WayangUncommon Humanoid Shadow Wayang Source Tian Xia Character Guide pg. 71Small people native to the Netherworld. Immigrated to Golarion after Earthfall. Wayangs are diasporic sojourners from the Netherworld where they lived and worked alongside their allies, lightweaving d'ziriaks. Both peoples shared affinities for artistic expression and spiritual introspection, inspiring each other's sensitivities to color, form, and function; they also bolstered each other's defense against rampaging dragons, oni, and undead. This idyll collapsed from divine meddling; some say when Abadar sentenced
Zon-Kuthon to exile in the Netherworld, the Midnight Lord's deific presence distorted the plane into a nightmarish domain, while others accounts ascribe fiendish sources to this doom.
Whatever the reason, wayang and d'ziriak communities suffered terribly; Kuthites and velstracs colonized the Netherworld, engulfing it in religious wars of slaughter and brutality—an ongoing catastrophe that wayangs and d'ziriaks refer to as the Desecration. Despite both peoples' valorous resistance, with every generation, space and resources became scarcer. When the Age of Ashes created passageways between the Netherworld and Golarion, many wayangs sailed away for a better life.
These curious wayfarers became Tian Xia's first wayangs, who shared their skills and labor to eke out a solidarity of subsistence with Earthfall's survivors. These explorers also observed how Tian Xia's suffering souls weakened barriers to the Netherworld, whose malignant overlords absorbed the negative emotions to grow in power. While disappointments, melancholia, and other negative experiences were part and parcel of existence, the engineers of the Desecration exploited mortal emotions to oppress both the Universe and its shadow Netherworlds.
Realizing these planar interconnections, wayang leaders reached a bold conclusion: no world is free until all worlds are. To prevent the Netherworlds' colonial oppressors from harnessing mortal souls and to reclaim the darkness from its present state of malice and anguish, more wayang expeditions arrived in Tian Xia with exorcists and cursebreakers to purify paths to the Netherworld and starve its despots of spiritual power. Toward this end, wayang sages devised the Dissolution, a philosophy of drawing strength and peace from one's inner darkness. They shared their teachings discreetly with those in Tian Xia touched by darkness, instead of leaving such people to be preyed upon by velstracs and other depraved entities.
If you want to play a character who is at home in the shadows of Tian Xia's oceans and jungles, is heir to mystic and martial arts drawing upon the Netherworld's untainted power, and pursues obscure struggles against dark forces, you should play a wayang.
You Might...
- Seek out Tian Xia's dark places, such as mountainous caves, shaded mangroves, or rainforest canopies.
- Be curious about this sunlit world, so different from your home's occluded vistas, and seek out new experiences to inspire your artistic expressions and meditative introspection.
- Dream and work toward a time when your people can overthrow your invasive masters.
Others Probably...
- Consider you creative and seek to commission you as an artisan or appraiser.
- Fail to understand your people's motives and distant struggles.
- Whisper frightful rumors about your origins and attribute curses to your presence.
Physical Description
The rigors of an interplanar struggle and life on or near the seas of Tian Xia grant many wayangs wiry frames, and many carry themselves with a gravitas that belies their small stature. Despite long journeys under cloudless skies, wayangs' skin (ranging from ivory white to duskwood black) doesn't sunburn easily, a blessing attributed to the darkness's love for its children. Thick shadows flit and dance almost like a second layer of skin upon wayang bodies, sheltering them from the sun's glare. Wayangs further decorate their skin with intricate patterns of paint, which non-wayangs often misinterpret as scarification or tattoos. With concentration and training, wayangs can move their shadows independently of their body, an ability that both warriors and storytellers use to great effect, either in aiding their ambushes or illustrating their performances. Wayangs tend to grow their hair long, construct elaborate headdresses of shell and horn to hold their hair up in immaculate hairstyles, and favor long scarves or shawls over their shoulders.
Society
Wayang society encompasses many tensions between communal and individualistic behaviors. While wayangs organize themselves into collectives modeled after agrarian villages or seafaring crews where everyone has to do their part for the shared betterment, hermits and iconoclasts are also afforded special places in wayang society. While individual wayang villages or ships might look to their leaders for direction in everyday matters, these leaders in turn also look to solitary gurus and unconventional visionaries for guidance and inspiration.
The wayang political universe is composed of multiple overlapping mandalas, concentrations of influence around central charismatic and powerful figures, such as experienced chieftains, ingenious artisans, or intrepid captains. In turn, these individual concentrations cohere around yet other figures famed for righteousness or wisdom, such as sagacious teachers, virtuous princes, or masterful occultists. This approach to social power is useful for organizing diverse diasporas scattered across islands and planes; each collective practices sufficient independence to pursue their own journeys while retaining enough interdependence to respond to others' calls for help and friendship.
Wayang interactions with other communities usually take place as visiting artisans bearing handcrafted goods of precious materials and exquisite quality. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, these items also provide potent supernatural protection against fiends and undead. Despite the high demand, wayangs don't sell them, but instead offer them freely only to those blessed by shadows, such as particular sorcerer bloodlines. Wayang emissaries use these gifts to aid potential allies and strengthen them against other forces of darkness. In time, many also hope to instruct their newfound friends in the secrets of the Dissolution and call upon their strength to overcome the Desecration.
Beliefs
It’s common for a people with such long histories of alliances and respect for community to abide respectfully within society. Wayang society also has positive perceptions toward less pragmatic individuals; many resourceful wayang explorers and artisans embrace attitudes of curiosity and free-spiritedness. Life in darkness teaches the value of skepticism while discouraging moral absolutism or extremism. Wayangs are seldom cruel, perhaps as conscious rejections of the Desecration. Though few champion great causes, many practice quiet benevolence and empathy for those also suffering from oppression or cruelty.
Wayang religion is largely syncretic, incorporating Iroran austerities of meditation and self-mastery,
Sangpotshi and
Pharasman metaphysics of planar transmigration, and beliefs in the Netherworld’s indigenous spirits and ancestors. Gods are generally seen as tutelary spirits who can help individual supplicants gain supernatural power. In particular, many invoke
Lao Shu Po, whom wayangs call Sister Mousedeer. Her cleverness and ability to outmaneuver more powerful divinities and repurpose their power proves especially inspiring to anti-colonial efforts. Ascetics seeking power and wisdom also emulate
Ragdya and
Diomazul. Notably, despite valuing community and civilization, few worship Abadar due to his place in condemning the Netherworld to Zon-Kuthon's debasement. Ironically, some fallen wayangs have become Kuthite adherents and now strive to capture and torment their former fellows.
Popular Edicts act selflessly toward your community, make powerful allies, reject the Desecration of darkness, seek inspiration for your art
Popular Anathema cause a creature unnecessary pain, make compromises in the pursuit of freedom, sell your creations without concern, talk openly about the Dissolution
Names
Putri Rubah Hebat, Hakim Gunung Api, Raja Ribut Hitam, Adik Musang
Wayang Mechanics
Hit Points
8
Size
Small
Speed
25 feet
Attribute Boosts
Dexterity
Charisma
Free
Attribute Flaw
Consitution
Languages
CommonShadowtongueWayangAdditional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from
D'ziriak,
Diabolic,
Minatan,
Nagaji,
Thalassic,
Vudrani,
Yaksha, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Darkvision
You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light.