Baba Yaga

**Karga Petukh**, better known as **Baba Yaga**

## Biography

### Before First Curse

In the Enchanted Forest, Karga Petukh is a peasant woman who has become interested in witchcraft. She impresses her friend Vasilisa, with magic, and the two grow closer. One night, Count Dracula visits Karga and reveals that he is in search of a magician who can help him find his long lost brother, Radu, and threatens her if she doesn't help him. However, when Vasilisa insists then girls kill Dracula themselves, they track him down and is killed by the vampire. Karga, in her mourning, finds information on the missing Radu, knowing she will need it as leverage in her quest to avenge Vasilisa and destroy Dracula. Karga changes her name to Baba Yaga.

A young woman named Lilith approaches Baba Yaga to help turn her sister Narissa from darkness, but leaves when Baba Yaga asks Lilith to become her servant in exchange. When she is rejected by Rumplestiltskin, Narissa herself pays a visit to Baba Yaga, finding out that Baba Yaga wants revenge on Dracula. They agree on a mutual alignment, and Baba Yaga teaches her magic so that Narissa can put her village in danger in order to save it and catch the attention of a king. Hearing that Lilith and her friends Kiran and Samson ruined her and Narissa's plans, Baba Yaga transforms the three into the Black Rider, White Rider and Red Rider, respectively.

One day, a man named Koschei comes to Baba Yaga for a candle to help ward spirits from his home. Baba Yaga tells Koschei that she will oblige if he performs her tasks to satisfaction. Some time later, Baba Yaga tells Koschei that she will let him go if he helps her locate Count Dracula. Koschei knows nothing of the vampire, and Baba Yaga locks him in a cell deep in her caves; she gives him a book that tells him the story of the three riders. With a new plan, Koschei offers to clean the caves for Baba Yaga and she accepts. However, he steals a candle and takes off into the forest, calling for "Lilith" - the true identity of the Black Rider. Having recited her name, Lilith is able to let Koschei go and tries to distract Baba Yaga. Enraged, Baba Yaga transforms Koschei into her walking "Hut of Death".

### After Fourth Curse

Still wanting revenge on Dracula, Baba Yaga decides to pretend to seek an alliance with the infamous Rumplestiltskin by locating his friend Alice Jones, a supposed Guardian, in New Wonderland. In exchange for helping her, Baba Yaga offers to cure Alice's father's poisoned heart. On the way, Baba Yaga claims that they must pay a quick visit to Dracula first, and Alice thinks that she has found him hiding in Agrabah. However, in Agrabah, Princess Jasmine confronts Baba Yaga and Alice, assuming they are villains come to wreak havoc. Alice explains that they are only in town to find Dracula, who is laying low and constantly on the move, likely stopping every now and then for blood. Jasmine notes that she and Aladdin took in a kindly homeless man earlier and worries that he could be Dracula and kill the royal couple at night.

Baba Yaga and Alice are taken into the Agrabahn Capital Palace that night, poking fun at the irony of Dracula in a desert. Aladdin and Jasmine introduce them to the nameless begger, who denies that he is a vampire. However, his identity is exposed when he is offended by Baba Yaga and Alice's jokes, and Dracula attacks Baba Yaga. Alice miraculously manages to blast Dracula back with her yet to be discovered Guardian powers. Damaged by the light, Dracula flees, swearing revenge on them all. Alice realises that Baba Yaga manipulated her and never wanted to find Rumplestiltskin. After an argument, they go their separate ways with the deal unfulfilled.

### After Sixth Curse

After the realms are merged, Baba Yaga joins Tom Thumb in his own revenge plot. She attacks Diaval, Lanval and Queen Merida when they approach her home. In the night, she returns to the villains' lair, only to find the Good Queen Regina trying to follow her. They engage in a magic duel, ending with Baba Yaga blasting Regina out of the secret lair.

Tom's prisoner Drizella Tremaine escapes whilst he is distracted in an argument with Baba Yaga, and he orders the witch to recapture her. She later kidnaps Diaval and Lanval in hopes that Drizella may come in an attempt to save them. However, once returning home, she finds Henry Mills and Ella infiltrating her hut. After banishing them, she attempts to flee, but when Diaval and Lanval begin to escape, Baba Yaga stabs Diaval and leaves the two in the forest.

## References

1. ↑ *Sacrifice*
2. ↑ *The Three Riders*
3. ↑ *House Hunters*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Plight of the Witch*
5. ↑ *Wild Hearts Bleed*