Burns 1
Sage Burns
November 16th, 2018
QDD: The Witch In The Woods
EGD-310-01: Interactive Storytelling
Introduction Setting:
This quest chain takes place in the rural Russian countryside in 1930. The area in which the player will explore and complete their quest chain is the village of Bolotnyy Dno and the surrounding forest and swamp. This deep into the forest the strange, paranormal, and downright magical are not uncommon, and creatures of Slavic folklore live alongside the bednyaks11 of the local village. Intent:
The following quest chain is intended to serve as the opening sequence to a larger game. This quest chain is intended to establish the player character, Lieve, setting, and story, as well as introduce the player to preliminary mechanics. This quest chain is intended to last between 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on player choice. Story:
The player takes the role of Lieve, a 10 year old Russian peasant girl who is under the indentured servitude of the witch Baba Yaga22. Following the difficult growing season that Russia faced in the years of 1929 – 1930 Lieve’s parents were desperate to find a solution to their starvation, lest their entire family perish. Her parents had heard of a witch deep in the woods that would grant any wish for the right price. In exchange for their eldest daughter’s servitude Lieve’s parents left with a spell that would ensure the plentiful growth of their crops that season.
Lieve is now bound to Baba Yaga, who cast a spell on the girl ensuring that should she do anything to hurt the witch the girl’s soul would be ripped away and cast into Vyraj3 to suffer. With no other choice Lieve begrudgingly serves Baba Yaga, who treats her much like a dog, forcing her to sleep on the floor and allowing her only scraps to eat. Each day when Baba Yaga flies away in her mortar and pestle Lieve must complete an extensive list of chores, or face punishment by the witch.
1 A term used most commonly in Soviet Russia to describe the poorest of the poor peasants. 2 A titular witch character in Slavic folklore. Depicted in various ways across many works. 3 Slavic mythological term for the afterlife. Refers to both a “heaven” and a “hell”. Burns 2
Basic Quest Flow:
1. Fetch Water At The Well For Baba Yaga a. Optional Interaction: Give Kikimora4 Some Grain b. Optional Interaction: Play A Game of Fipe5 2. Distract Kikimora a. Conditional Solution: Gave Kikimora Grain b. Optional Solution: Rile Up The Chickens To Grasp Her Attention c. Optional Solution: Create a Distraction In The Woods 3. Sneak Past Cat Bajun6 And Steal The Heart a. The Heart Is Too Hot To Hold, Find A Jar To Bottle It! b. Move Fast Enough To Leave Before Kikimora Comes Back, But Don’t Wake Up Bajun! 4. Bring The Heart To Koshchey7 At His Home 5. Speak With Ermolai a. Receive The Poison From Ermolai 6. Go Into Town And Acquire Food For Bauk8 a. Conditional Solution: Speak To The Fisherman Again For A Fish b. Optional Solution: Pay The Hunter For Fresh Meat c. Optional Solution: Give The Housewife Grain For A Scrawny Chicken d. Optional Solution: Give The Girl A Doll For Berries e. Optional Interaction: Speak With Everyone In Town 7. Poison The Food And Give It To Bauk a. Hide While Bauk Is Eating, Before He Realizes He’s Been Poisoned! 8. While The Enraged Bauk Is Searching For Lieve Get Vodyanoy’s Pipe Back a. Avoid Bauk As You Move Towards The Slime He Regurgitated With The Pipe In It b. Continue to Avoid Him As You Leave The Grounds of Koshchey’s House 9. Return To Ermolai With His Pipe
Expanded Quest Flow
Baba Yaga’s Pet – Fetch The Hag A Bucket Of Water
The quest begins with Lieve and Baba Yaga in Baba Yaga’s home. It’s early evening and Lieve sits near the hearth sorting grain, removing the bad pieces from the good. Baba Yaga hunches over her stove. The player gets a good look at Yaga, her kitchen and stove, and all the objects surrounding it as the camera pans across and towards Lieve at the back of the room. The camera assumes a third person,
4 A small creature that lives behind the stove and assist with chores in the night. 5 The afterlife in Slavic folklore. Can refer to both a “heaven” or a “hell”. 6 A bear-sized car and king of forest beasts. Sometimes depicted as Baba Yaga’s pet. 7 Koshchey the Immortal. An un-killable man in Slavic folklore. 8 A shadow monster in Slavic folklore. Burns 3
over the shoulder view of Lieve as she finishes sorting grain and stands up with the bowl. Lieve will pocket a handful of grain as she stands, the player is alerted to the addition of grain to their inventory. The player brings the bowl of clean grain to Baba Yaga and places it near-by. This prompts Baba Yaga to order Lieve to fetch water from the river’s edge. As the player leaves the house they must pick up a bucket to collect the water with before they are permitted to exit.
