The Tien term xijan means “westerner” or “western people,” but also means “foreigner” or even “barbarian” depending on inflection or context. The people of Tian Xia are aware of the existence of Avistan and other distant lands, but the vast expanse of the Okaiyo Ocean, the perils of crossing the Crown of the World, and the shield of the Wall of Heaven work quite well to keep the Dragon Empires relatively isolated from the rest of Golarion.

Humans

Humans from across Golarion often find their way to Tian Xia—Keleshite merchants from Katapesh and Qadira, Garundi wanderers and explorers eager to find new sea trade routes, and even bands of Kellid and Ulfen barbarians from the Crown of the World. Varisian caravans often make the northern crossing as well, and Vudrani monks and martial artists come to the Dragon Empires seeking legendary teachers. Mwangi are rarely seen, but are both feared and respected because of their similarity to the “sky spirits” of Shaguang. Tians sometimes refer to Chelaxians as xiaoguai, “little devils,” and look upon them with even more suspicion than most. Taldans are widely known in Tian Xia, thanks to the growing influence of Amanandar and the increased presence of Taldan merchants and aristocrats in Goka.

Dwarves

The few dwarves from Avistan and elsewhere who find their way to Tian Xia usually do so on an individual basis, traveling with larger groups of adventurers, merchants, or explorers. Very few larger groups of dwarves travel to Tian Xia, although stories of extended families making the underground journey through the Darklands persist.

Elves

While elves have lived in the forested realm of Jinin for thousands of years, they have traditionally remained under a self-imposed isolation. Nevertheless, elves are perhaps the most well known of the western races, after humans, in the Dragon Empires. Since the fall of Lung Wa and Jinin’s rise to power once again as an independent nation, elves are growing more common in certain nearby regions like Amanandar and Shokuro. The elven lifestyle and love of beauty meshes well with Tian-Min aesthetics. Elves also tend to understand and enjoy the company of samsarans, for both have a similar outlook on life.

Gnomes

It is no wonder that gnomes, ever driven to experience new things, often find their way into Tian Xia, exploring the lands and peoples there. Yet, like dwarves, gnomes generally arrive individually, and rarely settle in one place for long. Gnomes are a curiosity in the lands of the east, and are often confused with kami or similar creatures. Although they are of a similar stature to wayangs, these two races do not get along well—when gnomes and wayangs meet, insults and even violence are common results.

Half-Elves

Although the elves of Jinin remain largely clannish and separate from the rest of the Dragon Empires, elven blood has slowly filtered into the populace of what was once central Lung Wa. In the old days of that empire, many half-elves found their way into Imperial service, eager to improve their lots in life and to put their natural talents to good use. This led to the common image of half-elves as smooth-talking bureaucrats, a stereotype that remains in Lingshan, Shokuro, and Quain. In Zi Ha, some half-elves pursue a different path, seeking spiritual enlightenment and peace at one of the many samsaran monasteries or temples.

Half-Orcs

The few half-orcs found in Tian Xia typically arrive in Ordu-Aganhei after making the journey across the Crown of the World, where they find opportunities among the Tien-La nomads, who value their endurance and ferocity. While the general Tian obsession with beauty typically limits half-orcs’ opportunities throughout much of the Dragon Empires, those who have abandoned or avoided their ancestral ferocity often find kindred spirits among the equally unusual-looking nagaji, and as such the half-orc populace among cities and villages in Nagajor is on the rise.

Halflings

Wanderlust and close ties with western human communities have led some of halflings to the shores of Tian Xia, as either servants or explorers in their own right. Some have chosen to leave behind their former ties, and spend their lives visiting the eastern lands or settle in its more cosmopolitan places. Even here, halflings tend to live in the shadows cast by humans—so the few found in Tian Xia are in cities like Ordu-Aganhei and Goka.

Aasimars

Tianjing, the Beloved of the Heavens, is often seen by the Tians as being synonymous with the tianjans—the “heaven people,” also known as aasimars. Like western aasimars, tianjans have a sacred celestial heritage. Aasimar children are often raised in temples and trained as priests, monks, or sacred warriors. They are expected to humbly accept and take up their destined roles, although some rebel against these expectations, seeking their own paths.

Hobgoblins

While goblins and bugbears are relatively rare in Tian Xia, the same cannot be said of hobgoblins. The broken lands east of the Shaguang Desert have long been infested by hobgoblins, and with the fall of Lung Wa and the rise of several charismatic and powerful hobgoblin warlords, the nation of Kaoling has been growing in size and influence over the past century. Today one of the most notorious of the Successor States, Kaoling is home to unknown tens of thousands of hobgoblins who threaten all lands they border, from the windswept southern regions of Hongal to the northern plains of Lingshan. Like their western cousins, hobgoblins in Tian Xia are cruel, militaristic, and cunning.