MATRIARCH OF LAS BRUJAS, VOICE OF OLD BLOOD Isidra Maria Salazar

Dark Chicago    The Usual Suspects    People    Occultists      Abuela Salazar

Description

Abuela Salazar is a small, bent woman whose presence feels impossibly large. Her face is a map of deep-set lines, every wrinkle a story folded into the past. She wears long black dresses, always layered with protective sashes, amulets, and red thread. Her hair, thick and silver, is coiled into a braid so heavy it looks like it could be used to strike down spirits. Though her body is frail, her eyes burn dark and sharp—like coals that never cooled. Her home smells of clove, candle wax, and iron, and no one walks through her doorway without whispering a prayer, friend or foe alike.

Personality

Isidra is commanding, shrewd, and fiercely protective of her bloodline and community. She rarely speaks, but when she does, it carries the weight of a verdict. She’s old enough to have seen both miracles and monsters walk the streets of Chicago, and she treats both with equal suspicion. She doesn’t forget insults and doesn’t forgive betrayals. Her magic is deep, rooted, and dangerous—and always personal.

Habits

Offers a single red candle for each child born and each death buried in Little Mexico
Grinds herbs by hand while praying in Nahuatl
Refuses to let her feet leave the ground during ritual—says it “confuses the spirits”
Keeps a crow feather and a strip of her husband’s blood-soaked war shirt on her altar

Hooks & Angles

Keeper of Old Blood: Isidra knows rituals that predate the city and the Veil’s rise. She’s one of the last living practitioners of a forgotten lineage.
The Price of Power: Every spell she casts demands a toll—one the younger Brujas don’t always understand. Jesse may be next in line to learn that lesson.
Respect or Ruin: Politicians, priests, and even Outfit men show her deference. Crossing her isn't just taboo—it's suicidal.
Watching the Sinners: She knows the crew is rising, and she knows blood when she smells it. She may offer aid—or a warning.

Year of Birth

1879 CE 74 Years old

Birthplace

Veracruz, Mexico

Eyes

Dark brown, nearly black, sharp as obsidian

Hair

Long and silver, always braided and tied with red thread

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Deeply lined, sun-darkened, with hands covered in old burn scars and charm tattoos

Height

4'11"

Weight

99 lbs.

Belief/Deity

Syncretic blend of Catholicism and ancestral Mesoamerican practices