Obligatio Triadis

The ceremony of Obligatio Triadis began as a Bekiskapan ritual for formalizing and solemnizing the commitment between the members of a triad. Today, however, it has evolved to become the most popular marriage ceremony in the city of Saltgate.

History

The ceremony originated in the Earth-665 iteration of reality and was brought to Eden by Bekiskapan refugees during the First Age. Bekiskas continued to practice the ritual just as they had done before, but other cultures soon adopted versions of it for their own use.

During the Wander Years between the First and Second Ages, various halfling cultures kept the tradition alive—none more faithfully than the Quadlings—but it wasn’t until the arrival of a new batch of refugees in 114 that Obligatio Triadis truly began to explode in popularity. The False Kings, as part of their lie that they were the Bekiskapan come again, encouraged the use of the practice to ease the fears of the increasingly suspicious halflings. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Execution

The three participants in the ceremony face each other in a triangular formation. Each of them uses a ceremonial knife to open a small cut on each of their palms. The participants then arrange their knives on the ground so that the points of each touch in the center of their formation.

Each participant then grasps an arm of the other two participants, so that all three of them are in contact with one another. Finally, as their blood mingles, they pledge their undying love and fidelity to one another.

The modern ceremony allows for the marriage of two individuals instead of three by asking the officiant to join as the third. The officiant promises to watch over the couple for the rest of their union, and to name a successor in case of their untimely demise.

Components and tools

Three ceremonial knives, typically passed down from mother to child throughout the generations.

Primary Related Location

Saltgate

Related Ethnicities

• Aünapa