Herb Brides

* Pathologic 2
* Pathologic

* Ginger Bride
* Horned Bride
* Young Bride
* Classic Bride

**Herb Brides** are part of the Kin. They communicate with the Earth and dance to bring herbs to the surface. Their dances are part of the obligatory Rite, to treat the Earth and encourage herbs to grow. Herb Brides know the Lines, so when dancing, Brides can bend and extend them — it's considered a sacred art in the Kin culture. Their clothes split open as they dance, due to the passion and intensity.

While their main role in the community is to chase the herbs from below the ground and onto the surface, Herb Brides also act as midwives.

Nara is the only Herb Brides with a unique storyline and direct plot significance.

## Pathologic 2

This entry contains potential spoilers for *Pathologic 2*. Read at your own risk.

*Come now, you haven't given us any time to change the set!*This entry contains potential spoilers for Pathologic 2. Read at your own risk.

Many Herb Brides perish at the beginning of *Pathologic 2* as they are often confused for the Shabnak-adyr, a creature of Steppe legend that many believe was the killer of Isidor Burakh. One of the Herb Brides is even burned at the stake as part of the hunt for the Shabnak.

In *Pathologic 2* the relationship between the Kin and the Plague is emphasized. Being a child of the Earth, the Plague is connected to the Albino, odonghs, and Herb Brides. One cannot exist without the other and if the Plague dies so does the Earth and, by extension, those who rely upon her to exist at all. As the Sand Plague is a manifestation of the Earth it ignores those who are closely connected to the Earth. As such most Herb Brides are immune to contracting the Sand Plague.

It is implied that Aspity is the one who sets Brides up as dancers or couriers, as well as brokers work for them and odonghs.

## Pathologic: The Marble Nest

This entry contains potential spoilers for *Pathologic 2: The Marble Nest*. Read at your own risk.

**Birdies, birdies... gather ye here, round the marble nest...**This entry contains potential spoilers for *Pathologic 2: The Marble Nest*. Read at your own risk.

During the events of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest* a group of the Kin have set up a camp just below the Bridge Square. They tell the Bachelor that there is to be a wedding soon. The wedding cannot proceed if the injured Worm dies and as such the Bachelor offers to help. After patching up the Worm the Bachelor turns to see that the wedding has occurred without him. The wedding involved the sacrifice of a Herb Bride in order to wed her to the Earth, returning her blood to the soil. The group then offer the Bachelor her heart for his help.

## Gallery

### Pathologic 2

* A Herb Bride in game
* A Herb Bride in game
* Herb Brides and a Worm
* Herb Brides by Isidor Burakh's House
* A Herb Bride holding a skull
* A Herb Bride on a bull
* A Herb Bride burned to death at the Bone Stake Lot
* Nara in the Steppe
* Nara in the Haruspex's Lair
* Herb Bride dancing in the Broken Heart
* Herb Bride dancing in the Broken Heart
* Herb Brides in The Cathedral
* Herb Brides in The Cathedral
* Herb Brides in The Cathedral
* Herb Brides and Eva Yan in the Nocturnal Ending
* Herb bride in dialogue in the Pathologic 2 alpha
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Brides remake concept art
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Bride remake concept art
* Herb Brides in Steam trading card artwork
* Herb Brides in Steam trading card artwork
* Herb Brides in a Steam profile background
* Herb Brides in a Steam profile background

### Pathologic: The Marble Nest

* A Herb Bride in the 2019 release of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* A Herb Bride dancing in the 2019 release of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* A Herb Bride by the Stillwater in the 2019 release of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* Promotional image of a Herb Bride for the demo of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* Herb Bride closeup in the demo of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* Herb Bride full model in the demo of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* Herb Bride dancer closeup in the demo of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*
* Herb Bride dancer full model in the demo of *Pathologic: The Marble Nest*

## Notes

* It's forbidden for Herb Brides to have footwear; it's believed they speak with Earth through their rhythmic footsteps.
* Some Herb Brides can be found in Andrey Stamatin's pub as dancers.

 Location | The Town (Earth quarter)The Steppe

**Herb Brides**, **Twyre Brides**, **Twyrine Brides**, or simply the **Brides**, also known as **Dancers** or **Dancer Girls**, are part of the Kin. Regarded as being engaged to the Earth itself, they bring Herbs out of the Earth via song and dance.

