Zofia Magdalena Kowalska (a.k.a. Polish Witch)
Description
Madame Zora keeps to the shadows of a basement flat that smells of wax, incense, and freshly dug earth. Her small frame is wrapped in layers of dark fabric, velvet and lace, each piece embroidered with warding symbols from Slavic folk tradition. Her eyes are clouded, milky with cataracts—but she seems to see everything. The room flickers with candlelight, and her walls are cluttered with crucifixes, dried herbs, yellowed newspaper clippings, and old Slavic charms pinned like warnings. Her voice is soft, accent heavy, but when she speaks prophecy, it cuts like ice.Personality
Zora is cryptic, watchful, and iron-willed. She does not suffer fools, and she never gives a straight answer unless the price is right. Her loyalties are her own—rooted not in politics or money, but in the balance of things: old debts, old spirits, old rules. She respects boldness but punishes arrogance. When she tells you something, you should listen—because she’ll only say it once.Habits
Lights specific colored candles for each visitor—white for truth, red for danger, black for the dead Feeds something unseen under her floorboards once a week Speaks to empty chairs when she thinks no one’s watching Touches her rosary whenever she liesHooks & Angles
Prophetess of the Veil: Zora knows things no one should—she speaks of coming storms, lost souls, and truths buried under Chicago’s bones. Old World Debt: She owes or is owed something by Merissa’s family. The terms were never written down, but she hasn’t forgotten. Silent Wars: She is respected—and feared—by the supernatural undercurrents of the South Side. Spirits cross themselves when they hear her name. Not Just a Woman: Some say Zora is older than she looks. Much older. Some say she died once, and clawed her way back with something else's help.
Year of Birth
1877 CE
76 Years old
Birthplace
Galicia (modern-day southern Poland/Ukraine)
Children
Eyes
Clouded gray-white, rimmed in watery red
Hair
White, wiry, worn in a tight bun beneath a patterned kerchief
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Wrinkled and papery, with faded blue tattoos on her forearms in old script
Height
5'3"
Weight
102 lbs.
Belief/Deity
Blends Catholicism with deep-rooted Polish folk magic
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