Erlang Shen
Erlang Shen wields a three-pointed spear and a celestial hound. His all-seeing third eye spots deception, letting him subdue floods, demons, and even Sun Wukong in some tales.
Story beats
- 1) Born of a mortal-immortal union, Erlang earns divine rank by taming rivers and monsters.
- 2) He reveals his third eye to pierce illusions, striking true with spear and hound.
- 3) In Journey to the West, he duels Sun Wukong, matching tricks with calm skill.
- 4) As city guardian, he responds to prayers against floods and injustice.
Context & symbolism
The third eye symbolizes insight beyond appearances—lawful clarity. His hound enforces that justice hunts down wrongdoers. Flood-taming links him to state authority securing livelihoods.
Erlang is a model of disciplined power: capable of rebellion, yet loyal to cosmic order.
Motifs
- Divine eyesight
- Spear and faithful hound
- Flood control and civic protection
- Duels of trickster vs. order
Use it in play
- Ask Erlang to reveal a shapeshifter; his eye burns away glamours.
- Borrow his hound for a hunt, but uphold strict laws while you do.
- Appease him with an archway shrine to stop floodwaters.
- Stage a duel of wits and transformations under Erlang’s gaze.
Comparative threads
- All-seeing enforcers: Heimdall’s watch, Odin’s ravens.
- Flood tamers: Yu the Great, Susanoo slaying Orochi.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- A city’s river wall cracks; only Erlang’s blessing can seal it.
- A demon steals his hound; return it before injustices spread unchecked.
- Someone forges a false third eye; expose the charlatan before panic sets in.