---

The journey to the Bone Brambles crossed parched plains with huge cracks forcing slow travel, big lakes of lava that had to be circumnavigated, and clouds of burning rain that passed swiftly over the landscape. A glimpse of enormous arches in the East gave confidence that the track was more-or-less true. And after some hours, a vast forest of bone-white trees appeared, shimmering in a haze to the South: the Bone Brambles.

Morad and Mak slowed as they drew near to the Brambles. It was indeed a maze of warped trees made of bone, with vein-like vines pulsing with red climbing amongst the spindly branches. As expected, the map had something to say.

“Your future is written in your blood. She will open your veins to paint the story hidden in your heart”

“I like it,” Madam Portencia commented.

“You do not like it,” Mak corrected, “You lie.”

“That’s a trick that captures people’s attention,” Madam Portencia grinned.

On closer inspection, the vines seemed to be pulsing with dark blood, and calcified corpses were embedded in the bone-trees, merged into the trunks like growths. Fungal pods grew on the trees, throbbing slowly, feeding on the on the oozing blood. Here and there, narrow paths wended deeper into the tangled woods.

Bili uses his innate abilities to sense any living beasts but found nothing - the entire forest appeared to contain no life, which spooked him. What kind of forest has nothing living?

Spider nicked one of the vines with his chef’s knife. “That’s blood alright - watered down, but blood.” He started scouting forward into the thickets. “Spider!” Morad called out, “Should we put a rope on you? The vines might get you?”

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”

“Morad,” Madam Portencia said calmly, “Spider’s not going to be killed by vines.” She hoped, anyway.

Spider crept forward, the Barbarians and Morad following close behind. He rounded a particularly dense thicket and stopped suddenly. Whispering voices surrounded him: “Tell us, spin us a tale, sing of the wonders of life”

Three wisp-like creatures materialised from the trees, and Bili was horrified to see were Dryad Spirits, but corrupted, cursed, withered. Instead of creatures of the woodlands, their skins oozed and they were full of death instead of life.

---

“Tell us of life, dance, sing, life” they demanded.

Morad stepped forward. “I will tell you a story,” he said confidently. The spirits turned their lifeless faces to him expectantly.

“Al’Akbar was born, the year 1202, near Jakkar - my village, my home,” Morad begun, reciting a well-worn history. “He was a holy man, a holy man like never seen before.” He felt the calm of legend settling on him, and looked happily around at the Dryads - but they were shaking their heads, frowning. “Do not shake your head, I am telling you about Al’Akbar,” he said sternly.

“Not this. Life! Speak of life!” the spirits wailed, agitated.

“This never happened,” Madam Portencia said softly.

“It did happen! My great-grandfather knew him,” Moard insisted.

“Remind us of ourselves, remind us of who we were” The whispers were now almost a screech, angry, and one started to raise her hand as if to strike.

“I don’t know who you were. But if you believe Al’Akbar, you will come back!”

“No no no!” Bili jumped forward. He held his hands up in deference, and begun to weave a tale of home, praising the generosity of the Dryad, their kindness to strangers, and their nobility.

“The Bear Tribe fables tell the tale of three Dryads that are spirits of the groves, woodlands and mountain forests. They were the spirits of the oaks and pines, and ash.

The Lady Meliai was a Dryad of the ash-trees. She was born when the world was young and born from the blood of the Sky.

The Lady Oreiades was a Dryad of the mountain pines. She was ancient and serene, and bestowed a sense of bliss who sheltered under her tree.

The Lady Hamad was a Dryad of the oak. and played near river-side and waterfall groves. Streams that run by her tress and of the most refreshing, sweet smelling and curative properties.

For a Dryad, a tree is born with her birth to which her life was tied. While the tree flourished, so did its resident Dryad, but when it died she passed away.

Children of the northern tribes are instructed never to cut down the ancient trees, and to revere them as the lament of a Dryad is a sadness felt for years by druids of the tribe… The most ancient trees are sacred and are preserved by all.

Mak was mesmerised, and so were the spirits, transported out of Avernus and back to a world of life, of family, of joy. Bili’s tale brought life to a place with none. Tears rolled down the spirits' ashen faces, and they looked at Bili with gratitude. For a moment their was peace in their tortured souls, before they faded back into nothingness. There was a moment of stillness as everyone bathed in the natural magic of Bili’s tale.

