Oath of the Rose and Thorn
The Oath of the Rose and Thorn is a pledge by which a changeling may ensorcel a mortal.
Overview
One of the oldest known pledges, this oath is used to grant the Sight to mortals without demanding overmuch of them, bar silence and a favor. Should the mortal break either forbiddance or favor, the Glamour granted to him “goes bad”, turning all things fae, even the most innocuous, to nightmares in his mind.
The Vow
— By my true name, I grant you sight for one moon. See the things of dream and wonder with eyes opened like the blossom of the rose. By your true name, you grant me the right to ask a boon, within the cycle of that moon. Swear that you shall grant it to me, so long as it does not bring you harm. Swear that you will keep this knowledge beneath the rose. And let he who is forsworn in this wake to find the thorns of this oath in him. Madness and ill luck follow you if you are false; I shall grant thee a boon, and be followed by misfortune should I prove false. Do you agree?
— Are you sure you want to see what’s on the other side? Be sure. Say yes, and I’ll show you the way to the people who’ve hidden themselves from you all along. You’ll get one moon, one month. But be sure. Swear it on your name that you won’t tell anyone else, or you’ll wish you’d never met me.
Characteristics
Type: Oath, True Name
Tasks: Forbiddance, Medial (–2, mortal must not reveal the changeling’s true nature to anyone, or reveal anything of the fae world); Ensorcellment (–2, changeling)
Boons: Ensorcellment (+2, of the mortal); Favor, Medial (+2, generally used immediately, with the changeling asking medial alliance of the mortal)
Sanction: Poisoning of Boon, Medial (–2, both)
Duration: Moon (+2)
Invocation: 1 Willpower (both) + 1 Glamour (changeling)
References
- CTL: Changeling: The Lost Rulebook, p. 186-187