Oaths, also known as Invictus Oaths, are the First Estate's ace in the hole - its way of establishing and maintaining a rigid and effective hierarchy.[1]
Each Oath is a two-way street, with two active participants: liege and vassal. When swearing an Oath the participants must define terms in addition to its effects. Usually they swear for a finite time, often a year and a day, although both participants can decide to end the terms of the Oath prematurely.[2] Terms include conditions for violation, which end the contract (and the Oath’s effects) immediately. Invictus Notaries officiate Oaths and recognized and manumitted Invictus must have at least one active Oath, this is to say Invictus require the presence of a Notary for their induction.
Invictus Oaths[]
One-Dot Oaths[]
Oath of Fealty: This most basic Oath establishes a foundation of trust within the Invictus and allows the vassal to draw Vitae from their liege. This Vitae transfers mystically over any distance, and replenishes the vassal without risk of addiction or blood bond. The liege always knows if the vassal lies to them, in voice or in writing. A vassal may only owe fealty to one liege.- Oath of the Handshake Deal: This simple Oath features as a foundation for many Invictus interactions. As the name suggests, it solidifies a handshake deal. Both participants offer a service or swear a prohibition. Both offer a collateral penalty for noncompliance. If they agree, the Oath takes effect. As it can undermine social structures through the peculiars of its social collateral, some Invictus use this Oath to curry favor or infiltrate other covenants. This Oath can be taught to non-Invictus - one participant must be Invictus however.
Two-Dot Oaths[]
- Notary: The Invictus appoint Notaries, scholars of Oaths. They preside over Oath agreements and stand as arbiters of the status quo. Invictus are deathly serious about the sanctity of Oaths and if a Notary is caught knowingly administering an unwilling Oath, or Oath a non-Invictus as liege in an agreement, the Invictus will remove them from the Estate. This removal usually comes through Final Death.
- Oath of the Hard Motherfucker: This Oath brings a new recruit into an Invictus coterie, cementing their role in the group. The Invictus swearing the Oath must bring a status-bearing member of the Carthian Movement to torpor or Final Death to seal the Oath; alternatively, they can assault another vampire who has violated this Oath in the past. The new Invictus in this case is the vassal, while the liege is the new coterie. If they betray the Invictus or the role in their new coterie, they break this Oath and lose all the associated advantages. Additionally, their former allies are likely to use them as the target of another neonate’s initiation.
- Oath of Serfdom: This Oath is a contract between a landlord and a tenant and Princes often use this Oath as the go-to for granting territory - young Invictus refer to this practice as "castling". This Oath typically involves "red rent", a regular blood tithe given to the landlord. While in their granted land or when defending their liege, the vassal gains access to a dot of Celerity, Resilience, or Vigor chosen at the swearing. They also instinctively know when another creature with the predatory aura enters their territory and from what direction. If they know the trespasser, they can identify them. As well, the liege becomes immune to blood bonds from the vassal.
- Oath of the Refugee: This Oath allows such a vampire to flee their home domain and find safe harbor in a domain less hostile to the First Estate. The Unconquered swears off citizenship in their domain as part of the Oath. Once they're outside their former home, they become nearly impossible to pursue. Additionally, after one uncontroversial month in their new home, they may shed this Oath. This Oath does not require a liege, but still requires a Notary to enact.
- Oath of the Safe Word: With this Oath, two Kindred willingly enter into a trust agreement. While mutually beneficial, either party can end the agreement in a remarkable fashion. If a power differential exists between the Kindred, the risks are higher for the more powerful Invictus, so this Oath is often used as a way to show trust to a slighted inferior. As part of the Oath, either Kindred can access the other’s Willpower at any time as if it were an extension of their own. At any time, a Kindred may end this agreement and the other is immediately paralyzed.
Three-Dot Oaths[]
- Oath of Dynasty: The Invictus is part of a cyclical dynasty, whether it was sworn officially as an Oath by an Invictus Notary or affirmed some other way. This dynasty is a small subset of the larger one to which they belong and the Invictus shares a thrice-removed blood sympathy connection with the other members. They can get through to a torpid member by speaking out loud to them as they slumber and receiving a vague muttered response, filtered through their nightmares. Revoking the Oath of Dynasty requires spending a point of Willpower and a point of Vitae, spilling blood over a formal denouncement spoken to the entire group.[3]
- Oath of the Model Prisoner: Prisoners to the Invictus, even non-Invictus, may be taught this Oath. It guarantees certain protections, in exchange for an agreement of complacency and non-aggression. In these cases, the Invictus will take prisoners before a Notary as part of the process. Once a Kindred takes this Oath they swear to be a model prisoner, which defends them from mistreatment. They are the vassal and the highest relevant authority is considered the liege. From that point forward, they cannot attempt to escape or bring chaos to their captors while imprisoned. If they wish to do so, they take aggravated damage as charred lashes appear across their back. However, their captors cannot brutalize, torture, or execute them unless sentenced by an authority in the domain with high status; if they try, they - and the highest relevant authority - take damage and know exactly why they're suffering it. Their lashes are not charred, but bloody and stinging. Lastly, they suffer damage for every day the prisoner is not offered minimal Vitae for sustenance.
