The Tales Of Mama Jojo

[*Pashan01]

"Deep in dat tunnel, I hurd a cackle, a woman's voice..'so deah is someone who be carin' she sayed. And deah I cums across four figuhs...one...muh knight, was knelt on dat hard ground, all beaten up, rags foah clothes..and tree udders in dark armour, shadowed an helmed...one held a knife to his troat..sayed I was too late! I was one to deah tree...nuthin...I cud not tek 'em...so I yelled foah dem to stop...wat did dey be wantin...an I pleaded....yessuh..I pleaded foah dat man." she heaves a big sigh and pauses leaning back in her fireside chair, remembering her helplessness, her, a proud warrior and huntress, but the situation had been beyond her to do else.

Bertie sits on the edge of his seat waiting to find out what happened next, quill poised; the edge of his seat actually only being a cushion on the floor so not far to fall should he have slipped from his seat in the excitement of her tale. He attempts to encourage Mama JoJo with a polite cough.

"Seems das wat dey had wanted...someone beggin foah his life...." she sighs again.

"In darkness dey left...sudden, after boppin dat man, what was left of him... ova da head...."

"I healed him bes I cud, made him sniff one o muh nasty potions to wek him up...cast strength on him to walk him home...an damn...dose tugs in dat forest..still nipped at our heels...cud only swipe 'em wid spear as muh shield arm was bearin da weight of da knight....was a long slow walk. Dat snot had run off scared...lot o use he'd bin."

"I finally got him back to dat house an cleaned him up, tended him...saw exactly wat dose banites had done to him..scars all over, deep...severe" she inhales deeply, purses her lips and shakes her head "...all muh time as warrior I ain neva seen wounds dat bad afore...purposeful...not battle scars...but of torcha. I had tears in muh eyes as I washed dat blood away. He slept, I stayed lyin next to him til I heard him breathin regular...and den made haste to da town to tell his frens and da Innkeep of news of his return...I knows dey wud be wantin to hear dat he was returned to us...alive."

Her fingers pinch at the top of her nose to prevent fresh tears from falling as she feels once again the emotions of terror, final relief and joy of his safe return as if they were only yesterday. After a moment, she waves her other hand at Bertie.

"Tink you bes go foah now...come back on da morrow honey...I am don for dis day" and he obeys with a nod, shuts the journal and slips out quietly leaving the large dark old huntress to her thoughts.

[*Pashan01]

With Bertie gone, she reaches between her large, pendulous breasts, passing behind the little mojo bag, grasping with her fingers she pulls forth a metallic item, a locket, one side a little tarnished but it still can be seen to made of gold. With finger and thumb she flicks awkwardly at a catch, despite its age, the clasp springs open easily. She lifts the locket to her nose and inhales deeply, her nostrils flaring slight at the latent, slight waft of scent that still remains on the locks of hair that lay within. Her expression is hard to ascertain on her aged and wrinkled face...even if Bertie had been there to try to read it...and her eyes close on her thoughts and memories, dreams and emotions..til she sleeps, the locket once again gently resting against her brown skin.

[*Pashan01]

"What is that?" Bertie asks, as he settles himself to his usual position, on the cushions near to the armchair that Mama JoJo has just settled her own large behind into, both seats close to a roaring fire that heats the room and staves off the chill of the wintery air. His eyes had been cast on the locket that still glints in the light of the fire, that can be seen snug between her breasts.

"Hmmm? Das sometin muh knight don give me...inside see....a bit o his dark locks....I kin still smell him to dis day"

"Mama JoJo...now that sounds like a romantic gesture from that man...he must have cared for you even if you didn't love him" scoffed Bertie

She snorts "Oh I loved dat man, yessuh..." she finally admits and gives a wink at the boy "...only I didn put it in quite dem words at dat time. Was far too interested in gettin' me a taste o him...dat ultimate one..." she grins her toothy grin and chortles for a bit "...an I did suh..oh yes I did..an I was hooked. Me...da great huntress an witchdoctor....fallin' foah a paladin....I means ...how ridiculous is dat huh? But, by da great goddess, I did wan him sometin bad....once I tasted o him...I couldn git 'nuff. Sometin awful sweet an' invitin' 'bout a paladin's taste....mmmmm...mmmm."

