Hello everyone,
James, Eleanor, and Ianara here, your leads for the Tian Xia project. As of yesterday, the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide is officially out! This is a region of our setting that we know many of you (not to mention us at Paizo as well!) have been looking forward to for some time, and it’s great to be able to share this look into the continent with you. Tian Xia takes inspiration from Asian fantasy and folklore, and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to bring this vast range of stories to life without an all-star team of writers and designers, many of whom also worked on the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide, which releases in August. Get to know some of them below!

James Case
Senior Designer

Eleanor Ferron
Senior Developer

Ianara Natividad
Senior Editor

Eren Ahn (they/them primarily)

안녕하세요, 여러분! My name is Eren, and I had the incredibly fun opportunity to refresh Daikitsu and Lao Shu Po for the Tian Xia World Guide as well as contributing some lore around the mystical imugi. As someone who loves exploring the relationship between mortality and divinity, it was an absolute dream to have the opportunity to expand on Tian Xia's pantheon. I hope you all fall as deeply in love with the Lady of Foxes and Old Rat Woman as I did while writing them.

You can find me sporadically talking about my writing on Bluesky (by the time you're reading this, I'll have posted more detailed threads on my contributions for this book, if you're interested in reading about my process) and talking about everything else on Twitter. You will also see me in a couple of months for the Tian Xia Character Guide!

Alyx Bui

Hear ye, hear ye! Here come the imperial dragons of Tian Xia! I had the pleasure of crafting and writing on the Imperial Dragons and the peoples and land of Zi Ha! This was a massive collaboration between so many talented writers and artists—Basheer Ghouse to place Arindham, a forest dragon within the Valashmai Jungle, with Jay Zhang to place Luong Phung, a sea dragon within Xidao, with Jacky Leung to place Shen Ra, a sky dragon within Po Li, with Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen to place a sovereign dragon, Pham Duc Quan within Xa Hoi, and Grady Wang to place an underworld dragon, Zhu Long, within Chu Ye.

For Zi Ha, it was brilliant to connect with Kienna Shaw, as we placed the samsaran peoples and their origins in this magical land. We wanted to make sure that we inserted a non-colonial view of this world. I wanted joy and wonder to come out of these harsh, wintery lands—from bioluminescent fungi and large, carnivorous plant hunting to festivals that honor the mountain peaks, dragon cycles, and the long day and night phases. Enjoy the epic lore of Shei Long, a Sky Dragon, and the moon deity Tsukiyo! Continue the conversation with me on X (Twitter) @daredevilalyx!

Two rulers of Tian Xia, Empress Amatatsu Ameiko of Minkai (art by Gunship Revolution) and Empress Nai Yan Fei of Goka (art by Vira Linevych)

Banana Chan (she/they/he)

I'm Banana and I wrote a bunch of stuff for Tian Xia, but what I need EVERYONE to know about is the Great Flood, based on the creature Xiangliu. It's one of my favorite mythical creatures because of how silly it looks in drawings, but if you could see it in real life, it would probably be a body horror disaster. It has the body of a giant snake or eel with nine human heads attached to it. I'd been wanting to write about the Xiangliu for the longest time, so I'm extremely grateful that Paizo gave me that opportunity.

Connie Chang (they/he/she)

Hey there! I'm Connie Chang, and I wrote Quain, a location full of wuxia fantasies, grandmasters, and cultivation! As a queer and trans diasporic Chinese person, I'm a huge fan of the wuxia and xianxia genres as a way to explore historical fantasy beyond western imaginations—so of course I jumped at the chance to help create something with Paizo. I'm especially interested in seeing the stories that will bloom from centuries-old, deeply complicated rivalries between grandmasters!

Social media: Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch

The exuberant pixiu (art by Gunship Revolution) and the monstrous Great Flood (art by Mylene Bertrand)

Hiromi Cota (they/them)

Hai tai! Wanne Hiromi yaibiin! Hi! I’m Hiromi! For folks unfamiliar with me, I’ve worked on over a hundred books and games, usually as a writer or game designer. I’m excited to have worked with Paizo, as I’ve wanted to for years. I’m even more excited to say that I also got to work on the Tian Xia Character Guide and pen the tie-in fiction The Matsuri! Hopefully, I’ll have more opportunities to work with Paizo in the future. If I do, you’ll find out about them from my Bluesky account @hiromicota!

For the Tian Xia World Guide, I worked on Kwanlai. I had fun providing an in-world explanation as to why Kwanlai is principally populated by tengu (a Japanese creature) but has a Chinese name. The answer, in short, is colonialism. In real life, Japan colonized Uchinaa and foisted the exonym “Okinawa” upon my people. So, it was natural for me to depict the Lung Wa conquering the nation of Ootoya and foisting the exonym “Kwanlai” on the Ootoyans. Another fun tidbit in the writeup is takoyaki (battered and fried octopus) becoming a popular snack due to Wanshou (a nation ruled by a kraken) attacking Kwanlai.

Dana Ebert (she/her)

Dana Ebert (nonchalant female human writer) is a common author to find credited in Pathfinder publications, and the Tian Xia World Guide is no exception. Known for fanciful and often extravagant prose, her work reimagining Minata is most evident in phrases like "swallowing dragons like krill" and "churned the sea like a mortar and pestle." In addition to authoring the chapter on Minata, she contributed substantial Minata-adjacent content to the Tian Xia Character Guide. When she's not writing for Pathfinder, Dana is a full-time content creator at TPK Brewing Co., a tabletop roleplaying-themed brewery she co-owns in Portland, Oregon.

The sorrowful dragon Luong Phung (art by Gunship Revolution) and the draconic emperor Pham Duc Quan (art by Gunship Revolution)

John Godek III (he/him)

Hi! I’m John, a mixed-race Filipino American gamer, gamemaster, freelancer, and podcaster. For the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide I wrote the Oceans of Tian Xia as well as several new Tian ships, along with Yamatsumi the mountain god and General Susumu. I was very excited to work on these as I spent my early childhood in Hawai'i and Philippines, and later sailed the seven seas as I started my career.

As a freelance game designer, I’ve written mostly for Paizo but also some for Evil Robot Games and Legendary Games. As a gamemaster, I earned my 5th Nova in 2021 and have volunteered at dozens of gaming conventions. As a podcaster, I produce three podcasts on the Know Direction Network: Digital Divination, with Paizo Senior Designer Jason Keeley and D&D Designer Ron Lundeen; Intrepid Heroes, an RPG actual play where we just completed the Devastation Ark AP and soon begin a Scum and Villainy adventure run by Jason Keeley; and Presenting - Gamers Making Games, a podcast where I have interviewed over 100 game designers, developers, artists, and editors. In addition, I am also GMing a Fists of the Ruby Phoenix campaign and playing Outlaws of Alkenstar and Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse. In my non-gaming life, I am a university professor teaching entrepreneurship and social venture creation in the Seattle area.

You can reach me on Twitter @JohnGodekIII and find my podcasts at https://knowdirectionpodcast.com/ or on YouTube.

Daniel Kwan (he/him)

Hello! My name's Daniel! I'm the co-host of the Asians Represent Podcast and am a freelance game designer and cultural consultant with over 40 games credits! The Tian Xia World Guide is my second Paizo contribution and certainly the one I'm most excited about. I had a blast bringing my love of weapons, horror, and mythology to life for the project. It is such an honor to be part of such a diverse team of Asian creatives who have worked so hard to bring life to Tian Xia! Fun fact, some of my fellow freelancers and I started a home game to test out many of our contributions during the development period!

Twitter: @danielhkwan Website: https://danielhkwan.carrd.co/

Two of Tian Xia’s deities, the goddess of liminal spaces, Lady Jingxi (art by Carl Springer), and the lovers-turned-rivals Mugura and Nrithu (art by Carl Springer)

Jacky Leung (he/they)

Hey, everyone! I'm Jacky Leung, and it's been a while since I worked freelance for Paizo. Tian Xia was an amazing experience to revisit as a player and a creator. I had the pleasure of writing for Po Li and expanding life in a country ruled by the theologic elite and how people governed by oracles thrive despite its previously sheltered portrayal in earlier works. I had the opportunity to provide faces to the extremely secretive Oracular Council that governs Po Li, introduce the equally secretive Lapis Watchers, and expand new iconic locations for players to explore such as Tuotuo, the Enlightened City—a historical education center containing special archives housing racks of prophecies and oracular writings. Beyond the nostalgic glamor lies also the Emperor's Footprint, a site rumored to contain mystical properties, a supposed asteroid, and stunning panoramic beauty—just highly dangerous and full of monsters, I'm sure it's fine. I hope folx gets to experience the social and political dissonance that awaits them when adventuring through Po Li; it was a fantastic challenge.

