Baba Jedza
"There used to be a lot more before those two came to power," she muttered in a mixture of disgust and melancholy, "Now we can only exist here without being hunted down. This place is blessed by the Nine and guarded by us, their servants. It is the last haven any of us have left, including you."
[I am not one of you] Hao Xuan clarified to which the Old Witch laughed.
"You are blessed by one of the Nine, you are not only one of them but above many of those here."
She was right. Hao Xuan hadn't considered what being 'blessed' by one of the all-powerful 'Great Old Ones' meant. One could become an enemy of the heavens simply by associating with a servant of an 'Old God' so what would they make of him?
The Old Witch noticed his forlorn expression and quickly reached into her robe to pull out a leather mask.