Oathsworn Race Packet
“Our Oath is our strength, Our truth is our bond”
Oathsworn are a race infused with supernatural durability due to their dedication to truth, honor and loyalty. The Oathsworn origins lay in dozens of separate groups from familial clans to entire civilizations, but all have been united under The First Oath, a vow to defend Fortannis from those beyond the material plane. This oath marked the entire race with stony growths along their temples and forehead, representing their resolve. Gathered together in chosen families, the Oathsworn find their place in Fortannis through unbroken loyalty to each other and unbroken vows with the other races.
Makeup, Prosthetics, and Roleplay
Oathsworn wear prosthetic stony or bone-like growths on their head. These growths should look like pieces of stone (granite, obsidian, sandstone, marble). They should be distinct enough in shape to not be confused with horns, such as those worn by Sylvanborn, and distinct enough in appearance and placement to not be confused with the gems worn by Seunari. Oftentimes, Oathsworn incorporate fur or leather as part of their clothing.
When making a promise, vow, or agreement, Oathsworn must not lie and must act in good faith to fulfill their obligation. Oathsworn consider lying to be equivalent to the threat of assault. Swearing an oath under false pretenses, or forcing another to do the same, is akin to drawing the blood of the innocent. Lying to a fellow Oathsworn is considered a grave injury.
Please note that this desire to tell the truth is purely a role play interaction. Any command effect that would cause an Oathsworn to lie is just as effective as any other command effect.
Finally, giving aid to an extraplanar creature (those beings who live outside the material plane) or an Oathbreaker makes that Oathsworn an Oathbreaker themselves, and immediately makes them responsible for any harm committed by those people. It is a perilous thing to treat an Oathbreaker with anything other violence.
Racial Benefits
Oathsworn may purchase Resist Element and Racial Resolute, and may purchase Hardy at reduced cost. The First Oath energizes all Oathsworn with supernatural power. Not only can they train themselves to resist powerful elemental attacks commonly used by extraplanar creatures, but they may train themselves to remain standing from blows that might defeat other less hale adventurers.
Racial Drawbacks
While Oathsworn do not suffer a specific mechanical weakness, there is a consistent cultural expectation within Fortannis that Oathsworn not only will maintain their honesty and honor, but also mete out consequences to those Oathsworn who do not. Being an Oathbreaker is not a death sentence, but most Oathsworn will treat it as such.
Lifespan and Family
Oathsworn have the same lifespan as Humans. Oathsworn live as much with their chosen families as physical relatives. All who swear oaths of protection and family to each other may join an Oathsworn family. This also extends to both romantic and practical endeavors. Oaths made to join family, clan, or business are considered life long promises and are not taken lightly, especially when non-Oathsworn are involved.
The First Oath
With the original lost to history or buried in mystery, the exact words and meanings of The First Oath vary from family to family and even Oathsworn to Oathsworn within Fortannis. No two First Oaths will ever be truly identical. Some parts of The First Oath remain consistent throughout all of Fortannis:
Defend your oaths with your life,
Respect the oaths of your family, and value the oaths made by others.
You must defend the material plane from those beyond it:
Elementals, Fae, and other extraplanar creatures. They cannot make oaths, nor will they honor them.
To break your oaths makes you no different than those we have sworn to fight against.
Common Oaths
The two most common oaths made by an Oathsworn consist of those made on their spirit, and those made on their family’s honor. Oaths on the spirit are ones where an individual Oathsworn would risk their life to honor the agreement. Oathsworn consider it to be the most absolute of promises and is not given lightly. Non-Oathsworn cannot make an oath of the spirit in the eyes of other Oathsworn. It is a level of honor and truth that is only known by the Oathsworn themselves. Oaths made on behalf of an Oathsworn’s family are considered less severe among fellow Oathsworn, but the entire family will support and defend that oath. Oaths of the family are what Oathsworn commonly make when dealing with others.
An individual Oathsworn is required to honor and uphold Oaths they make regardless of their physical or emotional state at that time. It can be dangerous for an Oathsworn to make an oath in times of anger or intoxication. Oathsworn children cannot make or honor oaths and are considered under the protection of their parents/elder clan members. Similarly, the sick, elderly, and infirm are equally under the protection of their clan members and while they may make oaths on their behalf, it is expected that their family/clan members will be the ones enforcing them.
Oaths made by an individual Oathsworn on their spirit may end on that person’s death, or it may be honored by their family if possible. Oaths of the family that are left unfulfilled carry over from adults to the next generation until complete or the death of the entire family.
Oathsworn, The Law, and Justice
Oathsworn have a much more personal sense of justice and the law than most. It is at the individual level that Oathsworn place responsibility and expect others to be held at the same level. Justice enforced by a third-party means very little to the Oathsworn. If an Oathsworn is wronged, they expect to be able to personally address the crime and find satisfaction, or be able to appoint a member of their family in their stead. Conversely if an Oathsworn has committed a wrong, they expect the individual to seek justice against them, instead of a sheriff or magistrate.
This personal perspective of the law should not be mistaken as simple. Oathsworn have vast stores of written, spoken, and even sung, historical precedent and law that is passed down from one generation to the next. These traditions can be viewed by others with suspicion or confusion, but very few question the Oathsworn passion for adherence to their own rules.
Oathsworn consider ownership to be heavily tied to both possession and capacity for use, leading to more egalitarian distribution of resources. An Oathsworn family would never lay claim to more land than they need and they oftentimes they find themselves at odds with kingdoms or empires that claim large swaths of land, but leave few to defend it.
The Extraplanar and Magic
It is in part because Extraplanar creatures have no spirits, or any concept of family, that many Oathsworn consider extraplanar creatures incapable of making or honoring oaths.
Defending the material plane from creatures barely on the edge of comprehension is no small task for any great adventurer, let alone a young adventurous Oathsworn. An Oathsworn’s obligation to defend is not as simple, or as unwise, as grabbing a club and running screaming into the battlefield. Many Oathsworn fulfill their oaths by healing the fallen after an elemental attack, or making weapons to help fight off the Fae. Any act made in good faith to protect the innocent from those terrible creatures will earn a nod of respect from even the elder members of the Oathsworn. It is expected for an individual Oathsworn to try as best as they can, with what they have, but at the same time not risk the lives of other innocent people with their recklessness.
It is an important development since the adoption of The First Oath that Oathsworn have begun training in Celestial magic as a tool to fight those from beyond. In addition to using the power of the elements, the Banish and Subjugate spells have become powerful tools.
In regards to the use of Charm and Subjugate, Oathsworn treat the original caster as the one responsible for the actions of those charmed or subjugated. Meaning that use of a charm or subjugate spell in an act of violating one’s oaths is as if the individual were performing the actions themselves, and is treated seriously by other Oathsworn.
