Herb Brides

Pathologic 2=

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
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
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.

Description
"Gatherers gather herbs. I merely live. I caress the Earth, I kiss the Earth, I nourish it with my warmth. Every night I run through the herbs naked and sing lullabies to them. Every night demands a different lullaby. Every herb demands a different lullaby. I know them all. I know how to make herbs lush."

- Dancer Girl, Day 5 in the Haruspex Route

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.