Oaths
An oath
between two changelings is at once a commonplace and very special occurrence.
Oaths are a kind of currency to the Lost, because all of them understand that
any temporal reward — money, tokens, property — could become meaningless at any
moment. When everything falls apart, all a changeling has is her word, and to
give that away is not to be undertaken lightly. If two (or more) changelings
are willing to exchange oaths, they know — and the Wyrd knows — that they are
serious about their feelings.
Oaths can
only be sworn by, and to, changelings. Human beings and Huntsmen can make bargains
with the Lost, but these are defined by what the bargaining parties will do,
not what they feel. Oaths are sworn with heart, soul, and blood. Following an
oath can be observed by the action the swearer takes. The same is true for
violating an oath.
Changelings
have a wide variety of formal oaths, used for a number of different situations.
Common oaths include joining a Court (the changeling swears an oath before another
member of that Court, and receives that Court’s Mantle); joining a motley
(motley oaths are infinitely varied, but usually include a pledge to do no harm
to the other members); forming or joining a freehold (a larger-scale version of
a motley oath); and declaring a duel (both changelings agree on the terms,
weapons, and win conditions).
Swearing an
oath binds changelings together. That binding is permanent — though a
changeling can “break” an oath, doing so merely changes the parameters of the
oath, rather than erasing it. A changeling can leave a motley, but he can’t
take back the time he spent with the other changelings or the oath he made. A
changeling might leave his lover, but he can’t obviate the relationship. By
making an oath, the character choose to define himself, at least in part, by
that oath.
Benefits
Swearing an
oath has many potential benefits, but which ones the changeling enjoys depends
on the nature of the oath and the language employed. Oaths that bind multiple
changelings together, such as the oath a changeling swears when joining a
motley, Court, or freehold, usually grants magical effects or bolster a
changeling’s relationship with the Wyrd in some way. Oaths that bind two
changelings together harmoniously, such as a marriage vow or a pact of
friendship, allow the sworn to bolster or support one another, and, often, to
find each other wherever the other might roam. Oaths that bind changelings
together in enmity, though, such as duel oaths, change both characters’
destinies in sinister and fatalistic ways. The Wyrd, it seems, repays discord
with discord, and harmony with harmony.
Consequences
Violating an
oath is a dangerous proposition, in large part because a changeling cannot
escape from an oath. An oath, once, sworn, defines her relationship with the
other party forever. As such, if a changeling swears a motley oath, then
violates that oath and betrays his motley, his relationship with them is
“former motley member and traitor.” He can never not have a relationship with
them; their fates are entwined. The specific consequences of violating an oath are
usually laid out in the language of the oath itself, but some overly optimistic
changelings don’t bother specifying what happens to an oathbreaker. These
unfortunate changelings suffer terribly; without the words of an oath to direct
its power, the Wyrd has free rein to punish the offender.
Specific
consequences for violating an oath include disruption of magic (if the
changeling isn’t going to honor his contracts, why should the Wyrd?), sickness,
a temporary dip in Clarity, or increased attention from Huntsmen. The larger
problem, though, is that the changeling’s status as an oathbreaker follows him.
It is possible for an oathbreaker to be forgiven, but this requires him to make
recompense to all offended parties...including the Wyrd itself.
Systems
Any number
of changelings can swear an oath. Some oaths are closed (meaning that once
sworn, no new participants can be added), while others are open (meaning that
new changelings can swear the same oath and receive the same benefits).
All
participants must speak the oath aloud (or write it out, if for whatever reason
speech is not an option), and seal it with a point of Glamour. Oaths also involve
a physical gesture; two changelings swearing an oath of camaraderie might cut
their hands and mingle the blood, while changelings swearing eternal love
usually kiss. A changeling joining a Court might clasp hands with a ranking
member of that Court, while a changeling joining a motley could embrace each of
the other members in turn. Once the oath is sworn, the benefits become
available. The specific benefits to an oath vary, but can be broken down into
three rough categories: societal, personal, and hostile.
All oaths bestow the persistent Oathbreaker condition if violated.
Societal oaths include oaths sworn when a
changeling joins a motley, Court, or freehold. The changeling gains the
benefits of being part of that group. For a Court, this means that character gains
a dot of the Mantle Merit and is bound by whatever restrictions that Court
usually levies. For a freehold, the changeling becomes a recognized part of the
local supernatural landscape; the player receives a +1 to all rolls to navigate
the Hedge. For a motley, the changeling enters into a pact with his fellows.
The nature of the pact varies — some motleys are made of bosom companions, some
merely agree to come together when an outside force threatens them all — but
the members can choose from a number of game effects:
• Once per
chapter, they can treat a Contract roll as a teamwork action. All
participants must possess the Contract for this to work.
• Members of
the motley can meditate for one turn, and distribute their collective Glamour evenly
among the members (any leftover Glamour is consumed as a tithe to the Wyrd).
• Once per
chapter, when representing the motley, a member can use the highest relevant
Social Skill possessed by any member and apply the effects of any Merit or kith
blessing present in the group. The character doesn’t need the motley’s
permission when representing the motley...but any consequences for that
character’s action come down upon the motley as a whole.
Personal oaths are sworn between two changelings in
support of one another; lovers, blood brothers, friends, or protectors.
Changelings that swear these oaths while maintaining membership in a motley had
best beware — the Wyrd doesn’t care if the changeling must break one oath in
service to another (and in fact, such situations seem to come up regularly for
the Lost).
Changelings
bound by a personal oath gain a Beat whenever they suffer a setback or inconvenience
in the course of living up to the oath (maximum of once per chapter). However,
a changeling expressing the emotion that inspired the oath in some obvious and
effortful manner can regain all spent Willpower, just as if he had fulfilled
his Virtue. In addition, the oath-mates can choose one of the following effects
(or create a new one with Storyteller approval):
• Once per
chapter, one member can suffer an injury on behalf of the other. The changeling
doing so suffers all damage that his partner would have, and cannot reduce this
damage through armor, magic, or any other means.
• One member
can suffer a Condition or Tilt meant for the other. This has to be decided when
the Condition or Tilt is levied (if an attack blinds a character, that character’s
oath-mate can’t take the Blind Condition the next day), but the two changelings
don’t have to be in the same place for this effect to happen.
• Once per
chapter, the changelings can choose to swap their Glamour or Willpower pools.
This doesn’t affect their Willpower dots, merely the points.
•
Changelings bound by a personal oath can always find each other. If one is in
the depths of the Hedge, hiding in a new city, or even, some say, among the dead
in the Underworld, the other party can seek him out. Having the oath doesn’t
change the time required or the trials endured to seek out the other member,
but the oath allows unerring tracking.
Hostile oaths indicate undying enmity between two
changelings — literally, they can never not be enemies once the oath is sworn.
Hostile oaths usually don’t last very long, as the changelings swearing them
often fight to the death shortly after doing so. Hostile oaths don’t carry much
in the way of mechanical benefit, except that a changeling involved in one
gains a Beat when his enemy wounds or inconveniences him (once per chapter). A
changeling gains a point of Willpower during any scene in which he wounds or
inconveniences his enemy. Although a Changeling could swear a personal Oath to
a Huntsman, the most common form of pledge sworn between the Lost and the
Huntsman is a Hostile oath. Better to die quick at the hands of the monkey instead
of being dragged back to the organ grinder.
Consequences
for breaking an oath are usually immediate and severe. Breaking a societal oath
immediately revokes all benefits while a personal oath can leave a changeling
with an enemy (or enemies) for the rest of their miserable existence).
Sanctions for violating an oath can include:
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