Oath of Blood Loyalty
The Oath of Blood Loyalty is the strongest mutual oath that two Kindred can swear, and places one forever in a subordinate position to the other. On the other hand, as compared to the Vinculum, this Oath guarantees, as far as is possible, mutual loyalty, and so there are many in the Invictus who regard this Oath as far more honorable than the cruder bonds of simple blood.
This Oath has been sworn only a few times to the knowledge of Invictus historians, and most of the pairs are known. Most famous is Richard of Walsingham, an English Ventrue who was served by no fewer than three other Kindred under such Oaths. Martin of Brest was his bodyguard, Sophie Delisle his Seneschal, and Katherine Cajas his agent. Richard was, for a time, thought of as one of the most powerful Princes in England, thought to four cities with the help of his servants. However, a coordinated attack by his enemies, striking against all of his servants at once, drove him into Final Death over a century ago. It is said that his screams as he fell before blows he could neither see nor defend against can still be heard in the Old Audience Chamber in London. Certainly, that room is no longer used for any purpose, and entrance is prohibited.
This Oath has been sworn only a few times to the knowledge of Invictus historians, and most of the pairs are known. Most famous is Richard of Walsingham, an English Ventrue who was served by no fewer than three other Kindred under such Oaths. Martin of Brest was his bodyguard, Sophie Delisle his Seneschal, and Katherine Cajas his agent. Richard was, for a time, thought of as one of the most powerful Princes in England, thought to four cities with the help of his servants. However, a coordinated attack by his enemies, striking against all of his servants at once, drove him into Final Death over a century ago. It is said that his screams as he fell before blows he could neither see nor defend against can still be heard in the Old Audience Chamber in London. Certainly, that room is no longer used for any purpose, and entrance is prohibited.
Effect
This Oath can only be sworn by two Kindred whose wills are completely free — at least as regards the mystic qualities of the blood. Thus, this Oath cannot be sworn between a regnant and a thrall, or while one of the parties is influenced by any Discipline. The Oath can be sworn, however, even if one of the parties is misled as to the status or power of the other.
One of the two Kindred is the lord, the other the vassal. These roles are chosen when the Oath is sworn, and cannot be changed while the Oath is in effect. The two Kindred mingle their blood in some container, usually an ornate ceremonial chalice, and then drink it between them. The power of the Devotion ensures that this does not establish even a partial Vinculum.
The lord may, at any time, use his vassal’s senses for a scene by expending one point of Vitae. The vassal cannot resist this power and, indeed, receives no indication that it is in effect.
Conversely, the vassal may, at any time, borrow the use of one of the lord’s Disciplines for a single scene, by expending one point of Willpower. The vassal gains full use of the Discipline at the lord’s score. The vassal may borrow more than one Discipline per scene, as long as he has the Willpower to spend. Only Disciplines with which both the lord and the vassal are trained — that is, in which they both have one or more dots — can be borrowed in this way.
When the vassal uses a “Discipline of largesse” from his lord, the vassal uses only the lord’s dots in the borrowed Discipline in concert with his own Traits. Thus, a vassal who borrows his lord’s five dots in Majesty would activate the power of Sovereignty using the vassal’s Presence and Intimidation, plus the lord’s dots in Majesty. The vassal must pay the cost to activate any power, in addition to the Willpower he spent to tap into his lord’s power.
While a Discipline power is borrowed, the lord can still use it, but that Discipline contributes no dice to any dice pool in which it is included. Thus, a lord with Majesty 5 could still use Sovereignty, but he would roll only Presence + Intimidation to activate it.
The lord may, at any time and across any distance, issue a command to his vassal by spending a single Willpower point. The vassal is not supernaturally compelled to follow this instruction, however, unless the lord empowers it with other Majesty or Dominate effects. Such effects work through the mystical connection of the Oath as though both parties were looking in each other’s eyes.
The ultimate dissuasion to abuse, however, is the final effect of the Oath. Any damage inflicted on one party to the Oath is echoed in the body of the other party. All wound penalties suffered by the vassal or lord are suffered by his counterpart as well. (A party with the Iron Stamina Merit can only protect himself from the pain of his own actual, physical injuries in this case — the supernatural cries of pain from a vassal without that Merit still hinder a lord with the Merit, for example.)
In the event that either party is dealt his Final Death, the other suffers the equivalent of a –3 wound penalty for a number of nights equal to the destroyed vampire’s Blood Potency, plus one point of aggravated damage for every dot of Resolve the destroyed vampire had.
One of the two Kindred is the lord, the other the vassal. These roles are chosen when the Oath is sworn, and cannot be changed while the Oath is in effect. The two Kindred mingle their blood in some container, usually an ornate ceremonial chalice, and then drink it between them. The power of the Devotion ensures that this does not establish even a partial Vinculum.
The lord may, at any time, use his vassal’s senses for a scene by expending one point of Vitae. The vassal cannot resist this power and, indeed, receives no indication that it is in effect.
Conversely, the vassal may, at any time, borrow the use of one of the lord’s Disciplines for a single scene, by expending one point of Willpower. The vassal gains full use of the Discipline at the lord’s score. The vassal may borrow more than one Discipline per scene, as long as he has the Willpower to spend. Only Disciplines with which both the lord and the vassal are trained — that is, in which they both have one or more dots — can be borrowed in this way.
When the vassal uses a “Discipline of largesse” from his lord, the vassal uses only the lord’s dots in the borrowed Discipline in concert with his own Traits. Thus, a vassal who borrows his lord’s five dots in Majesty would activate the power of Sovereignty using the vassal’s Presence and Intimidation, plus the lord’s dots in Majesty. The vassal must pay the cost to activate any power, in addition to the Willpower he spent to tap into his lord’s power.
While a Discipline power is borrowed, the lord can still use it, but that Discipline contributes no dice to any dice pool in which it is included. Thus, a lord with Majesty 5 could still use Sovereignty, but he would roll only Presence + Intimidation to activate it.
The lord may, at any time and across any distance, issue a command to his vassal by spending a single Willpower point. The vassal is not supernaturally compelled to follow this instruction, however, unless the lord empowers it with other Majesty or Dominate effects. Such effects work through the mystical connection of the Oath as though both parties were looking in each other’s eyes.
The ultimate dissuasion to abuse, however, is the final effect of the Oath. Any damage inflicted on one party to the Oath is echoed in the body of the other party. All wound penalties suffered by the vassal or lord are suffered by his counterpart as well. (A party with the Iron Stamina Merit can only protect himself from the pain of his own actual, physical injuries in this case — the supernatural cries of pain from a vassal without that Merit still hinder a lord with the Merit, for example.)
In the event that either party is dealt his Final Death, the other suffers the equivalent of a –3 wound penalty for a number of nights equal to the destroyed vampire’s Blood Potency, plus one point of aggravated damage for every dot of Resolve the destroyed vampire had.
Prerequisite: Auspex •••, Majesty ••••
This power costs 20 experience points to learn.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae and 1 Willpower point from each party to the Oath. The vassal must also spend 1 Willpower dot. The Kindred activating the Devotion does not need to be a party to the Oath’s contract.
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Majesty
Effect Casting Time
Instant