TEXT: BY KENNETH HITE 
  the invisibles
  
  2
  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
  G UMSHOE ZOO M
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  Publisher: Cathriona Tobin
  Author: Kenneth Hite
  Layout: Cathriona Tobin     
  Artwork: Melissa Gay
  © 2014 Pelgrane Press Ltd. All rights reserved. 
  GUMSHOE ZOOM: 
  INTRODUCTION
  Not everything can support a game of 
  its own, or even a big sourcebook. For 
  those things, we present the GUMSHOE 
  Zoom, a sort of supplement focused on 
  a key game mechanic and its possible 
  applications. 
  In 
  general, 
  Zooms 
  are 
  interesting potential hacks, or intriguing 
  adaptations of the main rules. Some apply 
  to one specific topic or sub-sub-genre. 
  Others cross all manner of GUMSHOE turf; 
  you can slot them in and adapt them to 
  tales of Cthulhuoid investigation, mean 
  superpowered streets, or alien colonies 
  alike.
  Zooms are experimental. That does 
  mean that they haven’t been playtested, 
  necessarily. (If something in here is really 
  really broken – and it’s not, as this ain’t 
  our first rodeo – we’ll fix it in post.) But 
  that also means we encourage you to 
  experiment with them. Changing the cost, 
  or prerequisites, or point effect, or other 
  mechanical parameters of a given Zoom 
  changes how often it shows up and how 
  much drama it drives. The dials are in 
  your hands.
  Zooms will change the focus of your play 
  if you use them. Putting a mechanic on 
  the table puts it into your game. Adding 
  a Zoom means more actions, possibly 
  even more scenes, using those rules. 
  Since the Zoom mechanics are intended 
  to encourage specific actions or flavors, 
  to force a card in your storytelling hand, 
  they aren’t “balanced” against “normal” 
  actions or rules. In general, if you don’t 
  want to see more of it, don’t Zoom in on it.
  Zooms are optional rules. You can and 
  should ignore them if you don’t want 
  them, or change them at will. After all, if 
  a given Zoom turns out to be crucial to an 
  upcoming GUMSHOE game, we’ll change 
  it to fit that specific genre or form of 
  storytelling.
  GUMSHOE ZOOM: INTRODUCTION 
  3
  THE INVISIBLES 
  3
  LESSER SPIRITS 
  3
  WHERE THE INVISIBLES DWELL 
  4
  INVISIBLE NATIONS 
  4
  RADA AND PETRO 
  5
  THE GUMSHOE INVISIBLES 
  5
  BLACK MAGIC 
  6
  PETRO 
  6
  PALO MAYOMBE 
  6
  QUIMBANDA 
  6
  KALI-MAI 
  7
  INVISIBLE FORMAT 
  7
  LEGBA 
  7
  INVISIBLE DISTORTIONS 
  8
  AGWÉ 
  9
  DAMBALLAH WÈDO 
  9
  ERZULIE 
  11
  MARINETTE 
  12
  OGUN 
  12
  SHANGO 
  13
  TEMPO 
  14
  YEMAYA 
  14
  GHEDE 
  15
  
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  I NTRODUCTION
  This issue follows the GUMSHOE 
  Zoom Voodoo 1: Magic, and provides 
  a broad overview of the demi-gods 
  or semi-deities – the Invisibles -- 
  who power and inspire the magic 
  system described in that issue. That 
  magic system can be conveniently (if 
  somewhat problematically) termed 
  “voodoo,” to be distinguished from 
  the Haitian religion of Vodou from 
  which it emerged and with which it 
  co-evolved.
  The Vodou religion is only the 
  best-known of a whole complex of 
  Afro-Caribbean religions including 
  Santería and Palo in Cuba, Candomblé 
  and Umbanda in Brazil, Kumina in 
  Jamaica, Shango in Trinidad, Winti 
  in Suriname, and 21 Divisiones in the 
  Dominican Republic. These religions 
  all descend, by and large, from 
  the Yoruba religion that culturally 
  dominated coastal West Africa during 
  the slave trade. Other influences on 
  Afro-Caribbean 
  religions 
  include 
  Roman Catholicism, Spiritualism, 
  native Amerind religions, and other 
  African faiths, especially those of 
  the ethnically and culturally distinct 
  Congo.
  All 
  of 
  those 
  Afro-Caribbean 
  religions look to immaterial beings 
  greater than man and less than 
  God for answers, for help, and 
  for a connection to the spiritual: 
  the 
  Invisibles. 
  The 
  Invisibles 
  can make awesome patrons, or 
  fearsome enemies – sometimes 
  simultaneously. They’re like that. 
  Call on them to add depth, danger, 
  and drama to your game, invoke 
  them as specters or saviors, blame 
  them for your heroes’ misfortunes 
  and credit them with saving the 
  story. They can handle it. They’ve 
  been doing that for centuries.
  T HE INVISIBLES
  “THE SENSE OF A VAST, 
  INVISIBLE PRESENCE WAS 
  INTENSIFYING AGAIN, AND 
  SHANDY COULD FEEL THE 
  ALIEN THING BENDING 
  DOWN OUT OF THE SKY OVER 
  THEM, GLARING WITH ALIEN 
  OUTRAGE AT THE EIGHT 
  INTRUDERS.”
  -- TIM POWERS, ON STRANGER 
  TIDES
  The great spirits we (and the 
  Haitians) call the Invisibles have 
  many names. The Loa of Vodou, 
  Orishas of Santería and Shango, 
  Orixás of Candomblé, Kimpungulu 
  of Palo, Inquices of Kumina, Winti of 
  Winti, and Misterios of 21 Divisiones 
  are 
  the 
  intermediaries 
  between 
  the distant Creator God of those 
  religions and His human creations. 
  In some traditions, the Invisibles are 
  similar to the avatars of Hinduism 
  or the emanations of Kabbalah: 
  not so much separate entities as 
  aspects or reflections of the Infinite 
  God 
  necessarily 
  simplified 
  and 
  humanized to interact with the 
  material world and its inhabitants.
  The 
  Invisibles’ 
  role 
  has 
  been 
  compared to that of the saints and 
  angels in Catholicism, and Catholic 
  slavemasters and priests in the New 
  World did their best to replace the 
  Voodoo 2: The Invisibles
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  one with the other. What happened 
  instead is that Vodou colonized 
  the Catholic tradition, took what it 
  wanted – mostly symbolism and 
  names, protective coloration, and 
  some “magical” rites like baptism 
  and Communion -- and left the 
  slave-masters’ 
  religion 
  behind. 
  Rather than assimilating Vodou, 
  Catholicism found itself assimilated.
  Even in Protestant countries, the 
  Invisibles are present but less, er, 
  visible. The Kele rite in St. Lucia 
  banishes 
  Akeshew 
  and 
  invokes 
  Chango, for example. The Zion 
  Revivalists, a Pentecostal-inspired 
  offshoot of Myal in Jamaica, treat 
  the Holy Spirit as a sort of mega-
  Invisible, 
  although 
  some 
  Zion 
  congregations also venerate angels 
  and notably holy ancestors. The 
  Spiritual Baptists in Trinidad have 
  a generally similar theology, with 
  some Hindu ritual accretions.
  LESSER SPIRITS
  Almost all Afro-Caribbean religions 
  venerate, 
  invoke, 
  and 
  summon 
  ancestral 
  spirits 
  (loa 
  risen 
  in 
  Vodou, eggun in Santería, egun in 
  Candomblé) along with – and usually 
  before – the Invisibles. Santería adds 
  the Seven African Powers, tribal 
  spirits of the seven African nations 
  enslaved in Cuba: Yoruba (Lucumí), 
  Congo, Takua, Kissi, Calabari, Arará, 
  and Mandika.
  Brazilian religions go still further 
  and reveal other tiers of spirits 
  between the egun and the Orixás. 
  Most Afro-Brazilian faiths invoke 
  the Exus, mischievous or downright 
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  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  dangerous fragments or reflections 
  of 
  the 
  Orixá 
  Exú, 
  the 
  divine 
  messenger and opener of the way. 
  Influenced by the baroque occultism 
  of Kardecist Spiritualism, Umbanda 
  organizes 
  the 
  Astral 
  into 
  two 
  overlapping sets of seven “Lines,” 
  the vertical Lines denoting descent 
  from and submission to seven 
  major Orixás, while the horizontal 
  lines denote rank within the spirit 
  world. Specialized spirits abound: 
  the Caboclos (spirits of Indians) 
  provide herbal cures, Preto Velho 
  (“Old Black Man,” spirits of slaves) 
  offer compassionate counsel, Erês 
  (“Children,” evolved spirits) provide 
  hope, Baianos (“Bahians,” spirits 
  of Umbandist and other religious 
  founding fathers) provide doctrinal 
  guidance, 
  Boiadeiros 
  (“Cowboys”) 
  give love advice and tough-love 
  spirit cleansing alike, Marinheiros 
  (drowned “Sailors”) protect invokers 
  from evil, and Orientals (spirits of 
  wise men from the Middle East and 
  ancient history) provide scientific 
  and healing knowledge. 
