You seem to be a living manifestation of the positive energies that make up the Astral Realm. In a strange sort of way, you ARE the Astral Realm experiencing itself.
-The Grove Tender
Orang is the name chosen by a hive-mind of sentient beings that are native to the Astral Realm. These beings are manifestations of the Vibes themselves, being described as ‘The Astral Realm experiencing itself.’ The name ‘Orang’ refers to both an individual and the hive-mind as a whole. However, this hive-mind operates a little differently than most. Each Orang has its own thoughts, feelings, and experiences until they rejoin the hive-mind.
This can be a little hard to wrap one's head around, so Orang describes it as such:
Let's say there are two Orangs, in two separate rooms, each one unable to communicate with the other. Orang A has a piece of paper with a series of complex codes Orang B needs to put into a keypad to open a door. In order for the door to be opened, both Orang A and Orang B have to leave the Astral Realm and Rejoin the hive-mind to send Orang C (who has the combined experiences of Orang A and Orang B) to the Astral Realm, enabling Orang C to open the door. Get it?
One of the most interesting aspects of Orang is the conundrum surrounding their existence, dubbed the ‘Existential Orang Paradox.' Orang insists that they only exist upon observation. However, if Orang only exists upon observation, there must be an Orang to observe, which means they must exist, and so on.
This paradox effectively means that an Orang cannot be forced into existence by others. However, being a manifestation of the energies that reside in the Astral Realm, when there are enough vibes in an area, Orang can project their voice and image into the Realm, which causes them to be perceived by those nearby, therefore bringing an Orang into existence.
An Orang is only able to manifest themselves in places where there are exceptionally Good Vibes and a high concentration of Chill. This is because the act of willing oneself into existence is by far the most expensive in terms of vibe concentration. To put this into practical terms, if there is a positive conversation going on by The Campfire or in The Pavilion, an Orang will likely appear. Despite the high cost of apparition, to sustain existence is fairly easy, with most of the Astral Realm's natural state being able to support an Orang's vibe cost.
When asked where Orang goes when they are not in existence anywhere else, their answers vary. Sometimes they describe a comfortable pocket dimension where they have a little cottage called the 'Orang Hut'. Other times they describe dissolving into the innate vibes that flow through the Realm, which is described to be a blissful, dreamlike state. Other times still do they describe a dark liminal space between states of being. It is hypothesized that the state Orang is in when not existing is due to the natural fluctuations in the concentration of Good Vibes and Chill of the Realm.
However, this paradox was recently upset. Orang was either able to manifest themselves or was successfully observed in the Inner Forest of The Silent Isles, when nobody else was around. This needs to be studied further, but the main lingering questions are
– Is it possible that an Orang can start existing without observation?
– Who is able to break the Existential Orang Paradox?
– Could an enormous amount of Vibes call forth an Orang?
– Just how pure are the Good Vibes and Chill within The Silent Isle?
Notable Items
Inter-dimensional Knapsack - An explorer's bag, much like one you might expect to find as an invaluable resource for adventuring archaeologists. It can bring forth a variety of simple objects, but fails to create anything complex. A piece of paper can be generated, but not a map. It can bring forth a stick, but not a spear. The stronger the vibes, the more complex the items can be. In places with low vibes, only extremely simple shapes can be generated, like cubes, cylinders, or cones, but not much else. In places with high vibes, more complex items can be created, like tape measures, empty bottles, or a slingshot.
The material of these shapes vary as well, with natural materials, like wood and stone, being easily generated in places with low vibes and synthetic materials, like plastics and refined metals, being generated in places with high vibes.