His eyes open wider and wider as she seems to be getting carried away with her story, he watches her with some surprise as he sees her run her tongue over her still full lips and she shuffles in her seat.

"I didn question his code, his almos change o heart when he did dat same tastin' back of me.." she gives a teasing smile back to Bertie, knowing that she might be embarrassing the young lad, but considered it part of his education in growing up "..He was changin tho...I cud see dat...since his torcha, he was changin...hell, dat wud change any man an I weren't blamin him....his hair was longer, his armour different, less shiney, seemed to prefer dat....he didn apply hisself to his tasks in quite dat same fashion as befoah....an deah was moah....uh huh...." she nods with a lop sided smile

"More?" he quizzes

"Mmmhmmm...seems he weren so stuck on dose nets of ten any moah...nossuh....moah like dey were becummin..nets of nine.....or eight mebbe....I see him becummin less want to his 'hindustry' didn mine jes relaxin'...an ....heheheh...." she chuckles and wraps an arm around herself in a satisfied gesture, her grin wide like a cheshire cat-who-had-just-had-the-cream "...we got past dat chastity net as well....to muh delight....had some beautiful....surprisin' ..lovin from dat honey of a knight"

Bertie choaks abit as he scribbles a bit more to the journal, clears his throat and asks " Surprising? what do you mean by that?"

Her grin is wide. She takes a pause to gulp at her rum punch before continuing "..cos...he were none too refined an gennle 'bout it....didn tink a paladin wud be such an animal duh fust time..hehe..so I be questionin' to muhsel den if he was gonna be stayin' wid dat code any moah......no...reckon he was done deah...but he was still a knight to me...yessuh. I'd heard 'roun town dat udders were callin him a fallen paladin...reckon dey was right. Din worry me. He was a man fust an foremost....an muh coal was shoah burnin' hot foah dat one" she continues to chuckle away to herself, taking an occasional sip at her punch.

Bertie's mouth is wide open now, quill poised, no longer writing as he just stares at her, catching flies so to speak, if there had been flies in that room to be catching.

[*Pashan01]

She twirled her mojo bag between her fat fingers absentmindedly "Fust adventurer I met was a half orc, now..I heard stories o them types but this one..he was gruff but welcomin enough..travelled wid a bear o da same name 'Bear'. Took muh speah n shield n joined him in the plane o grayness, a lil lady joined us latah fire 'pon her blades da tree o us took down dose zombies. I cud feel the presence o death all around me, likely spirits all about but....someting had happened...took me a few days afta ta realise but someting had sapped muh powahs.....I couldn feel nor sense dem spirits no moah...."

Mama Jojo made a shudder as she remembered that feeling of being powerless again, her senses weakened, her old skills having been taken away by some force or magic, reliant only upon her strength and skill with simple spear.

"What had happened?" Bertie, layed down his quill, his eyes taking note of that grubby bag hanging around her neck.

"I ain too shoah honey...but I one ting I knew...I had to fine dem again...work on muh basic skills an figuh out how to learn dem again...felt empty not to heah and tune inta dem voices again an travel da spirit plane at muh pleasuh. So, made a point of jus takin tings slow, learnin' of dat city, its peoples an travelled a few places ta go huntin' while I figuhed it out."

"An it were not no city like you eva seen befoah Bertie...no suh...but dat flamin' barman in dat bazaar still knew how ta make someting..like a rum punch so all was not lost heh...and many of dem peoples were new to dat place like me...so I didn feel so on muh own.....met one gurl name o Jo......das right...Jo 'n Jojo...heh....kinda funny dat we almos had da same name...we began huntin' togedder....."