  Umbanda 
  also 
  recognizes 
  the 
  Encantados, 
  souls 
  of 
  powerful 
  humans 
  transmigrated 
  without 
  dying 
  who 
  became 
  mermaids, 
  fairies, and other magical beings. By 
  contrast in Catimbo, the Amerind-
  derived sect of Candomblé, the 
  Encantados are the main masters, 
  and 
  take 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  great 
  Indian chiefs and powerful African 
  magicians. So be careful – even the 
  lowliest plant sprite might actually 
  be an Invisible by another name!
  INVISIBLE NATIONS
  In many traditions, the Invisibles 
  are further divided into loose groups 
  called “nations” (e.g., nações in 
  Candomblé, nanchons in Vodou). For 
  each nanchon, there are different 
  pantheons of Invisibles and different 
  rituals, songs, dances, cheers, and 
  even greetings. By and large, these 
  represent major ethnic groupings 
  from Africa, although Umbanda 
  groups all the African Orixás into one 
  Nagô nação. Some temples strictly 
  worship only one nanchon; others 
  give some nod to rival nanchons or 
  set aside days for nanchons not their 
  own. Other traditions exclude rival 
  nanchons entirely: Santería keeps 
  exclusively to the Lucumí or Yoruba 
  Orishas, leaving those descended 
  from the Bakongo peoples’ Minkisi 
  to the Palo sects, and to Haitian-
  influenced faiths in Cuba.
  Bantu 
  slaves 
  from 
  Kongo 
  and 
  other regional kingdoms differed 
  ethnically 
  and 
  religiously 
  from 
  the Yoruba, Fon, and Akan who 
  originated Vodou and Santería. By 
  and large, the Bakongo came over 
  later and in more organized fashion 
  than the West African nations, but 
  their religion was less sophisticated 
  and organized than Yoruba practice. 
  In Haiti, for instance, this meant 
  that the Kongo Loa formed their own 
  nanchon, though the basic form of 
  even Kongo Vodou is fundamentally 
  Yoruban-Fon. Kongo worship centers 
  around the Haitian city of Gonaïves. 
  Kongo Loa are usually exuberant 
  and aggressive, and prefer the 
  sacrifice of dogs to any other kind. 
  They are also called the loa-gad, the 
  “guardian loa,” because they actively 
  protect their followers. As a minority 
  nanchon, this would seem to be in 
  their self-interest.
  The 
  Bantu-derived 
  nação 
  in 
  Candomblé is called Angola, because 
  most Bantu slaves in Brazil came 
  from that Portuguese colony. The 
  Yoruba-derived 
  nação 
  is 
  Queto; 
  Jeje (or Gêgê) refers to the Fon-
  descended 
  nation. 
  Candomblé-
  Angola and Candomblé-Queto are 
  the most widely dispersed traditions 
  (Candomblé-Jeje is more prevalent 
  in the north and interior), but all can 
  be found in Brazil’s major cities.
  WHERE THE INVISIBLES DWELL
  By and large, the Invisibles dwell among us at sacred sites: rocks, wells, 
  cemeteries, caves, mountains, and so forth. Santería places the Orishas 
  vaguely in Orun, while the Orixás of Candomblé float in Céu, both terms 
  translated by Christians as “heaven” although “world of light” or “sky” are 
  better. Umbanda locates the Orixás in the Plano Astral, taken from 19th 
  century Spiritualism.
  Vodou has a more specific cosmology. When not on earth, the Loa dwell in 
  Guinée, a mythical Africa located nan dlo, “under the water.” Nan dlo also 
  refers to the country on the other side of the mirror; mirror-magic is an 
  important component of voodoo. Haitians often refer to themselves as ti 
  Guinén, the “children of Guinée.” Houngans and bokors, of course, exist in 
  both worlds in a less metaphorical sense. Guinée also coincides with the 
  material world in a village called Ville aux Camps, which manifests near 
  St-Louis-du-Nord, in northern Haiti. Ville aux Camps, echoing the Yoruba 
  sacred city of Ile-Ife, is a crossroads between Guinée and the material 
  world, where the Loa meet up and gossip, like mortals in a market village.
  
  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  RADA AND PETRO
  The 
  best-known 
  nanchons 
  are 
  those dividing the Vodou Loa: 
  Rada and Petro. Rada is the most 
  common type of ceremony; some 
  estimates say that over 90% of 
  Vodou ceremonies are Rada. While 
  this is likely an overestimate, it 
  does indicate the near-universal 
  hold of the Rada Loa on the Haitian 
  heart. That said, Kongo Loa are 
  often worshiped with Petro rites, 
  since they are more aggressive than 
  Rada Loa. Kongo spirits and magic 
  cross-fertilized more readily with 
  the later, less conservative Petro 
  rites than with the old-school Rada.
  Rada Loa descend directly from 
  West African Orisha; the name 
  “Rada” comes from Arada, the 
  original 
  capital 
  of 
  the 
  proto-
  Fon kingdom in modern Benin 
  eventually conquered by Dahomey 
  in 1724. Arada both represented a 
  lost golden age and (after 1724) a lost 
  physical homeland to the enslaved 
  Fon. Hence, the Rada Loa are called 
  loa-Guinéen, or loa of Guinée. Rada 
  ceremonies are usually performed 
  in white robes, have a higher 
  component of African words in 
  the sacred liturgies and songs, 
  and generally involve no blood 
  sacrifice larger than a chicken. 
  Generally seen as beneficent elder 
  deities, the Rada Loa are not above 
  trickery, 
  selfishness, 
  or 
  other 
  human behavior. Rada Loa are also 
  called the dous (“gentle”) loa, to 
  distinguish them from the amer 
  (“bitter”) loa of the Petro and Kongo 
  nanchon.
  Petro Loa are products of the 
  slave experience; their worship 
  began in the New World. This, 
  understandably, 
  makes 
  their 
  rituals harsher; their music is 
  more ragged, the prayers are for 
  vengeance, 
  and 
  the 
  Petro 
  Loa 
  themselves can be destructive and 
  malign beings. Some Petro ritual 
  songs involve cracking whips, a 
  powerful indication of the severity 
  of these Loa and the cruelty that 
  drove their worshipers to them. 
  The name Petro supposedly comes 
  from Don Pedro, an 18th-century 
  mulatto 
  Spaniard 
  who 
  (if 
  he 
  really existed) invented the rituals 
  and syncretized the older Rada 
  loa into deities concerned with 
  vengeance, fire, and blood. Don 
  Pedro himself has become a loa, the 
  “gunpowder god” Dompedre. Petro 
  ceremonies use red robes, have 
  a higher component of Spanish 
  and Amerindian words, and often 
  involve the sacrifice of larger 
  animals like goats, dogs, and pigs. 
  Petro Loa are loa-chaud, “hot loa” 
  while Rada Loa are loa-frét, “cool 
  loa”; identifying the one with Fire 
  and the other with Water makes 
  a potentially interesting (if over-
  simplified) magical shorthand. 
  THE GUMSHOE 
  INVISIBLES
  The Invisibles are multifarious. 
  The direct, personal nature of Afro-
  Caribbean religion, its inherently 
  syncretic and evolutionary nature, 
  and 
  the 
  widespread 
  illiteracy 
  among 
  its 
  adherents 
  make 
  constructing 
  anything 
  like 
  an 
  ordered 
  pantheon 
  of 
  Invisibles 
  impossible. 
  Voodooists 
  know 
  better than to try. Anthropologists 
  and other authorities estimate 
  that there are hundreds, if not 
  thousands, of named loa in Haiti 
  alone, each with their own variant 
  rituals and vèvès. Many of these loa, 
  however, are variations, avatars, or 
  adaptations of the main Loa. Much 
  as the Greek god Poseidon was not 
  only god of the sea, but also god of 
  horses, earthquakes, and pine trees, 
  the Invisibles also have different 
  roles and names depending on the 
  story and their worshippers. These 
  different roles often interact with 
  each other; Ogun Feray and Ogun 
  Badagris can both be present in 
  the same ceremony, possessing 
  different worshippers. 
