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Baba Yaga, a powerful Hag Witch, lives deep in the birch forests in the heartland of Kislev. She is meagre as a skeleton, stronger than iron and more powerful than any other Hag. Her crooked hut stands on chicken legs of bronze and the fence around it is built from the bones of Humans and Beastmen. Skulls perched atop the spikes of this gruesome construction glow with an eerie light when darkness falls.[1a]

Baba Yaga lives a solitary life, caring little for the fate of tzars or kingdoms. However, her power is still tied to the land and when Kislev is threatened, Baba Yaga will rouse and cast great enchantments over her house. The magical construction takes on a life of its own and carries its mistress into battle, crushing those who would threaten the power of Baba Yaga.[1a]

Baba Yaga possesses extraordinary skill with Battle Magic, Ice Magic, and Dark Magic.[1a]

Chicken Legged Hut[]

The Chicken-Legged Hut is believed to be merely a legend by most Kislevites. However, the witch Baba Yaga knows the ancient formula for bringing such a hut to life. Occasionally she rides her sinister Chicken-Legged Hut to battle to protect her homeland of Kislev from those who would destroy it and, ultimately, her source of power.[1a]

Canon Conflict[]

The Kislevite character of Baba Yaga was only mentioned in Citadel Journal 16, published in 1996. She hasn't been mentioned since in any Kislev lore source. In modern Kislev canon, Ungol Hag Witches have taken on a role similar to Baba Yaga, with many of them even taking the prefix "Baba" as a form of title.

In modern Kislev canon, it has been established that only Ice Witches are capable of using Ice Magic. Additionally, in present Warhammer canon, "pure" Dark Magic or Dhar can't be channelled by Men as it requires the user to wield the eight Winds of Magic simultaneously, which is impossible for Humans.

When asked directly if the character of Baba Yaga was still canon in present Warhammer lore, Andy Hall, the writer of Total War: Warhammer III and a former employee of Games Workshop, confirmed that Baba Yaga herself is no longer canon as they felt she was too "on-the-nose" since she was named directly after the real world Russian fairytale character, but that a new character had been created to cover the Baba Yaga archetype in Kislev, Mother Ostankya.[2]

Trivia[]

In the real world, Baba Yaga is a figure in Russian folklore and fairytales, depicted as a hideous old woman living in a chicken-legged hut in the forest, serving to help the protagonist of a tale in their quest or hinder them.

Sources[]

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