“Bili have you ever considered a job in the circus?” Madam Portencia ventured. “That kind of storytelling power can earn you a lot of coin!”

Morad scowled. His legend was true and good! But he could also see Bili’s tale was…better. Given the circumstances.

---

The woods got thicker as the group ventured further inward. There was no sound, a dense nothingness, and the sky was totally obscured. Mak none-the-less smiled as he walked, bathing in the glow of the tale of the Dryad. Spider led everyone forward through the maze, backtracking past dead-ends and false turns.

He called a halt when he noticed something ahead. Embedded in the trunk of a tree was a corpse, not calcified, of a black-skinned elf, her face twisted in horror. The vines were impaled through her body, leeching what remained of the life in her dead body. Strapped over her shoulder was a was a leather satchel, hanging temptingly.

Spider crept forward, planning how to cut the straps of the bag. He summoned a spectral hand and sent it forward to cut the straps. As the knife started to slice, the eyes of the elf opened slowly. “Killlll meeee” she whispered hoarsely in Elvish. Spider paused, looking back for a translation.

Madam Portencia put her hand on Spider’s shoulder. “Spider, she’s asking for death.”

“We can’t do that, this is probably Red Ruth, no good to us dead,” Spider replied.

“You think that’s Red Ruth?” Madam Portencia asked skeptically.

“Well it could be?” Spider replied disingenuously.

“Killlll meeee”

“By the way Spider I’m not telling you to stop, I’m just telling you what she is saying.”

Spider grinned and finished the job. As the bag dropped, he grabbed the strap and yanked it back toward him. It was a similar size to his own, and he opened it to look inside. Nothing. It looked larger inside than it should - also like his own satchel. He picked up a largish fallen bone branch and poked it inside, before dropped it fully, and it sat in there comfortably. He directed his magic hand inside and couldn’t feel anything in there.

“I think it’s a magic bag, but I don’t really want to stick my hand in it.” He tossed it to Madam Portencia. Madam Portencia looked sadly at the elf, and Tolled for her life. The solemn bell rang out in the unnatural silence, and the drow looked up and mouthed “Thank you” before her head dropped.

Spider continued forward, until Bili called out for caution. For the first time he sensed life of some kind. “Stop! There is a fungal mass of some sort ahead, plant life, not animal.” He looked closely at the brambles bounding the copse ahead, and saw a dense dark green hidden amongst the trunks. The presence of a living being was overwhelming, but there was no intelligence to communicate with. There was restless something in there.

Bili cast a spell of life to try and draw a bloom forth, but they instantly shrivelled. He shrugged and stepped forward, reached his hand out, sensing life, and touched the green.

The entire forest seemed to lurch into life as a massive rotting heap of animated vegetation shambled forth. It immediately pounded two huge wooden fists into Bili, and drew him into its rotten maw, engulfing him whole.

---

Morad reacted fast, pulling out his whip and cracking it around Bili’s leg as he was drawn within. It wrapped cleanly around Bili, a perfect strike, and Mak put all his weight behind pulling him free.

Mak charged forward, enraged at Bili’s shambolic treatment. He buried his maul into the writhing mass, cracking branches and whatever else was hidden inside. Madam Portencia knew exactly what to do: she blighted the mound, necromantic energy drawing all the moisture and vitality from a huge swathe of the mound.

Torgrun followed suit with a bolt of holy guidance, the radiant light wilting more of the leaves and vines. Bili seized the moment to try and yank himself free, hauling himself out along the path of Morad’s whip. Morad smiled to see the return of Bili the bard. Spider plunged his shadow blade into the green creature, slicing a wedge that dropped to the ground at Mak’s feet.

The mound was being destroyed under the assault, but it still managed to swing its massive ‘hands’ again, crushing him with one, but the other missing as Mak swung back, avoiding suffering the same fate Bili did.

Having hauled Bili free, Morad pulled his sword and jammed it into the creature, but it struck a thick trunk within, and before he could do anything it was ripped from his hand and the mound closed around it. Morad cried out angrily.