Outside it is late fall, most of the leaves have fallen from the trees but some are still rattling in the night wind. Sitting near the chicken coop is a little creature with a strange face. She’s hunched over and sleeping with a broom across her lap. If the player chooses to wake Kikimora Lieve will ask her what she’s doing. She will reply that she’s guarding the chicken coop. Something’s been taking them in the night, but she can’t seem to ever catch it for some reason. It’s almost like the culprit is invisible. During the conversation she’ll off handedly mention that she’s starving since she’s been out here all night. The player has the option to offer Kikimora the handful of grain Lieve took earlier.
Optional: Kids Being Kids – Play Fipe With Inna
To reach the shore of the river the player must pass by a pool with a crooked tree covering in hanging moss nearby. Lieve’s name will be called out from the tree, where Inna, a Ruskalka9, is sitting in its branches. From their interaction it is clear that Inna and Lieve have talked before and like playing in the swamp together. Inna will want Lieve to play a game of Fipe with her, promising Lieve a gift if she can win. If the player accepts they will begin a mini game with Inna. Inna will stand at the tree and count to 10 while the player finds a place to hide among the sparse swamp trees and tall grass. Once Inna begins searching the player must sneak through the grass to reach the first tree, where Inna was counting. If Lieve is successful and reaches the tree before Inna can catch her Inna will give her a soggy doll, which will be added to the player’s inventory.
Should the player fail to successfully reach the tree before Inna catches them the game will end. The player can retry to win as many times as they want to. Once the player has won a round and received the doll they can continue to player Fipe with Inna, but they will only get an item from their first win. In all subsequent games of Fipe the player can choose to be the hider or the seeker.
When the player reaches the river bank they will find a tall man sitting on it. He appears to be fishing. Lieve can only access the water from near-by the man, as the bank is too steep elsewhere, so the player must walk near the man to collect water. Lieve will shyly approach and begin to collect water, and as she does the man will start talking to her.
Koshchey: It’s a nice night, isn’t it? The stars and moon shine so brightly.
Lieve:
- Say Nothing - It’s too cold.
9 A Slavic spirit of the water. Similar to a Siren or a Dryad, sometimes depicted as a ghost. Burns 4
Koshchey:
- No need to be so shy child…. Say, aren’t you Baba Yaga’s slave girl? - No need to complain. You’ll learn in time to appreciate the beautiful despite the bad, child… Now say, aren’t you Baba Yaga’s slave girl?
Lieve: I’m not a slave! I’m a servant.
Koshchey: Haha, call it whatever you like. But she has you trapped, doesn’t she? Bound to her like a dog, I know that hag’s horrible ways.
Lieve:
- She is terrible to me… - I’ll be free one day!
Koshchey:
- I can help you, I’ve known Baba Yaga for a long time, and I know just how to break her spells. It’s quite simple, she’s not a powerful witch. - Think what you want child. That’s just what she’s telling you. But I can help you, you know. I’ve known Baba Yaga for a long time, and I know just how to break her spells. It’s quite simple, she’s not a powerful witch.
Lieve:
- Really? You can do that? - Why would you do that for me?
Koshchey:
- Haha, of course child it’s no object to me. You see I am Koshchey, a powerful wizard from the far west. Baba Yaga’s simple forest magics are nothing to me. - Why, it’s unfair for a child to waste away as some slave to a useless old hag. Besides, I, Koshchey the great, have some old scores to settle with that woman. Helping you is just the thing to bother her.
Koshchey:
When Baba Yaga is next gone take her heart from her stove and bring it to me. I live in the forest across the river and just north of the village. With it I can break the spell that keeps your soul bound to her.
