Shango

Associated Abilities: Art, Athletics, Command, Fortitude, Melee, Presence

Associated Powers: Epic Manipulation, Epic Stamina, Epic Strength, Fire, Justice, Thunder, War

The unquestioned King of the Orisha, Shango is the God of storms, and law. A great warrior, and, as he insists, a great king, just, and fair, though some onlookers may question at their own peril. He is one of the more cunning Pantheon Heads, having a slave cut one hundred and twenty two times with sharp razors for failing to do as Shango ordered. When the cuts scarred over, the slave became all the talk of the women in his palace, and Shango insisted the same cuts be preformed on himself, declaring that it was only for Royalty to have such scars, and spread the practice to all the surrounding kingdoms. As the other kings were healing from the scars, which they decided they just must have, he invaded them and conquered their lands while they were recovering.

Once, Shango's two sons Timi and Gbonka became so distinguished as individual warriors, they became worshiped and venerated as much as Shango himself. Infuriated by this, Shango sent Timi to capture a city for him, but after seizing the city, he refused to give it to Shango and put himself as the new king of the city. Shango, his plan set into motion, sent Gbonka out to deal with his brother, hoping they would slay each other. But, Gbonka captured his brother without slaying him, bringing him back to Shango and foiling his father's plan unknowingly. He then attempted to have Timi try to kill his brother to atone for the shame of being captured, but Gbonka put him to sleep with magic. Infuriated even more than before, Shango ordered Gbonka to be executed for his cowardly fighting, but the fires of the execution pyre could not harm him. So ashamed by this series of failures, Shango left to the woods to hang himself, a great sin in the eyes of the Orisha. But, when his son Gbonka took over the kingdom in his fathers' absence, Shango decided that he was not dead, and rose from the grave in a great thunderstorm, powerful enough to banish his son, and rule forever more.