You can find me on Twitter/X under @deathbymage and Bluesky under deathbymage.bsky.social. You can find my website and portfolio here: https://deathbymage.carrd.co/.

Jessie "Aki" Lo (she/her)

I'm a freelance writer, artist, GM, producer, editor, and TTRPG performer who just can't say no. Tian Xia was my first big Paizo gig, but if you want to see more of my little grabby hands making a gorgeous mess of Pathfinder 2e, you should check out my podcast! Goblets and Gays is an award-winning, Pathfinder 2e Actual Play podcast. With our first campaign "Blood of Kings" wrapped up, we're in the middle of releasing our second campaign "Tyrant of the Dark Star". ToDS is a grim dark Pathfinder 2e Remastered actual play set in the gothic-horror homebrew world of Noxlight.

Goblets and Gays Twitter and Podlink

A woman demonstrating the technology of ancient Yjae (art by Alexander Nanitchkov) and a member of the seafaring Nisama people (art by Riley Spalding)

Adam Ma (he/him)

Hello friends! I'm so excited for you all to sink into this beautiful world. For many of you it will be a marvelous opportunity to immerse yourself in a land rich with cultures perhaps outside your own. I'm right there with you. This was my first contribution to Pathfinder's rich world, and I never expected to go so deep into exploring my own culture and heritage through the lens of Wanshou's horror and paranoia. Just remember, if anything bad happens to your party while exploring this flooded land, it's definitely not a coincidence and probably your party member's fault. You know which one I'm talking about.

I work on all kinds of TTRPG content, so if you're into grand adventure with a bit of horror, then we'll get along great! If you're a fan of my contribution to Tian Xia and want to follow my other work you can find me on Bsky and Twitter as 34thGingerbread - or you can visit my website: https://www.adam34th.com/

Tan Shao Han

Hi! I'm Tan Shao Han / 陈绍涵 (family name Tan/Chen, 陈; generational name, Shao 绍; personal name, Han 涵), a TTRPG creator, lecturer, and cultural consultant from Singapore, Southeast Asia. I'm proudly part of the RPGSEA TTRPG design movement based in Southeast Asia! I grew up a steady diet on wuxia media (movies, books, TV series, manhua), and am happy to re-imagine and create settings (the histories, lands, and peoples of Goka and Songbai) in the Tian Xia World Guide to inspire the telling of new wuxia-influenced stories in your Pathfinder games! It has been an absolute privilege to work on the Tian Xia books, alongside great colleagues and supervisors whom I now have the pleasure to call my friends.

Outside of freelancing with Paizo, I also run an indie TTRPG company, Curious Chimeras. If you're interested in more of my takes on Chinese fantasy, check out my recent indie games: Swordfarer, a wuxia journaling game of jianghu melancholia and friendships and Shrine, a xianxia storytelling game of karma, despair, and reincarnation. To find out more about the other amazing TTRPGs and creators from Southeast Asia, please check out https://across-rpgsea.com/ as well!

Urakadussi, the High Matriarch of Xidao (art by Sammy Khalid), and Zhanagorr, Divine Savior of Wanshou (art by Nicholas Phillips)

Ruvaid Virk (he/him)

Hello, y’all! Ruvaid here. You may have seen my name in previous Paizo books such as Dark Archive, Impossible Lands, and Rage of Elements. For the Tian Xia World Guide, I wrote the entry for the nation of Hongal. I have a deep appreciation for Mongolian culture from which Hongal draws inspiration, and I endeavored to bring as much respect to my words as possible. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading about Hongal as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

If you’re looking for a South Asian/Muslim freelancer for your next project, or should you simply wish to perceive me, you can find me on Twitter @Darth_Ruvaider, or the other one @darthruvaider.bsky.social. Until next time, and happy Pathfinding!

Grady Wang (he/him)

Howdy, I'm Grady and my work on Chu Ye in the World Guide was my first-ever assignment for Paizo! I'm so excited that it's finally out! This nation has incredible potential for grand stories, from its historical contributions to medicinal knowledge to the present-day four-way clash between its greedy oni ruling class, a scrappy humanoid rebellion, an underworld dragon out for revenge, and a jealous god. I was also thrilled to be able to draw upon my Chinese and Taiwanese heritages to expand Chu Ye’s culture and its experiences under occupation.

My next contribution will be in the Character Guide coming later this year, which contains Tian Xia’s unique takes on medicine. You can also find me online at The Gallant Goblin where my partner and I review TTRPG products on https://www.youtube.com/thegallantgoblin, sell kobold plushies at heroplush.com, and produce expanded content for Pathfinder at https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/, where we just released the first community print-on-demand product, Adventures in Jalmeray, which is an anthology of three adventures set in Jalmeray (Lost Omens: Impossible Lands) designed by an all-Desi team of writers!

A member of the spellcasting dovlokhuud (art by Vira Linevych) and a magical student of Tang Mai (art by Carl Springer)

New Year’s first fireworks danced across Changdo’s night, their exuberant sparks half-reflected upon the Sea of Ghosts. Ling Zhiyu, courtesy name Wenhan, Sixth-Rank Clerk of the Ministry of Truth, Junior Secretary of the Lower Oracular Council, set down his brush to admire the distant pyrotechnics.

This far from the city, the celebrations looked almost peaceful. Whenever possible, Zhiyu spent New Year here, at this shoreside teahouse, preferring to stay away from the devotees jostling to light the auspicious incense to welcome the Eternal Emperor’s spirit, away from wending swells of dragon dancers bearing the throne’s five colors, and most of all, away from the Ministry of Faith’s magically amplified, self-congratulatory platitudes for yet another year of Po Li’s glory.

The Sea of Ghosts’ lapping waves broke the oracle’s reverie, their leisurely cadence not unlike the murmuring of some unknown tongue. Zhiyu smiled despite himself. No point thinking such dour thoughts during New Year. You'll invite Heaven’s displeasure... and more importantly, spoil everyone’s mood here. They’ve suffered enough.

Facing the vacuous waters, Zhiyu spoke loudly and clearly to no one at all.

“Yes, elders. Happy New Year to you too. May your heart realize ten thousand desires, may your descendants lead long and healthy lives, may the Eternal Emperor hasten your reincarnations for your loyal service. You can see, Changdo still stands, bright with lanterns, altars, cooking fires, and fireworks. You did not fight the War of Widow-Makers in vain; every New Year is your everlasting gift to us all.”

The currents settled. His invisible audience seemingly placated, Zhiyu returned to his table’s reports, and was pleasantly surprised to find the teahouse’s proprietors had discreetly left some fried niangao and a fresh pot of aged Tuotuo tea. These refreshments were not unwelcome; there was much to attend to, from goiter and beriberi coinciding with recent fads of grain diets emulating the Eternal Emperor’s piety; stirring instability in the West with Lingshen and Quain; troubling developments on the East with Hwanggot and Bachuan. So much to do! But for now, tea and rice cakes. Zhiyu sipped gratefully, smiled his thanks to the teahouse’s owners, and returned to his paperwork, as fresh fireworks and celebratory songs filled the night.

---

“Oracle Ling looks tired. He’s always working so hard, even on New Year.”

“You know how it is, my beloved. There are some oracles who work very hard, because there are so many who don’t...”

“Close your mouth, my foolish husband. These things! You shouldn’t even think them, let alone speak them... nobody, especially us, can afford to pay the price.”

On this solemn note, the teahouse owners’ whispered conversation reached a brief lull. Fireworks flared above, in the shape of a celestial peach tree; a sign of life’s renewal and promise. Husband and wife contemplated the sky together, a shared silence; then, both spoke abruptly at the same time.

“Do you suppose we can ask Oracle Ling...”

“Maybe it’s as good a time as any to ask Oracle Ling...”

