The Oathblades

“Ink before sword — but carry both.”

The Oathblades are a militant order within the Church of Minos, warrior-monks who wield both blade and contract in sacred service. Founded in the name of Exemplar Caelia Scriptagladii, who single-handedly ended the Disavowal War in Ganesia by executing all who had violated their sacred oaths to Minos and started the war, the Oathblades embody the principle that a vow made under witness must be honored, even unto death. They are seen as the final enforcers of sacred contracts, arbiters of last resort when negotiations fail, and executioners of those found in Red Forfeiture by the Church.

Each Oathblade carries a Sigilsword, a longsword engraved with legal maxims and fitted with a guard shaped like a quill or scroll. Their armor is austere but marked with embossed contract-glyphs and the Golden Seal at the throat. Before every engagement, they inscribe a temporary “Battle Bond” scroll declaring the terms under which they enter combat: be it to defend a ledger-clerk’s caravan, uphold a sealed treaty, or punish one in Forfeiture. These warriors train not only in martial skill but also in contractual law, negotiation, and sacred accounting. Ranks within the order include Petitioners, Initiates of the Seal, Quillguard, and the revered Bladefactors, who interpret battlefield contracts and enforce Minos’ will in war-courts.

Though rare and revered, Oathblades are sometimes feared for their unyielding judgment and incorruptible purpose. When they arrive in a town, folk whisper that “the contract has come to collect.”