| Name | Stryga |
|---|---|
| Age | Unknown |
| Species | Death-God |
| Status | Deceased |
| Home | The Middle |
| Rank/Title | Old God |
| Eye Color | Dark |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Family | Koschei (Brother), Bone Carver (Twin-Brother) † |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin |
Contents
Biography / History
Origins & Mythology
Stryga—later known as the Weaver in the Wood—is one of three ancient sibling-beings who “fell” into Prythian from another world long before the Cauldron, the Mother, or the formation of the courts. She arrived alongside her twin brother, the Bone Carver, and their elder brother, Koschei.
All three possessed immense power by Prythian’s early standards. The ancient Fae who first encountered them mistook them for gods and began worshipping them out of fear.
Nature & Powers
Unlike her brother, the Bone Carver, Stryga delighted in worship and fed on death to maintain her youth, sustaining herself on the life forces of others. The texts imply that the sacrifices made in her honor were part of what fueled her power.
Her magic allowed her to stay unnaturally young, powerful, and deadly, earning her a reputation as a creature few dared approach.
Imprisonment as the Weaver
Eventually, a lone female Fae warrior sought to end the terror caused by Stryga and her brothers. Through unknown means, she managed to trick Stryga into diminishing her power, binding her to a cottage deep in a forest and preventing her from leaving.
This imprisonment transformed her into the feared figure known as the Weaver in the Wood, a solitary being surrounded by stolen treasures and deadly enchantments.
Role in Prythian
High Lords are forbidden to interfere with the Weaver, protected by ancient laws that even they hesitate to challenge. Most stolen items within her lair will never be recovered because:
- Those sent to retrieve them rarely return
- High Lords avoid risking their people, fearing her wrath and the consequences of breaking the protections around her
The Weaver’s forest home remains one of the most feared locations in Prythian, and her presence endures as a reminder of the ancient powers that once ruled the land.
A Court of Mist and Fury
At Rhysand’s command, Feyre enters the Weaver’s cottage to retrieve Rhys’s mother’s ring. Stryga stops weaving when she detects the theft, noting Feyre is “like all, but unlike all” because she was Made. Feyre escapes by setting fire to Stryga’s stored skins, climbing the chimney, and striking Stryga with a falling brick that shatters her face. She flees across a thatched roof made from the scalped hair of victims, leaving Stryga screaming behind her.
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Seeking ancient allies against Hybern, Rhysand sends Helion to negotiate with Stryga. She agrees to fight for the Night Court in exchange for freedom from the Middle. Their bargain is sealed with matching magical tattoos.
Soon after, Feyre leads Ianthe and two Hybern soldiers into Stryga’s cottage. Stryga kills and devours them, taking Ianthe’s circlet as a trophy—an act that wins Feyre forgiveness for the earlier theft.
Stryga appears on the battlefield beside her twin brother, the Bone Carver, and Bryaxis. Wearing Ianthe’s circlet and wielding no weapons, she unleashes her death-magic, consuming life from Hybern’s soldiers and leaving mummified husks in her wake. When the Bone Carver is killed by the Cauldron’s unleashed heat, Stryga screams in grief but continues fighting.
Stryga ultimately confronts the King of Hybern himself, restored to a youthful form after consuming so many lives. When she commands him to bow “as it was once done,” the King realizes she will never serve him. He snaps her neck before she can react and throws her body to his naga-hounds, ensuring her death.
Despite her terrifying legend, Stryga dies fighting for Prythian—one of the greatest monsters who became, in the end, a hero.
Appearance
Default Appearance (Starved / Withered Form)
When unfed—her most common state—Stryga appears as a terrifying, decayed being:
- Skin gray, wrinkled, sagging, and dry
- Rotting black pits where her eyes should be
- Lips withered to thin, dark lines
- A mouth full of jagged, stump-like teeth, as if worn down from gnawing bones
- Long, inky-black hair hanging over her young, supple body
- Blind, relying on scent and magical senses
This is the form Feyre first encounters in the cottage.
Restored Appearance (Fed / Youthful Form)
After consuming life force on the battlefield, Stryga’s body undergoes a violent transformation:
- Youth restored, appearing young, supple, and unnaturally beautiful
- Skin smooth and full, no longer gray or withered
- Heightened aura of power, though still blind
- Same long black hair, now fitting her restored face
This rejuvenated form appears during the final battle in A Court of Wings and Ruin, just before her confrontation with the King of Hybern.
Magical Mark
- Crescent-moon tattoo on her forearm, created when she formed a bargain with Rhysand to fight in the war against Hybern.
Shifting Appearance
Stryga’s appearance changes depending on whether she has fed. When she has not fed, she appears ancient, withered, and skeletal. When she has consumed life, she becomes young, full, and unnaturally beautiful, her youth restored by the life force she devours.
Powers & Abilities
Primordial Immortality
As one of the three ancient siblings who existed before the Cauldron and the Mother, Stryga is an immortal being whose power predates Prythian itself. She does not age in a mortal sense and cannot die from time, though her body deteriorates when she is deprived of life-force.
Divination
Like her twin brother, the Bone Carver, Stryga possesses:
- Short-range foresight – the ability to see events that will happen in the immediate future.
- Present-sight – an innate magical sense that allows her to “see” or “hear on the wind” what is happening across the world in real time, with the exception of the Cauldron itself.
This knowledge is extremely dangerous to seek, as the price for it is the life of whoever enters her domain.
Life-Force Consumption
Stryga’s powers function as those of a death-goddess:
- She can harvest and consume the life force of other beings.
- This stolen life energy makes her younger, stronger, and more powerful.
- When she has not fed, her body withers—her skin sags, her teeth rot, and she goes blind—yet she remains immortal.
Feeding restores her beauty, strength, and vitality.
Telekinetic Magic
While confined to her cottage in the Middle, Stryga can:
- Open or shut doors and windows with magic alone
- Seal her home so no one may enter or exit unless she wills it
This force is strong enough to trap even powerful fae.
Dominance in the Middle
The Middle is a lawless territory where power determines rule. Stryga is:
- The apex being of the Middle
- Feared by every creature that dwells there
- Unchallenged due to her immense and predatory magic
Treasure Hoard
Stryga maintains a hoard of magical objects and rare artifacts within her cottage. Many items are too dangerous—or too cursed—to reclaim.
Oath-Bound Power
During the final battle with Hybern, Stryga becomes:
- Bound by oath to Rhysand, marked by a black crescent-moon tattoo on her forearm
- Freed from her confinement, able to leave the Middle and walk Prythian once more
This bargain temporarily restores her autonomy.
