Baba Yaga's Hut

Baba Yaga's Hut is the mobile cottage where the Ogress Baba Yaga lives. It is found both in Spielburg Valley in Quest for Glory I and later in Mordavia in Quest for Glory IV.

Background

Baba Yaga's hut appears as either an alpine cottage or a thatched-roof cottage perched on chicken legs. The hut is extremely magical. It has so much power that it's considered "artifact-level" magic. The hut can walk as well as sprout wings and fly.

Baba Yaga will usually perch her hut in a remote mountainous region. To protect her privacy, she'll usually set up some form of barrier or protection. In Spielburg Valley, this was a palisade of sharpened logs with skulls of Baron Stefan von Spielburg's soldiers perched on top, and a gate operated by Bonehead. In Mordavia, she set up her hut on a narrow path near Hangman Tree, posted Bonehead and a few other skulls (that could fire lasers) along the path, and placed some enchanted bushes at the entrance to the area to discourage intruders.

The interior of the hut varies depending on the game and version. Common to all versions are a bubbling cauldron on a fire, ready for supper, as well as shelves containing arcane and forbidden magical items.

• In the EGA version of Quest for Glory I, the hut will be a simple wooden interior, roughly matching its outside. There will be a straw bed in one corner.
• In the VGA version of Quest for Glory I, the hut interior is vast and very much like a large cavern, seeming to extend far back into the background.
• In Quest for Glory IV, the interior appears to be larger than the exterior, but isn't nearly as vast as the VGA version of Quest for Glory I.

Inhabitants

• Baba Yaga
• Bats
• Scarlett
• Bonehead

In-Game Interactions

Interactions with the hut differ depending on the game:

Quest for Glory I

Baba Yaga's hut is situated in the northwest part of Spielburg Valley. It lies to the north of the Goblin Central Combat Training Zone, which is to the west of Heinrich's Farm.

When first visiting Baba Yaga, Bonehead will refuse to let the Hero in unless he's given a Glowing Gem so he can see. Once he's given the gem, he will lower the gate into the ground. To enter the hut, the Hero will need to recite the rhyme: "Hut of brown, now sit down." The rhyme can be learned simply by asking Bonehead (before he sinks into the ground with the gate) or by giving 2 gold to Bruno. In the EGA version, the Hero can simply type in the rhyme without learning it, but in the VGA version, he must learn it before it will be an option to recite.

Interior of the hut (QFG1VGA)

Once inside, the Hero will be almost immediately turned into a frog by Baba Yaga. She will offer the Hero a task in exchange for his life: get a Mandrake Root from the Graveyard. Once he does this, he can return the root to her and she will let him live, provided he doesn't return.

Following the infiltration of the Brigand Fortress, the Hero may have a Magic Mirror. Upon re-entering the hut, he can type "hold mirror" in the EGA version, or click the mirror on Baba Yaga in the VGA version. When she casts her transformation spell once again, it will reflect and turn her into a frog. She will then flee the valley. Doing this will complete the adventure.

Note that if Baba Yaga is not visited prior to infiltrating the Brigand Fortress, then the Mandrake quest will be skipped and the Hero will be required to use the mirror or be eaten.

Quest for Glory IV

Baba Yaga's hut is found in the southeastern corner of Mordavia. The entry point is found by starting at Erana's Garden, then travelling one screen south, two east, and two more south. At the entry point are bushes on the west side that block access to the hut. A Magic User can simply use Trigger to remove the bushes, but there is also a magic phrase to remove them, which can be learned from the Leshy or from Gypsy Davy.

Once the Hero reaches the hut, he will be greeted by Bonehead, and will have to deal with him once more to get past him. This time, Bonehead will need to be given Nikolai's Hat before he will allow passage. To make the hut sit down, instead of reciting the rhyme, the Hero merely needs to put Corn on the ground.

Before entering the hut, the Hero should have spoken to Punny Bones to learn about his lost sense of humor. Upon entry, the Hero can forestall his becoming Baba Yaga's dinner by telling her about the Gnome. Baba Yaga will task the Hero with creating an Elderbury Pie, which he can exchange with her for a Good Humor Bar that will restore Bones' humor.

Following those events, the Hero can also trade gruesome food items to Baba Yaga in exchange the Breath Ritual and the Hide spell if he knows magic.

Trivia

• In Quest for Glory I, if the Hero stands under the hut as it sits down, he will be squashed by it.

Behind the Scenes

• Baba Yaga's hut is as iconic a figure in Slavic folklore as Baba Yaga herself. Many tales surrounding her include her chicken-legged hut. Also, some folk tales allegedly state that there was a verse that had to be stated to enter the hut, although in those tales it was usually "Turn your back to the forest and your front to me".