Oya

Associated Abilities: Athletics, Larceny, Occult, Presence, Stealth, Survival

Associated Powers: Chaos, Death, Epic Appearance, Illusion, Thunder, Water

Fearsome Oya is a Goddess of extremes, volatile feelings and emotions shown in the natural world through great storms, and flooding rivers, bringing chaos and death. She watches over the gates of the Underworld, one of the few greater Orisha who have any connection to their Underworld at all, which has caused it to slip into great obscurity. When she is raging, following Shango out to battle, or expressing one of her most violent states, she often sprouts a great beard.

She was once one of Shango's wives, though one day he sent her on a mission to gather a bag of magics for him that he had bought from Eshu. Eshu warned her not to open the bag he gave her on her way home, though she did, and stole some of the power that was to go to Shango in the process. When Shango learned of this, when she next spoke and flames shot from her mouth, he attempted to slay his wife for her insolence. She fled to her brother's home in the sea where he distracted Shango through combat until she escaped. Now, her great storms are forever chased by Shango's thunder and lightning across the landscape, forever hunting his wife.