Ojala the Benevolent is a spirit helper or spirit of Benevolence.
Overview[]
For strangers in a hostile land, generosity is hard to come by. Hunger and poverty are common plagues among the Dream-Speakers, who brave the cold weather and colder temperaments of Europe to join hands with the Council. Far from their ancestors, these wanderers have few spirit allies. One such is Ojala the Benevolent, a wandering ghost with an endless sack of food. When he is nearby, no African need go hungry.
Long ago, it is said, Ojala was a poor and crippled man. Despite his withered legs, he tended a small patch of land, then shared the crops with anyone who seemed hungry. The Iwa were pleased with his generosity; in time, his fields yielded greater and greater harvests. No matter what he planted or how frequently, the land always gave forth a bounty. Soon, no hungry moths remained in Ojala's village. With the help of his ancestor spirits and a few local youths, he traveled to distant villages and nourished starving people there. In gratitude, the Iwa healed his legs and kept him healthy and safe. Although he had many friends and offers of marriage. Ojala never took a wife or sired children. When age finally claimed him, the Old Generous Father left his bountiful field "to the hungry and the poor, wherever they may be." Several men tried to take control of it after his death, but the ground turned to stone when they tried to plant in it. Only when his helpers returned to their errands did Ojala's field become fertile again.
The ancestors were pleased with Ojala. At his request, they granted him a wandering spirit and many Otherworldly gifts. Since that time long ago, he has wandered the countryside searching for the poot. When he finds people in need, he opens his bag and fills their bellies. When they have eaten well, he walks away into the Mists to search for some other needy soul. When courageous men and women left their homes to defend their people, Ojala followed them. Now he stays close to the Dream-Speakers of Africa, tending them with food, drink and wondrous tales.
Ojala's generosity extends beyond food. He has a friendly disposition and an endless well of stories and songs. As his beneficiaries eat, he regales them with fables and jokes. A sour disposition is an affront to this kindly spirit, and he likes to make sure everyone is laughing when he leaves. However, the cold manners and greedy habits of the Europeans ("frost people and white hyenas") disturb Ojala. Once, he aspired to help every living person: the "white hyenas," however, were gluttonous and ungrateful. Some tried to snatch his bag away, and others tried to enslave him or drive him from town, Now he disdains the "hyenas" and tends his own people. Although he might help Dream-Speakers from other lands, he considers white magi to be liars and fools.
The Old Generous Father is a wandering spirit. Although he appears to be an ancient man, he possesses incredible strength and endurance. With his bright robes and laughing voice, he lifts the spirits of his friends. Across his back he bears a sack of yams, breads, meats and vegetables; a gourd at this side sloshes with clean, cool water. No matter how much he gives away, the Old Generous Father always has spare food and drink. His gifts are sweet and perfect, always ripe or well-cooked and spiced with savory herbs. So long as a person is hungry, Okala is generous; so long as they are grateful, he returns when they need him. If someone eats his gifts but does not thank him, however, Ojala grows angry. He will not curse them openly, but that visit will be his last. The Generous One is too busy to waste his time with ingrates.
In game terms, Ojala has an endless supply of food but no combat abilities to speak of. If trouble begins, he steps through the Gauntlet and walks away. In his native lands, this spirit was well-respected. Even the fiercest spirits let him pass without harm. In the "hyena dens," however, he has become something of a trickster. When confronted with malicious spirits, he challenges them to riddle contests or dazzles them with exotic stories. Still, many shamans worry about Ojala. Perhaps the hostile spirits of the white lands will poison the Generous One - or destroy him. Surely he's too gentle for this savage world!
Stats[]
Willpower: 6, Rage: 3, Gnosis: 6, Power: 30
Charms: Airt Sense, Cleanse the Blight, Element Sense (earth), Healing, Materialize, Soul Reading (also has a bag and gourd that can never be emptied so long as Ojala holds them; if taken away, these items simply disappear).
Materialized Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 2, Stamina 5, health levels 7
Abilities: Alertness 3, Dodge 5, Expression 4, Animal Ken 4, Crafts (farming) 3, Survival 3, Beast Lore 4, Cosmology 3, Culture (African) 4, Enigmas 5, Hearth Wisdom 5, Herbalism 5, Medicine 3, Occult 2
Rewards: Courage, Faith, Fortitude, Generosity, Hope and Trustworthiness; often appears to African mortals and magi who are poor and hungry.
References[]
- MTSC: The Sorcerers Crusade Companion, p. 159-160