Oath of Night
The Oath of Night is an ancient and solemn one, sworn by the Paragons of Azoth and by their followers. If sworn with genuine intent, it is metaphysically extremely potent, severing the swearer from the gods and pledging their soul to the Paragons, with the ultimate result that they will be bound to reincarnate immediately upon their death to continue their struggle. It is said that falsely swearing the oath, or hesitating in its swearing or the execution of certain parts of it once the preparatory invocation has been spoken, is immediately fatal; it has also been hypothesised that this is in some ways related to the fate of the Ninth Paragon, who is said to have hesitated at a crucial moment whilst embodying the Pivot.
The full oath, as recounted by Motion Ashbrook-Sarren, runs as follows:
Upon my Immaculate Will I make this Oath, freely and full-knowing of the consequences, under no threat, nor coercion, nor bribe, nor expectation, nor any other manner of undue influence from another. I make this Oath with clear mind, having reflected upon it with all due solemnity. Should I speak falsely in these declarations or hesitate in any fashion, I relinquish my life, understanding that in this matter it is better to die than to be in any way uncertain of the path; thus I call upon my initiator to strike me down should I fail.
I declare myself traitor to all causes save Victorious Night.
I declare myself apostate to all faiths save Victorious Night.
I declare myself renegade to all pacts save Victorious Night.
I pledge my soul to Victorious Night, the fall of the Tyrant Gods, the Ascent of the Tribes of Earth.
Let the pyre of the World-That-Is be the crucible in which the World-That-Shall-Be is made; let all that I am be sacrificed to the glorification of all that I shall become.
By this oath, I banish the Eight Elements. May Fire be extinguished by Water, may Earth be as dust upon the Wind; may Fate break at the pressure of Will; may Time and Space swallow each other.
By this oath, I renounce the power of the Twelve Bridges that span the Celestial Vault, and the Twelve Walls which describe its limitations.
I forswear the Arcanum of the Gods, and embrace events without cause and action without consequences.
I forswear the Light of the Gods, and embrace the fertile darkness of the possible.
I forswear the Law of the Gods, and embrace the freedom of the Tribes of Earth.
I forswear the Forge of the Gods, and embrace the subtle might of the Cosmic Machinery.
I forswear the War of the Gods, and embrace the solidarity of the Tribes of Earth.
I forswear the Trickery of the Gods, and embrace the bitter path of Truth.
I forswear Nature, and embrace progress.
I forswear Knowledge, and embrace wisdom.
I forswear Twilight, and embrace Victorious Night.
I forswear the ever-swirling Tempest and embrace the direct path of the arrow of my will.
I forswear even Life itself, and embrace that which stands beyond life and death.
And I forswear the Grave, the promise of eternal rest, and pledge myself to Rebirth.
I declare myself to be in violation of the Six Great Laws:
With my mind, I defy the gods!
With my eyes, I gaze upon the forbidden future!
With my mouth, I forsake my vows!
With my hands, I rend the veil between life and death!
With my heart, I turn from justice!
With my feet, I trample nature!
Until the liberation of the Tribes of Earth, I remain.
Until the fall of the Tyrant Gods, I remain.
Until the extinguishing of the Fourth Sun, and triumph of Victorious Night, I remain.
For that the Dawn may come, first must there be a Night; and that the Fifth Dawn may be ever more splendid than those that did precede it, so therefore must the Night be darker and more desolate.
In the name of Aza, first and last and eternal:
It is done.
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