"Â….den deah was one man, warm dark skin like muh own...real frenleh...tought him one o muh own kine yet ...he was not muh own kine...he sayed he was from dat 'Cage' a local...he wanted ta buy me a dress...seein as I had only dat one skin upon meh....an I found sometin like muh old 'ceremonial's dis time wid blue jewels...cos he tought to get me sometin dat would remine me o dat blue sky o home...dat was nice tought...kept muh eyes open foah dat honey afta dat ..heh..he was a charma"

Bertie could see her toothy grin and returned one of his own as he scribbled her story to the journal, thinking 'here we go again' at mention of the 'charmer'.

[*Pashan01]

"But...he were not da only charma...heh..nossuh...strangest ting I did see was a puss tryin ta be sweet ta me..an not onleh ta me but anudder lil hin gurl....callin us 'beautifuls'...I tought dat funneh...brought smile to muh face...a cat!....I called him 'suh puss' doh I tink his name was Mircea or so he was introducin hisself to me as dat. I didn realise until latah dat he came wid a 'familiar' a young gurl, elf of race 'Nana' he called her.... I tink...that gurl had no ideah how da coinage worked in dat citeh.....was moah clueless den me. I let dat suh puss mek her pay foah anudder rum punch..took her foreva.....noted dat suh puss tekin employment wid sum robed man and dey pouffed off usin mage magicks to sort deah stuff out."

Bertie arched a brow as he jotted his notes then decided to be cheeky and with grin on his youthful face asked "So...you..er....heh...flirted with this cat Mama Jojo..."

"Hells yessuh! it was male an had polite mannahs honey! wasn like I was gonna be blowin a puff o wind across muh coal at a furrball no mattah how intelligent it was but it was charmin enough ta toss afew sweet words wid" and her breasts bounced as she laughed heartily, ending up in a wracking cough that sent her whole body juddering where she sat.

"Met up wid a few peoples dat I tought at dat time had potenshals to be frenly too....offered a sip of muh drink to one gurl..quiet ting she was...wat was her name now...? hmm.....Aras...yeah...but few minutes latah dat dark honey Conway foun me in da bar...an muh eyes were drawn to hissel...tink I turned muh back on dat gurl...wid out tinkin an she went off.....I showed to dat honey muh usual tipple too befoah a lil pretteh blond hinny gurl he knew came to join us...name o Taris. I heard udders talkin o a place to go huntin called da Abyss.....dis hinny gurl Taris an da dark honey...dey bot seemed keen to warn me off o goin visitin it...but I kept dat informashun to da back of muh mine ...was gonna fine out bit moah o dat place."

"Dat Conway knew I'd lost mos muh tings on arrivin in Sigil...I didn be startin ta explain da hows an wheahfoahs o how dat happened......an he gave me a few worn pieces dat he sayed wud help keep me alive....heh.....mighteh genrous dat was...I was warmin to him alot....an I tole dem bot dat I wud mek up a couple o simple mojo bags to try out on dem...foah testin dat market....see if dis 'Cage' be a place dat be wantin muh kinda magick....seein if I cud set muhsel up in business...Conway sayed someting like...he cud see us becomin business partners...mus admit....wasn da business kine I had in muh mind wid dat honey.....heh...but dat wud do foah a start. Taris made offa ta help meh foah a price but I didn have much gold in muh pocket...an I didn know how much it wud tek to make sum simple mojo charms in dat place....was time to fine out an do sum shoppin..." Jojo slurped her rum punch, fingers of one hand holding the glass, her other hand fingering her mojo pouch.

After scribbling for afew more moments, attempting capture the essence of her words if not all the nuances, Bertie looked up, his quill hovering over one page "Were you worried that the people of Sigil would not be welcoming your craft?"