Mak hammered into it again, striking hard and true. Madam Portencia’s chromatic orb floated past harmlessly, and Torgrun followed her lead by firing his bolt well wide too. It struck a spore on a nearby tree and exploded in a rain of blood that covered Torgrun in goop. Bili directed a ray of light into the creature, but somehow the shambling horror still stood. Not for long.

Spider stepped forward and finally finished it with his dagger. The growth gave one final shudder before all the life vanished and collapsed into a pile of compost in the clearing.

---

Spider grunted and continued through the brambles, sensing that he was reaching the centre of the maze. He turned a final corner and immediately took cover, hiding in the dense cover.

A cave-like hovel lay ahead. Hundreds of bones and body parts hung by sinewy twine around the roofline and over the entrance. The air buzzed with flies. A woman stood in the entrance of the hovel, hair long and bedraggled, wearing a dress of stitched together bones. Around her neck she wore a necklace of infant skulls. Spider was horrified to see the skulls were chattering, chanting and singing. Singing what sounded like nursery rhymes. Spider almost retched.

---

The woman looked directly at Spider, his stealthy approach ineffective under her gaze, and beamed a toothless grin. “Come forward my dears, my darling one, my sweet babies…”

---

Everyone warily approached the door (other than Bili who walked forward with enthusiasm) as the hag beckoned and hobbled her way inside. There was a strong reek of fetid meat, and it soon became obvious why - inside the tiny hovel were bowls and vats full of sweating organs. Spider grimaced as he noted livers, spleen, and a jar of eyeballs, amongst other vats of unidentifiable parts. The hag’s necklace started chanting a rhyme, seeing Spider’s interest.

“Heads, livers, spleen and toes, spleen and toes, and eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose”

Hanging from the roof were loose skins, some human-sized, some goblin. Potions bubbled away on a benchtop, and on the back wall a kobold skeleton was mounted threateningly, a peaked witch’s cap on its gleaming skull and a wand clutched in its clawed hands.

“I don’t like her,” Lulu whispered to Torgrun. “She doesn’t seem like a good person.”

Red Ruth turned and beamed a crooked smile. “Welcome my lovelies! Please make yourself comfortable, I haven’t had visitors in so long - let alone such a handsome group!” Ruth stared at Bili as she said this, and he held her look.

The necklace burst into song again, “Hey diddle diddle, a madam and giant, an orphan, a knight and a bear, oh how we laugh to see such sport, and a Hellrider standing there!”

“A Hellrider! We haven’t had a Hellrider here for a long, long time.” Torgrun was surprised to be called out, but he kept his face still and bowed in response.

Ruth cackled with delight before continuing. “Tell me why have you come to see Red Ruth this fine day?”

“We have been sent,” Torgrun said.

“To me? I feel honoured - and who was it that sent you?”

“We got sent by your man Jander Sunstar,” Spider answered.

“Not someone of my acquaintance - but I’m glad that he sent you,” Ruth grinned.

“He was stuck up on a tree on Haruman’s Hill.”

“Oh! Like my friend here,” Ruth said waving to the kobold remains.

“When did you last receive guests?” Madam Portenia asked.

“Oh let me see,” Ruth said. She plucked a hair from her nose, rubbed it between her fingers, dropped it and studied the fall. “Weeks ago, it seems?”

“You don’t have a shingle hanging out,” Madam Portencia suggested.

“People who need to know how to find me. People travel from far, far away, from many planes of the multiverse, to hear my divinations.”

“And that is why we have come to you,” Togrun nodded. “We seek more knowledge.”

“Everyone always seeks knowledge,” she smiled.

“We seek another of my kind, another Hellrider.”

“I don’t think there’s many left,” Ruth quipped.

“One who stood at the side of Zariel.”

“Haruman perhaps?”

“Haruman is gone,” Torgrun said, sensing a knowledge advantage.

“Gone? I don’t think so. I think he has a hill, nearby.”

“That hill has been levelled. We have taken Haruman down.”

Ruth arched an eyebrow. “You…?”

“He sought to end us, and his path led him down a dead end.”

“And what does Zariel have to say about that?” Ruth asked archly.