Once Lieve finishes her conversation with Koshchey the player can leave the river bank, and the scene will fade away into the next day.
The Chicken Lady – Distract Kikimora
The next morning begins with Lieve returning from the forest with a pile of sticks on her back, presumably to help start fires in the hearth and fuel the stove. She’ll note that Baba Yaga has gone for Burns 5
the day. Standing on the front stoop, sweeping dirt and leaves off it is Kikimora, the chicken looking creature who was sleeping in front of the chicken coop the night before. If the player tries to go inside Baba Yaga’s house Kikimora will stop them and remind Lieve that she’s not to do the inside chores until she’s done the outside ones, and last she checked the logs out back weren’t split. The player has multiple ways to solve the problem of Kikimora guarding the door.
Option 1 (Conditional): If the player gave the grain they had to Kikimora the night before they can simply guilt trip her into allowing them inside. Lieve will insist that she left her gloves inside and is cold. If the player didn’t give Kikimora the grain she will tell them sorry, Baba Yaga’s rules. If the player did give Kikimora the grain Lieve will argue that it’s a favor-for-a-favor situation. Kikimora is not an intelligent little creature and will easily be swayed by this path of logic.
Option 2: The player can create a sound to distract Kikimora. If the player explores a bit (or complies with Kikimora and goes to chop wood) they will find a weak spot in the fence behind the house. The player can make Lieve kick the fence down, creating a loud noise. Once the player returns to the front of the cottage Lieve will approach Kikimora frantically, telling her some kind of monster jumped out of the forest behind the house. Kikimora will be sure that’s what’s taking her chickens and scurry off to investigate.
Option 3 (Conditional): If the player still has the handful of grain they can go make a ruckus with the chicken coop. The player will have to duck behind the coop and out of Kikimora’s sight. Here they’ll have Lieve spread the grain near the entrance of the coop, sending the chickens into a frenzy. When Kikimora asks what’s happening Lieve will say she doesn’t know, she was just visiting them and they started acting up. Kikimora will come over and shoo Lieve while she calms the hens, leaving her free to enter the cottage.
Heart of Coal – Sneak By Cat Bajun and Steal The Heart
Once the player is inside Baba Yaga’s cottage they will find her fearsome pet Cat Bajun guarding the stove where Baba Yaga keeps her heart. Luckily Cat Bajun is sleeping, but he is known to be a very light sleeper. The player now must get to the stove without waking Cat Bajun, but they can’t move too slowly or else Kikimora will get suspicious about where Lieve went/how long she’s taking to get her “gloves”. The player will be warned that they are being too loud if Cat Bajun begins to stir. If the player is being very risky and loud Cat Bajun will pick his head up and look around. The player can move out of his sight, if they are fast enough he won’t catch them, but if not Cat Bajun will lunge at Lieve and catch her, forcing the stealth encounter to restart. The player will get a warning that time is about half gone when Kikimora calls out for Lieve. If Kikimora gets suspicious and comes in the house it will immediately awaken Cat Bajun.
When the player reaches the stove and opens it Lieve will realize that she can’t just grab a burning hot object with her hands. The player is now tasked with more speedy sneaking to reach a jar on a shelf on the other side of the room as well as collect her gloves from her bed in the corner, to protect Burns 6
against the hot jar. After the player has collected the jar and gloves and scooped the heart out of the stove they can then exit the cottage. With the heart in their pocket the player will then begin their trek to Koshchey’s house.
Don’t Trust Old Men on River Banks – Bring The Heart To Koshchey
To reach Koshchey’s house the player will begin along the path to the river that they first took from Baba Yaga’s house, however they will have to go straight this time instead of to the left towards the bank. They have the option to explore left and right this time if they wish, but it will not advance them towards the main goal.
Exploring Left: The player will find Inna sitting in the same tree she was the previous night, this time she’s combing her hair. Lieve and Inna will converse. Lieve will mention being able to leave soon to which Inna won’t react kindly. Inna will seem angry at Lieve, showing that she is rather selfish and cares more about losing her playmate than Lieve gaining her freedom. Inna doesn’t understand the plights of mortals well. After this conversation, if Lieve tries to reason with Inna again she will let Lieve know she is angry and tell her to go away.
