Bestiary

Many legends surround the concept of a woman scorned. Oya’s anger, though, exists on another level altogether. A for­ midable fighter who rules over the winds and storms, Oya’s name translates as “She Who Tore,” and she ferociously protects women who have been wronged by men. Also known as Oiá, Yansá, Iansá, and Oya-Iyansan (“the Mother of Nine”), she rides into battle with two machetes in her hands, striking lightning down onto the Earth. Her power can manifest as the strongest of gales or the gentlest of breezes. If need be, she can also sum­ mon tornados to destroy the subjects of her wrath. No wonder, then, that she’s often associated with life, death, and the secrets hidden by the dead.

When it comes to protecting people whom society makes most vulnerable, especially women who have been badly abused, Oya steps in to avenge their misery. Her rage does not subside until those who need punishment have been suitably dealt with. Also called the “Mother of Nine” because she had nine stillborn babies, she watched with jealousy and rage as her sister Yemaja had many children with Oya’s first love, Shango, while Oya herself had none who survived. This disparity created a brokenhearted goddess who remains torn between her hatred for men and her desire to protect

women and children. Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for the targets of her rage, it’s easy to indulge one while satisfying the other.

In her capacity as the keeper of death and its secrets, Oya prevents the living from crossing over before their time and col­ lects the dead in order to lead them to their next iteration. As the guardian of the cemetery gates, she guides the dead to their resting place, but can also raise an army of the once-dead to do her bidding. Because of this, she’s a terrifying figure, especially for men. In truth, though, she’s also a figure of rebirth who’s capable of pulling someone through a rough and dangerous transition in their life. A woman who craves fairness, and who needs protection against being ripped off or cheated, should call upon Oya to protect her livelihood. If that person has been scorned by a lover, and needs to call for justice, Oya is her guide.

Oya cycles between a hurt, sad figure who mourns constantly over the passing of her nine children, and a raging fury who will cut a man’s heart out on general principle. To get her attention, a person should offer sweet, dark things like red wine, chocolate, and plums. Oya also enjoys offerings of eggplant, black hens, and black she-goats. Once possessed by the essence of Oya, a devotee can employ a terrible but wondrous power over the boundaries of life and death (In game terms, the Rouse the Dead Charm). That mortal, however, must be careful she doesn’t become possessed by Oya’s never-ending sorrow and loss. If a devotee can’t properly control herself, she might fall into a deep depression and never again be able to enjoy the world of the living; for mages, this peril manifests as Morbidity Quiet, as described in Mage 20, pp. 558-559, while non-mages suffer from the Flaws Derangement, Chronic Depression, or both.

A ferociously beautiful woman, often masked with pearls, wear­ ing feathers, or dressed in white or bloody red silks, Oya carries two machetes or a scythe. She wears brown and burgundy beads, as well as nine scarves around her waist to remember each of her children’s lives. Envy, rage and sorrow are her legacy. She’s got a soft spot for women and children who have been abused, and eternal hatred for the people who would violate the gift of life. For them, then, death is a fitting punishment… although, perhaps, not one given too quickly.