Wayang (5e Race)

Wayang

The Wayangs are supernatural humanoids who are believed to have originated from the Plane of Shadows. They live by a strong spiritual philosophy known as "The Faded Way", which asserts that death is merely passing back into shadow. Outwardly, they express such beliefs through physical ornamentation such as ritual scarification and skin bleaching, creating ornate images upon their bodies. Wayangs tend to live in small interdependent communities but rarely associate with outsiders.

Physical Description

Small of stature, they are extremely thin with spindly limbs and darkly hued skin ranging from a smoke grey to deep purples and coal black that blends easily into shadow with most adorning their bodies with scars from a young age. They have somewhat over-sized heads and sharp features with unusually elongated noses.

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History

Due to their often elusive nature, little is known of the wayangs' past. What is known is that they claim to have descended from creatures that traveled to the Material from the Plane of Shadow. Since they easily fade from sight when surrounded by or near even light shadow, this assertion is certainly believable. Other research suggests that they may have originally been a created race, due to their similar appearance to that of shadow stencils from certain island cultures.

Society

Wayangs dwell in tight family groups and tribes which tend toward communal living, including other tribes that they are in communication with. Their racial philosophy makes them seem morbid or even macabre to the rare outsider that happens to come across these shy folk. They mostly shun the clarity of light and instead live with a mentality of shadow, that of only quasi-being.

Wayang Names

Wayang names are likely derived from a combination of their own phonetics with meanings taken from the languages of other races, related to many the many forms of darkness in both natural and supernatural realms.

Male: Anurak, Baelifus, Chakan, Chet, Dartaks, Gloatum, Kris, Obsrukuma, Shwartar, Ubmrusti, Whaarvael

Female: Coloue, Duksal, Ebneille, Maliwan, Mekhala, Prija, Shadenei, Twilint, Wahmistik

Wayang Traits

Wily and sly, wayangs are small humanoids of the wayang subtype who spend much of their time avoiding others, especially the predators that live in the wilderness near their hidden settlements.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores each increase by 2.
Age. Reaching adulthood around 40 years of age, wayangs tend to spend longer times in study and contemplation before coming into their own. While their philosophy does not count age in the same way other races do, records of contact have shown that they may live in excess of 450 years.
Alignment. Avoiding conflict and seeking balance, wayangs tend toward neutrality, though may be of any alignment.
Size. Small creatures, usually from 3 to 4 feet tall and weighing around 30 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Shadowy Reality. Wayangs' affinity for shadows gives them the ability to perceive that which is not entirely corporeal. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks to see through visual illusions.
Lurker. You are proficient in the Stealth skill.
Shadow Magic. You know the minor illusion cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the silent image spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, Wayang and one other language of your choice. The spoken wayang language seems to be a mix of Deep Speech and Primordial, however; the written version is a system of pictographs based on shapes made with shadow puppetry and is not related to other known languages.

Random Height and Weight

Table: Wayang Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
2′ 10″	+2d8 - 2	30 lb.	+ 2d8 lb.

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