Exploring Right: If Lieve goes to the right she will enter the village proper of Bolotnyy Dno. The village is quite small and there’s not many people around. Sitting on the banks near the bridge is a fisherman and in the center of town some girls are walking by with empty bowls.
If the player talks to the fisherman Lieve will ask how it’s going. He’ll tell her that he hasn’t caught anything yet, but he saw Ermolai and he said he’d push some fish his way. Lieve remarks that she doesn’t know who Ermolai is, but she hopes his fishing goes well.
If the player talks to the two girls with bowls the older of the two will seem wary of Lieve. She says her mom doesn’t like them talking to Lieve since she works for Baba Yaga. Lieve will be a little put off at this but the player still has the option to ask what the girls are doing. Much to the dismay of the older sister the younger one will announce that they’re going berry picking in the swamp since they’re chickens don’t have any eggs. The older sister will then usher the younger away.
As the player approaches Koshchey’s house Lieve will comment that she doesn’t remember there being a house here, and certainly not such a fancy looking one. The door to Koshchey’s cottage will swing open as Lieve approaches, and as she enters the cottage Koshchey is sitting in front of the fire.
Koshchey: Ah, so you were successful! I know that awful cat of hers can be bothersome. Now give it here.
Koshchey will accept the bottled soul from Lieve. He will hold it up and the soul will slosh around, sparkling in the light of the fireside. He will uncork the bottle and much to Lieve’s surprise and confusion, drink it.
Lieve: Is that….is that part of breaking the spell?
Koshchey will turn and smile horribly at Lieve. Burns 7
Koshchey: You’re an easy one to trick, aren’t you child? You don’t think I wouldn’t like a girl servant of my own?
Lieve:
- What!? Give it back! - Remain Silent
Koshchey:
- Not a chance child. Now I have Baba Yaga’s heart and I get a little slave too. Here take this and go get some food from the village, my dear pet Bauk is famished. - As I thought, I can’t believe you trusted me, how precious. Now I have Baba Yaga’s heart and I get a little slave too. Here take this and go get some food from the village, my dear pet Bauk is hungry.
Koshchey will throw a coin at Lieve and brush past her, leaving her alone in his home. Lieve will remain standing there with an upset expression until the player tries to move her and leave the cottage.
Friends With The Fishes – Speak To Ermolai
Without much other choice the player will have to take Lieve towards the village to advance. As she leaves Koshchey’s house and either walks by or over the bridge Lieve will begin to softly cry. From the water a voice will call out to her, beckoning her closer to it. As Lieve approaches the reeds near the bridge struts she’ll find that the voice belongs to Ermolai, a water dwelling Vodyanoy1010.
Ermolai: What’s the matter, kid?
Lieve:
- Remain Silent - I got tricked.
Ermolai:
- If I had to guess I’d say it was Koshchey wasn’t it? I saw you two talking last night, I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t have intervened. I’ll admit I was interested in what his motives were. - That’s what Koshchey does, kid. I saw you two talking last night, I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t have intervened. I’ll admit I was interested in what his motives were.
Lieve:
- What am I supposed to do now? - Why didn’t you stop him!?
10 A male water spirit, often depicted as a frog-like creature. Burns 8
Ermolai:
- Well, I know where he keeps his heart. But it’ll take some doing to get your hands on it. - Like I said, I was interested in what exactly he was doing. I haven’t seen his face around these parts in years. But, I do know how to help you fix this. I know where he keeps his heart. But it’ll take some doing to get your hands on it.
Lieve: Won’t he just hurt me? He’ll destroy Baba Yaga’s heart and send my soul to Vyraj if I try to betray him.
Ermolai: I’ll help you kid. I can keep your soul here in the river, it can’t be whisked to Vyraj if I keep it safe in the water.
Lieve:
- Why should I trust you? - You’re helping me?
Ermolai:
- Oh, you’re right, I’m just going to take your soul and make you my servant. It was my plan all along …. I kid, girl. But honestly what other options do you have? Unless of course you want to be Koshchey’s slave until you die. - Count your blessing kid, I’m feeling generous today. But honestly what other options do you have? Unless of course you want to be Koshchey’s slave until you die.