“We haven’t asked,” Torgrun grinned.

Spider chuckled, and Red Ruth burst out laughing. Her skulls joined in until there was a cacophony of howling mirth.

Ruth cut it short abruptly.

Torgrun remained on point. “We are playing a serious game, a large game, a game of this realm. And we move closer to Zariel, but it is not her that we seek just now. We seek Olanthius.”

“Ah, yes - the Hellrider seeks the Hellrider,” Ruth smirked. “And you wish me to guide you?”

“We seek your aid.”

“What’s the price?” Madam Portencia asked, knowing this game well.

“Hush little mortal, don’t make a peep, mama Ruth’s going to give you just what you want seek”, the skull necklace sang.

“So that is all you wish from me? Something so simple? No fortune telling?” Ruth side-eyed Madam Portencia, who nodded wryly.

“We have our fortune,” Torgrun said, “It has been told. And that’s what drives us.”

Red Ruth smiled, and shifted her eyes to Bili. “I have a drive of a different sort,” she smiled lasciviously. She wobbled to her feet and walked over to stand directly in front of the half-naked barbarian. “This one is beautiful.”

“You are not wrong, lady,” Madam Portencia agreed.

To everyone’s utter surprise, Bili reached out and grabbed Red Ruth gently by the waist, eyes locked on hers. “You’re on.”

Ruth flushed, her skin darkening. She put her cold hand on Bili’s bare chest and traced her finger down his lithe muscles down toward his loin. Bili felt his pulse quicken, her radiating cold a balm in the heat of Hell. He kind of liked it.

“I can feel the life in you,” Ruth whispered, “Delicious earth, plant, animal life, all inside you.”

“If this is the cost,” Madam Portencia offered, mesmerised, “We’re willing to pay.”

Bili grabbed her hand and placed it firmly on his chiselled buttock, encouraging her to keep going. Ruth drew herself up against his body, pressing hard into him. Bili stood ready, obvious to everyone. “It has been a lonnng time,” Ruth breathed, her hands grabbing his readiness.

“That’s our cue to exit,” Madam Portencia spluttered, grabbing Spider by the collar.

“Out!” Ruth cried, in no uncertain terms. No-one needed to be asked twice, hurrying outside. Morad was out before she’d finished her command, shocked. The door and shutters suddenly slammed shut, leaving Bili and Ruth alone and together.

Ruth leaned in and whispered in Bili’s ear. “Do you like what I have done to my forest? Would you like to join me?” Her hands continued their exploration.

“I have things I have to do,” Bili stammered, breathing hard.

“Well before you do, let’s do this”

Ruth grabbed Bili’s rock-hard friend and guided it inside. Bili gasped, pleasure rolling through his body, a pleasure he had all but forgotten, awakening the animal passion within. He wrapped his hands around her ample buttocks and lifted her free of the ground, plunging her down onto his business.

Ruth moaned with joy, wrapping her legs around Bili’s sweaty torso, biting his neck as he rocked her. “Yesssss,” she cried.

Outside, curiosity won out over prudishness, Mak, Spider, and Torgrun jostled for position to hear what was going on inside. “Just in case he needs…help,” Mak whispered, blushing slightly. Morad watched them incredulously.

Ruth grabbed Bili’s head between her hands and forced him to drop to his knees. “I need a third, and we will make it,” she gasped as she shifted and ground on Bili.

“A third what?” Bili grunted, working hard to stay focused.

“A third one of us! Imagine the power, the joy!” She started riding harder, and Bili rode along, matching her rhythm.

“It is destiny that you came to me,” Ruth panted, “Destiny that you bought your life to my forest, and destiny that we will make more!” Ruth threw herself down on Bili, pulling every part of him deep inside.

Bili felt himself surging, felt the spark of life ready to release, and he let it go, let the overwhelming pleasure shoot through his body and into Red Ruth, the hag’s head thrown back in deep ecstacy as they merged. She howled in thrilled triumph as Bili grunted and groaned as he delivered his life-force.

Everyone at the door heard the climactic glory. Madam Potencia saw Morad’s pale face and gave him a hug of solidarity. The door and windows flung open with an explosion of released pressure.