They laughed quietly at this simultaneous blurting of their hearts’ nervousness. Who could blame them? They were but humble merchants without clan or fame, whose usual clients were fishers who plied the Sea of Ghosts for minnow and perch. Oracle Ling was by far their most prestigious guest, a virtuous official without outrageous demands or haughty airs, who paid in full and tipped well.

To ask an extra favor of him, and especially on this New Year, when families traditionally would have their Reunion Dinners, and officials would vie to fete the Ministers in grand court banquets... Oracle Ling must be truly busy to forsake those commitments and opportunities. What right would they have to disturb his schedule with such a selfish request?

---

Zhiyu yawned as he completed his report on the Gokan trafficking of false Po Lian relics and rubbed the poultice of chrysanthemum and wolfberry over his tired eyes.

I suppose it's time.

The waves stirred, as if in assent.

Zhiyu forced a smile, trying to let the wisdom in his mind fade away, to return from realms of divine insight dwelled by praiseworthy sages. He stood up quietly and tiptoed to the teahouse.

---

“Excuse me.”

The proprietors nearly jumped from shock. Zhiyu reprimanded himself; he had not wanted to cause any disturbance, but alas, that was exactly what had happened. Ah well, let's get on with it.

“Good sir, good madam, I understand you would like my help with something. I understand you have a child, of the right age for a Test of Fate, and you would like to see what the Heavens are willing to reveal about your child’s destiny.”

This time, the proprietors were truly in shock. How did the esteemed guest know all these? But then, he was an oracle...

“I understand your grandparents were from Lingshen and Quain, who fought here to defend the Imperial City during the War of Widow-Makers...”

The wind hissed, like a thousand knives drawn all at once.

“...and your parents stayed behind, but Changdo has not treated you all that well. Due to the present... succession disputes. Of things much bigger than you or me, our politics, histories, cultures...”

The wind stopped abruptly, A sleeping waterbird woke in surprise, and uttered a mournful cry.

“...and so, you have no lands, no clans, no names, no sponsors; no choice but to take on the regrettable work of doing business on your own. And you wonder... will your child inherit the same fate?”

Wife and husband nodded as one, their eyes red-rimmed and knuckles white-edged.

“If you will permit me, I will perform the Test of Fate for your child, and let his destiny be revealed in Heaven’s gaze. I apologize I must inconvenience you to visit my residence, because my luopan, almanacs, yarrow stalks, and other divinatory tools are at home.”

The couple fell to their knees in gratitude; Zhiyu stepped forward to help them back up. As they ambled to the oracle’s tiny manor, the night sky above Changdo seemed lighter somehow, and not just for the fireworks that flooded its inky expanse.

Illustration by Maichol Quinto

About the Author

Tan Shao Han (he/him) is a writer, editor, consultant, and researcher of Asian histories and cultures. Shao Han grew up with Chinese storytelling from gong'an (magistrate detectives), wuxia (heroic martial artists), and zhiguai (strange tales), which influenced his work on the upcoming Tian Xia World Guide and Tian Xia Character Guide. Outside of his work for Paizo, Shao Han is part of Curious Chimeras, an indie TTRPG company in Singapore, Southeast Asia. Currently, he is developing Sundered Flames, a Pathfinder Second Edition–compatible dark wuxia adventure, as well as remastering Shrine, a xianxia game of vulnerability and vengeance based on the Palanquin TTRPG. You can find more of his work at www.curiouschimeras.com.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now. Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

From first light to sunset, the Indraracha Institute bustles with activity. The docks continually ferry people in and out of the campus. Meal, study, repeat—every day is a routine at the academy, a routine strengthening the minds and sharpening the skills of the future sorcerers and politicians of Tang Mai.

For one young boy, though, things were different. School was just school. Sometimes, all he wanted to do was to just run around, not bury himself nose-deep in a book about the nation’s history. One morning, he was doing just that—running through the halls of the Institute, weaving between his classmates that filled rooms and corridors studying all things magical.

Asok’s circuit ended in one of the many gardens. Resting under a tall banyan tree, the boy began to doze off. He snapped his eyes open when he heard a familiar voice.

“What are you doing here?” A tattooed young man strode over, a basket of herbs in hand.

“Thanom!” The boy scrambled up to his feet, putting his hands together in a greeting. “I’m just on my way to study hall... unless you need help in the gardens?” He gave a wide grin.

“And take you away from your studies? Your instructors will have my head! And if I’m gone, there will be even fewer people who tolerate your behavior.” He pulled out a mangosteen and handed the fruit to Asok. “Now go to class. Next time I need help, I’ll come to you. When you’re not trying to hide from your instructors.”

Asok gave another huge grin to the alchemist before rushing off to his class, conveniently located in a quieter corner of the Institute. He tucked himself alongside his classmates as they all settled in, twisting open the mangosteen and eating the meat inside. Mali, his seatmate, glared. In return, he smiled and offered a piece to her, but she turned her head away in annoyance.

“Remember, students, placement tests are coming up soon. While you all are young, it’s important you take your exams seriously.” Teacher Chai walked around, handing out textbooks. “We want to make sure you all end up learning subjects you enjoy and excel at.”

Asok opened the book to the lines, “Sorcerer diplomats provide the Chaophaya counsel and identify magical phenomena to aid them in their rule. Following the precepts of the Indraracha Institute, diplomats must be impartial...” The text was dizzying.

“Aiyyyyy, I’m tired,” he groaned.

“Shhhhh!” Mali nudged him. “Stop complaining. You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“It’s hot and it’s sooooo boring.” Asok began fanning himself with the textbook.

“It’s always hot,” the girl reminded him, “and you say everything is boring.”

Asok nudged her back. In a huff, they both started jostling each other, though mostly in jest.

Their instructor eyed them with suspicion, but before he could say anything, sparks coalesced in the air.

“Teacher Chai!” An illusion of an older student sprung into being. “Apologies for the disturbance—we could use some assistance with an artifact in the south research laboratory.”

“Of course. Right away.” The instructor turned to the class, saying, “Now, students, be diligent while I’m gone,” before hurrying out.

In the heat and humidity, diligent self-study didn’t last long. Mischievous as ever, Asok got to his feet and reached for the magic within him. A small flame sparked to life in his hand.

“Asok, stop,” Mali chided. “You shouldn’t be doing that.”

“Come on, we’re studying, right?” Asok juggled the flame between his fingers. “If we don’t break anything, it’s fine. Unless you’re a scaredy-cat?”

Illustration by Ilina Naydenova.

“Am not!” She frowned before standing up, a spell coming to her as easy as breath. “You know I’m sooooo much better than you at casting.”

Students discarded their textbooks and started chatting among themselves. In a moment, the alcove filled with all sorts of spells. A young nagaji girl conjured a bubble of water and began shaping it into a flower. Another student drew a monstrous face on a nearby stone before levitating it to chase their classmates through the alcove.

Between the two rival factions, a heated competition quickly drew the class’s attention. Mali shot her hand up in the air, spraying an array of bright colors. The crowd was mesmerized with the lights. She gave her opponent a playful grin.

Asok huffed, “It’s just colors—isn’t this so much cooler?” He caught the ember in his fist before shooting it out. The small burst of fire cut through the rainbow. The boy puffed his chest in pride.

The “oooohs” from the crowd turned to a giggle as Mali wiggled her fingers and a second image of Asok appeared next to him. While crude, the illusion was unmistakably of the boy. It hopped around, flexing in an exaggerated manner. Asok frowned at his double, which frowned back.

Not to be outdone, Asok threw his memory and being back into his blood, finding the might of elementals. He breathed in deep before releasing a gust of flame that spilled from his lips and billowed outwards. The fire dispersed the illusion before launching upward to the sky. Asok was careful to not let it hit Mali or their classmates, but the size of the breath was growing larger than he could control. The expanding heat licked the roof of the outdoor galleries that surrounded their study area, lighting up small pieces of foliage.

“Asok! Look what you did,” Mali yelled, taking a step back from the sparks.

“I didn’t mean to,” Asok stammered, ashamed about his mistake. “I—I’m sorry!”

 “Come on, we have to stop this before Teacher Chai comes back.”

The nagaji student guided her water magic to the fire. While it extinguished some of it, the flames were spreading faster than she could handle. The class chipped in with various spells, with little impact.