Lieve:
- ….I guess so. - Say Nothing.
Ermolai: Excellent, I’m glad we came to an agreement. However, kid, I don’t help for free you’ll need to do something for me. You see, Koshchey’s horrible monster Bauk swallowed my pipe. I’d get it back myself but seeing as I have no legs walking is difficult.
Ermolai: Feed this to him, it’s sure to make him spit the pipe out. Once you bring that back we can talk about this plan of ours. Good luck kid.
Ermolai will give Lieve a ball of poison. The player will be alerted to the addition of the poison to their inventory as the conversation with Ermolai ends and they are free to move around the space once again.
Level 1 Merchant – Get Some Meat For Bauk
With Ermolai’s poison now in hand the player must continue with their task to acquire food for Bauk; now they can spike it with poison and get the pipe back. The player will need to head into the village to advance, here they have various options to get food. If the player chose to go into town earlier they will now notice that more people are out and about than before. Burns 9
Option #1 (Simplest Route): The most straightforward option the player has is to speak with the hunter, who is at his home skinning a deer stung from the rafters of an overhang. When the player approaches the hunter they can choose to speak with him or offer him the coin. If they speak with him he will note that there’s been less animals around lately, but some predator has been leaving mutilated carcasses around the forest. He blames it on some “magic nonsense”. If the player offers the hunter the coin he is shocked that Lieve has it and absent- mindedly wonders where she got it from. He’s happy to trade the coin for a haunch of venison.
Option #2 (Conditional): There is a fisherman sitting on the bank of the river just a little off from the town. If the player saw him earlier they will note that he now has a small pile of fish next to him (something he didn’t have earlier). If the player speaks to him without having spoken to him earlier he will greet Lieve and excitedly tell her that Ermolai really helped him out today. If the player speaks to him having spoken earlier Lieve will ask how it’s going. The fisherman will say it’s been great and offer Lieve one of the fishes he’s caught.
Option #3 (Conditional): At one of the small houses there is a housewife in the yard fretting over a few rather scrawny chickens. If Lieve asks her what’s wrong she will tell her that they haven’t had enough food to give the chickens lately and now they’ve stopped laying. She will blame it on Lieve’s “horrid mistress” and tell Lieve to go away, she’ll just make thing worse with her curse. If Lieve still has the grain from the beginning of the game the player can offer it to the woman, who will seem surprised that Leive is being so kind but will accept the gift. In exchange the woman will give Lieve a few pickled chicken feet.
Option #4 (Conditional): Sitting in the front of the chicken lady’s house are her two daughters who, if the player was in the village earlier, are the two that were berry picking. If Leive approaches the girls the older one won’t say anything but the young one will excitedly greet Lieve, the young one has berry stains on her face and hands. If Lieve has the (now dry) doll from winning a game of Fipe with Inna the player can offer it to the young girl, who will excitedly accept it and give Lieve some berries wrapped in a cloth in exchange. The older sister will grumpily mumble that they needed those under her breath, but still won’t talk to Lieve.
Bad Dog – Give Bauk The Poisoned Food, Hide Before It Realizes
From the village the player now needs to return to Koshchey’s house. Here they will find Bauk sleeping on dirty blankets in a small lean-to among the trees behind the house. Before Lieve gives the food to Bauk she must put the poison in it. For everything but the scrawny chicken Lieve will simply hide the poison inside of the food, however for the chicken she will force the poison down it’s throat. Once the food has been poisoned the player will have to give it to Bauk. Lieve will refuse to get close to Bauk so the player will have to throw it, aiming where it will land near Bauk. Bauk will slowly wake up and sniff for the food, lazily crawling over to it and chomping on it, regardless of what it is it will eat it in one gulp. Lieve will remark that she should hide before Bauk realizes that she’s poisoned it, encouraging the player to quickly find a hiding spot.
From the hiding spot the player and Lieve will watch as Bauk reacts to the poison, coughing up the entire contents of its stomach, including the pipe which the player can see among the pile of gross, Burns 10
black ichor that the beast spit up. Bauk will be enraged. The area around Lieve will begin to grow dark and a black, shadowy mist begins to pour off Bauk in its anger. It will begin searching for Lieve.
