1. Characters

Lysaga Verboczy

This character is dead.

Born in the Svalich Woods outside Berez to Druidic parents of minor powerLysaga Verboczy was trained in magic and witchcraft, and would eventually travel to the Village of Barovia. There, she became a midwife for the Countess Ravenovia van Roeyen, mother of the eventual Vampire Lord of BaroviaStrahd von Zarovich. A devout follower of Mother Night skilled in Divination, she understood Strahd's capacity for evil and great destiny even at birth. When Strahd was still a baby in his crib, "Baba" Lysaga cast protective Spells on him and crept into his nursery on stormy nights to sing magical rhymes to him.

Baba Lysaga's unhealthy attachment to the baby Strahd did not go unnoticed. After Ravenovia received several disturbing reports of her behavior, she banished the midwife from her nascent kingdom. During her exile, Baba Lysaga made countless sacrifices to Mother Night, and invoked dark magic to change herself. Her skin took on the resilience of stone, her body was able to turn into a Swarm of Locusts, and her soul was shielded against divination magic. Mother Night has also imparted to Lysaga the secret of longevity, which required her to bathe in the blood of Beasts during the new moon.

Lysaga never saw Strahd again, but she succeeded in staying alive to witness the triumphs of her beloved boy, who she began to believe was her own true child. During these travels, she learned many secrets of the land, and eventually uncovered the skull of a Giant that she enchanted to use as a flying vehicle. She plead with her goddess to afflict Queen Ravenovia with ill health and visit death upon her. Lysaga eventually got her wish after the Rout Of Barovia, when Ravenovia was killed by the Order of the Silver Dragon; after Strahd constructed Castle Ravenloft, Lysaga moved as close to him as she dared to. 

Lysaga knew that Strahd would never accept her as his true mother, nor could she bear his rejection. As a result, she never confronted him, even when she saw his armies marching through the Zarovich Valley. She instead existed in perpetual denial, whiling away the days, months, and years practicing fell magic and looking for ways to help him. She kept the delusion even after the Wedding That Never Was, as Strahd formed a pact with Vampyr and turned Barovia into his dread domain.

After the Flooding Of Berez, Lysaga made a permanent home back in the swamps, and began developing a relationship with the existing swamp-folk, convincing them she was Strahd's true mother. She assisted in dissuading the natives from worshipping the Morninglord or the Ladies Three, and instead devote themselves only to Strahd; eventually, these druids would form a greater network of small witch-covens across former Berez.

She devoted her time to casting anti-divination spells across the swamps, preventing Strahd from seeing her; unknowingly, this made her coven also immune to the sight of the Dark Powers of the Amber Temple. She began creating Scarecrows to attack those who opposed her "son", and launched an assault on Argynvostholt, tearing down its south wall. However, the Revenants of the Order of the Silver Dragon still defended the mansion, and she was repelled by Captain Vladimir Horngaard.

When Baba Lysaga learned of the Keepers of the Feather, she chose to make the organization the bane of her existence, even though Strahd himself paid them no mind. She began directed her scarecrows to attack the Wizard of Wines and any Raven or Wereraven she came across, and directed the druids to attack them as well. Using a blue Gemstone of Life Growth that she stole from the winery, she created a Creeping Hut, and taught the forest-folk how to create similar living constructs using the Gulthias Tree