Suddenly, a chill wind gusted through the alcove, frost trailing in its wake and collecting on the stones. The winds roared across the roof, blowing the fires out as easily as candles, making Asok and Mali shiver and clutch their arms close despite the fires and the Tang Mai sun. Turning around, the students saw Teacher Chai with an expressionless face, magic still trailing from his fingers as his incantation left him.

“Spellcraft is not allowed without instructor supervision at your age.” Teacher Chai said sternly as he walked toward the panicked students. “I expected as much from you, Asok. But you, Mali...”

“I—I—I’m sorry, Teacher!” Mali bowed her head, “We tried to stop it ourselves. We know it was wrong, but—”

The teacher put a hand up to stop the student. “While you all showed responsibility in fixing your mistakes, magic is volatile. One misstep, one wrong incantation, can cause chaos. Now, back to your studies.”

As the young students began to quiet down and shrink themselves back into their texts, Teacher Chai looked at Asok and Mali. “Though, I must admit it was quite the impressive feat. You two have the makings of incredible sorcerers.”

About the Author

Collette Quach (they/she) is a Chinese-Cambodian narrative designer with an interest in mythology and identity. They've worked on projects such as the Tian Xia Character Guide Unbreakable Anthology, and the ENNIE-winning Uncaged Anthology. She has an MFA in Interactive Media from USC, where she explored branching narrative and agency through her video game, Last Broadcast. You can see more of their work here and on Twitter.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now! Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

It’s 30 minutes until midnight and the river’s delta is gleaming with bits of gold dust coming off the tips of the fires scattered about. Dragon-tailed lanterns illuminate the paths as multi-generational families recount raucous stories.

Overheard, a gravelly voice mixed with sincerity comes from an elderly kobold: “Do you remember that time when...”

Cut off, an innocent yet bright voice coming from a toddler yells, “We’ve already gone over this, ông nội! I wasn’t even born yet! You and grandma met ages ago...!”

A family of seven bursts out into loud laughter as they filter into the streets, seamlessly mixing in with the noises of carts carrying crafts and garments, silks and spices; from afar, melodies of wood, wind, and percussion firmly grace the air.

It’s the second day of the Festival of the Loss: Xa Hoi’s yearly celebration of the lives of the recently deceased, but also the ancestors that have been watching over the collective for centuries.

Bordering each side of the river, home cooks, restaurant chefs, and food stall owners squat, cooking fragrant foods on portable stoves and fires. Closer to the water are tables draped with lucky red fabric, used year after year, dishes placed carefully. The food is surrounded by burning incense that wafts up to the heavens:

· Pillowy, perfectly cooked rice next to crisped, barbecued game glazed with a translucent, sweet red sauce that reflects all the lanterns and lights.

· Bowls of fragrant broth, simmered for a full day prior to pull the flavor from livestock bones and aromatics into the perfect infusion, filled with tender noodles and garnished with fresh herbs.

· Beautiful golden pancakes still sizzling on the griddle, loaded with glowing leaves and minced meat, folded into half-moon parcels.

· Rice paper rolls stuffed to the brim with fresh vegetables, herbs, noodles, and steamed prawns caught and delivered just the morning prior, served next to a sweet, crunchy peanut sauce.

· A three-layered bean and jelly parfait drizzled with a viscous cream, multicolored glutinous rice dumplings in a ginger syrup, and big, round fried pastries covered with seeds, filled with a mixture of locally harvested sweet beans.

Yet, no one has approached the tablescape. Though outsiders might be curious why this mile-long spread adorning the riverside isn’t being touched, for the people of Xa Hoi, it’s because it’s tradition. You see, the dead always eat first.

Legends have been told of ancestors who moved to the afterlife and existed miserably because they were forgotten. Instead of joining those who've moved on peacefully to look over their family’s health and luck, these now-lost souls are cursed for eternity. Wondering why their families have forgotten them they manifest as bad luck, nightmares, or even come to our mortal plane themselves, seeking attention and respect.

This is why the dead always eat first. The meals are put out under the full moon of the Festival of the Loss to invite those who protect Xa Hoi to join in celebration, feast, and remembrance.

Illustration by Luis Salas Lastra

As the hour and minute hand of clocks join at midnight, there’s one more moment of silence. A single, unified prayer. One big breath inhaled together with hands pressed close to the hearts—families are sending final well-wishes to their loved ones. Then, as if on cue, the chaotic symphony of music and laughter and joyous conversation rises back to fill the streets along the river as families take turns making their plates and enjoying the delicious, jubilant dinner.

As some folks go back for seconds, many start making their way toward the center of the city of Ngon Hoa, where the rivers meet. Shining brighter than the lanterns that line the river, a stage next to the water is covered with vibrant tapestries lined with golden trim. Embroidered into the curtains are stitched portraits of dragons and warriors and empresses and flowers, seamlessly flowing into each other like scenes from a play, draping across the fabric.

Though performers have been rotating throughout the night, in and out of the larger festival grounds, with lighter crowds watching and cheering them on, now, people start to enter en masse, staking their place on the damp, grassy ground with blankets and stools to see the annual water puppetry show, Múa rối nước. On stage, the orchestra sets up gongs, wooden flutes, drums, chimes, and string instruments rarely seen outside of Xa Hoi. At the stage’s edge, closest to the water, lie ornate hand-carved wooden puppets, ranging from humans to dragons, merfolk, and nagaji, mirroring the crowd that has gathered around.

The spotlights bolt up and down, right to left, finally converging to shine over the river, and the water seems to slow down. The Sorcerer Storytellers rise enchantingly from below the surface and begin the show to roaring applause. They recount stories over the water to tell of this year’s troubles and successes, their magic manipulating not only the puppets from the stage, but shaping the water itself with swipes of their hands like a timeless dance that’s both familiar and not from this world. Their silken garments, meticulously crafted by masterful seamstresses, almost seem to enhance their dragon-blooded magic, each embroidered stitch exuding small glimmers of light as they perform. Dramatic scenes reenact wars with swelling, cacophonous music and powerful imagery, these darker moments interwoven with flashes of occasional victorious triumphs while plumes of water fly high to the sky in unison with the music.

As the show ends with a magnificent finale, swirls of iridescent water whipping around in a display of elegant magic, the festivities start to wane. At a glance across the river, the ornate and lavish outfits start to dwindle as workers change into their ordinary uniforms. The next day's tasks still must be done. The incense has burned down to the bottom, leaving small piles of gray ash at the base of ceramic bowls. Performers start packing up their instruments and tear down their festival stages. Carts that once held celebratory candies and toys are stowed away for household wares and common fabrics—the tables’ lucky red clothes are folded up and stored for next year’s celebration, too. Farmers head back toward their plots to tend to the crops and livestock. Store owners start opening shops for the last few hours before the sun starts to rise once more in Xa Hoi.

About the Author

Danny Quach (he/him) is a tabletop marketing professional by day and the internet’s emotional support himbo by night. He’s the author of Digital Thiccness, a substack dedicated to making information about marketing, social media trends, and building digital communities as accessible as possible, sprinkled with personal musings and projects and pop culture through a queer lens. When he’s not writing and collaborating on TTRPG projects, Danny can be found lifting heavy things, eating tasty things, watching scary movies, and listening to 2000s emo/screamo music. Follow him on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now—Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

“To the left!”

“His stomach’s open!”

“Pin him down, pin him down!”

The basher arcade was filled with battle cries and frenzied advice from spectators as servers smoothly weaved between groups with cheap drinks for their patrons. Students from all over the city crowded every corner, cheering and booing each game’s combatants. Soo-jin took a long sip of tea, wincing at the strong aftertaste as onlookers shouted at the small figures projected in the middle of their table.

“Get him!” one of the boys from Sage Plum Academy cried as an alley basher kicked her opponent in the head. “To the right, to the right!”

The tiny figures clashed again, fists flying as their players maneuvered them to victory. Nga’s eyes were locked onto the projections as she rolled her fighter into a defensive position, raising his arms to shield his chest. Her opponent grinned, his hands deftly moving levers while his fighter pressed in with punches and kicks.

Soo-jin watched the brawl with gritted teeth, waggling her fingers nervously. One boy’s eyes met hers and he pointed a finger at the SPELLS ARE CHEATING sign; irritated, Soo-jin raised her hands and pointedly showed they were free of magic auras before setting them on the table.