Cat and Mouse – Get The Pipe That Bauk Spit Up and Get Out!
Now that Bauk has spit up the pipe the player’s next challenge is to get to it. To reach the pipe Lieve will have to sneak through the dark and scary misty trees towards where Bauk threw it up. As the player creeps they need to move slow enough to not alert Bauk to their presence but fast enough to avoid it running into them in the mist. Sound cues and catching glimpses of the monster as it moves by in the mist will alert the players to when they are being too loud or when they are allowing Bauk to get too close to them. If Lieve runs into Bauk in the mist the player will have a short window to escape, but if they are unable to find a hiding place Lieve will be eaten by Bauk and the player will need to start the stealth sequence over again.
Once Leive reaches the pipe and picks it up the encounter will now increase in difficulty as the player guides Lieve out of the mist and away from Koshchey’s house. Bauk will move around in the fog faster now, causing the player to see it move by more frequently, and it will be more sensitive to Lieve making sound. If the player fails the stealth at this point they will restart from picking up the pipe. When the player finally guides Lieve to the edge of fog she will move only at a running pace for a short period after, regardless of whether the player is having Lieve sprint or not.
How Does He Even Use That … ? – Give The Pipe Back To Vodyanoy
When Lieve is clear of Koshchey’s house she will return to being able to move at a walking pace. The player will need to bring Lieve back to the spot by the bridge, here Ermolai will be lounging in the water where Lieve first spoke to him. He will happily accept his pipe and pull out a very soggy matchbook…which he somehow uses to light it. He will briefly disappear and return with a map and a jar. Ermolai will use the map to explain to Lieve the island of Buyan, where Koshchey’s heart is hidden. The soggy map item will then be added to the player’s inventory. Ermolai will then hold out the jar, which he will use to collect Lieve’s soul. This portion of the game will end here with a cutscene as we see Lieve gasp as her soul is taken from her, and Ermolai casually corks it into his jar as he puffs on his pipe.
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Area Map
1. The player meets Inna on their way collect water, they have the option to play with her. 2. The player collects water and meets Koshchey. 3. The player distracts Kikimora and sneaks into the house. They avoid Cat Bajun and steal the heart. 4. The player meets Koshchey and he swallows the heart. 5. The player speaks with Ermolai and they make a plan. 6. The player finds food for Bauk in the village. 7. The player poisons Bauk and he coughs up Ermolai’s pipe. The player must stealth to reach the pipe and leave Koshchey’s yard. Burns 12
8. The player returns the pipe to Ermolai.
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Characters & Monsters
Lieve The heroine of the story and the player character. Lieve is a small girl with the brave heart and soul of a lion. She’s serious, clever, and intense for her age, but her 10 year old sense of naivety and curiosity often gets the best of her.
Core Appearance Traits: Bundled Up; Wears Red; Cute But Not Too Cute; Something Fierce/Sharp About Her
Koshchey the Immortal An ancient and powerful wizard who takes pride and joy in making mortals miserable. While he spends most of his time in cities trying to seduce rich and beautiful women he’s returned to the forests near Bolotnyy Dno to antagonize his former lover and ancient rival, Baba Yaga.
Core Appearance Traits: Angular; Long White Beard; Sharp Features; Wears Blue
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Baba Yaga A witch of the forest who has existed presumably since time itself began. Unlike Koshchey she does not directly antagonize mortals but rather enjoys finding mortals in need whom she can extort in exchange for deals and gifts. She spends nearly every day flying about the countryside and returns at night to cook up her spells and potions over her great woodstove.
Core Appearance Traits: Hunched; Wearing Layers Of Tattered Fabric; Scraggly White Hair; Withered
Ermolai the Vodyanoy Ermolai is a Vodyanoy, a frog-like man-spirit of the water who generally remains neutral on the affairs of mortals unless angered. Being easily bored Ermolai enjoys meddling in the affairs of locals along the Pechora river and its tributaries. Ermolai spends a fair bit of his time chatting with local fisherman as well as smoking his pipe which he somehow manages to light despite always being wet…
Core Appearance Traits: Frog-Like Face And Skin; Stringy Long Beard; Fish Tail; Webbed Hands
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Inna the Rusalka The spirit of a young girl who drown in the swamp decades ago, Inna is an exceedingly child- like and carefree creature. Her two favorite things are playing games and combing her long, waterweed colored hair. Inna loves to play with children but the kids of Bolotnyy Dno steer clear of her end of the swamp as she has been blamed for accidental drownings in the past.