  In 
  Santería 
  the 
  Orishas 
  have 
  aspects or avatars called caminos: 
  “roads” that lead to or from the 
  Orisha’s full nature. Often Haitians 
  say that each Loa has seven faces; 
  another term is the escorte, a 
  group (sometimes specifically 21, 
  sometimes just “an army”) of lesser 
  loa who follow the main Loa and 
  take on his characteristics. The 
  escorte is also invoked to explain 
  how some loa belong to more than 
  one nanchon, or have overlapping 
  roles. There are Haitian religious 
  paintings that show, for instance, 
  Erzulie Danto (the main Petro 
  female Loa) and Erzulie Freda 
  (staunchly Rada) seated next to 
  each other! Erzulie would be one 
  example of a Loa andezo, one who 
  bathes “in two waters.”
  While 
  some 
  Afro-Caribbean 
  worshipers freely allow that all the 
  various versions of a given Loa or 
  Orisha or Orixá are somehow “the 
  same,” others hotly deny any such 
  thing. This supplement dodges the 
  question by presenting not actual 
  Loa but GUMSHOE Invisibles. They 
  are gaming-optimized, syncretic 
  renditions 
  of 
  Afro-Caribbean 
  entities meant to be invoked and 
  utilized in GUMSHOE voodoo magic 
  only. Do not invoke them in real 
  life! They may not exist – and if 
  they do, I’m pretty sure I didn’t 
  build them to code.
  
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  BLACK MAGIC
  Popular Western culture overwhelmingly connects voodoo – and Vodou -- as a whole to black magic, thanks 
  to racism, exoticism, and sloppy research. From The Believers to Angel Heart, the Afro-Caribbean religions of 
  60 million people apparently only exist to produce blood sacrifice, voodoo dolls, and zombies. That said, every 
  religious faith has its believers in black magic – and sometimes, its practitioners.
  Ask most Afro-Caribbean locals about black magic, and they nearly unanimously respond with two answers: 
  “Our tradition never does that” and “Of course it exists.” A number of specific (usually smaller) denominations 
  get fingered by the majority as “the black magic users.” Some of them do, indeed, pronounce themselves more 
  capable or more willing to work with dangerous magic and malevolent Invisibles. Some voodoo societies do 
  engage in the same sort of threatening propaganda as, say, Masonic initiations: “revealing our secrets means 
  death” and “we can strike you anywhere” are standard imprecations in all cultures’ self-proclaimed mystery 
  sects. Where you draw the line in your own game is up to you.
  PETRO
  The Petro rites (see p. 5) elevate Loa seen as scarier and more dangerous such as Baron Samedi to the forefront, 
  and have a historical connection with the Makandal poisoning campaigns against white slaveowners. Makandal 
  has become a Petro Loa in his own right. Most of the Sects Rouges (“red sect” secret societies) associate themselves 
  with Petro; their bokors might be anywhere! Thus devout Rada followers accuse suspected necromancers as servir 
  a deux mains “those who serve with both hands,” meaning the worship of both Rada and Petro Loa. This assertion 
  is far less shocking now, as Vodou engages with Western post-modern occultism. In previous decades (such as 
  the 1930s), such an accusation was tantamount to witch-finding.
  PALO MAYOMBE
  This sect of the Regla de Palo (“rule of the stick,” referring to Palo’s ritual use of sticks) religion in Cuba emphasizes 
  Kongo arts of necromancy. Mayombero rayados (“cut ones,” referring to their initiatory scars) fill their nganga 
  (magical cauldron) with human bones, skulls, blood, and worse. (The ndoki charm involves boiling a cat alive 
  after torturing it, for example – the “black cat bone” extracted from the carcass becomes a powerful wanga.) The 
  rayado gets such things by robbing graves, preferably those of violent white people (the most dangerous kind of 
  people, after all). With these relics, he commands the kiyumba, or ghost, attached to the cadaver as his main 
  magical servant. Paleros, of course, maintain that most of their magic is beneficent healing work; only paleros 
  judios (“unbaptized” Paleros) send ghosts out to kill and spy.
  QUIMBANDA
  Quimbanda began in early 20th century Brazil as a reaction to the “Europeanized” Umbanda religion. The 
  Quimbandeiros claimed their tradition was purer, harsher, more practical, and less Christian. (That said, some 
  Quimbanda traditions have syncretized the Exus with demons like Lucifer and Ashtaroth.) Many of them openly 
  embraced “black magic” in much the same way American Satanists would fifty years later: as a pragmatic method 
  to obtain one’s desires. Rejecting Umbanda’s bourgeois leanings led Quimbanda to define its Exus as povo da rua 
  (“people of the streets”) or dead criminals, and their feminine equivalent, the Pomba Giras, as dead prostitutes. 
  Like Petro, Quimbanda uses gunpowder (furia) in its rites; like Palo, it emphasizes necromancy as a badge of its 
  seriousness. Quimbandeiros point to Umbanda’s history of collaboration with the government, and its vested 
  financial interest in blaming Quimbanda for black magic travalhos (workings). It’s just the Quimbanda Malei 
  who are actual demon-traffickers, they say.
  
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  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  What the Invisible controls, where 
  it dwells, and what help magicians 
  mostly call on it for. Play this as 
  loose as you can without letting 
  players crock the system; Invisibles 
  have broad remits. They also often 
  represent 
  tricky 
  concepts 
  that 
  are hard to pin down in a single 
  system of classification; it is a 
  gross oversimplification to refer to 
  Damballah simply as “the snake 
  god,” for example.  Conversely, some 
  aspects of Damballah are specifically 
  restricted to snakes, though tied to 
  all the other aspects as well.
  OFFERINGS
  The 
  favored 
  offerings 
  to 
  the 
  Invisible: food, scent, liquor, etc.
  POSSESSION
  How the “horse” behaves when the 
  Invisible rides her. By and large, an 
  Invisible invoked with the proper 
  rites and treated with appropriate 
  respect offers help to petitioners; if 
  a specific Interpersonal ability (most 
  likely a spend) is likely to help, it’s 
  noted in parentheses. You can also 
  use this for roleplaying notes – as 
  possessed chwals or as the GM, 
  whichever. If there are any likely 
  or possible bonuses (or penalties) to 
  abilities for the possessed, they show 
  up here, too. Whether the possessed 
  receive them, and for how long, is up 
  to the GM, but a spell might make it 
  happen. These bonuses make ideal 
  things to bind into a wanga, too.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  The 
  symbols, 
  elements, 
  icons, 
  emblems, 
  items, 
  and 
  other 
  correspondences 
  associated 
  with 
  the Invisible. Most Invisibles have 
  characteristic 
  numbers, 
  days 
  of 
  power, and so forth.
  Afro-Caribbean religions influenced 
  by 
  Catholicism 
  associate 
  the 
  emblems of various saints with the 
  Invisibles; the standard associations 
  appear 
  here. 
  Remember 
  that 
  Damballah, for example, isn’t “really” 
  St. Patrick, or vice versa. Rather, St. 
  Patrick’s 
  traditional 
  iconography 
  (a man with a stick surrounded by 
  snakes) symbolizes Damballah.
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  This section describes not just the 
  escorte and caminos associated with 
  a given Invisible, but its parallels, 
  equivalents, 
  and 
  co-descendants 
  in other nanchons and other Afro-
  Caribbean traditions.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  This section provides some possible 
  Cthulhu 
  Mythos 
  identifiers 
  for 
  a 
  given 
  Invisible. 
  See 
  Invisible 
  Distortions, p. 8, for the tangled 
  metaphysical possibilities behind 
  this game advice.
  LEGBA
  Legba is the lord of the road, the 
  gate, and the crossroads.  He must 
  be invoked to open the way for the 
  other loa, and is both the trickster 
  and the venerable guardian. In 
  Yoruba-Fon cosmology, Esu-Elegba 
  was the orisha of good luck and his 
  phallic statues stood at crossroads 
  in Dahomey. As the opener of 
  the way, Esu-Elegba was also 
  identified with the sun, fertility, 
  and destiny. His Rada form is 
  venerated as Papa Legba, a wise 
  old man. He wears a wide hat to 
  shade his eyes, walks with a crutch 
  or cane, smokes a pipe, and is 
  weighed down by his macoute, or 
  haversack, full of knowledge. His 
  younger Petro form (hearkening 
  KALI-MAI
  After the abolition of slavery in 
  the 1830s, Trinidad’s planters 
  imported 150,000 indentured 
  field hands from India – and 
  Hinduism ran into Trinidadian 
  obeah and ecstatic Christianity. 
