Magic

Oathweaving

The power of magic groups does not work the same way in Al-Qadim as it does in Earthdawn. Instead, a person can bind his fate using oathweaving, thus creating a pattern item for his own use. Unless otherwise noted, such pattern items work like group pattern items in every way, including the Legend Point costs and the five allowed threads.

In order to use oath magic, the character must first swear an oath and uphold it. He then dedicates the object as a symbol of this oath. Unlike a pattern item, he need not carry this symbol on his person, most preferring to bury the symbol in a hidden location. As long as the symbol is not harmed and the character keeps his oath, he benefits from any threads woven to the pattern item.

The Pattern Item

A pattern item thus created automatically becomes a minor pattern item to the creator as well, so if it falls into the hands of an enemy, it can be very harmful. If the item is broken or another weaves a thread to it, any threads connected to it are lost, but the invested legend points still exist. If the pattern item can be found or a new one created, the spent legend points can be used again. But if the character breaks his oath, all threads and legend points invested in the threads are lost.

Creating a new pattern item to replace one lost is a complicated process, involving mediation and re-enactment of the oath. It takes at least a month for the new pattern item to gain power. Note that it is impossible to construct a new item as long as the old one still exists.

The Oath

Oaths are not inherently magical; they become magical when Threadweaving is used to reinforce the oath. Thus common oaths in Al-Qadim does not bear the weight blood oaths do in Earthdawn, but for those who dedicate themselves through oathweaving, they can become the centre of their lives.

All oaths must be publicly sworn, with a number of witnesses. It is thus almost always possible to learn another characters sworn oaths. It is not so easy to say whether he has used oathweaving, however.

Keeping oaths does not require the impossible (there is no fate but the fate which we are given), but it does require outmost effort. Failure to keep the exact strictures of an oath does not break it, failing to strive to fulfil an oath does. The oath must always be very, very important to the character.

These oaths are not blood oaths in the Earthdawn sense, they have no effect in themselves, and the only penalty for breaking such an oath is that you loose any threads attached to the oath pattern item. And loss of face, naturally.

The benefit of the oathweaving applies when the character is somehow working on fulfilling the oath. This is generally applied very liberally, but when doing unrelated tasks, the oathweaving benefits do not apply. A character can only benefit from one oath at a time, but it is possible to have several different oaths that apply under different circumstances.

There is a huge diversity in which oaths can be used to seal oath magic. The following are the most common types of oaths, but there can be many other types as well.

Loyalty Oath

This is an oath of loyalty sworn between equal partners. Each swears to guard and help the other(s), holding their interests above their own. Members of the group share any excess in the form of money or bounty. One shall not want while the others have. They can harm each other if the group as a whole thus decides (not possible in a two-person group), but may not allow anyone else to harm a member of the group, and must avenge slights and injured honour. A marriage vow can be a loyalty oath, and many elite military units use Loyalty Oaths to induce the ultimate esprit-de-corps.

Fealty Oath

This is an oath from a vassal to a superior. It is in many ways similar to the loyalty oath, but is even more binding to the vassal. The lord has no real obligations, but only the vassal can weave threads through such an oath. A lord can require his vassals to swear such an oath, but never to weave to it. True loyalty is thus still a matter of spirit.

Guardian Oath

An oath to uphold a responsibility, be it to guard a place against defilers or to uphold an office or preserve some other cause. A valid oath can be to protect all travellers along a certain caravan route or watch over a sacred shrine. A caliph can swear an oath to always keep the best interests of his subjects closest to heart. This task must be central to the characters existence; it is impossible to weave through an oath to keep an orphanage unless you make this your mission in life.

Geas Oath

Geas oaths are sworn mostly by mystics and mages, but can be used by anyone. The oathtaker swears to do or abstain from doing something. The most common oath is that of the dervish, forswearing money and the material life, but many, many types of geasa can be taken. Fire mages often wow to burn houses regularly, while a corsair might vow never to walk on dry land or a faris might swear to speak only to enlightened ins. The possibilities are endless, but the geasa should be strict, severe and well-defined.

Quest Oath

The quest oath is an oath to undertake a specific task. The tasks undertaken are always far-ranging projects, dangerous and difficult. Typical quests involve revenge, retrieving religious artefacts or pilgrimages to distant lands. Unlike the other oaths, a Quest Oath has a definite end; when it is over the oath no longer applies. The oathtaker looses any legend points invested in the oathweaving, but gains a special deed award equal to the legend points invested. Thus, successful Quest Oaths increases a character's legendary status.

If several people take on a quest together, they may take a single object as their pattern item, each weaving threads to this single object. This is often a symbol, such as a sword or banner. When the quest is fulfilled, such objects very often become pattern objects in their own right.

Jihad Oath

The jihad is a great undertaking, a focusing of the will of the people through holy war. Such great events create a great deal of magical power, and those forswearing themselves to the cause of the jihad gain considerable benefits.

In most ways, a Jihad Oath is similar to a Quest Oath. But as the number of those committed increases, the power of the jihad increases. When 5000 people are involved, the pattern of the jihad becomes a major pattern, and when 100,000 people are involved the pattern becomes a core pattern.