"Yessuh....dat place was full o all sortsa peoples, differin lingo all about....all kinds from dat 'multiverse' and many planes, devils cavortin wid guards...hags an floatin tings roamin dat city...mechanical bein's stompin trew da streets...all sorts ta boggle da mind......why...I even foun out dat deah was moah dan muh own 'prime' plane from dat gurl Aras....like I sayed...muh craft was speshal to muh tribe of da Chult...on Toril....I foun a place foah it on one o dem Moonshae islands dat time ago.....but heah...no suh..I had no ideah if peoples would warm to muh craft"

[*Pashan01]

"I spent most o da nex day bumblin roun da many merchants tryin ta fine a few tings to fill up dem two mojo bags dat I cud be affordin. Weren much. I tought of it as invesment if I cud get dese two to appreshiate muh craft, dere was hope dat udders wud tek to it too once I got goin. Fust tings fust... I had to fine good sources."

Bertie rose to his knees shuffled closer to the large black lady. Encouraged by a look, he reached forward and touched a finger to her great book that lay to the table near to mama Jojo. He ran his finger over the title "Mama JoJo's Book of Spells and Charms" and carefully opened it to a few pages in.

"Which of these items did you put in the bags?" Bertie asked.

"Fust ting honey was I had to fine someting suitable foah bags, den I managed to fine sum balls, a candle, few herbs an muh particular poshun dat I favoured...speshial foah dat cute honey..heh...doh...by da looks o dat one...he looked like he had enough stamina naturally wid out dat poshun...I wud have ta be testin dat one latah sumtime."

Bertie twitched his lips, used to mama JoJo's flirtatious manner now and wondering whether that 'honey' had managed to survive the mama's charms, no doubt he would be finding out. He knew now not to 'rush' her on that subject.

"When I don give dat poshun to the lil missy Taris, she had no ideah wat dat sort was foah. Sose I sayed 'dat particular poshun...revives a flaggin....les jes say spirit'... foah now I was explainin da use of dose five tings I put wid in dem gift mojo bags but da lil hinny gurl she was not figuhin it out too quick...I don wrote down from muh book of spells an charms and sent each o dem a piece o parchment explainin deah usage"

"Dat lil missy Taris was afta some piercin's foah her lil ears...I ofa'd to sort dem muhsel but I weren too accurate at dat smalls stuff....an tole her she wud bleeeed alot if I did it. She needed a professional. Conway, he den gave me anudder gift...such a charma..a nice earring o muh own, silver wid a blue topaz jewel..anudder reminda o muh blue sky o home. Wud match da blue jewels in muh ceremonials. In return...I gave him a bone rib...weren so pretteh as dat earring but I rekon he knew wha to do wid dat piece. Befoah I had to leave I asked him to keep lookout foah a nice speah. Dat sweetcheeks sayed he wud help me fine a betta one dan da cheap hunk of plank I foun on muh fust day heah."

Mama Jojo smiled as she looked at the fine spear lying against the hearth, the one she had been given all that time ago from that friend on the Moonshae isles. "I loss dis one when I spirited to dat citeh....was a long time until I saw dis one again"

[*Pashan01]

Bertie had taken a look at some of the entries in Mama JoJo's Book of Spells and Charms, noting the following:


Mojo Bag
Given to a close friend/loved one or to eventual customers to use as a helpful charm and luck bag.

It is a flannel bag, often red in colour containing one or more magical items. Mojos made for an individual are usually carried on the person, always out of sight. They are very rarely worn on a string around the neck, fairly commonly pinned inside a woman's brassiere, and much more commonly pinned to the clothes below the waist or carried in a pants pocket. Mojos intended to purify or protect a location are generally placed near the door, hidden in such a way that they cannot be seen by strangers.

Keeping the mojo from being seen is important because if another person touches it, the luck may be lost.


A list of things that might be placed in an individual's Mojo bag are noted in the posts below.

((OOC Disclaimer: I am posting relevant bits as they are RP-ed. Believe or disbelieve at your discretion. Use spells and charms listed here at own risk, the character and player will not assume any liability.))


