Wayang

---

The Wayangs are supernatural humanoids believed to be born on the Plane of Shadows and found more commonly there. Many Wayangs live in small communities, where they make great use of shadow magic.   They do not often leave the Plane of Shadows, nor heavily associate with outsiders. They are often curious about travellers who visit their small, interdependent communities and enjoy stories and gifts from the other planes.   As the Plane of Shadow is often traversed by magic users, the Wayang view of life on the Material Plane is ephemeral. Many live by a philosophy known as "The Faded Way", which asserts that death is merely passing back into shadow.  

Physical Description

  There is variety among the Wayangs, but they are, broadly speaking, physically slight and dark in pigmentation.   Many Wayangs trend toward the smaller range of humanoids, with sharp features. As with all things, this is not universal.   Proportionally, their arms are long and their hands narrow and delicate-looking. Smaller Wayangs tend to have larger heads relative to their bodies.   Their skin is dark and generally in the cooler range of colours. Smoky grey, deep purples, dark blues, and shades of black are common. They blend easily into shadow because of this.   Physical ornamentation is a common practice, even from a young age, and may include scarification, tattooing, and other marks. Some of this ornament can be extensive, even hints of it appearing in their shadows on the Material Plane.  

History

  The Plane of Shadow is obscure and so is the nature of the Wayangs.   It is certain that the Wayang are connected to the Plane of Shadow, but little is known of their history. It is believed that those communities based on the Material Plane were founded by beings that travelled to the Material from the Plane of Shadow. Since they easily fade from sight when surrounded by or near even light shadow, it is a credible assertion.   Some research hints that they might have been created more recently and directly. Some Wayang performers are known to include this claim in their biographies and stories. Other Wayangs style themselves after characters seen in shadow plays, in which they often work as performers, but it's unclear if these stories refer to individuals or if this is an affectation or something more fundamental.  

Society 

  Wayangs dwell in tight family groups and tribes which tend toward communal living, but they can form bonds with outsiders and even go and travel abroad. They are not commonly seen, however, and it's unknown how many there are.   The Faded Way has a philosophical view that clarity and separation are illusions, and that all things are impermanent and return to the amorphous shadow before emerging in some new, possibly unrecognisable form.   While they delight in gifts and novelties, it is not things they appreciate, but the feelings and memories they leave behind as they are personal and relevant while the value of objects changes.   The Faded Way can seem passive, avoiding conflict and finding ways around obstacles rather than meeting things head on.   They do have an established comfort with the notion of islands, favouring Material societies that are generally peaceful, and live in small numbers in relative isolation. The island is linked in cosmology to the notion of the Brilliance or the Lightning Flash -- the brief, sharp, and sometimes overwhelming time of existence in the greater body of the unknown.  

Wayang Traits

  Wayang physical slightness does not make them particularly inclined to physical combat.   They tend to favour cleverness and shrewdness when it comes to potential dangers, such as the dangerous beings found on the Plane of Shadow. Their communities are often shrouded by illusory protections and their defence is often based on preparation and vigilance. They necessarily rely on their magic and elusiveness on the Material Plane.   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. There is no known upper limit, but they are subject to death eventually.
  Alignment. Avoiding conflict and seeking balance, Wayangs tend toward neutrality, though may be of any alignment.
  Size. Many Wayangs are small, from 3 to 4 feet tall and weighing around 30 to 90 pounds. Some are Medium sized, or Large but quite spidery and rareified.
  Speed. Your base walking speed as a Small being is 25 feet. As a Medium being it is 30 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 form of Primordial with hints of Deep Speech but its written form is a system of pictographic characters, letters and phonemes unrelated to other known languages. It's uncertain if the written or spoken form is more recent.

With thanks to the DandDwiki.

Languages. Wayang