Aja

She crushes dried herbs in her mortar, then adds a pinch of seeds before grinding it all into a fine powder. A few drops of essential oils, a little sap... and the mixture becomes a sticky, aromatic paste. Attentively, I watch Aja prepare her salve, while next to her the contents of her cauldron boil. I blink, then focus on my own concoction. I grab a bunch of sage, grind a few sprigs with my pestle. In a corner of the room, between the hearth and the window, Turuun sweetly hums an old lullaby as the fragrance of coriander, rosemary, and thyme fills the space. I mimic each of the Eidolon's movements, mix my own ointment, then apply the thick balm to a recently boiled and sterilized strip of cloth.

Aja wipes her hands and stands next to me, inspecting my work. The Orisha nods, clearly satisfied. My poultices may not be as neat as hers, but I can't help but smile and be proud of what I managed to do on a first attempt. She begins folding them, then wraps them in broad leaves before storing them in individual pouches. Tomorrow we'll hand them off to a traveling merchant from the Cornucoopia company to be delivered to the Musk Refuge. Once everything is packed up, I turn to the cauldron and its warm aromas of ginger, paprika, chervil, and cloves. The boiling liquid gurgles. I turn toward Aja and ask what this potion will be used for. Turuun bursts out laughing, and the Eidolon smiles in turn. Embarrassed, I feel myself turning bright red as it dawns on me. It isn't a potion she's making, but more than likely this afternoon's stew...

In the Yoruba religion and some belief systems of the African diaspora, Aja is the Orisha that watches over forests and all the animals living in them. It is said that shamans seek her out to be trained in the arts of herbalism, a process which takes many days or even months. She benevolently imparts her knowledge to them, turning each student into a powerful "Jujuman" – a healer vested with magic who can craft elixirs and salves. She is also known as the "Fierce Wind".

Rin

389 AC