Bestiary

The god of the fertile land, tied to the earth and the tilling of the soil, Oko is a mysterious figure whose work is mostly concealed under the earth. To those who recognize his wisdom, though, he teaches the mysteries of life and death. The earth he farms feeds people and animals during their lives and, in turn, the living feed his earth when they die.

Represented by the staff that symbolizes both his farming implements and his virility, Oko also takes care of issues dealing with male potency and fertility. His altars are often painted red and white, symbolizing blood and semen, the liquids of life’s essence. Although the god Erinle also grows many different things, and takes care of animals in their pens, he’s more of a hunter-gatherer than Oko, who maintains expansive, rural fields.

Oko enjoys being near water. Not just because he needs water to tend to his crops, but because the waters soothes him. The cooling effect of water on his skin after a long day of work puts Oko’s mind at ease. It reminds him, too, of a love affair he once had with Olokun, a goddess of the bottom of the seas. Since she cannot leave the seas, though, and Oko cannot leave his fields, they remain permanently separated. Every once in a while, Oko takes a boat out and dives down deep to see his beloved; soon, though, he must return to his fields, or famine will cover the land.

Although other orishas are said to be far older, Oko was the first to discover his life-force, and thus was the first to descend out of heaven. For a long time, he was alone, and annoyed because no one else shared his burden. Once the other gods began to discover their life-forces, however, they began to contribute to every aspect of life on Earth. And so, Oko learned how important patience is when you’re putting work into the earth. One cannot immediately sow what one plants. They must be given time to grow.

According to mortal lore, Oko disappeared long ago, per­ haps to become one with the soil he works. All he left behind, they say, was his staff, sticking erect out of the ground. Mages, however, and other folks who can cross into the Otherworlds, understand that Oko still tends his fields in a land untouched by modern human corruption. There, he continues to bring forth bountiful harvests to offset the poisons and famines that humankind creates. Since Oko provides food from his harvests year round, people who ask for his help must make an offering of food in return. Oko’s favorite foods are made deep in the earth, like yams, taro, sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables. He also enjoys corn, smoked fish, and offerings of animals like roosters, pigeons, and guinea hens. If Oko decides to favor a devotee, he’ll grant that person the power of harvest; invested with Oko’s magic, that devotee can call upon the forces of plants great and small (Life-Sphere plant-magick, in game terms, and the use of the Plant Command Charm). Anything that can be grown in the soil can be controlled through the powers of Oko.

Hardworking, constantly covered in the dirt of his rich fields, Oko has rough hands from handling tools. He frequently wears red and white, carries a staff or farming implements, and often shades his face with a wide-brimmed hat.

A god of few words, Oko prefers action to talk. Because he works in the fields, he’s very close friends with Oggun, who also understands the value of hard work and dedication, and he feels more sympathetic to mortals who till the soil than to folk who live in cities and die never having known how to work the earth.