Baby Yaga

“	Out of the 9 new girls we got yesterday, you are the only one still alive. Keep up the good work.	„
	~ Yaga.

Jagoda Jęczyduch, better known by her nickname Baba Yaga, is the deuteragonist of the 2024 indie game Awaria, a spiritual successor to the 2020 indie game Helltaker.

She is Ula Usterka’s supervisor and an experienced Tunnel Runner.

Role[]

Yaga is the hardened and experienced supervisor of the Tunnel Runners, a group tasked with generator maintenance in the dangerous, ghost-infested tunnels. Unlike the many workers who perished before her, Yaga has survived countless near-death encounters, evident in the scars that mark her body. She has spent more time in the tunnels than anyone else, making her both a reliable mentor and a grim reminder of the dangers that lurk below.

She provides guidance to Ula, the only survivor of a recent group of Tunnel Runners. While Yaga warns Ula about the aggressive ghosts, she is also intrigued by Ula’s unorthodox approach—pacifying them with affection rather than just evasion or brute force. Yaga often refers to Ula as “Pup,” a term that reflects both endearment and the difference in their experience levels.

Despite her hardened exterior, Yaga has her own way of coping with the miserable conditions of the tunnels. She drinks denatured alcohol, a toxic substance to humans, but reveals that she possesses an artificial liver, allowing her to consume poison without harm. Whether this is due to cybernetic enhancements or another anomaly remains unclear, but it further highlights how Yaga is no ordinary worker.

Yaga understands the grim fate of most Tunnel Runners—those who die often return as ghosts, losing their memories and feeding on negative human emotions. While she does not share Ula’s sentimental approach, she does not discourage her either, watching with curiosity as Ula tames the ghosts with kisses and pudding pies.