The Oathbound

The Tragic Paladins

"Get up," the titan whispered in his ear and he felt himself crawling along the floor of the house, drawn to the source of their fear. He propped himself up and looked around the room. He marveled at the sight. Between him and his doomed attackers was A black sun, smaller, but within reach.

It was the size of a wood burning stove and hovered in the air patiently. He heard the voice of his killers ringing in his ears. He felt he heard the words before.
"Shell, what is this?"
"It's not me."
"Reach into the sun, minors." The titan whispered.
"Will it hurt?" He couldn't tell if he spoke or thought the question, but he received an answer.
"Extremely," was his reply. He winced and then forced himself to reach in. He felt his skin bubble and melt. He screamed in both rage and agony. His skeletal hands gripped something, his fingers wrapped around it, a handle of some kind.

His position was more stable now, he could no longer see the strange woman. He could only hear her calming voice.
"Strike it." He felt his attention pulled to his free hand. He was still holding the hammer. The pain was more bearable no, no nerves to burn anymore. His cry was of determination and fury as he raised the hammer and struck the heart of the black sun with more force then he ever dared at the forge. The sound of the strike was beautiful but rang with ill fortune. His attackers collapsed to the ground clasping their ears in hopes of deafening that which tolled for them. It was a thunderous drone that reminded him of the cathedral bells of Rouxsgate, only louder and distant, as if phasing between this world and the domain of death itself. He struck again on impulse and while light radiated from the star.

The bells told once more and the screams of the thieves, a chorus of agony only made it seem sweeter. He struck a final time and this toll was the loudest, the dirt and dust kicked up in a ring around him and the sound seemed to push the harsh white light out of the room in a flash and the neon black remained

He now felt that the object had weight and balance.
He slowly pulled his hand from the dying star and watched as the muscle tissue and skin reformed. The handle was black as pitch and the head of warhammer emerged as the sun dispersed into nothing. The head of the hammer was beautiful, as if made of the star itself. Sunspot danced across its black and white surface.

His attackers stood up in pain and confusion, assisting one another in their attempt to flee. Minos looked to the the face of his wife, fearful of what he may see. The look on her face was serene, even comfortable with the beginning of a amorous smile proudly frozen in her passing.

— From The Dirge of Minos Shae

The Power Of A Promise

Those bound by oath have made a promise. To who or what is irrelevant. The promise was made and the bearer must keep it.
It drives their every action and thought. The circumstance of the oath differs from one to another but it always comes with a perfect storm.
As the boy swore into the mirror that he would avenge his beloved mother, a titan of vengeance accepted.
As the fickle-hearted woman refused to be the cause of another lovers suicide, she opened her eyes and saw pink, lush fields of roses. The domain of love accepted. As a judge with a crisis of faith swears against the injustices brought against his countrymen, a titan of justice answered his prayer.

The Oathbound are those who swear an oath that for whatever reason is so powerful, a divine being heard it. This being now holds them to it and rewards them for doing so.
Anything from access to the fabled Thoughtform Armories to miracles and magic of great power, The Oathbearer will have the means to keep their oath. They wander the world with in a dreary trance as if they are not entirely of it. The circumstances of their oath have affected their ability to embrace this world and love life.

To equate them to spirits wouldn't be accurate but understandable. Spirit's are driven by their domains and actively seek to bring forth that domain wherever they go, but this is an instinctive drive. To an Oathbearer, seeking to fulfill their oaths is more than mere instinct, it's a fundamental element of who they are and comes to defines them.
The Oathbound are not take this promise lightly and always rely on strict rules that determine what is and is not allowed. Technicalities and loopholes are never considered options and to break an oath often leads to death.

---

The Oathbound Orders

When a group of Oathbound share a common oath, they may band together and form an order to help each other accomplish those goals. This is very rare and their membership and operations are often nothing more than a means to an end.
Oathbound seldom travel together. While misery loves company, it is often too much for them. Even those with less tragic origins who make their oaths in ecstasy or jubilation can't stand one another after long periods of time. This is not always the case, however, as the older they get, the easier the burden becomes.

Most members of an order are veterans who openly accept others. Their power is great and even greater in numbers. Oathbearers are often gifted many things but the greatest of these are miracles and Thoughtform Armories.

---

Fun Fact: Legality

Along with their oaths, the Oathbound often walk a fine line between the law and vigilantism. While not illegal if they have proof, many Oathbound just show up, do what they must, and move on. The Judges of Law and Merit have considerable difficulty in dealing with those cases.

Provided Services

An Oathbearer doesn't offer services. They are driven to do what they do. They are more than happy to earn a little income on the way if another's goal aligns with their own. These goals heavily depend on their domain. An oath of death may require a lot of killing, or maybe performing funerary rites. An oath of love may lead to a job as a matchmaker or a saboteur seeking to break a toxic couple.

Costs

Dangers include the consequences of breaking an oath which is usually death or worse, and then you have the consequences of upholding that oath which can lead to the same outcome. Oathbearers walk a fine line between the two and teetering off that line is costly. Naturally, there are not many Oathbound in the world. Orders seldom hold more than 20 members and that is particularly large.