Baba Yaga is the main villain in Quest for Glory I: So You Want to be a Hero. Known for her chicken-legged hut, she is a dangerous Ogress of great magical power. When not using her evil powers, she enjoys culinary experimentations such as eating adventurers, mandrake mousse or elderberry pies.
Background
Curse on Spielburg
Baba Yaga is originally from Surria, a "big land to the east" of Mordavia. The Famous Adventurer once met her, and was asked over for dinner. He refused to eat the food offered him as he didn't trust it. Baba Yaga referred to him as 'sweet Prince Ivan', but before she could eat him he fled.[1]
She later travelled travelled to Spielburg, where the Baron tried to force her to leave by sending a contingent of his guards to her hut. After quickly killing the guards and decorating the fence with their skulls, she put a curse on the Baron that led to the death of his wife and the disappearance and transformation of their son Barnard and daughter Elsa. The witch has a fondness for turning wandering heroes into frogs, and using them to run errands for her (such as retrieving Mandrake root from graveyards at midnight). The Hero drives her away by reversing her own spell on her, transforming her into a frog.
She seems to have a somewhat odd friendship with Erasmus, as the two play cards together, and Erasmus taught her the frog transformation spell. Though they seem to otherwise hate each-other as they bicker and cheat each-other in their games whenever they get together.
Flight to Mordavia
After abandoning Spielburg, she eventually regains her true form. The tale spreads far and wide, however. One day she is in the audience when a Gnome named Punny Bones makes a series of jokes about it (causing her to promptly curse him into losing his sense of humor). She decides to go to Mordavia, a small valley filled with a lot of dark magic eminating from the Dark One's Cave. Not long after her arrival, the Hero turns up in the valley. Baba Yaga first plans on eating the Hero, but quickly forgets about revenge when she realizes she can use him to fetch her an Elderberry Pie.
Described as a "very jealous and miserly woman" by the Gypsies of Mordavia, Baba Yaga actually assists the Hero in tracking down one of the Dark One's rituals. She lives with her pet bat and spider (Bats and Scarlett); and her chicken legged hut is always guarded by Bonehead, an enchanted skull. In order to access Baba Yaga's hut in both games, the Hero must give her something she wants.
See also
Behind the scenes
- According to Zara in QFG1 Zara and Erasmus were the only two Wizards in Spielburg. Baba Yaga is not considered a Wizard.
- In Shadows of Darkness she was voiced by Joan Gerber.
- Baba Yaga (Russian: "Баба Яга", literally "Angsty Crone") is a mythological character in the Eastern Slavic folklore, referring to an evil witch who lives in a chicken-legged hut deep in the woods. Hideous and envious of beauty, her actions usually include kidnapping children and young maidens, then either turning them into slaves or feeding on them. She rides the forest in a flying mortar using the pestle to row through the air. In the traditional folkloric sense, the Baba Yaga is not an ogress.
Gallery
- ↑ "Went to brunch with Baba Yaga, though I did not dare to eat, Had a queasy sort of feeling when I looked upon the meat. She called me 'sweet Prince Ivan' as she licked her lips at tea, So quickly I deserted ere she made dessert of me."
External links
- Baba Yaga in Wikipedia
- Baba Yaga at King's Quest Omnipedia