform in an elemental form to defend the terrain feature they're associated with.

** There's an actual creature called a Genius Loci. They form from places that are undisturbed for a long time. They're normally not intelligent, but can enslave a creature, which then gives them intelligence and the ability to speak. They're often, but not always malign.

** There's an actual creature called a Genius Loci. They form from places that are undisturbed for a long time. They're normally not intelligent, but can enslave a creature, which then gives them intelligence and the ability to speak. They're often, but not always malign. Oddly, it is classified as [[Blob Monster|an Ooze]], given its mutable form, though many fans would assume it's an Elemental.

** As of the 3rd Edition Dragonomicon, Dragons (usually good-aligned ones) can opt to become a genius loci as an alternative to death from old age, lichdom or any of the other ways a dragon can live past its already substantial years. The dragon's spirit enters the chosen terrain (which often takes on a draconic feature like a hill shaped like a resting dragon). These spots are popular places for dragons to lay eggs and raise young because of the protective influences of the area's spirit. Dragons can even commune with the location to seek advice from the dragon that inhabits it.

** A creature called a Zeitgeist is the spirit of an age. At the end of an old one, it picks a person whose character and ideals set the "tone" of the next age. Article for context: [http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drfe/20080225a\]{{Dead link}}