- Oath of Office: This Oath seals an Invictus into an official position. They vow to uphold the duties of office and in exchange, they become more capable and focused. The Invictus swears the Oath upon taking a position - be it an Invictus position or a neutral domain position. From that point forward, their position becomes an additional Mask for them depending on the specific role they're sworn to. Invictus take their positions very seriously; violating their Oath of Office is considered Detachment at Humanity 1. In this Oath, the highest-ranking city official presiding over their position acts as the liege.
- Oath of Penance: This Oath is a form of apology from a vassal to an aggrieved liege. For the agreed-upon term, the liege receives every tenth Vitae the vassal ingests - this Vitae comes over any distance, without risk of blood bond or addiction, and counts as Kindred Vitae. Some ancient Invictus use this Oath to skirt their need for Kindred blood by establishing massive networks of "punished" vassals. While a vassal is paying penance, they become immune to the liege’s Discipline effects and cannot gain the benefits of any other Oath.
- Oath of the Righteous Kill: An Invictus who has taken this Oath has taken it upon themselves to weather the crimes of their covenant mates and carry their emotional and spiritual burdens so they do not have to regret their duties. While local Invictus know their role, they are in no way obligated to bear a given vampire's burden; they judge each case with their own ethics and discretion. An Invictus who has taken this Oath can act as a confessor of sorts; another connects with them before killing in the name of the Masquerade and the Invictus and when they commit the act, they bear the burden. Sometimes, the Invictus allow Lancea et Sanctum – or in even rarer cases members of the Circle of the Crone – to swear this Oath and act as confessor for the Estate.
Four-Dot Oaths[]
- Oath of Action: With this Oath a vassal swears to perform a service to their liege. The service must be a difficult task with definite criteria for accomplishment or failure and at the time of the swearing, both parties agree upon one of the liege’s Disciplines - the vassal gains access to that Discipline. This Oath stands as a rare exception to bloodline Disciplines: a vassal may temporarily access a liege’s bloodline gift. A vassal or liege may be part of only one Oath of Action at a time and if the vassal accomplishes the task, the Oath ends. While not uncommon, some domains consider a liege’s interference in the task to be bad form.
- Oath of the True Knight: This Oath binds an Invictus into service as a knight, tasked with defending the Invictus as a whole. They become bound to none and must maintain neutrality in all their affairs - it empowers them to maintain that neutrality and to take action in defence of their covenant. When taking this Oath, the Invictus may not be subject to another Oath tying them to a single vampire or a Vinculum (partial or full). If they attempt to ingest Kindred Vitae, the blood turns to ash in their mouth. If another coerces, tricks, or forces them to take their blood, they suffer aggravated damage. They can enter further Oaths once sworn, but not at the time of accepting the Oath.
Five-Dot Oaths[]
- Oath of Abstinence: This rare Oath is considered anathema to many Invictus, particularly those with strong ties to the Lancea et Sanctum. It functionally spits in the face of the Curse and denies the vampire's predation. The vampire swears to abstain from feeding and so long as they maintain this Oath, she does not need to feed. This has kept ancient Invictus awake far beyond their years, as they can defy their need to feed from Kindred Vitae. This Oath is a rare example of an Oath only sworn by a single Invictus - rumour is, it can be sworn without a Notary. Once the Oath is sworn, the Invictus no longer need expend Vitae to wake. However, if they imbibe a single point of Vitae, the Oath ends.
- Oath of Matrimony: This Oath binds two Kindred together in a powerful union, where their collective capabilities are shared but they must maintain loyalty to one another or suffer grave consequences. Many Invictus view such a marriage as a purely a political vehicle. One must be a member of the Invictus; the other does not. As part of the Oath, both Kindred must swear upon certain terms and promise certain actions and prohibitions. Upon swearing this Oath, both Kindred enjoy a series of benefits. If one Kindred breaks the terms of the Oath, they lose access to any traits affected by this Oath (from either side). This Oath can only end by way of a Notary and both parties’ consent - or, in more common cases, by death do they part.
