So, just a query, having just read "Enemies of My Enemies", I have become enamoured with Iggwilv.
So my first question is where can i find more information about her, such as background, apprentices etc.
Also i was wondering about the title of Witch-Queen. From what understand there are at least two, Iggqilv and Zbavra. Zbavra is detailed in the Book of Vile Darkness. Is she to devils what Iggwilv is to demons? And exactly what does it mean to be a witch queen. Is there some society of witches they rule over? or does it simply mean extremely powerful female spellcaster?
Any insight about these topics would be greatly appreciated.
Iggwilv has been a D&D villain for over 2 decades. I suggest you try the old 1e adventure "Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth", a 3.5e version of which will be in Dungeon #151 this October. Canonfire.com also has several articles relating to her, and other information can be found at oerthjournal.com. And, of course, various recent issues of Dragon and Dungeon mention her as well.
So, just a query, having just read "Enemies of My Enemies", I have become enamoured with Iggwilv.
So my first question is where can i find more information about her, such as background, apprentices etc.
Also i was wondering about the title of Witch-Queen. From what understand there are at least two, Iggqilv and Zbavra. Zbavra is detailed in the Book of Vile Darkness. Is she to devils what Iggwilv is to demons? And exactly what does it mean to be a witch queen. Is there some society of witches they rule over? or does it simply mean extremely powerful female spellcaster?
Any insight about these topics would be greatly appreciated.
Iggwilv was, for a time, the Witch Queen of Perrenland in the World of Greyhawk. So, I assume her title comes from the combination of her former title as tyrant-ruler of a nation (see Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p. 86), and from her occult powers. Not sure if her title is connected to any broader society of witches.
You can find nuggest info on Iggwilv in the second edition Greyhawk adventure "Return of the Eight," and in the accessory "Iuz the Evil." I think she was first mentioned in the 1st ed module "The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth" (which will be updated to 3.5 in Wizard's first online issue of Dungeon), and her daughter Drelzna (spl?) appears in the adventure as well. Jason Zavoda's index will have a list of most other references.
Also In "Enemies of my Enemy" Is says she Is the Daughter of "Baba Yaga". Are there any stats for "Baba Yaga"?
DAve
More juicy tidbits are given on Iggwilv in Expedition to Castle Greyhawk.
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Also In "Enemies of my Enemy" Is says she Is the Daughter of "Baba Yaga". Are there any stats for "Baba Yaga"?
DAve
This is answered somewhat in the Mysteries of DnD article in Dragon #359. As for the stats for Baba Yaga, I'm not that familiar with earlier editions so I don't know if she's ever actually been statted (sp?) out. Basically, though she's a legendary hag of some type.
I'm currently trying to adapt the whole Iggwilv mythology into Eberron. Im thinking that Baba Yaga could be Sora Kell (legendary hag) and thus Iggwilv would be one of the Daughters of Sora Kell, a human daughter. Not involved in the politics of Droaam, Iggwilv Kell journeyed to depths of Khyber in search of knowledge about the long past Age of Demons...what do you think?
Also In "Enemies of my Enemy" Is says she Is the Daughter of "Baba Yaga". Are there any stats for "Baba Yaga"?
DAve
Baba yaga... letsee... wizard 30/rogue 15/cleric 10
Iron teeth, iron claws (full bab iirc)And has enslaved the 3 gods of morning, midsun and dusk.
Keeps pitfiends in slavecollars. Lots of them ;)
Oh yeah.. and made that phylacetry for Kostiche, maiking him immortal.. and a demonlord..
Travels thru time and worlds, and master of all she surveys.
Oh yeah.. flies in a iron cauldron that fells trees.. lol
If I'm not mistaken, Baba Yaga is originally lifted from Russian folklore (as is Kostchchie), found her way into 1st edition (there was an adventure in some early issue of the Dragon, and her ambulatory hut was discussed as an artifact in the 1e DMG (IIRC).
Iggwilv is a purely GH figure, though, as far as I know. The last issue of Dragon connects her with a certain other spellcaster whose name is immortalized in the PH spell list (read if you're not worried about spoilers).
Witch Queen seems a pretty generic title for a female despot with great sorcerous powers. I can't remember if Jadis in the Narnia chronicles went by that title, but there was a Witch King of Angmar in Tolkien's work (an earlier title for the Lord of the Nazgul when he had a lair in the north).
Iggwilv also, of course, has the distinction of being the mother of Iuz, by Graz'zt.
Of course she's been plane-surfing for a century or two of Greyhawk time, so it wouldn't be surprising if she had spent a little time in Eberron, Forgotten Realms, or your homebrew world under some alias or another.
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I'm currently trying to adapt the whole Iggwilv mythology into Eberron. Im thinking that Baba Yaga could be Sora Kell (legendary hag) and thus Iggwilv would be one of the Daughters of Sora Kell, a human daughter. Not involved in the politics of Droaam, Iggwilv Kell journeyed to depths of Khyber in search of knowledge about the long past Age of Demons...what do you think?
You could have her being a planar jaunting, power hungry byotch (not too much of a stretch...) out to unravel the mystery behind the creation of the Mournlands. Iggwilv seems like the kind of individual that would just LOVE to be able to drop a "torque bomb" on the City of Greyhawk....
I do remember the Baba Yaga module (The Dancig Hut in Dragon #80 something) in which she has two adopted daughters, one good and one evil, one blonde and one brunette: Elena and Natasha and it seems that Iggwilv was Natasha.
It is interesting that the first illustrations of Iggwilv (Lost Cavern of Tsojancth in Gaz'zt's entry) and the Castle Greyhawk parody module both depicts Iggwilv as a blonde.
In any case, Iggwilv was supposed to be deader than a door knob, then she turn out to be alive in Isle of the Ape.
In Gary Gygax' awful book Artifact of Evil, Iggwilv was said to have been imprisoned by Graz'zt, who, after a winning a war in the Abyss, celebrate by granting her "amnesty" and thus released her, providing that she find and release (the then imprisoned) Zuggtmoy, and she, Iuz and the fungus woman pledge loyalty to him (that didn't happened, of course).