Baba Lysaga

Baba Lysaga is an NPC and secondary antagonist from the 5th Edition module Curse of Strahd. Evil and corrupt even prior to Strahd's birth, Baba Lysaga's unwholesome preoccupation with "her son", devotion to Mother Night, and hatred of the wereravens makes this witch a decidedly vile character

History

Baba Lysaga was the midwife to Queen Ravenovia van Roeyen in her pregnancy and birth to Strahd von Zarovich. Despite Ravenovia's motherhood, Baba Lysaga always viewed Strahd as truly her baby. She planted the potential for dark magic within him. Baba Lysaga's unwholesome preoccupation with young Strahd motivated Ravenovia to exile her. Though separated from Strahd, Baba Lysaga kept tabs on Strahd's life form afar and came to admire him more and more. In the meanwhile, Baba Lysaga performed innumerable sacrifices to Mother Night with the hope that Ravenovia would one day be struck down by a fatal disease. Eventually Mother Night granted her death and Ravenovia was struck dead.

Following Strahd's fall into corruption and depravity, Baba Lysaga kept off the effects of old age through the sacrifice of innumerable beasts. Although Strahd discounts their threat, Lysaga has made it her duty to plague, antagonize, and destroy the wereravens of the Keepers of the Feather. She animated her Creeping Hut from one of the stolen Wizard of Wines Magic Gems.

Current Sketch

Baba Lysaga (at least, in her mind) serves Strahd from afar under her own initiative. Recognizing on some level that Strahd would never acknowledge her, Baba Lysaga has never met with Strahd and confessed her maternal affections to him. Instead she wages war on a threat he doesn't not even consider serious.ref name="Curse of Strahd p. 228-229">Curse of Strahd p. 228-229</ref> Baba Lysaga resides in the ruins of Berez, where she is spied upon by Muriel Vinshaw, an ally of the Martikovs.

Special Abilities and Resources

Lysaga continues ritual blood sacrifice to this day in the ruins of Berez, to where she wards off both the toll of time to her person and the use of divination magic against her. She also has some power over insects, able to summon insect swarms and even transform into them.

Beyond her constructs, Baba Lysaga also animated a giant skull to serve as her personal air vessel.

Alliances and Minions

In addition to her hut, Baba Lysaga has created a number of scarecrow constructs that she uses to harrass and harangue the Martikov Family and other wereravens. She also mantains alliances with the Barovian witches of Castle Ravenloft and the druids of Yester Hill.

Art

p. 228

Game Statistics

Baba Lysaga has her own unique game statblock, though she casts spells as a 16th level Wizard. She is of Chaotic Evil alignment