Sources of art on this subject have been indexed.

Kami

From PathfinderWiki
Kami
Kami
(Creature)

Kami1 are spirits of the Universe who are bound to an entity—be it an animal, location, object, or plant—referred to as a ward.23

In Minkai, spirit world creatures such as kami are collectively known as yokai.45

A shikigami kami.

History

Kami were created by deities when the Universe was young and tasked to preserve and protect places and things that could not protect themselves. On Golarion, the first kami appeared in what was to become Minkai in the Age of Creation. They are by far most common in that nation, but have spread throughout Tian Xia in the ages since. Because the kami are limited in number and proliferate slowly, they are rare outside Tian Xia, but hope to expand throughout Golarion in time.6

Kami lords

Some kami are so powerful they take on the power of a demigod: these are called kami lords.78 One group of kami lords is said to dwell in Seseragi Forest, where Okirori Tomoko is said to have bartered for peace between the kami lords and the Warashi River.9

Veneration

In Minkai, kami are venerated by the population regardless of a person's class or rank.10

References

Paizo published a major article regarding kami called 'Ecology of the Kami' in Forest of Spirits.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. "Kami" is both the plural and singular form.
  2. Mike Shel. “Ecology of the Kami” in Forest of Spirits, 62. Paizo Inc., 2011
  3. Paizo Inc., et al. “Appendix” in Bestiary 3, 309. Paizo Inc., 2021
  4. Colin McComb & Tim Hitchcock. “The Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Primer, 3. Paizo Inc., 2012
  5. Colin McComb & Tim Hitchcock. “Archetypes” in Dragon Empires Primer, 23. Paizo Inc., 2012
  6. Mike Shel. “Ecology of the Kami” in Forest of Spirits, 63. Paizo Inc., 2011
  7. Jason Bulmahn, et al. “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 3, 159. Paizo Inc., 2011
  8. Robert Brookes, et al. “Chapter 3: The Great Beyond” in Planar Adventures, 93. Paizo Inc., 2018
  9. Tito Leati. Minkai” in Tide of Honor, 62. Paizo Inc., 2012
  10. Tito Leati, et al. Tide of Honor, inside front cover. Paizo Inc., 2012