  The result was a sect practicing 
  ritual possession (by Hindu 
  gods 
  and 
  Orishas), 
  blood 
  drinking, and animal sacrifice: 
  Kali-Mai. Suppressed by the 
  white colonial masters and by 
  the orthodox Hindus, it went 
  underground. Kali-pujaris don’t 
  claim any black magic powers, 
  but their healing arts surpass 
  their rivals. Those rivals in 
  turn blame the Kali-Mai for 
  any strange or eerie occurences 
  in the area. Pirated copies 
  of European grimoires were 
  common in Trinidad among 
  obeah-men from the 1890s 
  forward, and among “Kabbalah 
  societies” there now – another 
  possible “black magic” tradition 
  to explore.
  INVISIBLE FORMAT
  Each of the major Invisibles listed 
  below follows this format. The names 
  of the Invisibles – and most of the other 
  details given -- are usually that of their 
  Haitian Loa equivalent, which is most 
  likely the most familiar to gamers 
  and readers. If not, the descriptive text 
  underneath notes the exceptions.
  Many authorities provide different 
  details for the same Invisible; I have 
  attempted to find the most common 
  or reliable one where possible. 
  Where separate traditions differ 
  strongly, I either default to Vodou or 
  indicate the variances.
  
  G UMSHOE ZOO M
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  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  back to his trickster role as Esu) 
  is Maît’ Carrefour, the Master of 
  the Crossroads, emblematic of the 
  setting sun and black magic done 
  in secret. Carrefour is strong and 
  vibrant, because he has no worries. 
  As Legba opens the door for helpful 
  spirits, Carrefour opens the way for 
  harmful baka and other evil beings. 
  Since he can open or restrain evil 
  spirits, Carrefour is often invoked 
  to protect against them.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Guardian of crossroads, barriers, 
  gates, 
  and 
  doorways. 
  Inhabits 
  crossroads and gateways. Finder of 
  hidden treasures, guards the house. 
  Interpreter between loa and mankind; 
  thus, patron of communication.
  OFFERINGS
  Alcoholic drinks, candy, and grilled 
  or 
  smoked 
  goat 
  meat. 
  Spotted 
  roosters. Dogs (Kongo); rum (Petro). 
  Pipe tobacco. Offerings to Legba 
  cannot have any broken bones.
  POSSESSION
  His chwals walk with a limp, often 
  using a cane; often, they simply 
  fall to the ground unable to walk. 
  They seem much older than usual. 
  (Reassurance)
  Choose: +6 Athletics (for feats of 
  strength only), +1 to hand-to-hand 
  or melee damage, +2 Languages, +3 
  Cryptography (decoding only), +3 
  Locksmith, +4 Digital Intrusion, or +4 
  Infiltration.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Wednesday (or Friday and Saturday), 
  black and white, the crutch, the 
  mirror, the crossroads, a pipe hung 
  in the doorway, the numbers 3 and 
  21. Fig tree, calabash, medicinier-
  béni, frankincense; dogs, rooster; 
  low-smoldering fire (Carrefour).
  St. Anthony the Hermit (patron saint 
  of lost objects), St. Lazarus (at the 
  door to death; often depicted with 
  a staff), St. John the Baptist (who 
  makes straight the way of the Lord), 
  and St. Peter (keeper of the keys to 
  heaven).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Papa Legba (Rada, 21 Divisiones), 
  Legba Chemin (Rada, guardian of 
  the Gran Chemin, or great highway), 
  Legba Maît’ ‘Bitasyon (Rada, guardian 
  of the house threshold), Attibon 
  Legba (Rada), Legba Sé (Rada); Maît’ 
  Carrefour or Legba Kalfu (Petro), 
  Sousou 
  Pannan 
  (Petro, 
  depicted 
  as an old vagabond covered with 
  INVISIBLE DISTORTIONS
  Please respect the religions you’re borrowing from. Ideally and as often as 
  you can, try to keep the outright evil human, not divine. Keep in mind that 
  Invisibles with immense, alien agendas may well be challenging enough 
  for your heroes. But yes, some games and some stories may demand “evil” 
  Invisibles.
  One possibility comes from the notion that Don Pedro built the Petro Loa 
  out of the ghosts of poisoners, cruel overseers, and local devils – and they 
  simply took the forms of the Rada Loa who had “fixed” the local astral 
  plane in those shapes. Whether imitations, imposters, or energy thieves, 
  this lets your evil loa be parodies and travesties of the real gods. Thwarting 
  and exorcising them becomes the right thing to do for Vodou houngans, 
  too. This option works especially well with the Outer Dark Entities found 
  in the Esoterrorists RPG – the ODEs took advantage of the horrors of 
  slavery to enter through the tattered Veil as false reflections of the true 
  Loa. Their outrages both thin the Veil further and degrade the human, 
  inspirational nature of the Loa they impersonate. Perhaps “Don Pedro” 
  was the Esoterror cultist who opened the way for them.
  Another possibility is that the innately fissiparous Orishas were distorted 
  by some force in the New World: the immense evil of slavery, the ruins of 
  Atlantis, or the horrific undersea entity known only as Duppy Jonah. The 
  evil Invisibles are false reflections, brief mad nightmares, things about 
  themselves that even they would rather not face. The Invisibles might also 
  have splintered, twisted, or deformed upon encountering the immense 
  metaphysical gravity of the gods and titans of the Mythos, either in Africa 
  or America. Blasphemous bokors use these loa-lonbraj, these “shadow 
  loa,” to invoke Yog-Sothoth, Tsathoggua, or Cthulhu.
  A fully Purist reading of Lovecraft, by contrast, casts all the Loa as 
  misunderstandings, domestications, and corruptions of Mythos truths. 
  This is, of course, true of all religions and most sciences in Lovecraft’s 
  cosmology. In this reading, both Rada and Petro Loa are at best the “weak 
  gods of Earth” and at worst thin, uncaring masks for the true horror at the 
  heart of the world.
  
  9
  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  sores); Papa Leba (Sanse); Papa Lebat 
  (Louisiana); Leba (Winti); Elegguá 
  (Santería); Shango features both 
  Eshu and Legbara (identified with 
  the Devil); Nkuyu (Palo); Aluvia 
  (Candomblé-Angola); Belie Belcan (21 
  Divisiones) is a blend of Ogun and 
  Legba, a limping soldier defending 
  justice; Exú (Candomblé, Umbanda) 
  is usually seen as a dangerous force 
  that must be appeased or driven 
  away before the ceremony can begin. 
  In Quimbanda, Exú Morcego is the 
  Bat Exu, who governs vampirism.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Yog-Sothoth (the Key and the Gate), 
  Nyarlathotep (the mirror and devil), 
  Nodens (old man with hounds), 
  Daoloth.
  AGWÉ
  Agwé (also Goueh, Agoueh, or Agive) 
  is the lord of the ocean. As Agwé-
  ‘Woyo (or Agwé-Taroyo, “Agwé of the 
  Streams”) he captains the Immamou, 
  the ship that carries the dead to 
  Guinée. He appears as a tall, bearded 
  man with green eyes, wearing a 
  white naval uniform. He is married 
  both to Erzulie-Freda and La Sirene, 
  the mermaid sea loa. Ceremonies 
  to Agwé begin in the hounfor with 
  the sounding of a conch horn, and 
  end on the seaside with sacrifices 
  launched to him on a small boat 
  called the “barque d’Agwé”. His New 
  Orleans cult is large, worshiping 
  him at the Bayou St. John and Lake 
  Ponchartrain.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Agwé dwells on the sea bottom in 
  a great palace, governing the ocean 
  and all life coming from or sailing 
  on it; winds, currents, whirlpools. 
  Protects sailors, ensures good fish 
  catches. Direction, navigation; thus 
  also a source of guidance in general. 
  Signals and communication.
  OFFERINGS
  White sheep or hens, blue-dyed ram, 
  male goat (Agwé-‘Woyo), rice with 
  coconut milk, fine drinks, naval 
  rum, crème de menthe, white cakes, 
  champagne; wet sponges and towels 
  to cool off with. No seafood, please – 
  he gets plenty of that at home.
  POSSESSION
  Agwé’s steeds are noble, distant, and 
  polite, unless they find indiscipline 
  and must bark orders. They tend to 
  gurgle their words, and sometimes 
  “row” 
  themselves 
  around 
  the 
  ceremony in chairs pushed by sticks. 
  They must be kept from diving 
  into the water, especially when the 
  ceremony is held on a boat. (Military 
  Science, Reassurance)
  Choose: 
  +4 
  Piloting 
  (boats 
  or 
  navigation only), +4 Athletics or 
  Fleeing (for swimming only), or +3 
  Outdoorsman (only on water).
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Thursday; white but also blue or 
  green; boat or ship, oars, cannon fire, 
  thunder over the ocean, conch and 
  other seashells, salt water, metal 
  fishes; 
  compass, 
  telescope; 
  fish 
  hooks, nets; lavender, heron (Winti).