Core Appearance Traits: Extremely Long Green Hair; Child-Like; Hair Always Wet; Flowers, Leaves, And Sticks Always Tangled In Hair
Cat Bajun Baba Yaga’s massive pet cat and king of forest beasts. He is loyal to Yaga and spends his days guarding her precious stove while she is away. He is a fearsome creature and crossing him or Baba Yaga are sure to land you in his stomach.
Core Appearance Traits: Huge, Roughly Grizzly Bear Sized; Very Fluffy; Large, Angry, Norwiegian Fairy Cat
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Bauk A terrifying beast made of shadow and nightmares known for stealing away those out just a little too late in the nighttime… Koshchey keeps Bauk as his pet and sends the beast to do his more messy and grotesque bidding. Recently it’s taken to terrorizing the forest around Bolotnyy Dno.
Core Appearance Traits: Unsettling; Partially Incorporeal (Shadows); Long Front Arms; Jagged Teeth; Drips Black Ichor
Kikimora A bizarre little creature who assists with Baba Yaga’s house work in exchange for a warm place behind the stove to sleep and a bit of food. Kikimora prides herself on the upkeep of Baba Yaga’s chickens but also preforms light housekeeping tasks. She’s not a very intelligent little creature and is quite easy to lie to and trick.
Core Appearance Traits: Small, Shorter Than Lieve & Inna; Weird And Bird-Like; Beak, Chicken Legs, Animal Ears Burns 17
Locations
Baba Yaga’s House
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The Riverside
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The River Bridge
Burns 20
The Bog
Koshchey’s House
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Bolotnyy Dno
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Terms & Mythology:
Vodyanoy
A male spirit of water in Slavic mythology. Sometimes appears as a frog-like being. He is known for causing mischief among humans but is not strictly malevolent. A vodyanoy may sometimes drag humans to the riverbed and steal their soul, forcing them to become servants to the creature.
Ruskalka
The Slavic equivalent of a siren or water nymph. These spirits are sometimes representative of the souls of young women who have been murdered or committed suicide by drowning. They are often depicted as malevolent, particularly towards human males who they may drown. They are sometimes shown leaving the water at night to dance and play in the fields.
Koshchey
A character of Slavic mythology and folktale known for being a powerful immortal. He is said to keep his soul on the mystical island of Buyan, the island of the Gods in the far north sea. On the island his soul is in a needle, in an egg, in a duck, in a rabbit, in an iron chest, which is buried beneath an oak tree. He is often depicted as harassing, stealing away, or attempting to seduce young princesses. In some stories he is a former lover of Baba Yaga, whom he left to pursue young and beautiful women.
Baba Yaga
A titular character of Slavic mythology who has many, many depictions, motives, and re- imaginings. She is known for giving humans magic at a price of some kind and is also known to eat humans who cross her by cooking them in her great stove. She is usually depicted as an ugly old hag with scraggly white hair and a large, beak-like nose. Her home is almost always a cottage in the wood standing on chicken feet and surrounded by a fence of human bones.
Vyraj
The Slavic mythological equivalent to haven and the underworld. Previously only used to refer to a heaven-like place where souls would fly in the form of birds. However, the introduction of Christianity influenced a hell-like equivalent underground that filled with snakes and suffering.
Cat Bajun
A gigantic cat known as the king of wolves and bears. Usually shown as a man-eating monster that mimics human voices to lure victims into the forest. Is sometimes depicted as being the pet of Baba Yaga. Burns 23
Bauk
A shadowy nightmare-monster that hides in dark places in the forest and steals victims away, usually eating them. No one really knows what the monster looks like as it is almost always obscured by shadows.
Fipe
A Russian children’s game in which a caller stands in a spot and counts down while the other children hide. Once the countdown is done the caller tries to tag the other children as they race to be the first to the counting spot.
Bednyaks
A Russian word which refers to the poorest of the peasantry. Most commonly known for its use during the Soviet era.