The opposing fighter grabbed Nga’s by the waist. Soo-jin’s nails now clacked against the table in a nervous drum beneath the frenzied shouts for a finishing blow. With a smirk, Nga flipped a lever, and her fighter’s elbow smashed downward, his leg swooping up into a powerful kick. There was a shout—a blare of music—and Soo-jin jumped so fast her chair fell over.

Nga beamed triumphantly as the Sage Plum boy groaned, his friends laughing and sighing at his loss. Nga’s tiny fighter raised his fist, roaring silently in victory, and illusory fireworks exploded across the table to illuminate expressions of both dismay and glee around the table.

“Pay up, all!” Soo-jin laughed. Groans echoed above the victory music, followed by the clink of coins falling into her purse as she collected her friend’s winnings. Another round was suggested and a new challenger was already settling into the open seat, cracking their knuckles dramatically as the battle music started back up. Soo-jin cast a quick cantrip over the purse, checking the total, before nodding a quick farewell to the other students and following Nga toward the exit.

Art by Sandra Posada

The heavy scent of cheap tea and fried snacks gave way to the aroma of hot buns and saucy chicken. The sun was bright outside the basher arcade, the shouts of stall vendors replacing the cheers of students. Tired laborers grumbled about the lack of progress on the Surepath highway while young children ran past, yelling about spotting a sundaflora in the gardens. A girl from Soo-jin’s cram school waved politely from a shop known for its buns; Soo-jin awkwardly waved back, trying and failing to remember anything except that the girl had a duck as a familiar.

Nga and Soo-jin walked leisurely to their usual kopi-tiam, greeting Uncle Moon as the smell of coffee wafted toward them. Uncle Moon shouted a greeting back, merrily flipping hot taiyaki from a pan into a wax paper bag. Momo slept peacefully on the counter, purring with one small paw curled protectively over a copper piece.

“May I take your order?” a short tengu server asked as they sat down.

“Two taiyaki, one Xa Hoi coffee, and—” Soo-jin looked over the menu, and something newly added distracted her from her usual order “—one sparkle tea, please.” The server nodded and shuffled off, stopping to check on another customer. Soo-jin added the day’s total to a column in her notebook. “We’re so close, Nga. Just a few more silver pieces and we’re set!”

“I’m getting paid for tutoring on Moonday, so you can add that to our current amount.” Nga accepted the arriving tray from the server and took a leisurely sip of coffee. “You know, if you would take up tutoring—”

“I would rather let Mogaru eat me.” Soo-jin looked out the window. It hadn’t been that long since the giant monster’s attack, but she could scarcely see the water for all the bamboo scaffolding that had sprouted up in the aftermath. The city would be back, bigger than ever, in no time.

“Come on! Everyone wants a Willow Branch student to teach their kids, you’d make enough money for a concert ticket after a week.”

“You’re just as good as any twig,” Soo-jin scoffed, biting into her taiyaki and regretting it immediately as piping hot red bean paste scalded her mouth. She gasped, huffing desperately to try and cool down. Momo opened a judgmental eye from the counter. “You should try to test into another school.”

“As much as my parents would love for me to become a ‘twig,’ I’d rather be the best where I am than become average at a fancy academy.” Nga took a smug sip. “Unlike you, I’m in the top ten in my class.”

“Well, Miss Top Ten, keep up the good work and we’ll get our concert tickets in no time.”

Soo-jin’s eyes swept past Nga’s head to the wall of advertisements behind her, lingering on a poster announcing the upcoming Shining Crystal Muses concert in celebration of Harmonious Spring. Vivid ink paintings of the four Muses reached out to a prism floating above them, enchanted pigments creating tiny flecks of rainbow light that danced across the poster. Even in an ink portrait, Haru’s handsome face stood out, smiling coyly.

Goka had everything—peoples and food and buildings and magic from everywhere on the continent—but the one thing it had that Soo-jin cared about more than all of that was the Shining Crystal Muses. In only two weeks, she was going to meet Haru in person. It was a shame the concert hall wasn’t in its full splendor, as the authorities had foolishly deemed it lower priority for reconstruction.

What if that kaiju comes back? Soo-jin’s mother had fretted, but if Mogaru inconvenienced the city at the most important moment of her life, Soo-jin would personally put the kaiju down and no one could stop her. She smiled back at the poster, sipping her sparkle tea as worries of exams slipped out of her mind, and she focused on what really mattered: supporting her favorite band.

About the Author

Michelle Y. Kim (she/her) is a TTRPG writer and developer with a love for folklore and horror. You can find her at https://twitter.com/_missmyk_ or https://bsky.app/profile/missmyk.bsky.social.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now. Customers who Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

Sichen was three when the grandmasters first clashed in Zhining Village. She remembered it clearly. The magistrate’s villa was torn from the earth like an obstinate weed, which made everyone cheer, then it was thrown into the drinkhouse, which made everyone groan. But the grandmasters didn’t care. On her father’s back, her small body bouncing to the cadence of his footsteps as they fled their family’s inn, Sichen watched the fighters with unafraid curiosity. Even as ceramic shattered and geese honked and people shouted, even as a broken oxcart flew into the air with a braying ox in tow, even as magic tightened like a fist about to strike, the grandmasters had eyes only for each other.

Sichen was fourteen when the grandmasters clashed again. One moment, she was blearily feeding the chickens, catching what she could of the morning light streaking through the yews, and then the earth was shaking and Old Man Ping’s house was gone. He was still there, yawning in bed, before he realized he had no walls. (To this day, the people of Zhining were still finding bits of Old Man Ping’s roof scattered across town, like fragments of broken teeth.) He made a noise Sichen thought only harpies could make, said a word she wasn’t allowed to say, then took off toward the nearest building for shelter, which unfortunately was the inn. As her fathers came out with blankets and mortified expressions, Sichen stared at the rubble, pulverized in a blast of concentrated qi that arced from across town, which could only mean one thing: the grandmasters were back.

Sichen eagerly stepped into the street to get a better look, but then her dad’s hand was on her shoulder and her father was calling her from inside. It wasn’t safe, she was a child, she had chores. “Little Chen,” her dad scolded, guiding her away from the street. “Those grandmasters despise each other. You don’t want to be caught in their fury, do you?”

With a final, forlorn look in the direction of the grandmasters who despised each other, Sichen trudged indoors.

Sichen was twenty-two when the grandmasters clashed again. Old Man Ping’s granddaughter Leyue had come back to Zhining to take care of him and was helping out at Sichen’s inn to earn extra coin. Even outside of work, Sichen found herself spending time with Leyue: wasting coppers at the drinkhouse, laughing about nothing, teaching each other martial forms they’d picked up here and there. Neither were cultivators, but that idle Quain hope was strong in their hearts: “maybe one day.” They were sitting by the docks, the glistening waters of the Dragon Sweat Run as bright and promising as gold. Their hands touched; Sichen’s pulse quickened. She leaned in, but the river surged.

Roaring like a dragon made of shimmering taels, the water smashed onto the bank three hundred bu away. Sichen grabbed Leyue’s wrist and pulled her from the crumbling jetty. Waves undulated, subsuming fishing boats and spitting angry brine at the shouting, fleeing harborside merchants. A cultivator stood on the bank, a single arm outstretched, the pummeling deluge of river water parted in dark slices at her feet. She was a lithe, handsome woman with short black hair and a temperate face that made Sichen think of a temple statue. Sichen recognized her immediately: she was one of the two grandmasters from eight years ago; from nineteen years ago. Her face and body were virtually unchanged. A dim memory rose—her father, pulling her aside, having found the cultivation books Sichen had spent a whole month’s tips on. Cultivators are to commoners as the Dragon Sweat Run is to a single drop of water... and grandmasters are to cultivators what the ocean is to the Run.

A second cultivator flitted above the rushing, swirling water. Colorful robes billowed around her body. She was a fat woman, cloaked in power and magic, her face a pure halo of beauty that left Sichen breathless. Even after she and Leyue ran to safety, Sichen couldn’t shake the image of those two grandmasters glowering at each other, focused and limitless, as though each of them were the only thing the other could see.