  St. Ulrich, Archangel Raphael (both 
  depicted with fish).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  His Rada titles or escorte include 
  Ange-en-Miwa 
  (“Angel 
  in 
  the 
  Mirror”), Agoueh tha-Oyo (African 
  passage), Coqui-Nan-Mer (“Shell of 
  the Ocean”), La Balene (the Whale), 
  Mat-Agwé 
  (“Master 
  Agwé,” 
  the 
  navigator), Zangi (the Eel); Agwé-
  je-Rouge (Petro, “Red Eyes”), Agwé-
  Flambeau (Petro) governs undersea 
  volcanoes, 
  fire 
  (and 
  other 
  bad 
  luck) at sea, and hot springs; Agbe 
  (Candomblé-Jeje); Awese (Winti); Tin 
  Djo Alaguey (Sanse).
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Cthulhu, Dagon, Gol-Goroth, Nodens 
  (depicted with a net, Lord of the 
  Abyss).
  Agwe’s first lieutenant is Agassou, a 
  crab-shaped loa reminiscent perhaps 
  of the Mi-Go.
  DAMBALLAH WÈDO
  Damballah 
  Wèdo 
  (also 
  spelled 
  Damballa, Dambala, Danbhalah, 
  and Danballa) is often thought of as 
  the head of the Rada pantheon. His 
  few Petro forms are less malevolent 
  and spiteful than the usual run of 
  Petro deities. Damballah is the Sky 
  Lord, the Rainbow Serpent; his 
  connection with the sky and his 
  sinuous shape tie him to rivers and 
  to the rain as well. These attributes 
  also make him a fertility loa.  
  He is often described as “white,” 
  and is sometimes even shown with 
  red hair.  Often, he is depicted as 
  ugly. The word Wèdo (or Ouedo, 
  or Houédo) refers to Whydah, the 
  major slave port of Dahomey; Dan 
  and his wife Ayida Wèdo come 
  from Fon, not Yoruba tradition. 
  Ayida (or Aida) Wèdo is the wife, 
  consort, 
  and 
  feminine 
  aspect 
  of Damballah. Her worship is 
  performed alongside Damballah, 
  perhaps as half of a double-entity. 
  In Africa, Ayida was a male spirit, 
  the earthly incarnation of Dan. 
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Snakes, floods, rains, the sky; 
  Ayida usually governs the rainbow. 
  
  G UMSHOE ZOO M
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  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  Damballah 
  and 
  Ayida 
  live 
  in 
  springs and rivers, especially a 
  sacred waterfall at Saut-d’Eau. 
  Cures desperate illness, with Ayida 
  sanctifies and blesses marriages. 
  Power over silver (a “white” metal), 
  thus also power over treasure, luck, 
  and wealth. Twisted spines and the 
  handicapped.
  OFFERINGS
  Eggs especially. White meat, white 
  roosters (white hens for Ayida), 
  pork. Clear alcohol. Òjat (orgeat, 
  thick almond and sugar syrup). 
  White flour (also used to draw his 
  vèvè) and rice. Anisette (Petro only).
  POSSESSION
  Humans possessed by Damballah 
  often roll or writhe on the ground 
  like serpents. They often do not 
  speak but dart their tongues or 
  whistle. Sometimes they will climb 
  trees; Damballah is often depicted 
  near a tree or wrapped around a 
  tree. (Reassurance)
  Choose: +4 Athletics (to escape 
  or climbing attempts only), +4 
  Filch (to escape handcuffs only), 
  +4 Health (resisting poison only), +4 
  First Aid or Medic (against disease 
  or venom), or +2 Notice or Evidence 
  Collection.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Thursday; white; serpent, rainbow, 
  lightning; the number 8. Cotton 
  tree, 
  silk 
  tree, 
  bougainvillea, 
  lilac, 
  hyacinth 
  (Ayida); 
  albino, 
  chameleon.
  St. Patrick (commanding snakes), 
  Moses (raising the serpent image 
  above the Hebrews in the desert), 
  St. John the Evangelist (who drinks 
  from a poisoned cup containing 
  a serpent). Ayida is represented 
  by Our Lady of the Immaculate 
  Conception, Our Lady of Carmel, 
  and other forms of the Virgin.
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Dambala (Rada), Dagowe (Rada), 
  Damballah Verre (Rada), Ossange 
  (a Rada loa devoted to healing and 
  forests); Damballah La Flambeau 
  (Petro, Damballah of the Torch, also 
  known as Damballah Flangho, Saint 
  Blanc, or Petro Blanc), Coulevre 
  (Petro, lord of poisonous snakes), Dan 
  Petro (Petro, possibly cognate with 
  Dompedre); Dangbe (Candomblé-
  Jeje); Dan or Danny (Louisiana), Li 
  Grand Zombi (Louisiana); Danbala 
  (21 Divisiones); in Africa, he was 
  known as Dan, Danbada, or Da; 
  some of his functions are subsumed 
  in the Santería orishas Obatala (the 
  King of White Cloth, orisha of peace 
  and purity) and Osain (a forest 
  orisha, Osain has only one leg, one 
  arm, and one eye, the parallels with 
  the snake deity Damballah should 
  be obvious), with Ayida as Oshun; 
  in Candomblé and Umbanda he is 
  probably represented by Oxumarê 
  (Ayida is Oxum). 
  
  11
  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Yig, Zhar (twin deity), Nyarlathotep 
  (as 
  Dan 
  Petro 
  or 
  Dompedre), 
  Serpent-Folk magicians or racial 
  spirits, a mighty dhole.
  ERZULIE
  Erzulie was a major orisha (or 
  several of them) in Africa; one of 
  her names in Dahomey was Aïson 
  (a linguistic halfway-point between 
  Oshun and Erzulie), a protectress 
  of public gatherings. Although she 
  is almost as popular as Damballah, 
  Erzulie’s role is more ambiguous. 
  Erzulie (also spelled Ezili and Èzilie) 
  is the great loa of love, from fierce 
  motherhood (as Erzulie Dantò) to 
  sweet seduction (as Erzulie-Freda), 
  to pure (or impure) carnality (as 
  Erzulie Banda, a devotee of the 
  sensual banda dance). 
  Light-skinned 
  and 
  long-haired, 
  Erzulie is beautiful and desirable, 
  wearing three wedding rings. She 
  also rules feminine virtues like 
  grace, beauty, and family, and 
  holds down the familiar mythic 
  roles of maiden, mother, and crone 
  (as Grande Ezili, she is an aged 
  woman hobbling about on a cane). 
  As Maîtresse Mambo, she is the 
  patroness of priestesses. 
  Erzulie can be jealous; when she 
  is married to a human such as a 
  houngan (or simply a handsome 
  man 
  whom 
  she 
  fancies), 
  her 
  husband must refrain from sex on 
  Erzulie’s sacred days, since on those 
  days he is reserved only for her. As 
  the loa of desire, she incarnates the 
  desire for better things and a better 
  life. She is the loa, therefore, of 
  dreams, and her vanity mirror is just 
  as much a portal to the supernatural 
  as Legba’s looking-glass.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Love, fertility, lust, sex, family, and 
  motherhood. 
  Jealousy, 
  discord, 
  vanity, 
  vengeance. 
  Beauty 
  and 
  creativity, dreams and desires. 
  She dwells in riverbanks. She 
  loves jewelry and luxury, and that 
  trait and her ties to fertility give 
  her influence over wealth and 
  prosperity.
  OFFERINGS
  Champagne, red sugary drinks, 
  cosmetics, 
  scent, 
  chicken 
  and 
  rice, gourmet prepared dishes and 
  desserts; basil, Florida water; fancy 
  soaps still in the wrapper.
