Yaezhing

Yaezhing¹ is the Tian-Shu deity of murder, death, and harsh punishment, and patron of ninja and assassins. He also acts as the enforcer of justice among the gods.²

Appearance

Yaezhing is portrayed in idols as a Tian male in red robes wearing an iron crown, holding several shuriken in one hand and a noose in the other. Physically, he appears with bulging eyes, a long beard, and a red face.³ He is also often depicted as a shadowy humanoid figure with the head of a tiger but human eyes.²

History

Yaezhing is a god of duality: he is both lord of mortal murder and enforcer of divine justice toward other deities.²⁴ These roles sometimes seemingly contradict each other, such as when Yaezhing, at the behest of the honourable sun goddess Shizuru, punished the Lord of Envy Fumeiyoshi for murdering the moon god Tsukiyo, despite Yaezhing being the patron god of murder.²

Church of Yaezhing

Like their god, followers of Yaezhing often reflect a seemingly paradoxical duality. His priests serves as sanctioned executioners and enforcers of local laws while simultaneously working as killers for hire. Yaezhing is the patron of ninjas and assassins, but also executioners, judges, and law enforcers who prioritize meting out punishment over determining guilt.² Some of Yaezhing's most zealous followers also work as so-called vigilantes who resort to extreme violence over the slightest perception of an infraction.⁵

Yaezhing's worship is most prominent in the metropolis-state of Goka, the Successor State of Lingshen, the hobgoblin dictatorship of Kaoling, and the naga kingdoms of Nagajor.² Yaezhing is also revered by a significant number, if not a majority, of vampires.⁶

While Yaezhing is widely feared, his worshipers are often secretive about their faith. Some of the rare few who act in his name in public don dark red magical cloaks known as capes of justice that are emblazoned with his shuriken as part of a mandala pattern. Such followers are often hunting for a specific offender unto whom they intend to deliver the Minister of Blood's divine justice.⁷

Worship of Yaezhing experienced a particular resurgence in Kasai during the ascension of the Jade Regent, reshaping the city's judiciary and constabulary in the process through the congregation of the Temple of Woe.⁸ In Dhucharg, Yaezhing's followers in the Ministry of Blood serve as the city's public executioners.⁹

Unholy symbol, favoured weapon, and sacred animal

The unholy symbol of Yaezhing is a shuriken drenched in blood, and the shuriken also serves as his favoured weapons. His sacred animal is the tiger.²

Realm

Yaezhing dwells in Setsendu, a realm of constant war in Hell on the edge of Avernus that he shares with General Susumu. The Minister of Blood acts as an intermediary between the realm and the rest of Hell, particularly as a consultant to archdevils on the technical matters of torture.¹⁰ His faithful petitioners also wage constant battles within Setsendu in the name of his extreme justice.¹¹

Relationships

Shizuru, ruler of Tian Xia's deities, tolerates Yaezhing out of her desire for harmony.¹² Yaezhing continues to protect Tsukiyo, reborn anew after being killed by Fumeiyoshi, from attempts to kill him a second time. Tsukiyo holds little appreciation due to his disdain for the cruelty in Yaezhing's punishments.¹³

The growth of Yaezhing's following among naga concerns their most prominent deity, Ravitha.¹⁴

References

↑ Night of Frozen Shadows pg. 47 refers to the Yama King. This is an error and should have read Yaezhing. Rob McCreary confirmed this on the Paizo forums. The article Yama King redirects here as a result, but is not a canon name for the deity.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 James Jacobs, Dave Gross, Rob McCreary. (2011). Dragon Empires Gazetteer, p. 63. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-379-8
↑ Greg A. Vaughan. (2011). Night of Frozen Shadows. Night of Frozen Shadows, p. 38. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-366-8
↑ Sean K Reynolds et al. (2014). "Other Deities". Inner Sea Gods, p. 186. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-597-6
↑ Paris Crenshaw, Jim Groves, Sean McGowan, and Philip Minchin. (2014). Champions of Corruption, p. 18. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-674-4
↑ Tork Shaw. (2012). Blood of the Night, p. 25. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-470-2
↑ Sen.H.H.S. and James Jacobs. (2023). The Summer That Never Was, p. 81. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-544-1
↑ Frank Carr, Michael Tumey. (2012). Kasai. The Empty Throne, p. 75. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-400-9
↑ Amanda Hamon Kunz. (2015). Dhucharg, City of Conquerors. Distant Shores, p. 29. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-787-1
↑ Robert Brookes et al. (2018). "The Great Beyond". Planar Adventures, p. 192. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-044-6
↑ Robert Brookes et al. (2018). "The Great Beyond". Planar Adventures, p. 194. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-044-6
↑ Kate Baker et al. (2018). Faiths of Golarion, p. 56. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-099-6
↑ Kate Baker et al. (2018). Faiths of Golarion, p. 62. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-099-6
↑ Patchen Mortimer. (2017). Ecology of the Naga. Siege of Stone, p. 76. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-940-0

[1] Night of Frozen Shadows pg. 47 refers to the Yama King. This is an error and should have read Yaezhing. Rob McCreary confirmed this on the Paizo forums. The article Yama King redirects here as a result, but is not a canon name for the deity.

[DEG-p63-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 James Jacobs, Dave Gross, Rob McCreary. (2011). Dragon Empires Gazetteer, p. 63. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-379-8

[3] Greg A. Vaughan. (2011). Night of Frozen Shadows. Night of Frozen Shadows, p. 38. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-366-8

[4] Sean K Reynolds et al. (2014). "Other Deities". Inner Sea Gods, p. 186. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-597-6

[5] Paris Crenshaw, Jim Groves, Sean McGowan, and Philip Minchin. (2014). Champions of Corruption, p. 18. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-674-4

[6] Tork Shaw. (2012). Blood of the Night, p. 25. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-470-2

[7] Sen.H.H.S. and James Jacobs. (2023). The Summer That Never Was, p. 81. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-544-1

[8] Frank Carr, Michael Tumey. (2012). Kasai. The Empty Throne, p. 75. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-400-9

[9] Amanda Hamon Kunz. (2015). Dhucharg, City of Conquerors. Distant Shores, p. 29. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-787-1

[10] Robert Brookes et al. (2018). "The Great Beyond". Planar Adventures, p. 192. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-044-6

[11] Robert Brookes et al. (2018). "The Great Beyond". Planar Adventures, p. 194. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-044-6

[12] Kate Baker et al. (2018). Faiths of Golarion, p. 56. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-099-6

[13] Kate Baker et al. (2018). Faiths of Golarion, p. 62. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-099-6

[14] Patchen Mortimer. (2017). Ecology of the Naga. Siege of Stone, p. 76. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-940-0

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