The word-bond carries tremendous weight among the fairies, and even the renegade changelings understand the importance of one’s pledge. An oath is never given lightly, a promise never casually made, for who knows when the Wyrd may entangle those words, tying them to the speaker’s destiny?
Unlike the highly formalized Contracts of the fae, pledges are simple agreements made between two or more parties. The precise terms, tasks and boons for adhering to the agreement and penalties for failing to do so are outlined when the pact is made, and the changeling invests a tiny bit of his Wyrd into the agreement. The terms of the pledge can be veiled in casual language, thus binding an unsuspecting participant if the changeling is sufficiently crafty. The wording of pledges can represent both open and formal vows as well as binding promises veiled in more casual language. Whether these pledges are between the members of a motley, the oath of vassal to liege, the pledge that ensorcells a mortal or grants a changeling access to the dreams of another, pledges define the relationship not simply among the Lost, but between an individual changeling and the rest of the world. Skilled and artistic pledge-craft is well respected among the fae, and other changelings looking for a bit of advice in the creation of oaths may approach those who demonstrate acumen in the art.
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