The Ladies Three were worshipped as the "divine protectors" by many Smallfolk of the Zarovich Valley, brought their in the Landing Of The Ladies Three. Known colloquially as The Seeker, The Weaver, and The Huntress, each claimed domain over one area of the valley and had their own adherents who owed them patronage. Respectively representing winds, waters, and wildlife, they were seen as neutral, sometimes cruel entities that appeared in dreams or visions. On occasion, however, they would directly provide gifts to their worshippers: the most notable of these were three Gemstones of Life Growth, given to the Martikov family.
Worship of the Ladies Three generally involved spiritual communion, physical offerings, and occasional blood sacrifice. Their followers would gather at fanes built to venerate them: the Forest Fane was built near Durst Windmill, adorned with Ravens and Owls; the Swamp Fane was built across the Luna River from Berez, adorned with Spiders and Snakes; and the Mountain Fane was built atop Yester Hill, adorned with Bears and mountain Goats. The tribal folk continued to worship them even when the religion of the Morninglord outgrew the Ladies' popularity in the townships of the valley.
Factions of believers also thought the Ladies had control over destiny. The Seeker, also called the Lady of the Forest, was thought to hold domain over the future, dreaming up all that lay ahead and speaking it into existence. The Weaver, also called the Lady of the Swamp, was thought to hold domain over the past, weaving souls and truth into time. The Huntress, also called the Lady of the Mountain, was thought to have domain over the present, using impossible swiftness and strength to keep the world itself from turning inward.
In truth, the Ladies Three were Archfey sisters that had been trapped in the valley for centuries; though the nature of their wayshadowing was unknown even to them, they were likely linked to the activities of the Azure Paragon. The ancient organization already operated in the region after the construction of the Amber Temple and trapping of Dark Powers, and their research into the Bloomtides and the Deepmists could potentially braid living realms together. These experiments distorted the borders between the Vivid Realms, the Material, and the Umbral Realms beyond. When the Paragon’s work collapsed inward, the sisters were caught, severed from their full Archfey splendor and anchored them to the valley. Their power in Barovia was real but diminished, bound to specific domains and to the attention of mortal worship.
Their magical abilities in the Material Realm was miniscule compared to their splendor in the Vivid Realms, but the Ladies enjoyed their power over their domains. In exchange for trinkets and a demonstration of sacrifice, The Seeker channeled gifts of prophetic wisdom and teachings of the "inner eye" into her acolytes; in exchange for coin and demonstration of will, the Weaver gave arcane power and formed covens of magic in the swamps; and in exchange for totems and demonstrations of strength, the Huntress gave her followers primal courage and an understanding of the wild.
After the Wedding That Never Was, Strahd von Zarovich became a Darklord, and turned the valley into his domain of Barovia. Though they had been transported to the Shadowfell, the Ladies positioned themselves to remain neutral, as they always had. However, many followers of the Huntress were killed by Strahd's armies in a battle lead by Kavan and Jaghr of the Longtooth, and the Lady of the Mountain was left without worshippers. Arrogant and reckless, she attacked Strahd, and the blood spilt from that battle fed the Gulthias Tree that blossomed from the Huntress's corpse. Strahd hung her followers on the tree, and completed the Desecration Of The Mountain Fane.
Careful after the Huntress' death, the Weaver was diplomatic in her relations with Strahd, and he largely paid her and her covens no mind. However, when he flooded Berez after the death of his love Marina Ulrich, the Luna River engulfed many of her followers. The Lady of the Swamp cursed Strahd, and for this transgression, he hunted her. She attempted to avoid his wrath, but after a few years, the Vampire lord eventually the Weaver in the Ethereal Border plane and skewered her. With her true fane trapped in the Ethereal, he completed the Desecration Of The Swamp Fane.
The Seeker seemingly vanished into thin air, along with many of her followers, and was believed to have migrated from Barovia prior to its disappearance into the mist. Some claimed that she survived by virtue of her foresight, and that her sisters ignored her warnings. In truth, she had hid as "Eva", a raunie of the Vistani, and kept an eye on Strahd's activities. She convinced the Vistani to strike deals with Strahd to let them travel through the demiplane into the Deepmists; hidden from Strahd's gaze, she willingly allowed the Desecration Of The Forest Fane.
With the disappearance of all three ladies, Strahd Desecrated the fanes. By defiling the places of the Ladies worship, he subsumed their magical abilities, and grew even more vast in strength. By absorbing the Seeker, he gained limited protection from mental magic, and power over Barovia's winds; by absorbing the power of the Weaver, Strahd gained limited protection from elemental harm, and power over Barovia's waters; and by absorbing the power of the Huntress, Strahd gained limited protection from physical injury, and power over Barovia's wildlife.
Though their powers were sapped for hundreds of years and they were forced to wander Barovia in limited Human forms, the Ladies Three retained much of their old personalities, while looking to avoid Strahd's wrath.
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