Harold Polk’s Binding Covenant power transforms spoken agreements into unbreakable oaths, reinforced by the permanence of written word. For each covenant, Harold drafts a formal contract on paper, infusing it with the intent and authority that define his speech. His words, once spoken aloud over the document, create a powerful binding that tethers the target to their promise, with the contract itself acting as a physical anchor for the vow. This ritual of spoken and written word merges into a pact that cannot be broken without consequence.
The paper of the Binding Covenant becomes more than a document—it’s an extension of Harold’s will, symbolizing the weight of the promise. Should anyone attempt to violate the terms, they face repercussions that manifest psychologically, physically, or even supernaturally, as though reality itself enforces the pact. For Harold, the Binding Covenant is a sacred vow, the written form capturing his intent and ensuring that promises are kept.
You must actively and obviously use Paper to activate this Effect.
You may make an oath with a physically-present, Sapient target. Communicate the oath's terms to the target, including the requirements and penalties for each participant. If all agree to the terms, you must Exert your Mind and all participants must Sign The Contract to seal the deal.
Record the oath as a Condition. If a party breaks the oath, the Condition ends and they suffer the oath's penalty.
When crafting your oath, you may incorporate any of the following penalties:
- The oath-breaker dies (if alive)
- A Battle Scar up to Severe (deaf, missing limb)
- The oath-breaker is physically marked as an oath-breaker, and any investigative effect will reveal the terms of the oath they broke.
- A particular Trauma and a single Mind Damage
- The oath-breaker goes unconscious for up to 24 hours
- An Injury up to Severity-6 (cannot be reduced by any means)
The target cannot be compelled to agree via a direct threat of violence, another Effect, or another oath. If you would like to use clever wording to mislead the target, you must succeed a contested Intellect + (Culture or Influence) roll.
When crafting your oath, you may opt to enforce compliance. If you do, any participant that wishes to break the deal must take 3 Mind damage and succeed a Self-Control roll. They may attempt once per day.
Whenever a participant breaks the oath, you are immediately made aware and may even witness the act as if standing nearby.
Extended System - All Oaths must have at least two participants.
- The target must be physically present to enter the oath.
- The terms and penalties of the oath do not need to be equitable and do not need to affect all parties equally.
- A single action cannot break multiple oaths. You cannot 'stack' oath penalties by having a target sign multiple identical oaths, or similar.
- Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.