  POSSESSION
  Those possessed by Erzulie find 
  their behavior varies depending 
  on which form of Erzulie is riding; 
  some are coquettish, flirtatious, 
  and speak ladylike French in a high 
  voice 
  (especially 
  Mademoiselle 
  Charlotte, who will refuse to speak 
  any other language); others are 
  earthy and gladly make romantic 
  assignations (which are sometimes 
  carried out before Erzulie leaves, 
  to the occasional chagrin of the 
  possessed); others simply move 
  fluidly, graciously, and elegantly, 
  extending effusive greetings to their 
  favorites and a politely extended 
  little finger to acquaintances or 
  strangers. Male or female, the 
  chwal dresses up in fancy silk 
  gowns, and applies cosmetics and 
  scent liberally. Erzulie loves to 
  dance. However, as a divine being 
  used to luxury, if every little thing 
  is not perfect, Erzulie weeps sadly 
  because her worshippers no longer 
  love her. Humans possessed by 
  Erzulie-jé-rouge will tense in an 
  agony of frustration and anger, 
  clenching 
  their 
  fists 
  so 
  hard 
  they cut their palms with their 
  fingernails, speaking only in a 
  raging groan; the legacy of slavery, 
  rape, and abuse that spawned the 
  Petro rites is particularly visible 
  here. (Flattery, Flirting, High Society 
  or Credit Rating 6+)
  Choose: +3 Flirting or Flattery, 
  3-point Health refresh, or +3 Art.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Tuesdays and Thursdays; heart, 
  lipstick, vanity mirror, white lamp, 
  the moon, roses, laurel, rocks found 
  in running water, dove, bells, three 
  rings; blue, pink, gold (Santería and 
  Candomblé); the number 5; bowl of 
  blood with knives (Petro).
  Our Lady of Sorrows (her heart, 
  often shown pierced with a sword 
  in Catholic iconography, is the 
  basis of Erzulie’s vèvè), Our Lady 
  of Czestochowa (the Black Virgin, 
  patron saint of Poland, and often 
  identified 
  with 
  Erzulie 
  Dantò), 
  other versions of the Virgin, and 
  (for Grande Ezili) St. Anne.
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Her role as one of the great Rada loa 
  is recognized in her titles Erzulie-
  Freda-Dahomey (or Erzulie-Wèdo-
  Daromain, 
  meaning 
  Erzulie 
  of 
  Whydah in Dahomey), Maîtresse 
  Erzulie (or Metrès Ezili, Mistress 
  Erzulie), Èzilie Doba (or Dogba, 
  named after a town in Dahomey); 
  her Petro forms are just as diverse 
  as her Rada ones, including the 
  older witch Erzulie-jé-rouge (or Ezili 
  Je Wouj, Erzulie of the Red Eyes, red 
  eyes being a common trait among 
  the Petro loa), Ezili-mapyang (or 
  Erzulie 
  Mapiangueh), 
  Maîtresse 
  Espagnole 
  (who 
  only 
  speaks 
  Spanish, a Petro langay), Ezili-
  
  G UMSHOE ZOO M
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  vOODOO 2: the invisibles
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  Coeur-Noir (Erzulie of the Black 
  Heart), Ezili-bumba, Ezili-kokobe 
  (Erzulie 
  the 
  Shrivelled), 
  Ezili-
  kanlikan (who has a taste for the 
  “two-footed goat,” or human flesh), 
  and even Ezili Dantò, whose rages 
  are feared by some as evidence of 
  her Petro allegiance; Metres Ezili, 
  Anaisa Pye (21 Divisiones); Metresili 
  (Sanse); Chola Wengue (Palo); Oxum 
  (Candomblé); Kisimbi (Candomblé-
  Angola); Oshun (Santería).
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Shub-Niggurath, Y’golonac, Mormo, 
  Bast, Lilith.
  MARINETTE
  Marinette 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  Petro 
  reflection 
  of 
  Erzulie, 
  just 
  as 
  Carrefour is of Legba. Her names 
  Marinette-Bwa-Chech 
  (“Marinette 
  of the Dry Arms”) and Marinette-
  Pied-Cheche (“of the Dry Feet”) imply 
  she is a skeleton or mummified. She 
  shares characteristics with Erzulie 
  Dantò, namely a scarred face and no 
  tongue. Other loa, it is said, cut it out 
  fearing that she would betray them 
  to the whites during the Haitian 
  Revolution. In other versions of the 
  story, Marinette was the mambo 
  of Erzulie Dantò who sacrificed 
  the first black hog during the great 
  Vodou Ceremonie at Bois-Caiman in 
  1791, starting the Haitian Revolution. 
  However, her roots in Petro are deep 
  and possibly go back into the Indian 
  myths of the vengeful and bloody-
  minded corn goddess, called Xilonen 
  by the Huastecs and Coatlicue by the 
  Aztecs.
  Her son, likely by Don Pedro 
  (Dompedre, Dan Petro) himself, is 
  the one-legged cannibal fire-loa Ti-
  Jean Petro. In some traditions, he 
  is her husband.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Freedom from bondage (and thus, 
  bondage), revenge and revolt, death 
  and undeath, sorcery, werewolves 
  and baka. She wanders the woods, 
  swamps, and waste places.
  OFFERINGS
  Black pigs, black roosters plucked 
  alive 
  and 
  buried; 
  salvia 
  and 
  marijuana, black pepper, candy, 
  lavender; salt and gasoline thrown 
  on a fire.
  POSSESSION
  Marinette’s mounts thrash cruelly 
  around, 
  stiff-jointed, 
  burning 
  animals in the fire or people with 
  brands or cigars. They can walk on 
  fire. In gravelly voices, they confess 
  Marinette’s latest outrages. Other 
  chwals bend from the hips, hooting 
  and hooking fingers on their heads 
  representing 
  owls. 
  (Bargain 
  or 
  Negotiation, Intimidation)
  Choose: +2 to any combat ability.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Tuesday, screech owl, werewolf, red 
  cloth, sharp coral, black and blood 
  red; whip (Oyá); the number 9.
  Anima 
  Sola 
  (Lonely 
  Soul 
  in 
  Purgatory), Joan of Arc (woman with 
  a sword), St. Barbara Africana.
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Marinette Lumin-de-Fe (“Light-the-
  Fire”); Marinette Kongo (Kongo); 
  Centella Ndoki (Palo).
  Marinette’s iconography has much 
  in common with the Santería orisha 
  Oyá, who wears a mask and lives in 
  graveyards. She rules winds, storms, 
  vengeance, ghosts, and fire; her 
  Candomblé equivalent is Iansã.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Mormo, 
  Nyarlathotep, 
  Gol-Goroth 
  (violent orgies), Ghatanothoa (evil eye, 
  mummies), Quachil Uttaus (dryness).
  OGUN
  Ogun (also Ogoun, Ogu, Ogou, Ogorin, 
  etc.) is the great warrior of the 
  Invisibles, descended from the Yoruba 
  orisha Ogun and the Fon vodu Gu. He 
  rules metals, weapons, and combat, 
  as well as technology, progress, and 
  machinery. In Haiti, he has more 
  recently mastered diplomacy and 
  power politics, usually in his Ogun 
  Badagris (Ogu-Badagri) identity. This 
  angers his more traditional warrior 
  self, Ogun Feray (also Ogun Fai, Ogun 
  Ferraille); in all his forms, Ogun 
  must watch his destructive temper. 
  He is a tall, imposing black man in 
  a military uniform, bearing a sword. 
  He, too, is married to (or carrying on 
  a long-term affair with) Erzulie. A 
  helpful but fiery, angry deity, Ogun 
  straddles the line between Rada and 
  Petro; some Vodou traditions give the 
  Oguns their own nanchon.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Metals, especially iron, blacksmiths; 
  weapons, 
  combat, 
  machinery, 
  technology, vehicles, and those who 
  use them; defenders of society such 
  as soldiers, policemen, and doctors; 
  might, power, victory, authority. Many 
  of Ogun’s houngans are Freemasons. 
  Ogun lives in bamboo groves or piles 
  of scrap iron. His warrior connection 
  to blood allows him power over blood 
  diseases; his command of knives 
  extends to surgery. Ogun Badagris 
  also commands storms and lightning 
  in areas where Shango does not 
  predominate. (Ogoun Chango blends 
  the two loa into one.) In Trinidadian 
  Shango, Ogun takes Legba’s role as 
  lord of the gateway.
  
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  OFFERINGS
  Flaming 
  rum, 
  red 
  wine 
  (21 
  Divisiones), cigars, cinnamon; red 
  rooster, red beans and rice, nuts, red 
  berries, bullock, sheep (Trinidad); 
  Red Bull; fire made with three 
  railroad ties, black dog, pigeons, 
  yams, turtle, smoked fish, toy cars or 
  trains; gunpowder.
  POSSESSION
  Those ridden by Ogun wear a kepi 
  or tie a red scarf around their head. 
  They 
  brandish 
  blades, 
  stabbing 
  themselves with them to no effect, 
  pour liquor on their hands or 
  spray it through their teeth and 
  set it afire, swear like soldiers, and 
  occasionally propose marriage. Ogun 
  Badagris picks his favorites up and 
  carries them around; Ogun Feray 
  strikes them on the legs, imparting 
  strength. (Cop Talk, Bureaucracy 
  (Ogun Badagris or Panama only), 
  Military Science)
  Choose: +2 damage or +4 Weapons 
  for any bladed weapon, or +1 
  damage or +3 Shooting or Firearms, 
  +4 Explosives, +2 to any Technical 
  ability, or -3 Armor (against either 
  fire or bullets only).