Over the course of Sichen’s life, the grandmasters clashed a few more times in Zhining, making all other duels in the village seem trite in comparison. Although their property damage was considerable, the grandmasters’ blows never fell on bystanders. Stories of the decades-long rivalry spread throughout the province, drawing tourists and traders to such an extent that the magistrate’s son (by now the magistrate himself), commissioned the local stoneworker to erect two statues in their honor by the town gates with a simple plinth: “may their mutual hatred feed our village for years to come.” Some villagers even looked forward to the grandmasters’ clashes, taking bets on when they would next hurtle into town like an unexpected typhoon. Sichen always bet, and she always won.

Sichen was eighty-five when the grandmasters clashed for the last time in Zhining Village. She was managing the front desk of the inn when Leyue came out from the office. Her wife kissed her on the cheek and handed her a coin. “Extra from the ledgers,” she said with a smile. Sichen kissed her back and placed the coin on the ancestral shrine, which bore a small painting of her fathers and Old Man Ping. As she turned back to the customer, a cabbage smashed through the front doors before being drawn back by an implosion of air, shattering the windows on its way out.

Ilustration by Ilina Naydenova

The customers shouted and ducked for cover. Sichen exchanged a look with Leyue, her eyes bright and shining and eager. “Wait here,” she said, then grabbed her cane and ran outside.

The grandmasters were in the inn’s square—her square—and they were fighting with the same single-minded fervor they had for the past eighty-five years. One held a cabbage cart over her head with one arm. The other turned, tore a stone lion from the inn’s doorstep, and held it like a bat. As the other villagers shouted and ran, Sichen stayed at the threshold, watching intensely. The cart flew, the lion swiped through the air, wood exploded, and vegetables burst everywhere. One of the grandmasters grinned cockily as she ripped up another statue; the other raised a second cart over her head—

“Oh, that’s ENOUGH!” Sichen found herself yelling. “Just admit you like each other, already!”

The grandmasters startled. For the first time since Sichen had known them, they looked away from each other—and at her. The inexplicable courage that had filled her froze, like a stag caught in a hunter’s sights. The immensity of not one, but two grandmasters fixing her with their undivided attention was almost too much for her old, mortal body to handle; her heart palpitated, her nerves sang—

The handsome woman laughed. The woman in the colorful robes looked at her with a stunned expression, then she began laughing as well. The sound made Sichen think of Dragon Sweat Run at twilight, the water rushing over the rocks, Leyue’s head in her lap. Then the grandmasters stopped laughing; they took each other’s hands with an intimacy that made Sichen’s cheeks burn, and then they walked. They walked out of the square, they walked through the streets, they walked past the gates, and they were never seen in Zhining Village again.

Leyue came out of the inn, clucking at the damage. “Aiya! Couldn't they have left a tael or two as an apology?”

But Sichen just smiled. “Grandmasters are to regular people as the ocean is to a single drop of water,” she said. “They’re more powerful than anyone can imagine, but they forget the simplest things, like saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘Thank you.’” She turned to Leyue with a glimmering look that made her wife’s heart rise to the surface of her chest. “Or ‘I love you.’”

And with that, Sichen kissed Leyue, and they went back inside.

About the Author

Connie Chang (they/he/she) is a queer and trans Chinese-American actual play Game Master, TTRPG designer, and screenwriter who loves threading black-hearted apocalyptica with queer love. They're the GM and Creative Director for Transplanar RPG, an all-transgender, people of color-led, dark fantasy, TTRPG channel telling stories set in an original noncolonial, antiorientalist multiverse. He's currently working on GODKILLER, a two-person holypunk narrative game for one player, the Godkiller, and one Game Master, God. Check her out on Twitter, Itch.io, and TikTok!

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now—Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

No fewer than three songs echoed through Hide and the deer kami as they strolled past the vendors lining the streets of Kasai. Unseen drums shook the air, the bass felt as much as it was heard, while flutes and shamisen competed for the rest of the matsuri’s soundscape. Hide’s stomach gurgled, but the festival food they passed—fried chicken, grilled octopus, and omelet-wrapped sausage—were ill-suited to either of their diets.

Ask her if she has one in green. The deer kami’s words appeared in Hide’s mind, as if revealed by receding mist. Similarly, Hide realized they were standing in front of a stall festooned with colorful strings of flowers and staffed by a woman in gray robes.

Nn. I will, Mister Kami.

Because it’s my favorite color.

Nn. I understand. Hide turned to the flower vendor’s stall. If you’d just allow me to—

“Taking your pet for a walk?” murmured the vendor from beneath her mask.

“No, he’s not a pet, he’s...” Hide trailed off as he realized the woman’s eyes were not on him. She snorted and turned her attention to Hide.

“Apologies, sir. I was speaking to your companion.”

“I was the pet?” Hide asked, barely holding his incredulity at bay.

“What can I do for you, sir?” the woman continued, without missing a beat.

“Do you have any green flowers?”

“Not exactly, sir, but I could apply a treatment to some yellow ones. The string won’t stay fresh as long, but—”

The kami pranced excitedly, hooves tippy-tappying in the dirt road. This time, the words he was trying to convey were completely unintelligible to Hide, though the sentiment was clear.

“I think we’ll take one.”

“Wonderful. I’ll just—”

Whatever the vendor said next was lost as the kami’s words washed over Hide. Tell her she doesn’t have to wrap it. The vendor cocked her head slightly and paused gathering her supplies, waiting for her customers’ mental conversation to complete.

“He wants to wear it?” the vendor asked.

“He wants to wear it,” said Hide. “How did you know?”

“Kami often have particular tastes,” replied the vendor. She tugged her mask up a little higher, then laid an ornament of yellow flowers across her table and started waving a wand over it. Blue and green sparks cascaded from her hand, so quickly and brightly that Hide jerked his head away and blinked rapidly. If the sparks caused the masked vendor any discomfort, she didn’t show it. Nor did she show the gold coins that appeared in her hand in a telltale subtle shimmer of transportation magic; they’d disappeared from Hide’s purse while he was blinded by the sparks.

Ilustration by Sammy Khalid

“May I ask,” Hide began, “Why are you dressed in gray while your stall is so colorful?”

The vendor’s eyes sank slightly, and Hide realized the woman had been smiling under her mask until now.

“Life everywhere in Minkai under the Jade Regent was... challenging. We all did what we had to do. And we don’t know what we’ll have to do next.”

Hide was suddenly very aware of the gold chains adorning his robes. His purse felt wrong. The pause lingered too long.

“I didn’t hurt anyone. I just... relocated things and information. Hence the dark gray,” the woman continued.

“I understand. I’ve done similar things. I’m sorry for asking so indelicately.”

“May I ask you a question, sir?” the vendor inquired.

“Of course.”

“Why are you a kami’s traveling companion?”

“This place was all forest once, you know?” said Hide. “That’s a silly statement. I apologize. Obviously, this was once forest. Everything was forest at one time. I mean to say that my friend remembered this place as it was and wanted to return—to see what we humans had done with the space and the trees.”

A smiling crinkle returned to the woman’s eyes. “How nice. I hope he’s not too put off by what he sees.” She paused and shifted her attention to the deer kami. It took a moment for Hide to realize the kami was mentally speaking with her once more.

“That’s a very charitable view of humanity, Mister Kami. Thank you.” The merchant said. She faced Hide again. “Now, it’s my turn to apologize. He pointed out that you didn’t answer my question. Why do you follow the kami?”

“Ah. You’re right. I didn’t,” Hide admitted. He looked to his companion somberly. “It’s something of my calling. After I traded in my sword for a political office, I found myself knowing too much to sleep soundly. I do not think the Empress will return the kami’s lands to them, but that doesn’t mean that kami like Green Rush here should have to stay confined to their forest.”

“So, you’re a chaperone?” the vendor asked.

“Something like that. Perhaps more of a bodyguard, truly.”

Green Rush turned his head towards Hide, as the razor-sharp points of his antlers caught the light. Truly?

“A bodyguard in the same sense that a professional fighter needs someone to limit the danger to would-be aggressors,” Hide answered aloud.

“I thought you said you put down your sword,” probed the vendor as she leaned over her stall’s counter, holding the newly green flower string out for Green Rush.

“I don’t need to use a blade to defend, just as you don’t need to use your hands to collect payment.”