Inside, Red Ruth sat straddling Bili’s loin, and his torso was covered with scratches he hadn’t noticed until now. Ruth climbed off, eyes ablaze, and staggered over to her workbench clutching her belly. Spider looked at Bili and his grimace softened into a wry smile, seeing the satisfaction in Bili’s face.

Bili sat up slowly, content, but ready to play his card. “This comes with a price,” he panted as he caught his breath.

“Almost anything!” Ruth smailed lovingly.

Morad grunted with surprise. Bili’s…actions…had worked?

“Ask her!” Bili insisted. He hauled himself to his feet, his legs wobbly.

“Yes, yes,” Torgrun stuttered. “Our question: how do we find, uh, Olanthius?”

Ruth ignored Torgrun, still staring at Bili. “I cannot believe this has happened. You have given us a third.”

Bili walked over to her and put his hand on her belly, feeling the stirrings of life within. “Tell them,” he demanded.

“Olanthius is at the Crypt of the Hellriders,” Ruth said offhandedly, grabbing Bili’s hand. She placed it on his own stomach and held it there. “We will share this,” she whispered.

“Oh no,” Madam Portencia put her hand to her mouth in shock. This was getting out of hand.

“Olanthius guards the Crypt, and none may enter unless they have the key. The key is in two parts. I can give you one.”

“Where is the other?” Madam Portencia asked wearily.

“I know not.”

“But you have this other key?”

“I will need to craft it.”

“What do you need?” Torgrun asked innocently.

“Blood,” she turned to Torgrun smiling. “Hellrider blood.”

“Sorry what was that?” Torgrun asked, no longer innocent.

“Wasn’t blood she got from me,” Bili added.

“How much blood do you need?” Madam Portencia asked suspiciously.

“Just a goblet,” she grinned, grabbing one from her table and holding it out. “Hellrider blood for a Hellrider lock.”

“Torgrun,” Madam Portencia said kindly, “I foresee this is your time to shine.”

“I can do it painlessly if you want, pal,” Spider offered.

Torgrun nodded, resigned. “I have shown that, unlike Morad, mine is a more ambivalent path. So I am prepared to do this.” He pulled his sleeve up and held it out toward Spider.

Spider cut Torgrun’s forearm on a spot he knew would bleed freely but briefly. As it dripped into the goblet he beckoned Bili over. “You should ask her about your Ice Witch - sounds like you have a bit of credit!” Spider whispered.

Bili nodded and walked over to Ruth again, placing his hand gently on the small of her back. He treated her with great tenderness. “Do you know of the Ice Witch?”

“I am sorry my love, I do not.”

“And when will this arrive?” Bili asked, his warm hand on her cold belly.

“Sooner than you expect, but later than I would wish,” she smiled.

Torgrun watched this exchange and felt greater discomfort from what he was hearing than the fact he was personally sacrificing the blood in his veins to Red Ruth’s desire.

“This won’t take long,” Ruth said as she took the full goblet to her potion workbench, pouring it into a glass tube. She pulled out a crystal ball and lay it next to the tube, then started mumbling cantrips under her breath. Before long Torgrun’s blood was roiling in the tube, as if trying to escape. She held a long finger over the top and a jet of scorching flame shot into the mixture.

The blood thickened as it boiled under the flame, changing to a vivid red like the hellfire pools that dotted the Avernian landscape. Satisfied, Ruth poured the brilliant scarlet soup into the ball, sealing it closed with a wave of her gnarled hand.

“This is the key,” Ruth said, dropping the ball of hellfire blood into Torgrun’s waiting hand. He could feel the heat pulsing inside, eager to escape. “Find the other and you will be granted entry.”

“Thank you, good lady.”

Bili approached Red Ruth again.

“Stay with me,” Ruth asked. “Stay with me while we raise this,” she said, hand on his belly

“I can’t. But I have this for you.” He produced a bone tooth from his waist-pouch, one he had carried since scavenging it from the dungeon below the Baldur’s Gate bathhouse all that time ago, and laid it in Ruth’s hand. “Something for our child.”

