Pledge

Pledges can only be made between PCs and ST run NPCs.

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.

Freehold Oath

The Sacramento Freehold Oath:

“As the four Seasons come and go, and one ruler changes for another, as is the natural way of things, we shall watch over the Freehold and shape it from the predations of the Others. In return, we ask that you shall follow the rules laid down and never bring danger our society, and in doing so, you shall find your mind stays whole and focused. Break this oath however, and you shall be banished from the land forever.”

• Type: Vow
• Tasks: Fealty, Greater (-3)
• Boons: Vassalage, Greater (+3; Fortitude Blessing, +1 vs. Clarity checks)
• Sanction: Banishment, Greater (-3)
• Duration: Year and a Day, Greater (+3)
• Invocation: 1 Willpower

The Willpower point is the base invocation cost, not an additional cost assigned to this Pledge. Once the Pledge has been made (or renewed), simply add Freehold Oath to your character's signature line after they have taken it IC. All changelings are expected to take this Pledge if they wish to remain within the freehold. As a matter of tradition, most changelings will annually renew it at the Seasonal Festival of their Court ruler's coronation, however they may choose to do so at any other time. Those who choose not to officially Pledge themselves to the freehold will usually be viewed with a certain amount of suspicion.

Pledge Crafting

Pledge Types

• Vow: The basic pledge, with the power of the pledge invested in the Wyrd
  • A changeling can maintain Wyrd + 3 vows at a time.
  • There are no additional penalties for breaking a vow beyond the given sanction.
• Oaths: a pledge on a True Name - the changeling's, their Keeper's, or a higher power.
  • True Name, Obscured: when a changeling still has a fetch that answers to his name, the true name is obscured. The changeling still has to right to swear by his true name, even if it's shared by the fetch, but breaking the oath proves him unworthy of his name in the eyes of the Wyrd. During the next encounter with his fetch, he loses all resistance to the fetch's Echoes, his Defense drops to 0 and he receives a dice pool penalty equal to his Wyrd for the length of the encounter. The fetch senses this weakness and is aware that it is an ideal time to strike.
  • True Name, Unsullied: A changeling with no fetch has an unsullied true name. Failure to adhere to an unsullied true name oath causes all Wyrd-invested pledges (vows) to shatter as if the changeling had willingly broken all of them, and he suffers all sanctions for those pledges as such. Those who share in those pledges are also immediately aware that he has violated a true name oath, which is likely to make them wary of dealing with the changeling in the future.
  • Name of the Keeper: A changeling may swear an oath on the name of his Keeper. If he violates the oath, the Keeper becomes immediately aware of the changeling's whereabouts and gains a die bonus equal to the oathbreaker's Wyrd for 1 scene relating to all rolls having to do with finding and recovering the changeling, usable at any time the Keeper chooses for the next year and a day.
  • Name of a Higher Power: Swearing an oath on the name of a higher power constitutes swearing on oath on the changeling's strength of belief. Violating the oath causes the changeling to be filled with despair, losing all current willpower points and, the next time the changeling makes a clarity roll, does so at a -1 penalty.
• Corporal Pledge: a pledge sworn on an item acting as a physical symbol of an association. Breaking these pledges results in that association turning sour.
  • Mortal Emblem: The item must be a tangible representation of the changeling's mortal ties - a membership card for an association he belongs to out of a purely moral interest, for example. Breaking the corporal pledge results in the Wyrd working to separate the changeling from the establishment or community represented by the emblem. Losing this tie to humanity necessitates a Clarity roll of 4 dice (regardless of the changeling's current clarity), and the roll receives an additional -2 penalty if the violation occurred as a result of the changelings life among the fae. If the changeling broke the pledge fulfilling a virtue, gain a +2 bonus to the roll. If it was broken in pursuit of a vice, -2.
    • A changeling may generally only have 1 mortal emblem pledge active at once. Additional pledges may be made on each Allies, Contacts or Resources merit the changeling possesses. However, breaking a mortal emblem pledge placed on one of these merits results in both the clarity roll AND the loss of the merit.

Pledge Crafting Table

See Also

• Changeling House Rules > Pledges
• Pledgesmith