Uncle Nimrod

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Nimrod Gaunt is a fictional character from writer Philip Kerr's fantasy book series "Children of the Lamp".

Frequently referred to in the books as Uncle Nimrod, he is a powerful djinn and the brother of John and Phillipa Gaunt's mother, Layla. He lives in a large house in London, but owns a small estate in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. He freguently smokes large cigars, which do not harm him because he is a djinn. He sports a wardrobe of complete red.

Nimrod is the temporary leader of the Marid. This is one of the good Djinn tribes, which works to bring good luck to the humans of the world. Mrs. Gaunt was once the leader, but Nimrod replaced her when she gave up using her powers for love.

John and Phillipa first meet Nimrod in a dream, in which he transported himself into their subconscious. He convinced them to come to London, to stay with him for the Summer. Once in London, Nimrod explained to them their true heritage as djinn. He then began training them in the use of their djinn powers, with assistance from a fellow djinn, Mr. Rakshasas.

Convinced something evil was happening in Egypt, Nimrod, John, and Phillipa traveled there and discovered a plot to gain control of 40 powerful djinn. During this adventure, John and Phillipa encountered the evil Iblis, and were saved by Nimrod.

Nimrod's close associates include his one-armed butler, Mr. Groanin, his Egyptian usher Creeme ,and his close Djinn friend Mr. Rakshasas, who spends most of his time in a bottle and is transported by Nimrod.