First Edition - Blood Oaths[]
| “ | The blood you have given me is the record of my unwritten oath. So long as my nights are descended from yours, I’ll be your childe and knight. Never doubt my dedication; though I don’t write out my pledge tonight with a knife and pen and paper, I’ll swear it a hundred times to come with fangs and fingers and dirt. | ” |
| — A Letter to the Prince of Lisbon[4] | ||
Blood Oaths are the skeleton of the Invictus hierarchy, giving the covenant its shape and maintaining its strength. As Kindred, members of the Invictus swear their oaths by their own blood and they are held, by all Invictus, to be inviolable. The covenant knows ways to back up this belief with supernatural power.[5] Blood Oaths are specialized knowledge and most domains have just one or two mystic Notaries who oversee all the covenant's supernatural contracts - even then, the truth of their supernatural power is often kept secret from all but the most powerful Kindred.[6]
Some Oaths seem to draw on the raw mystic qualities of the Blood - the same supernatural potency that empowers the Vinculum and the Embrace - rather than the refined arcane powers of Disciplines. Blood Oaths may be some form of diluted Devotions, thinned to the point where any suitably potent Vitae can unlock their powers. The truth is that not all such powers are fully understood, even by the Invictus that employ them. Rumors persist among the Damned of all covenants that the inherent mystic sympathy of the Blood can be exploited, altered or enhanced with other supernatural powers.[7]
Symbolic Blood Oaths[]
| “ | Tis not the many oaths that make the truth;
But the plain single vow, that is vow’d true. |
” |
| — William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well | ||
The most common Blood Oaths in the covenant are the symbolic Blood Oaths, in which the honor of the Kindred involved enforces the terms. Sworn Kindred write the text of their oath in their own blood and give it to the person to whom they are swearing. These Blood Oaths can be of any type, but they have no supernatural effects. If a Kindred breaks such an oath, they suffer only the mundane - yet formidable - penalties imposed by a disgruntled superior.
Oaths of Avoidance[]
The simplest oath is an oath to refrain from some action. Some types are common: oaths not to attack a particular Kindred, feed in a certain area or enter a certain domain. Other oaths are more unusual. Oaths of Avoidance are not usually directly beneficial to the swearer, although there may be necessary conditions on gaining status or other temporal benefits. In general, Kindred swear these oaths because they have to.
It is normally obvious when an Oath of Avoidance has been broken, but there are always borderline cases. Kindred can choose what to believe in such cases, but supernatural penalties only apply if the Kindred in question believed there was a real risk they were breaking the oath. Kindred with lords known to be somewhat arbitrary may choose to ask to swear a supernatural oath, because if the oath does not think it has been broken, the lord finds it harder to impose punishment.[5]
- Blood-Tell Oath:
- Oath of Blood Knives:
- Oath of Burning Blood:
- Oath Unsworn:
Oaths of Performance[]
An Oath of Performance is a promise to take action on behalf of the lord, or at least to devote one’s full energy to achieving said action. Such an oath is not broken by continued failure - unless the oath contains a time limit - and although Final Death does not break the oath, ceasing to even try to achieve the goal does. Oaths of Performance are often sworn because a Kindred has little choice in the matter. In particular, these oaths are a common means of punishment for minor crimes among the Invictus, forcing the criminal to redress the balance with Invictus society.
However, the more powerful supernatural Oaths of Performance grant some benefits to the Kindred swearing them, and Kindred fully intending to carry out a certain action may swear them voluntarily. Most Oaths of Performance are oaths to complete some significant task. Oaths to perform a lesser task repeatedly are normally Mutual Oaths, as the lord being sworn to customarily offers some prize or power in return.[8]
- Oath of Blood Focus:
- Oath of the Bloody Hand:
- Oath of Running Blood:
Mutual Oaths[]
Mutual Oaths, most notably oaths of fealty, are perhaps the most important oaths among the Invictus. One party to the oath promises a service in return to for a specified benefit. Typically, the superior in the pair gets the greater benefit out of the arrangement, but that is hardly a requirement. These oaths are usually sworn voluntarily by Kindred who feel that the arrangement is advantageous or necessary, even if it is not fair. It is, however, far from unusual for Invictus lords to demand such oaths from their followers. Some Invictus Princes with a stranglehold on their domains require a basic oath of fealty from every Kindred in the domain, no matter what covenant the Kindred supports. Within the Invictus, it is unusual to accept service without an oath of some kind. In most cases, however, the lord takes care to offer a vassal enough in return that no mystic bond is necessary.
The basic oath of fealty is rarely supernaturally enforced, in large part because its terms are normally vague. Invictus ceremonies are often highly elaborate and both parties to the oath often write the terms that they swear to in their own blood - sometimes, however, the ceremony consists simply of the swearing Kindred and a witness in an improvised ritual.[9]
- Oath of Blood Alliance:
- Oath of Blood Loyalty:
- Oath of Blood Service:
