The Binding (spell)

The main magic source in the Age of the Goddess is the Binding Spell (colloquially known as just ‘The Binding’). Its origin is unknown but it is speculated to have been around for around 500-800 years. Myth says it was created by the Goddess to seed harmony into the kingdom after Esturia surrendered and Azaria became a united country. The ‘Tale of the Binding’ is a childhood fairytale explaining this. Some scholars also speculate that this fairytale is partly based on the House Gladier/ House Farrontine feud that eventually led to the demise of both Houses. It affects around 15% of the population at one time, it is not hereditary and affects people at random. If you’re going to fall under the spell, the first symptom called the ‘instigation’ is a crushing pain sensation in the chest, and always occurs after age 12/13 (basically when puberty hits). A week or so after the person will develop their ‘courtship’ symptom, which varies between people (such as stomach cramps, or migraines). This lasts for an hour or so before disappearing, and will recur when courtship ends so the person knows it's safe again. Courtship is the vulnerable period, so if a moment of shared feeling happens between the person under courtship and another person, the Binding unites them. This is not restricted to family either so THEY can become Bound, even if they try to protect their loved one FROM the Binding itself. Courtship is lifelong and doesn’t burn out- there’s no Binding menopause! If a Binding is formed, then the one who was under courtship feels the compulsions more strongly. Compulsions can include physical autonomic symptoms like blushing, palpitations, involuntary movements to bring the couple together or forced memory recollection. However these are mild if the partners entered a consensual Binding. The Binding also ensures couple don’t fall out of love. Some people warn others by wearing a white ribbon, informing their family, but unfortunately forced Bindings happen too. Bindings are also not gender specific. Binding are seen as the most holy form of commitment and are greatly honoured by the church. The four Vows of the Binding ceremony- loyalty (symbolized by water, font), harmony (symbolized by earth, soil), faith (symbolized by air, done in the open) and love (symbolized by fire, a candle). Bindings can’t be escaped. If one partner tries to murder the other, the backlash kills them both. This can be even if the method was indirect, but it isn’t affected by true accidents or suicide. If the Bound partner and Bindee are further than half a mile apart, ‘Parting’ will begin. This tends to consist of vivid hallucinations, wracking pains and convulsions. If the partners are reunited within twenty-four hours, this can be reversed. If not, they'll become Unbound. They lose their senses, personality and memories, and turn into empty husks. They can only respond to basic physical urges, nothing else. Those unfortunate enough to have become Unbound are cared for in Unbound Asylums, and remain incurable. Think advanced/ end stage dementia.

Effect

The spell forces two people to fall in love with each other, even if they are complete strangers, and it does this via conjuring false feelings and forcing proximity with the couple.