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Tuesday or Wednesday; June 29, July 
  25; the numbers 3 and 4. Calabash 
  tree, mango tree, breadfruit tree, 
  bamboo, pine, swords, machetes, 
  knives, red flag, butterflies, dogs; 
  saber driven into the ground, iron 
  (especially heated or magnetized 
  iron), chain, hoe blade, three railroad 
  spikes, locomotive. His colors are 
  green and black (Cuba and Brazil) or 
  red and blue (Haiti).
  St. James the Greater (warrior saint), 
  St. George, St. Peter (Santería and 
  Palo), St. Sebastian (especially in 
  Bahia, suffering with arrows), St. 
  Wenceslas (21 Divisiones), Archangel 
  Michael (Shango, Sanse).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Ogu Balenjo (protection from poison) 
  is part of Agwé’s crew and commands 
  ropes, Ogun Batala (among other 
  things, an alchemist) is a version of 
  the Santería orisha Obatala, Ogoun 
  Bayé opens the gateway, Ogun Jekke 
  (ironworking), Ogou Panama (named 
  for his natty straw hat) governs 
  hunsi initiation, sunstroke, and 
  diplomacy, Ogoun Sen Jac (protection 
  from bullets and shells); Mounassou 
  (Petro, 
  gangsters 
  and 
  organized 
  crime), 
  Ogun 
  Feray 
  de 
  Menm 
  (Petro, “Two-Handed Ogun”), Ogun 
  Chadé or Achardé is a Petro bokor, 
  Ogun Jaco (Petro, discord and ill-
  temper), Ogun Je-Rouge (Petro), Ogu 
  Tonnerre (Petro, “Thunderstone”), 
  Ogu Yamsan (Petro, storms); Ogoun 
  Bachango (Kongo); Ogun Balendyo 
  (21 Divisiones) appears as an old 
  veteran; Ogum (Candomblé); Gu 
  (Candomblé-Jeje); Nkosi-Mukumbe 
  (Candomblé-Angola); 
  Ogou 
  Fegay 
  (21 Divisiones); Oggun (Santería); 
  Joe Feraille (Louisiana); Zarabanda 
  (Palo) commands death-magic.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Cthugha, Nyarlathotep.
  SHANGO
  Shango (or Chango) began as a 
  conquering king of Oyo in Africa, 
  and ascended to divinity. One of the 
  most popular orisha in Cuba and the 
  lead orisha in Trinidad, he governs 
  fire, thunder, and lightning. He 
  appears as a handsome, powerful, 
  muscular man in peak condition. 
  He governs the masculine virtues, 
  and the masculine vices as well.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Music, 
  drums, 
  fire, 
  thunder, 
  lightning, volcanoes; masculinity 
  and macho behavior, as well as its 
  needed counterpart self-control; 
  law, justice, magical knowledge 
  (Candomblé). 
  Shango 
  lives 
  underneath mountaintops or other 
  high places. He traps in fire those 
  who offend him.
  OFFERINGS
  Apples, yams, corn, red peppers, 
  okra; rabbits, bull, ram; anisette, 
  absinthe, red wine. To break a 
  powerful curse, sacrifice a horse to 
  Shango.
  POSSESSION
  Shango’s 
  caballos 
  become 
  passionate, swaggering, sensual, 
  risk-seeking, 
  and 
  dangerous. 
  They may start fires. Like Shango 
  himself, they dread the sight of 
  skulls. (Flattery, Flirting (female 
  characters 
  only), 
  Intimidation, 
  Streetwise)
  Choose: +2 damage or +3 Shooting or 
  Firearms, +4 Explosives, or -3 Armor 
  (against fire or electricity only).
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Friday (Thursday in Vodou) or 
  Saturday, the 4th day of the 
  Month, December 4; double-bladed 
  axe, drums, meteoric iron, flint, 
  thunderstorms, mortar and pestle, 
  castle, cup; yellow kerchief (Vodou); 
  red and white; the numbers 4 and 
  6. Shango’s thunderstones (flint, 
  meteorites, or obsidian) appear 
  where his holy lightning strikes, 
  and must be picked up after a 
  year and a day to be magically 
  potent. St. Barbara (patron saint of 
  artillery, depicted with lightning 
  and a sword), St. Bartholomew, St. 
  Mark, St. Jerome (Brazil).
  
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  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  Xangô 
  (Candomblé); 
  Heviosso 
  (Candomblé-Jeje); 
  Nzaza-Loango 
  (Candomblé-Angola); 
  Tupan 
  (Catimbo); Chango (21 Divisiones); in 
  Palo he is Nsasi, called Siete Rayos 
  (“Seven Scars”); in Trinidad Shango 
  also takes the names Abacuso, 
  Guroon, and Saja, mostly governing 
  his peaceful side.
  In Vodou, Sogbo is the loa more 
  often associated with lightning and 
  thunder.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Cthugha, 
  Hastur 
  (yellow 
  cloth, 
  mountains), Nyarlathotep, Shudde-
  M’ell and the cthonians (earthquakes 
  and volcanoes).
  TEMPO
  Tempo is the Candomblé-Angola orixá 
  of the trees, of nature, of the turning 
  of the seasons, and of time. In Brazil, 
  Tempo is widely identified (save by 
  the most fanatical “re-Africanizing” 
  purists) with the Candomblé orixá 
  (and hence the Vodou loa) Iroko, 
  or Loko. His name comes from the 
  Kitembo tribe of the Congo, and he 
  appears as an old man gnarled like 
  a tree trunk.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Nature, the seasons, the weather, and 
  time; trees and leaves, herbalism; 
  guardian of entrances, reversal of 
  fortune, broken bones, insanity, 
  dreams and hauntings; the wind, 
  and thus diseases and secrets. Loko is 
  the first houngan, and thus governs 
  initiation and the forms of worship.
  OFFERINGS
  Alcohol of any kind, especially 
  aged alcohol, beer and wine; 
  boiled corn, popcorn, cornmeal, red 
  or white chickens, honey; cigars. 
  Often petitioners leave offerings 
  to Tempo or Loko hanging in a bag 
  from the branches of a sacred tree, 
  along with their question.
  POSSESSION
  Those 
  entered 
  by 
  Tempo 
  may 
  spin and bend drunkenly (he is a 
  famous imbiber), crouch into an 
  ever-smaller ball, or stalk haughtily 
  around the room judging others 
  omnisciently. They carry sticks and 
  smoke pipes. (Oral History, to share 
  ancient anecdotes)
  Choose: 2-point Health refresh, +3 
  Outdoorsman or Outdoor Survival, 
  +3 Biology, +4 Preparedness, +4 Sense 
  Trouble, or +3 Theology.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Tuesdays, January 6, May 1, August 
  10; brazier, metal banner, white flag, 
  ladder, keyhole, spears, butterflies, 
  propeller, 
  windmill, 
  clock; 
  the 
  numbers 4 and 16; white and green; 
  the pine, jurema, mapou, ceiba, and 
  white fig trees.
  St. Francis of Assisi (outdoors in 
  nature), St. Lawrence (holds a 
  ladder-like gridiron).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  In some terreiros, Tempo manifests 
  as a “white Xangô,” while in others 
  he is equated to Obaluayê or Omolu, 
  the masked Lord of Earth. Omolu is 
  the orixá of disease, rebirth, and the 
  graveyard; he is chief of the ghosts.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Azathoth, Chaugnar Faugn, Cthulhu 
  (the stars coming right, dreams 
  and nightmares), Quachil Uttaus, 
  Great Race of Yith.
  YEMAYA
  Yemaya (or Yemanja, Iemanya, 
  Yemayah) is one of the most 
  popular and beloved orishas in 
  Santería. (She is, if anything, even 
  more popular as the orixá Iemanjá 
  in Brazilian Candomblé.) She is 
  the Mother of Waters (Madre 
  Agua), guardian of the ocean and 
  of motherhood. 
  She is the mother to all life, a 
  beautiful matronly woman with 
  long black hair and a lush figure. 
  Originally Yemoja, a Yoruba orisha 
  of the Niger River, she is the 
  patron goddess of all the Africans 
  carried across the sea.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Yemaya governs the seas, life, 
  childbirth, 
  dreaming, 
  music, 
  divination, 
  meditation, 
  mental 
  health, 
  healing 
  waters, 
  and 
  motherhood. She owns sunken 
  treasure and pearls, and brings 
  wealth. 
  She 
  brings 
  drenching 
  rains 
  and 
  hurricanes 
  when 
  displeased, or drowns her foes in 
  floods.
