Way

Quasi-Deity - Patron of Travellers (TN) (F)

Wei Xing, to give her proper name, has the power to grant spells to her followers, although (technically, according to the Pathfinder rules) she is a Mythic Character, rather than a true deity. She is a patron of travellers, and her priests teach that the journey is more important than the destination. Her followers tend to be caravan guards, teamsters, sailors, and others who travel for a living. Her priests are, generally, drawn from followers who multi-class a few divine levels with their previous class.

However, make sure that you read the Powers section at the bottom of the page, if you ever consider Way as a deity for a Player Character.

Wei Xing originated somewhere in the East, a long time ago, and has been travelling ever since. As she her faith has grown and spread to the west, linguistic misunderstandings (very few people speak her original tongue) a similarity in pronunciation, and the fact that it represents her philosophy lead to a local corruption of her name - and she is generally known as Way. Few, even her priests, know the origins of her name, and many think of her as the embodied spirit of her own philosophy. Not only that, her story changes from location to location, and even from priest to priest - however, the core of the story is always the same. Some will tell you that she was originally a half-elf, others that she was a half-orc, a few others hints as a different mixed heritage - but the one thing they are sure of, is that she is half-human. For Way, the destination wasn't important, but the journey was - and she travelled for all of her life. It didn't matter whether it was on land or sea, in the mountains, deserts or plains - Way travelled. She even travelled across the planes and visited with gods and demons alike. Most of her stories describe her ability to talk her way out of trouble, a few describe combat and spell use, but the majority concentrate on her negotiating skills. Many of the stories, however, tell of her ‘liberating’ minor ‘souvenirs’ which were later left with another, needier, host. These were her first steps on the path to divinity. There are no written records, no formal holy books and little formal theology. No priest will ever say that another priest’s stories are not true, not that their take on the religion is wrong. Instead, they all rub along together, adding more and more stories to the legend that is Way

There are a number of different stories about her immortality. Some say that she drank the Wine of Immortality at the table of a fey noble, who was as reputed to be her lover. Others that she sat at the feast table of a true deity and ate Ambrosia. Still others, suggest it was an Elixir, that she ‘borrowed’ from a famed alchemist. The stories vary - as do the names of the fey noble, deity and alchemist. In truth, no one really knows - or even cares too much.

Her symbol is two upward-facing Chevrons.

The Church of Way is a very small-scale operation. There are no big temples, no bishops and a very transient population of followers - and most of those are only casual followers of the faith. But that suits, as Way’s priests teach followers that salvation is in the journey, and that travelling will help their soul find its proper equilibrium and final destination.

Priests believe that they do Way’s service by helping others to travel.

• Travelling Priests - Some priests travel, and search for their own destiny as they help others find theirs. They might serve aboard ship, travel with a trade caravan or circus - or act as scouts, pathfinders or wilderness guides. Some are very skilled employees – Navigators, Caravan Leaders or perhaps a major act in travelling show. However, less skilled employees become priests of Way as well, often serving their ‘apprenticeship’ while they are ‘on the road’, they might be a ship’s cook, a teamster, a roustabout, a common sailor, or hold any other job that requires regular, and semi-continuous, travel.
• Static Priests - Some priests don’t travel themselves, but actively work to make travel easy for other people. These priests run ‘Way Houses’, on behalf of their goddess, to provide safe lodgings for travellers. Most of these have learned their trade as travelling Priests but, for some reason, can’t travel anymore. Many are older and retired, some had an injury or an illness - a few just need a break and intend to get back on the road again soon. Very few have any money or resources to their name.
• Benefactors – While these no-longer travel themselves, nor work in a Way House - they still do their best to support other travellers. Most benefactors cannot cast Divine Spells - but they still espouse Way’s Philosophy. They provide the funds to build Way Houses and Bothies around the land and occasionally helping with their financial upkeep. Most of these, are people who made money while they were on the road – often a lot of money. Ships Captains, Circus Ringmasters, Travelling Merchants, etc - they might not travel any more, nor live in the Way House, but they remember their roots and continue to support the faith, by funding new way houses, and helping out (financially) in times of need.

Most priests, if they have a spells casting class, are multiclassed, low level, adepts. However, there are a few clerics, as well as bards and rangers, who espouse her faith.

