The Misery
The Misery
Known Before As: Baba Yaga, The Cradle of Woe
Current Form: Isolated Entity in the Deep Fey—Fragmented Yet Active, Tangible Yet Timeless
Embodied Concept:
Suffering, Regret, and the Price of Desire.
The Misery is not sadness, but the savoring of pain, the twisting of wounds until they become identity. She is the whisper that says, “You deserve this,” and the hollow warmth of revenge that turns bitter too late. She feeds on broken oaths, twisted hopes, and the guilt of those who should have known better.
Patron Of:
- Hags, Witches, Warped Fey, and Twisted Oracles
- Broken Promises, Family Betrayals, Emotional Manipulation
- Those who seek power through grief or sacrifice
- Dealmakers who think they’re clever enough to win
Symbol:
A withered hand cupped as if cradling something precious—but empty. Sometimes seen etched on cursed contracts, or burned into the floor of long-abandoned homes.
Common Appearance to Mortals:
Baba Yaga appears as an ancient crone, face shifting between motherly and monstrous. Her eyes reflect only what the viewer regrets most. She rides in a walking hut, or sometimes a gingerbread house.
In her domain, time loops, memories blur, and meals are always just one bite too sweet.
History and Myth:
The Misery once walked among mortals, accepting visitors in times of need. She gave what they asked—but never what they wanted. Some say she was once a goddess of fate or mercy… until she saw how mortals wasted their blessings and chose to become the thing that punished them for it.
She created the first hags, born not of blood but of bitter memory, and sent them into the world to test, tempt, and torment.
Unlike many Old Gods, she is not lost—she is very much present, and willing to make a deal.
Doctrine and Devotion:
“All kindness rots. All sweetness sours. But pain? Pain remembers.”
Her followers are not joyful. They are not whole. But they are powerful—for a time. Her gifts are great. Her costs are greater.
Worshippers often bear a brand of what they regret most, forced to relive it as their magic burns through them. The most devout forget happiness entirely—they feel only longing, bitterness, and strength.
Relationship to the Pantheon:
- Mother of Hags, feared even by Tasha.
- Despised by the Wind, who calls her “the stillness after joy.”
- Tiamat respects her, for Baba Yaga takes more souls through whispered pain than the dragon queen does through fire.
- Some whisper she once knew the Narrator, and offered to take the pain he wrote into the world—for a price.
Perception by Mortals:
Feared, Bargained With, Sought in Desperation.
To some she is the last option. To others, a cautionary tale. But in every generation, someone thinks they are clever enough to beat her game.
They never are.
Relic of The Misery: The Threadbare Favor
"You asked for it, child. I simply gave you what you deserved."
Wondrous Item (Talisman or Brooch), Legendary → Artifact
Requires attunement by any creature that has made a bargain, vow, or sacrifice for power.
Initial Form: The Threadbare Favor (Levels 9–13)
A delicate, brooch-like token made of rusted silver and frayed velvet thread, resembling a child’s charm or keepsake. It glows faintly when held close to the heart. The relic feels warm and comforting—unnervingly so.
When you first attune to it, you may whisper a single, selfish desire into the brooch (revenge, recognition, resurrection, power, etc). It will grant a boon in line with that desire… but not without consequences.
Upon attunement, you learn the following spells. These do not count against your number of known spells and can be cast once per long rest using the Favor, or with your own spell slots.
Spells Granted:
- Hex – Because she knows how to curse what you cling to.
- Suggestion – She whispers things you already want to hear.
- Bestow Curse – Everything you give will be taken back in time.
- Phantasmal Force – Suffering doesn’t need to be real to be felt.
- Feign Death – Sometimes, it's better to seem broken than to be truly lost.
Gift of the Unspoken Wish (1/long rest):
Choose one effect per day that aligns with your whispered desire:
- Gain advantage on all rolls related to achieving your goal for 1 minute.
- Automatically succeed on a saving throw, skill check, or attack roll once.
- Cast wish (limited to a non-world-altering version), true resurrection, or dominate monster once per level—but at great cost (see below).
Marked by the Crone:
Any creature that uses the Favor begins accumulating Emotional Debt. Each time the item is used, roll a d6. On a 6, Baba Yaga collects:
- An ally suffers misfortune in a related goal.
- A loved one forgets you.
- A safe haven or ally turns hostile.
- Your face or voice changes subtly, alienating others.
- A kindness you once gave is undone or reversed.
- The boon backfires slightly on the next use.
This does not stop you from using the item. In fact, it may feel like the item is drawing you deeper in.
Awakened Form: The Price Paid in Full (Levels 16–20)
Once awakened, the Favor becomes a silver wire cage holding a still-beating, blackened heart. It pulses with every fulfilled wish—and twists with every cost.
It awakens when:
- You use it to harm someone you once loved.
- Or, you fulfill your greatest desire—only to find it doesn’t make you whole.
Spells Granted:
- Geas – Compel others the way you were compelled.
- Contagion – Her gifts rot the soul as easily as the body.
- Eyebite – Afflict others with despair, sleep, or sickness—just as you suffer in silence.
- Modify Memory – Rewrite the story they tell themselves about what you did.
- True Seeing – Finally perceive the truths that broke you.
Crone's Protection:
You gain immunity to being charmed, frightened, or magically compelled—not because you are strong, but because Baba Yaga protects what she owns.
Echo of Loss (Passive):
Creatures who speak to you for more than 1 minute must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom save or feel the weight of your sorrow—imposing disadvantage on Persuasion against you, but granting advantage on Intimidation and Insight.
Roleplay Notes:
- The item never lies—it gives exactly what’s asked for, in a way that will hurt the most.
- It may whisper comfort or scorn between rests.
- NPCs who know its origin will fear or pity the bearer.