Mojo balls

Type:
Balls

Effects:
Invigorates the brain, refreshes and eliminates worry and fatigue and relaxes your spirit.

Applications:
Hold in one hand and tumble the mojo balls around in your palm.

Warnings:
None

Disclaimers:
This does not guarantee relaxation. Some belief in the outcome by the party may be required for the desired result.


Candle - White

Type:
Candle

Effects:
The white candle, annointed, dressed and lit, brings to the house or person feelings of purity, vibration, faith, goodness,and balance.

Applications:
For best effect use have a qualified witchdoctor annoint or dress the candle to increase the potency of the candle magic before alighting. By using various oils, the witchdoctor can “charge” candles to bring about desired effects. Use of herbs and herb-infused oils work very well for candle dressing. One technique for dressing the candles it to start in the middle and rub down each end. It is important to visualize your desire as you dress your candle.

Warnings:
None

Disclaimers:
This does not guarantee the success of the desire associated with the candle magic. Some belief in the outcome by the party may be required for the desired result.


Rampant Vigor Potion

Type:
Potion

Effects:
To rejuvenate and perk up things that need 'perking' up.

Application:
Cast on person or part of the body as required.

Warnings:
If directly cast on body part, ensure visible and free of restrictions.

Disclaimers:
None.

[*Pashan01]

"Dat Conway foun meh a speah pretteh quick...Treesplitter he named it, on accoun o its bein tekken from a branch o a tree dat had bin split by a lightnin strike an had bin infused wid sum o dat lightnin powah.....he tole meh was legitleh sourced but...I wasn too fussed on dat score.. He had also foun meh sum boots dat had were o dwarfish style...had sussed out muh sizin befoahhand...had bin....eyein muh feet! when I was not noticin...heh. Onleh fair dat I repaid him in moah bone ribs an spell protecshuns when we took lil adventure trew anudder portal....dis one didn sap muh bits of powahs I'd relearned since comin to dis citeh"

"Another adventure?" the young lad asked, the quill pen poised to scribble.

"I tell you honey...each day in dat place was an adventure...an dat portal he showed meh was in da mos oddest place an we ended up in a maze seeminleh lost for hours. I cud sense strange beasts aroun when da fust attack came as ambush. Kaasta he called dem, big solid lizzie beast patrollin dat maze. Foun some humanlike chess pieces in a room in da centre....los foah hours wid dat honey, huntin an findin treasuh....I didn mind at all...made point to keep muhsel close to dat sugah, gave him sum o muh fire too..." she winked at Bertie, chuckling to herself, then her amusement turned to a frown.

"What are you remembering mama JoJo?" Bertie prompted.

"Hmm....da only blight on dat horizon an fun o da hunt...was...when he foun someting moah on one o dem Kaasta carcasses an tried to give it to meh...wouldn have bin so bad if he'd not tole meh was a paladin's cloak....I didn wan no part o a paladin...been deah, don dat...got meh a lil moodeh for a lil moment...guess I wasn completeleh ova dat knight afta all, jus as I was not ova da happenins befoah all dat time ago in muh tribe....tings stay wid a gurl foah a long while I guess....jus a reacshun howevah...an da company of dat dark honey was helpin sum das foah shoah....an dat cloak?....was nice enchanted ting too....but...anyways...he sayed he'd fine someting betta foah meh....an I shrugged it off"

"As foah dat adventure...finalleh we breathed fresh air and headed in dat direcshun...foun ourselves at beginnins o a stoney path flanked by hills.....blue waters and blue sky an we took deeeep breath glad to be out o dat maze....was a bit like da vibrant colours o da Chult...an nice change from da citeh. But...we saw moah o dem beasts linin da sides o da hills an I reluctantleh borrowed bow an arrow jointly tekkin dem down....til we come to da end o da path....sometin felt odd."

"Odd? How so?"