  OFFERINGS
  Watermelon, guinea hens, ducks, 
  rams; fried pork rinds, plantains; 
  coconut balls, sugar-cane syrup, 
  molasses; 
  flowers, 
  perfume, 
  combs, mirrors. Her offerings 
  should be floated out to sea, 
  ideally with a white candle.
  POSSESSION
  Yemaya’s caballos walk like sailors 
  or like the waters themselves, 
  circling and swaying; as La Sirene 
  she has trouble walking due to her 
  mermaid’s tail, but speaks perfect 
  French. (Bargain or Negotiation, 
  Flattery, Reassurance)
  
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  Choose: 
  +4 
  Health 
  (against 
  drowning only), 2-point Health 
  refresh, +4 Hypnosis, +4 Shrink or 
  Psychoanalysis, +4 Piloting (at sea 
  only), or +4 Sense Trouble.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Saturday, New Years’ Eve, February 
  2, December 8; seashells, stones 
  found by the shore, fish, mirrors, 
  combs, trumpets, moon, canoe, 
  fan (Candomblé), ants, indigo, the 
  colors blue and white; the number 
  7.
  Our Lady of the Seafaring, Stella 
  Maris, La Diosa Del Mar, St. Martha 
  (seen on a boat), Our Lady of Regla 
  (patron of the Afro-Cubans; shrine 
  in Havana).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  In Santería, she manifests in 
  at least seven other caminos: 
  Yemaya-Ashaba 
  (overwhelming 
  beauty), 
  Yemaya-Asseu 
  (dirty 
  waters, 
  necromancy), 
  Yemaya-
  Awoyo (age and wisdom, crowned 
  with 
  rainbows), 
  Yemaya 
  Ibu 
  Aro (markets and commerce), 
  Yemaya-Malewo (forest lakes and 
  herbalism), Yemaya-Ogunte (war 
  and iron weapons, rocky coasts), 
  and 
  Yemaya-Okutti 
  (violence 
  and 
  piracy, 
  witchcraft, 
  sends 
  messages by mice). Other caminos 
  of Yemaya include Yemaya Acuaro 
  (breaker of witchcraft), Yemaya 
  Afodo (liberator of slaves), Yemaya 
  Ibu Konla (builder of boats). She is 
  equated to another orisha, Olokun, 
  the impossible depths of the 
  ocean. In Vodou, she is Lasyrenn 
  or La Sirène, the mermaid wife of 
  Agwé; La Balenne (Petro, female 
  Whale); Emanja (Shango); Janaina 
  (Catimbo); 
  Kaitumba, 
  Calunga 
  (Candomblé-Angola); 
  Tobossi 
  (Candomblé-Jeje); 
  Lamanté, 
  Maman Dlo (Quimbois); Má Lango 
  (Palo); Watramama (Winti).
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Abhoth 
  (the 
  Source 
  of 
  Uncleanness), 
  Cthulhu, 
  Hydra, 
  Shub-Niggurath.
  GHEDE
  Vodou and other Afro-Caribbean 
  ceremonies 
  end 
  with 
  an 
  invocation of Ghede, or Guédé, 
  the lord of death and the dead. 
  He is not an “evil god,” but rather 
  the 
  “great 
  leveler” 
  in 
  whose 
  domain everyone is finally equal. 
  Hence, he is traditionally full 
  of low humor and coarse jokes. 
  He appears as a short, dark-
  skinned man wearing a fancy hat, 
  smoking a cigar, and eating an 
  apple. In some traditions, Ghede 
  has a whole nanchon or Line to 
  himself, complete with his own 
  Twins (the all-seeing gravediggers 
  Marassa and Ouassou, who wear 
  contrasting colors and genders) 
  and court. 
  
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  In 21 Divisiones and some Haitian 
  traditions, 
  Ghede 
  is 
  eclipsed 
  by his junior loa, the Baron (Le 
  Bawon). Variously known as Baron 
  Cimetière (Baron del Cementerio 
  in 21 Divisiones and Sanse), Baron 
  Samedi, or Baron Le Croix, he 
  embodies the cemetery and the 
  grave, including the magic worked 
  there. He appears with a white 
  skull-face (or even with the head 
  of a skull), wearing a top hat and 
  tailcoat, and carrying a cane. He 
  wears smoked glasses or sunglasses, 
  often with one lens knocked out, to 
  adjust to the brightness of the world 
  above the grave. His wife Maman 
  Brigitte (from St. Brigid, protectress 
  of gravestones) is the mother of 
  the lesser Ghedes, symbolized by 
  mounds of stones in a cemetery.
  POWERS AND DOMAIN
  Lord of the dead, lord of death. 
  Inhabits the first grave dug in any 
  cemetery. 
  Governs 
  disease 
  and 
  thus healing; protector of children 
  who must not die before their time. 
  Ghede also governs obscenity and 
  taboo-breaking, 
  magic, 
  clowns, 
  androgyny 
  and 
  transvestitism 
  and transitional states in general. 
  Shares gate-opening with Legba, as 
  he controls the gates of Death.
  Maman Brigitte controls gravestones 
  as well as judgement, including 
  legal proceedings and monetary 
  awards. 
  OFFERINGS
  Cheap taffia rum infused with 
  habaneros and other hot spices; hot 
  peppers, salt herring, roasted corn, 
  roasted bananas, bread with oil, 
  black beans; black chickens; Coca-
  Cola or other kola beverages; black 
  coffee and gin, an orange cut in four 
  (21 Divisiones).
  POSSESSION
  Those ridden by Ghede stuff cotton 
  in their nose and ears and speak 
  in a high, nasal voice. They express 
  lascivious sensuality culminating 
  in the groin-shaking banda dance. 
  The chwals of Ghede are ravenously 
  hungry, 
  smoking 
  cigarettes 
  in 
  between meals. They enjoy filthly 
  wordplay, rub hot peppers on their 
  skin and eyes, and have no memory 
  of 
  their 
  possession. 
  Possession 
  by the Baron is much quieter, 
  traditionally. (Streetwise for low 
  talk, Credit Rating 0 or 1)
  Choose: 
  3-point 
  Health 
  refresh, 
  +4 to one damage roll once, +3 
  Intimidation, or +3 Occult.
  SYMBOLS AND ATTRIBUTES
  Despite Baron Samedi’s name, the 
  Ghede day is Monday. Black and 
  purple or mauve, smoked glass or 
  mirror, mercury, myrrh, citron, 
  cross-dressing, crosses and stones, 
  skull and bones, playing cards, 
  graveyard tools (spade, pick, and 
  hoe), machete, checkerboards or 
  check patterns, dogs, the numbers 9 
  (Brigitte), 13, or 17. His sacred day is 
  November 2 (All Souls’).
  St. Lazarus, Elijah, St. Roch (patron of 
  plague sufferers), St. Expedit (crow 
  and cross symbolism), St. Martin 
  de Porres (Baron Samedi), and St. 
  Gerard Majella (unborn children).
  OTHER FORMS AND 
  PARALLELS
  The Ghedes are more often seen as 
  separate entities than aspects of 
  Ghede, especially where the Baron 
  has usurped his master’s domain. 
  Ghede Nimbo (or Nibo) is the first 
  to die by violence, patron of the 
  unknown dead, psychopomp; Mr. 
  Entretoute or “Goes-Anywhere” is 
  a sophisticated man of the world, 
  while Jensiman Britisse is a “British 
  Gentleman.” Other Ghedes include 
  Brav Ghede or just Brav (Rada, 
  ancestral 
  spirits), 
  Guede-Double 
  (second 
  sight), 
  Guede-z-Araignée 
  (spiders), 
  Gede-L’Oraille 
  (Petro, 
  storms), Gede-Zeclai (lightning and 
  sudden death in general). Baron 
  Kriminel is a Petro aspect, the 
  first murderer; his chwals attack 
  others or themselves with their 
  teeth; Kobayende (Palo), Kaviungo 
  (Candomblé-Angola).
  In Santería, Babalú-Ayé (Omolu in 
  Candomblé) is the Orisha governing 
  death 
  and 
  disease, 
  especially 
  smallpox. He carries two bags full 
  of corn, their straps crossed on 
  his chest. Babalú-Ayé is closely 
  associated with Eleggua, and shares 
  wealth and healing freely. The 
  negative, seldom-invoked aspect of 
  death in Santería is Ikú.
  CTHULHU MYTHOS
  Gol-Goroth, Mordiggian and ghouls 
  in general, Tsathoggua.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Ken Writes About Stuff/Ken Writes About Stuff Vol. 2/Gumshoe Zoom - Voodoo 2 - The Invisibles.pdf