The vendor’s eyes went wide, and she froze as Green Rush’s deadly antlers surrounded her hands. “I—” she started.

“I’m not judging you.” Hide cut her off. “I told you I’ve done similar things. I’m not even upset. You’re doing something nice for our kami guest, making sure he has his favorite color. That’s more than most would do.” Hide lifted his pouch slightly, checking its weight. “Yes, that seems like a fair trade. And it will undoubtedly help you transition to a more... conventional vocation, yes?”

“Yes. Of course, sir,” said the vendor, her relief reducing her voice to a mere whisper. She finished tying the flower string to Green Rush’s antlers, pushed herself upright, and regarded her customers once more. “Will that be all, honored guests?”

“I think there’s just one more detail we need to take care of.”

Beneath the vendor’s mask, a whimper started to form, despite Hide’s calm smile.

“Could I get a receipt? I need one so I can file a reimbursement with the Empress’ government.”

About the Author

Hiromi Cota (they/them) is a writer, developer, and storyteller who has worked on over 100 books and games for Paizo and other publishers. They are proud to have been a part of the phenomenal teams of Asian writers who created the Tian Xia World Guide and Tian Xia Character Guide. Their portfolio of work can be found at hiromicota.com.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now—Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

Hello Pathfinders! Did you miss our Lost Omens Special stream this past Friday? Worry not—we’ve got all the reveals and surprises for you here on the Paizo blog!

Want to watch the stream for yourself? Catch the VOD on Youtube!

Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide

Coming Spring 2024, Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide details the many nations and cultures of Tian Xia. During our stream, we showcased three of these regions!

Minata

Illustration by Sammy Khalid

Eleanor gave us an overview of Minata—a nation with a wide diversity of cultures and heritages. Once ravaged by natural disasters and fighting, Minata now enjoys a time of peace and prosperity, protected by reefs said to be made of the bodies of dead dragons. Minata is known for its feasts, festivals, and celebrations.

Illustration by Paulo Magalhães

Seafaring is a vital part of Minatan culture—ingrained so deep because the first humans came to Tian Xia via Minata and then sailed further in. Because of Minata’s wide diversity of islands and accessibility by water, a variety of ancestries live here—including one as-yet-unannounced ancestry coming in the Character Guide.

Illustration by Riley Spalding

Valash Raj

Illustration by Sam White

Next, Luis took us into the Valashmai Jungle. This great forest was long thought to have no inhabitants save kaiju and monsters, but we can see that the Valash Raj civilization has flourished within these dangerous conditions.

Kaiju are still a big part of the Valashmai Jungle—so big, in fact, that there are whole cultural elements and occupations that relate to them. One such occupation is the kaiju caller, people who can communicate with the kaiju to direct them around settlements, helping communities co-exist.

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

The Valash Raj is still a place of many dangers—not the least of which is “dinosaur season,” the time when all of the dinosaur eggs hatch and the new babies go hunting for food. But the people of the Valashmai Jungle have made lives for themselves out of the danger, and there is a rich world to explore there.

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

Wanshou

Illustratiohn by Alberto Dal Lago

Our third region, special for this Friday the 13th stream, is Wanshou—an agricultural district with “nothing else going on,” or so says its leadership. Wanshou was devastated by over-taxation and flooding before it was brought back to prosperity by Zhanagorr, an elder kraken known throughout the land as Wanshou’s divine savior.

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

Lots of the cultures and clothing of various Tian Xia regions take inspiration from real world cultures. James took some time to show off some of Kent Hamilton’s concept art for the denizens of Wanshou—showing a variety of headwear designed to keep citizens safe from the near-constant rains, inspired by real-world mino coats.

Concept art and notes for the region by Kent Hamilton.

One of many ways Zhanagorr maintains his grip on Wanshou is by careful manipulation of the ruling class, including the three noble houses given the honor of directly communing with him. As a result, political intrigue abounds, leading to the cultural role of a gift receiver—someone whose duty is to accept gifts (and the curses that may come with them) on behalf of the intended recipient, similar to a food taster.

Illustration by Gunship Revolution

Deities

Luis, Eleanor, and James each introduced one new deity from the Tian Xia World Guide.

Illustrations of Lady Nanbyo and Yamatsumi by Zach Causey, and Baekho by Carl Springer

The three deities chosen for this stream were Lady Nanbyo, Yamatsumi, and Baekho. Lady Nanbyo is the goddess of plagues, disasters, and bad luck. Yamatsumi is the god of mountains, volcanoes, and winter. Baekho is the god of harmony, mending rifts, and the transition between seasons.

The Tian Xia World Guide also includes new rituals. One such ritual, the trial of the unseeing blade master, was shown off during the stream. To fulfill the ritual, you must defeat 20 enemies while blindfolded, which then grants you the Blind-Fight feat.

Illustration by Carl Springer

Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide

Coming Summer 2024, the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide adds a variety of character options to Pathfinder! We’re saving some of these reveals for later, as we get closer to the book’s release, but the team brought a couple of new options to the table!

Illustration by Paulo Magalhães

First, a heritage for poppets: tsukumogami! Tsukumogami are objects that are granted sentience and life due to being well cared for—or neglected and treated poorly. Their heritage abilities include giving a bonus to a skill that corresponds to the object you once were (for example, a kitchen knife tsukumogami granting a bonus to cooking), as well as sprouting a ghostly face to terrify newcomers. The team also talked about one feat from each of the currently announced ancestries: whether that’s the ability for samsarans to remember how to use the ancestral weapons of other people through their Samsaran Weapon Memory, wayangs’ ability to briefly become two-dimensional with Palm Leaf Silhouette, or tanuki’s Rolling White Bottle Form, which lets them transform into a wine bottle to roll away from harm before resuming tanuki form face-down on the ground.

Illustration by Sandra Posada

One of the new options for familiars in Tian Xia are paper familiars, with some sub-groups based on the various different paper dolls and paper crafts of the area, including shikigami familiars that can bear elemental seals or shadow puppets that can grasp objects by extending their shadows.

Pathfinder Lost Omens Divine Mysteries

After the Q&A, Luis Loza took the end of the stream to make a surprise reveal—the cover and title of the third Lost Omens book for 2024: PathfinderLost OmensDivine Mysteries.

Cover Illustration by Ekaterina Gordeeva

As part of this announcement, Luis confirmed that the book is tied into the War of Immortals event. While the deity who dies is still shrouded in mystery, Luis has revealed who will be taking their place—Arazni is joining the core twenty.

Divine Mysteries will update Gods and Magic to the remaster, giving sanctification information, remastered statblocks, and more lore to the existing deities, while also adding more divine content in the form of new gods and a few character options.

Concept art of Yivali by Kent Hamilto

The book is narrated by Yivali, a nosoi psychopomp of Pharasma. Divine Mysteries is essentially her graduate thesis, which she will present to Pharasma to become a full psychopomp.

We’re so excited for all that’s coming in 2024! We’ll have more to share about Tian Xia, Divine Mysteries, and more as time goes on.

Written by: Misha Bushyager, Jessica Catalan, Carlos Cisco, Rue Dickey, Aoife Ester, Ivis K. Flanagan, Tomas Gimenez Rioja, Leo Glass, Alastor Guzman, Thurston Hillman, Laura Lynn Horst, James Jacobs, Michelle Y. Kim, Monte Lin, Luis Loza, Stephanie Lundeen, Poorna M., Adam Ma, Jacob W. Michaels, Zac Moran, Jon Morgantini, Matt Morris, Morgan Nuncio, Daniel “Drakoniques” Oleh, Pam Punzalan, Jessica Redekop, Jaime Reyes Mondragon, Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen, Erin Roberts, quinn b. rodriguez, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Austin Taylor, Isis Wozniakowska, and Sebastian Yūe.

Original Gods & Magic writing and design by: Robert Adducci, Amirali Attar Olyaee, Calder CaDavid, James Case, Adam Daigle, Katina Davis, Leo Glass, Joshua Grinlinton, James Jacobs, Virginia Jordan, Jason Keeley, Jacky Leung, Lyz Liddell, Ron Lundeen, Stephanie Lundeen, Jacob W. Michaels, Matt Morris, Dave Nelson, Samantha Phelan, Jennifer Povey, Jessica Redekop, Nathan Reinecke, Patrick Renie, David N. Ross, Simone D. Sallè, Michael Sayre, David Schwartz, Shahreena Shahrani, Isabelle Thorne, Marc Thuot, Jason Tondro, and Diego Valdez.

The Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide and Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide are available for pre-order now! Keep up to date with every Lost Omens release with a Paizo Subscription.

Hi everyone, James here with some news! Starting this fall, Pathfinder will be turning the globe a bit as we head to a region we know a lot of you have been waiting for. Eleanor, James Jacobs, and I—not to mention the rest of the team and a stellar list of authors—are proud to announce the setting of the next few Pathfinder projects coming down the road: Tian Xia! Starting at the end of this year and continuing into 2024, we’ll be diving into this region like never before to bring you adventures, stories, and character options inspired by this land, so let’s take a look at what’s coming up!

See Tian Xia in this stunning map by Damien Mammoliti

Season of Ghosts Adventure Path

First, the narrative team will kick things off with the Season of Ghosts Adventure Path in October of 2023! This horror-themed campaign is set in the haunted land of Shenmen and begins just after the small town of Willowshore celebrates the Season of Ghosts—a local festival to appease Shenmen’s many evil ghosts and spirits and ensure safety for the coming year. Yet this year, something’s gone wrong, and the PCs wake to find their hometown of Willowshore has fallen under a sinister curse and been invaded by monsters. In the months to come, the heroes must help the people of Willowshore prepare for winter while working to discover the cause of the curse that’s cut them all off from the rest of the world. Is it the work of a fiend? The machinations of vengeful spirits? Or is it something much, much worse?

A previous glimpse into Shenmen from Book of the Dead by Damien Mammoliti

Season of Ghosts will take your PCs from 1st to 12th level over the following volumes!

• The Summer that Never Was, by Sen H.H.S.
• Let the Leaves Fall, by Joan Hong, with additional articles by Tan Shao Han and Grady Wang
• With No Breath to Cry, by Dan Cascone & Eleanor Ferron, with additional articles by Jeremy Blum, Dana Ebert, Joshua Kim, and Michelle Y. Kim
• To Bloom below the Web, by Liane Merciel, with additional articles by Jeremy Blum, Joshua Kim, and Michelle Y. Kim

You might notice that this is our first four-part adventure path, for a very good reason! Each of this Adventure Path’s volumes take place over the course of a different season, starting with the rainy summer and ending in the spring. With each season’s passing, the stakes the heroes face escalate, and the revelations in store will shock the townsfolk of Willowshore to the core! Will your group of adventures be able to save their hometown from a mysterious supernatural horror, or will your hometown simply become the next of Shenmen’s haunted ruins?

Lost Omens Tian Xia

Then, in 2024, prepare for not one but two Lost Omens books from the rules and lore team!

Dragons and dragon boats race down the rivers of Xa Hoi! Art by Ekaterina Gordeeva.

The Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide covers the many diverse nations and cultures that inhabit Tian Xia. Snippets of Tian Xia’s lore and history have come to Avistan via merchants and immigrants, but this book will present a look at the whole picture, from the elemental hegemony and yaoguai wars that shaped the landscape in ancient times to the return of Hao Jin in the modern era. Learn the secrets behind the undying emperor of Yixing, whose return is still awaited in Po Li. Offer a small prayer to the local kami, anito, or kaiju. See if you find satisfaction in the service of the Empress of Heaven, Shizuru, or in the explosive rivalry between the dancing gods Mugura and Nrithu.

In an age ruled by heroes unfettered by prophecy, change is sweeping across the continent. Some of you might have helped Ameiko Kaijitsu depose the Jade Regent and ascend to the throne of Minkai—now witness the new Ondori era under her rule. Step into the nation of Bachuan, now that a Po Li oracle has convinced it to ease its restrictions and open its borders; Hao Jin’s tapestry people now live here too, descendants of a past once thought lost for good. Amanandar, a nation now as Tian in heritage as it is Taldan, has declared its independence with the blessings of Queen Eutropia and renamed itself as Linvarre—visitors from Avistan may delight in its Grogrisant lion dances or pick up a few words of its national language of Taltien. Journey the perilous Valashmai Jungle and find your way upon the Valash Raj, flourishing among the ruins shattered by giant beasts and monsters. The World Guide will lead you through these nations and more before giving GMs a bestiary containing the continent’s monsters, from the ferocious, four-horned aoyin to the aristocrat-eating yeongno.

Art by Ekaterina Gordeeva : A hundred spirits walk the forests of Minkai as night draws near.

After finding a nation or city that sparks your interest in the World Guide, it’s only natural to want to make a character from there! The The Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide will introduce new rules options to bring your characters to life! The book will contain six brand-new ancestries and numerous backgrounds to provide the seeds for new PCs. You’ll also find expanded heritages and feats for existing ancestries that might be more common in Tian Xia than in other areas, like the peachchild leshy heritage, which might have come from a fruit that floated down a river, or the bakuwa lizardfolk heritage, possibly responsible for eclipses over Minata when they eat the moon! The book also contains numerous character options to flesh out Tian adventurers, whether that’s skill feats to prepare elemental Tian medicine or a new magus hybrid study that lets you leap weightlessly through the air with your cultivated magic, before your sword strikes home.

We thought we’d give a tiny sneak peek into three of the new ancestries coming in the Character Guide, shall we:

Samsaran art by Paulo Magalhães

Samsarans have reincarnated many times, and they will do so many times more. This ancestry dwells in enclaves, though often a samsaran will journey to learn more about the world in pursuit of their goal of enlightenment. Samsarans can call upon the memories of their past selves to aid them in skill checks—perhaps recalling a life as a painter as they observe a piece of art—and they can even share some of their powerful life essence with an ally to heal them! Samsarans are great for characters with deep knowledge and experience but who always seek to learn new things.

Wayang art by Alexander Nanitchkov

Next we have wayangs, a diasporic people who have sailed from the Shadow Plane to the oceans and forests of Tian Xia. Wayangs value freedom and knowledge, often organizing their societies in overlapping circles around wise teachers or artisans. Unsurprisingly, wayangs have abilities that let them harness their shadows, often through specific dances, and more magically inclined wayangs might gain a unique dreaming heirloom with occult powers. Wayangs are great for artistic or expressive characters, or ones who want to use their magical powers to liberate others.

Tanuki art by Sammy Khalid

The last ancestry we’ll be previewing today is a new one! Scurrying underfoot, tanuki are a fun-loving people who are determined to get the most out of life before their luck runs out! Tanuki can shapeshift into a variety of forms, whether that’s turning into a teapot to hide in a room or turning into a priest to get a bit of extra respect. Tanuki also use illusions to play tricks on others or get a laugh, and they enjoy drumming on their bellies under the full moon. Tanuki are a great ancestry for players who want to play underdogs or just have fun!

Lastly, we couldn’t have put these books together without an amazing team of writers! The Lost Omens Tian Xia books are brought to you by Eren Ahn, Jeremy Blum, Alyx Bui, James Case, Banana Chan, Connie Chang, Rick Chia, Hiromi Cota, Hans Chun, Theta Chun, Dana Ebert, Basheer Ghouse, John Godek III, Joan Hong, Sen H.H.S., Michelle Jones, Joshua Kim, Daniel Kwan, Dash Kwiatkowski, Jacky Leung, Jesse J. Leung, Monte Lin, Jessie “Aki” Lo, Adam Ma, Liane Merciel, Ashley Moni, Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen, Collette Quach, Andrew Quon, Kyra Arsenault Rivera, Christopher Rondeau, Joaquin Kyle "Makapatag" Saavedra, Shahreena Shahrani, Kienna Shaw, Philip Shen, Tan Shao Han, Mari Tokuda, Ruvaid Virk, Viditya Voleti, Grady Wang, Emma Yasui, and Jay Zhang.

We hope that you’re as excited to check out these lands and tales as we are! We’ll have updates and information coming in the upcoming weeks and months, so stay tuned and subscribe to the Lost Omens and Adventure Path lines to ensure you catch updates as we make our way to Tian Xia!

James Case
Senior Designer

Eleanor Ferron
Senior Designer

James Jacobs
Narrative Creative Director