Bacchus

Major Story Arcs

The Books of Magic

Bacchus, within The Books of Magic, appears as a thin, large-nosed man with an afro and a hipster shirt. He is staying at the Inn Between Worlds, run by Accasbel. He calls himself Drunk, and chats with Tim Hunter in his guise as Mary. He says Accasbel's ale is no good, and that he can improve it by spitting in it. Mary refuses the ale, but when he spills it on the floor, a vine starts growing from the ground. Accasbel asks Drunk to brew a special batch of ale for him, which he hasn't done for a long time.

Tim works for Drunk/Bacchus to make his new brew. As Mary works to the point of exhaustion, Drunk explains why the other people at the Inn are so afraid--they are worried about the Wild Hunt, which has broken free of its extradimensional bonds and is once again hunting down rogue spirits.

Mary and Drunk both put a bit of themselves in the beer: Mary's breath and Drunk's fingernail fungus.

Tim's friend Joh tries to spy on the beer-making process but is confronted by Drunk. She says she knows his secrets, but he says he also knows hers. However, upon learning that she cares for Mary--because she has a crush on Tim--he lets her watch after all.

Drunk finishes making his beer, which he considers one of his masterpieces. He doesn't know how many more brewings he has in him. Accasbel sends Tim and Joh to deliver a message that will take all day to deliver. Drunk and Accasbel know the Inn is about to be destroyed, and guess as to how it will happen this time. Accasbel calls him Bacchus, but Drunk says he prefers "Dionysus."

They drink the beer. The cost of the beer, which they have been saying is a secret, is the lives of the patrons--Accasbel has intentionally attracted the worst people in the realms to the Inn that day, knowing it would be destroyed.

The Hunt shows up, and destroys the Inn, killing everyone in it, presumably including Drunk--or at least this incarnation of him.