Oathbreaking

**Oathbreaking** is the direct violation of an oath, and a serious crime in Retlegia. Those who belong to monastic orders take explicitly religious vows. Even the bonds between secular lords and their vassals are typically backed by religious oaths. Oathbreaking is therefore considered not only a crime but a sacrilege, breaking holy vows - though some sets of vows are considered more sacrosanct than others.

Members of The Kingsguard and the religious orders of The Faith of the Four all swear holy oaths promising a lifetime of obedience, chastity, and a rejection of any previous family ties or claims to inheritance.

The penalty for oathbreaking is often death, though this may depend on the severity of the oath broken. Secular lords who rise up in rebellion but who then surrender are often forgiven (to encourage them to surrender). At other times, high treason is punished with execution. Preists of The Faith of the Four who break their vows are often simply expelled from their orders.

Regicide is considered an extreme form of oathbreaking, particularly for a king to be killed by his own personal bodyguard. The Kingsguard swear the holiest of vows to serve and defend the life of their king.

Oathbreaking, even regicide, is still not considered quite so despicable as kingslaying, or worst of all, violating guest right. Breaking guest right could itself said to be the most utter, extreme form of oathbreaking: violating the basic social promise that guest and host will not harm each other while under the same roof. Meanwhile, oathbreaking is considered worse than the shame of bastardy.

While The Faith of the Four is the dominant religion in Esgaros, it never entirely replaced The Old Gods of the Forest, which is still the majority religion in some regions of Retlegia. Therefore many oaths are often sworn by "both the Old Gods and the New" (that is, the Four). Men and women typically swear by whatever religion they personally follow.

Officially, it is impossible to force anyone to take holy vows, and oaths made only under duress are not considered binding in the sight of the gods. That being said, there have been many instances in which daughters of noble families were forced against their will to enter into arranged marriages to secure political alliances. Such alliances will, however, at least outwardly pretend that the match is consensual, forcing the bride (or in some cases, groom) to physically utter the oaths during the wedding ceremony.

## Acts Considered Oathbreaking

* Desertion
* Adultery
* Violations of guest right are also considered a form of oathbreaking as hosts swear a holy oath to protect their guests for the duration of their stay. Likewise, guests are also expected to uphold the same oath.
* Regicide
* Knights take sacred oaths to defend the innocent and protect the weak. However, due to their oaths of obedience, and the social abyss between nobility and smallfolk, knights often find themselves doing the exact opposite to their vows, particularly in times of war. Unless they find themselves on the losing side of the war, these knights will seldom be branded oathbreakers and face justice.
* The refusal of a vassal, regardless of their station, to answer the summons of their liege lords, are considered acts of oathbreaking and even treason.