Blood-Oath

A **blood-oath** is a kind of oath that is more binding than a regular verbal oath, since the consequence of breaking a blood-oath is typically death, and performing one is often only done after serious consideration. It is the most binding promise a fae can make, short of performing a Soulbond, or even owing a life debt.

## Details

A blood-oath is performed by cutting one's finger with a blade, drawing blood, and stating the terms of the oath. The oath's activation can then be felt by the fae who made it, and the scar of the cut only disappears upon death. Fae cannot be forced to perform a blood-oath. Blood-oath scars remain visible regardless of status. According to fae law, a blood-oath should not be performed until the fae reaches maturity (225 years).

Whenever a fae comes close to violating the terms of a blood-oath, the oath will cause terrible pain until the fae returns to following the terms. If the pain of nearly breaking a blood-oath is felt upon making it, it is a sign that the maker is already on the edge of not respecting its requirements.

Breaking a blood-oath is almost always fatal. The only known exception is Gwyn ap Nudd, who made a blood-oath with Lludd Llaw Eraint when he was six years old to never tell anyone that he is Unseelie. When Gwyn told Mafydd Brant the truth, the blood-oath activated and caused him extreme pain, while also alerting Lludd that the oath was broken. It is likely that Gwyn survived only because he made the oath when he was too young to fully understand what he was promising. Gwyn continued to feel the pain of the broken blood-oath for the rest of his life.

A fae can physically sense if someone they blood-oathed to dies via other means, as the scar(s) will disappear and they will no longer feel the weight of the oath(s) within their blood. In the event that a fae dies, but is revived by a healer, the blood-oaths remain gone and will have to be performed again.

## Examples

* Anika the Sparrow-Girl and her parents blood-oathed to Gwyn to 'not force [Terho the Mouse-Lad] outside. That they would not go into [Terho's] cottage without [Terho's] permission. They had to promise to bring him food and water every day. They had to leave him in peace if he desired it. They couldn’t tell anyone.'
* Augus Each Uisge blood-oathed to not kill Gwyn or cause him permanent injury during a scene. After Augus died and was revived, he renewed this.
* Gwyn blood-oathed that he would always accept aftercare from Augus, for whatever length of time that Augus deems sufficient. After Augus died and was revived, Gwyn renewed this.
* Before Augus would allow Gwyn to sound him, he made Gwyn blood-oath to listen to him, be gentle, and also have a healer on standby who would be willing to attend to Augus.
* After discovering that Gwyn is Unseelie, Augus blood-oathed to never tell another living being about it until such time that it became public knowledge without Augus' interference.
* Gwyn blood-oathed to Ash Glashtyn that he would not work against the Unseelie Court or betray it to the Seelie Court.
* Ash and Gulvi Dubna Vajat have blood-oathed to each other a number of times, though it's unclear for what, or if they renewed any of the blood-oaths after Ash died and was revived.
* Marika blood-oathed to Gwyn that she would cease tutoring all Seelie fae in the art of the bow for five months, as well as cease working in the military in any capacity, except advisory, for three months.
* Following his incitement of Ifir's mutiny, Ash blood-oathed to Gwyn that he would never work against the Unseelie King or the Kingdom again, unless he has good reason. And if he feels he has good reason, he must also speak honestly to at least two members of the Unseelie Inner Court about it before acting on any decisions.
* Prince Vane blood-oathed to Crielle ferch Fnwy that he would be the one to kill Gwyn.
* The Nain Rouge made a blood-oath to not unduly harm Gwyn, Augus, Ash, Eran Iliakambar, Mosk Manytrees, or Julvia Dubna Vajat while traveling with them during the events of *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*.
* The Nain Rouge and Gwyn blood-oathed that she would take back Gwyn's ability from Olphix and give it to Gwyn, and not kill his group before that, in exchange for her being promoted to Court status.

## Trivia

* Lludd once stated that fae who broke a blood-oath and survived could never be trusted again.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 1 November 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2045073. Chapter 24: Oath.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 18 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1909728. Chapter 13: Break.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 *The Court of Five Thrones*, Chapter 16: Death. Accessed 17 May 2021.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 29 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1939118. Chapter 15: Sounding.
5. ↑ not\_poignant. "The Drawn Bead.” *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 10 November 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1035694/chapters/2074327. Chapter 4: Secrets.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 24 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1928111. Chapter 14: Aftercare.
7. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 11 November 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5741654. Chapter 17: Life.
8. ↑ not\_poignant. "There Are Flowers." *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 12 January 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/3166064.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 14 November 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5830019. Chapter 18: Blood.
10. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 21 March 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2808781. Chapter 46: King.
11. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 12 December 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6186821. Chapter 21: Fracture.
12. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 10 April 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/8227330. Chapter 39: Want.
13. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 24 July 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/10022663. Chapter 53: Arrow.
14. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 5 October 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036105/chapters/37845086. Chapter 30: Closing In.
15. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 21 July 2022. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/101357655. Chapter 37: This Is My Power.