The Brides Willow Mellow and Ayan play significant roles over the course of *Pathologic's* events.

## Description

The Brides are virgin women who can communicate with the Earth. Tasked with loving the Earth, they also serve as midwives. While not as powerful as Mistresses, they possess supernatural abilities. Their song and dance has the power to bring herbs out of the Earth, which they practice nude in the Steppe, typically at night. Brides only achieve their title and begin practicing herb cultivation when they come of age.

Traditionally, Herb Brides are only allowed to couple with *odonghs*. Brides are frequently bought and traded between them, though are not considered to belong to the *odongh* they choose to pair with. Their odonghs profit from them, since the Brides are the only ones who are able to nurture the herbs and provide a good harvest. Despite such *odongh* and bride pairs being regarded as couples, they are not permitted to sleep with one another.

Many Brides have defected from their cultivation practice, opting to sexualize their traditional dance before audiences hosted in Andrey Stamatin's pub. Some of these defected Brides sleep with men; these practises are seen as unacceptable among the Kin, who blame Stamatin for leading these Brides towards neglecting the Earth.

The Brides claim that the Sand Plague doesn't affect them the same way as it does others. If a Herb Bride gets infected with the Plague, she will recover quickly unless the infection is too severe. In that case, the Bride will die. However, a sick Herb Bride cannot infect anyone else.

## Gallery

* An Herb Bride dancing in Factus Est
* Herb Bride alongside a Gatherer Worm in the Steppe
* Willow Mellow in game
* Herb Bride concept art for the original *Pathologic*
* Herb Bride concept art for the original *Pathologic*
* Herb Bride Steam trading card art for *Pathologic Classic HD*

## Notes

* Aspity is falsely rumored to be the child of an *odongh* and a Bride.
* Big Vlad mentions that Herb Brides served as midwives during the Haruspex's birth.

## References

1. ↑ **Willow:** Do you know what Brides are? The Brides who are engaged to the Earth; the Brides who summon twyre. *- Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 **Dancer Girl:** A Bride. A true Bride now. I was but a girl yesterday. Now I dance with the Earth, sing to the herbs, and lure swevery out in the open with my very whisper. *- Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 **Big Vlad:** The gatherers... They've got these virgins, these so-called "twyre brides". They claim to chase the herbs from below the ground and onto the surface. You're supposed to know this, aren't you? In any case, they do know you. They acted as midwives when you were born… *- Haruspex Route, Day 3, Pathologic Classic HD*
4. ↑ **Willow:** They are no Mistresses, of course... Compared to a Mistress, even a young one, they're merely candles next to a bonfire. They do have powers, however, and impressive powers at that. Brides say that their—that our juices flow in such a fashion that we can do no harm. Our bodies are clean. *- Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 **Dancer Girl:** He will be rich, but for that-he is never to touch me. That makes him miserable. Can you see how much I love him? Could it be that this generous summer has been conceived by my love? Herbs are everywhere; the world is a-herb; the odour makes my head spin! Herbs lull the world to sleep; my chosen one is sleeping. But I do not miss him. *Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*
6. ↑ **Worm:** She is not mine. She doesn't belong to me. A Bride belongs to the Earth. *- Haruspex Route, Day 2, Pathologic Classic HD*
7. ↑ **Worm:** Herb Brides dance to please him when they should be pleasing the Earth. They pleasure outsiders and abandon themselves to vice. He only does this for his own amusement. The elder odonghe will be forever thankful to you if you kill him. *- Haruspex Route, Day 11, Pathologic Classic HD*
8. ↑ **Willow:** "If there's not too much Sand Dirt in our bodies, it leaves them quickly. And we can't infect anyone at all, that much is certain. If the Dirt is abundant, however, then it devours us just like any other person, and there's nothing to be done about that." *- Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*
9. ↑ **Big Vlad:** There is a shack... I've tried sending people over there already, they were greeted coldly. A certain lady lives in it... She is always in the loop; she knows the butchers' ways and what they're after. They say she was begotten by an odongh and a twyre bride... Start off there. She will treat you with respect. *- Haruspex Route, Day 5, Pathologic Classic HD*