Copy of The First Laws

Provided by Lord Alpheus

The First Laws, also known as the Primordial Laws or the Ancient Laws as well as other names, are cosmological in nature and apply to everything and everyone from the lowliest mortal to the Gods.

These laws transcend magic, royalty, government, and mortal and divine rule. For those who understand them, they can be used to great effect to assure safety, security, and stability. For others, they can be manipulated with great understanding and care to possibly trap someone into doing something in violation of these laws to bring great harm to themselves and possibly their allies and loved ones.

Unlike normal laws, the more powerful and influential someone is the more strongly they are affected by them and the more dire the consequences they will suffer for breaking them. A king who invites people into his home and poisons another king will likely suffer far worse than a farmer who invites his neighbor over and does the same thing.

• The Bond of Words - Oathbreaker - Someone who fails to keep their oath or makes an oath in bad faith. People who try to twist this to their own advantage often end up breaking an oath themselves and suffering the consequences.

• The Bond of Blood - Kinslayer - Families can be pretty adversarial and cruel to each other but that does not rise to the level of breaking the bond of blood. But when one kills their kin, or sees to their death, they have done something wrong that can never be made right. As well, actions that cause extreme harm and pain could break the bond of blood as well.

• The Bond of Sovereignty - Kingslayer (Queenslayer, Princeslayer, Royalslayer) - Politics are brutal. The crown changes heads and royal families rise and fall. But to slay someone who is still wearing the crown of whom you are a loyal subject will bring upon a curse that will follow the betrayer forever even if it was done for the best of reasons.

• The Bond of Hospitality - Prevaricator - To invite someone to speak or sup or meet in a place that you control, with the understanding they will be safe and secure while meeting this way, is the ultimate betrayal. This would also apply to a meeting under a flag of truce.

• The Bond of Chivalry - Disgraced - There is a certain understanding that those of influence and power have with one another. Debts are paid. Contracts are honored. Social conventions are observed. Victimizing or exploiting the powerless in your disputes, targeting innocents, going after someone’s loved ones instead of them, using dishonorable tactics in war can all earn this curse. Unlike some of the other First Laws, this one is much harder to see you are on the brink of breaking it until it is too late.