"We cud bot sense da evil in da air....despite not trustin magicks...Conway, wiseleh now I believe...used a summonin powah from a scroll to bring a devil fort...jus as well....lizzie chieftain and its guards attacked us we wud ha been dead if not foah dat devil...mmm...mmm...learnin he was not averse to magicks used at da right poin in time...was good to be knowin....but..he didn't let dat devil get out o control...nossuh...like I sayed...wiseleh used...dat man was full o surprises"

"We didn go much fudder into dat plane afta dat...not dat time...muh own magicks were soreleh weak..I tried a few cusses agains dem beasts but wasn workin too well...an we was bot tirin sum...so we headed back"

"So......you headed back to the Inn with him after that?" Bertie asked slyly.

Mama Jojo eyed the lad with raised brow and pearly white grin "Watchew tink boy?"

[*Pashan01]

''Moah tings he don gave me...muh pack was fast fillin up and dat gear was weighin meh down. Anudder cloak..no paladin's back had touched dat one he assured meh...but da mos surprisin gift....was dat skull headed staff''

'' 'Dis heah is for your voodoo Jojo' he sayed to me....weren no voodoo I be indulgin in ....least...not befoah den...but dat staff...I could feel its powahs....da spirits an souls of da dead it cud call fort callin ta me, mekkin muh han tremmle on its shaft..I had ta bless wid da lil spirit powah I possessed to control wat spewed fort.....is a fine line between muh craft an da next....perhaps was time to be tinkin on dat...Sigil...weren no place foah pansies....strong magicks were ofta necessareh''

''Seein meh waddlin trew da streets ovaloaded wid all dose new pieces he be givin meh.....he helped meh den fine merchant to craft meh a belt dat gimmeh back lil moah o muh strength...dat man had connecshuns ta get good prices...muh luck had come in ta fine dat sugah....das foah shoah''

''Muh onleh complain dat day...was dat flamin barman in da bazaar needed sum learnin on how ta be mekkin a good molasses firewatah....he don skimped on dat firewatah....you'd tink...bein dat he had fire comin out o his head...dat he'd be knowin a good mixture....yessuh...sum work to be don deah still''

[*Pashan01]

''Days passed by, a lil huntin, lil adventurin....didn see no moah of dat Conway for a while but I didn let it get meh down. I found places wheah muh spirit work was needed and met up with new peoples. I was always lookin out foah interestin happenins, partehs an handsome menfolks....was...no..is Â…'' Jojo gave a booming laugh and a wink that had Bertie rocking back and grinning, even at this ripe old age, showing her rolls of flesh and toothy grin, he could admire the dark woman ''.. just muh way sugah''

''Tings dat stood out foah meh in does times...I rememmer a fishin trip...showin one handsome gennleman name of Darkforge how to fish...spite his name he weren as dark as dat Conway but he was a bald as dat cute coot an were plum ripe for teasin.....onleh his handlin of muh speah was not so good....he did end up catchin trout foah his suppah. Dat man didn know how to relax....on return to da citeh, I gave him some of muh mojo balls to help dat sugah''

''Some days latah a carnival was in dat citeh...I didn hear about it foah a while so missed most....was disappointed...I love a good parteh...put on muh ceremonials, found da fust man headin same way, slipped muh arm trew his an hunted foah dat acshun....onleh to find da gamblin fun ovah....one udder gennleman showed interest in havin meh take part in some grease wrestlin competishun...I didn say no...mmm mm...no suh..dat sounded like fun....I spent a lil while with him an dat honey I'd walked in wid, only....dey bot seemed too interested in each udder hardly lookin muh way so I left dem to it....I seen stranger tings in Sigil dan two handsome gennlemen who didn tink muh ass in muh ceremonials anyway interestin...onleh had eyes foah demselves it seemed...one had been snortin whatever dust was pon his weapon, dat udder kept his face hidden, shy I tink.....was a real shame...dey was cute.''

Bertie scribbled away, but talk of the mama chasing yet more 'menfolk' no longer held surprise for him, and he waited, more eager for the next talk of adventures.