“Oh yes! You are the one,” Ruth beamed. She popped the tooth into her mouth and ground it between her teeth. She threw her hand behind Bili’s head and drew him into a passionate kiss, passing the mush of bone shards into his mouth as her tongue worked its way around his.

Bili swallowed the load with gusto.

HAHAHAHA OH MY GOD. WHAT AM I EVEN TYPING.

Morad almost threw up. Madam Portencia held his head against her bosom, while he whimpered, “No Bili, no, no.”

Ruth broke the kiss, wiped her mouth with relish, then ripped off one of her fingernails and handed it to Bili. “A token. Use if it you need.”

“Will it be a girl or a boy,” Bili asked, knowing Ruth already had the answer.

“Both,” Ruth smiled slyly.

The skulls sung madly, in languages known and unknown. “1,2,3,4,5, once Ruth caught a bear alive, 6,7,8,9,10, then she made it come again”

“This was all very unexpected, I would never have imagined it,” Ruth smiled contentedly. “I can see many things, but I did not see this.”

“Lady, we did not know this was going to happen, it’s a surprise to us too!” Torgrun said truthfully.

Ruth stretched her arms over her head. “Ahhh. I need a bath!”

“We need go now lady!” Morad spluttered out.

“If you happen upon the Infernal Rapture, find me a bath, there’s a dear,” Ruth said to Morad as he backed outside.

Morad turned to Madam Portencia seeking solace. “Bili just made a baby,” he said breathlessly, “With that hag. And now he has baby too?! HE HAS BABY TOO!?”

“Shhhh, my darling, shhhh” Madam Portencia said comfortingly. “It’s time for you to be a good Uncle, my friend. A godfather.” Morad stared back, bewildered. But duty was something he did understand.

Lulu fluttered over to Bili. “I hope your goodness outweighs her lack,” she said quietly.

Spider was the last out, and he swept in a bow at the door. “Pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“And you little one.”

“You certainly made an impression on our man Bili there,” Spider smirked.

“And he on me,” she grinned. “I need more visitors like him!”

“That’s one for the books,” Spider said, patting his journal. “Good for you.”

The skulls sang out as Spider turned, “Incy wincy spider, climbed up the goblin’s cloak, down came Red Ruth, and flushed poor Impy out”, they cackled and laughed.

“Very funny!” Spider acknowledged. He scratched into his notebook as he left, “Bili’s baby mama needs a bath - Infernal Rapture.” He underlined the last two words.

Ruth stood in the doorway of her hovel, glowing. “My Bili can come again,” she called, waving goodbye, “You can all come again!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever come again,” Madam Portencia said under her breath.

---

There was an embarrassed silence as everyone walked out of the maze, not quite sure what had just happened.

Bili hummed a gentle tune, oblivious to the discomfort. He felt good. He reflected on what he had learned from the shaman of his tribe. How winter hags represent the barren land, which the hero of the tale must approach without fear and come to love on her terms. When the hero displays this courage, love, and acceptance of her ugly side, the hag reveals that she is also a young and beautiful goddess. He looked forward to seeing Ruth again.

He had been expecting an unpleasant experience, but life begets life, and he’d enjoyed himself! Just at that moment his belly shifted slightly, in a peculiar way, which did cause him some pause. But then the glow returned and he strode ahead with renewed purpose.

“Spider,” Madam Portencia said, watching Bili carefully, “Do you have any liquour?”

Spider handed a flask over, “Take a few slugs of that, should help.”

“I don’t need to drink it, I just need to wash my mouth out - and my eyes! Morad - take a sniff of this. Just smell - deep breath.”

“No! No need,” Morad said firmly.

“I think you should start drinking now,” Bili said encouragingly.

“No. No drinking - and no drinking for you, because now you’re mother!”

Bili patted his stomach happily. He felt great.

“I’m keen to get going,” Madam Portencia said wearily.

Spider hauled the map out and pointed to the crashed fortress to the South. “I have no idea where this Crypt of the Hellriders is, but we can probably ask for directions on the way,” Spider said hopefully.

“Morad, make this thing go now. South and East, easy as she goes,” Madam Portencia directed from her perch atop the Holy Terror II.

Morad and Mak started their engines and headed out once again into the Avernian wasteland.

---

---

---

Session played: 11 May 2021