Way doesn’t have temples in the traditional sense of the word, although she does have way Houses and Bothies dedicated to her faith. Way Houses provide cheap, short term, accommodation for travellers. However, they often provide basic hospitality service for locals, and many have a few ‘regulars’, often working in travel associated trades, who use the Way House as a tavern. You can get simple meals (perhaps thick soup and bread) and mugs of locally brewed ale or wine at a Way House - there is rarely anything more sophisticated on offer.

• The smallest Way Houses might be run by a couple of staff, and just have a common room with a small kitchen, and a basic room for the staff.. For a small fee, travellers get a simple meal and a spot on the common room floor, where they can sleep. Campaign Rules (This is the equivalent to a Great Shrine).
• Most Way Houses are a bit larger than that and have a hostel like bunk room, where travellers can book a bunk for the night – although spots on the common room floor are still available. They are run, perhaps, by four or five staff, and might even include stabling for a couple of horses. Campaign Rules (This is the equivalent to a Holy House)
• The largest Way Houses also serve as a hostel for travellers fallen on hard times. They have an extra bunk room for these destitute travellers, and help them find work, and get them back on their feet again (think Seaman's Mission, Etc). These are most often found in large towns or cities. Campaign Rules (This is the equivalent to a Friary)
• Bothies are small huts, that bear the symbol of the goddess, set alongside roads, paths and trails. There is nothing there, apart from a small fireplace. Travellers are expected to bring all their own bedding and food, collect firewood, tidy up after themselves and leave the site in good order. It protects from the worst of the weather and wild animals – and provides a more peaceful night for the traveller.Campaign Rules (This is the equivalent to a Shrine)

Way is a quasi-deity a Pathfinder mythic character and she can grant access to two domains, and can only grant spells up to Fifth Level, drawn from the Adept Spell list – higher level spells may be filled with lower level spells. Way does not allow adepts to take a Familiar at Level 2, but grants them access to her domains, instead.

You are an explorer and find enlightenment in the simple joy of travel, be it by foot or conveyance or magic. Increase your base speed by 10 feet.

• Agile Feet (Su): As a free action, you can gain increased mobility for 1 round. For the next round, you ignore all difficult terrain and do not take any penalties for moving through it. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
• Dimensional Hop (Sp): At 8th level, you can teleport up to 10 feet per cleric level per day as a move action. This teleportation must be used in 5-foot increments and such movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You must have line of sight to your destination to use this ability. You can bring other willing creatures with you, but you must expend an equal amount of distance for each creature brought.
• Domain Spells: 1st—longstrider, 2nd—locate object, 3rd—fly, 4th—dimension door, 5th—teleport.

Your faith is your greatest source of protection, and you can use that faith to defend others. In addition, you receive a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws. This bonus increases by 1 for every 5 levels you possess.

• Resistant Touch (Sp): As a standard action, you can touch an ally to grant him your resistance bonus for 1 minute. When you use this ability, you lose your resistance bonus granted by the Protection domain for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
• Aura of Protection (Su): At 8th level, you can emit a 30-foot aura of protection for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. You and your allies within this aura gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC and resistance 5 against all elements (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic). The deflection bonus increases by +1 for every four cleric levels you possess beyond 8th. At 14th level, the resistance against all elements increases to 10. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
• Domain Spells: 1st—sanctuary, 2nd—shield other, 3rd—protection from energy, 4th—spell immunity, 5th—spell resistance.

Priests of Way may choose their spells from the following list:

• 0th Level: create water, detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, stabilize, touch of fatigue, vigor.
• 1st Level: bless, burning hands, cause fear, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, endure elements, face of the devourer, obscuring mist, preserve, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law, scarify, shield the banner, sleep.
• 2nd Level: aid, animal trance, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, delay poison, enemy’s heart, inner focus, invisibility, mirror image, resist energy, rumbling fury, scorching ray, see invisibility, tremor blast, web.
• 3rd Level: animate dead, bestow curse, blood rage, contagion, continual flame, cure serious wounds, daylight, deeper darkness, lightning bolt, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, tongues.
• 4th Level: cure critical wounds, minor creation, polymorph, restoration, stoneskin, wall of fire.
• 5th Level: baleful polymorph, break enchantment, commune, heal, major creation, raise dead, true seeing, wall of stone.