The Siege-Bond of the Stone-Breakers
A heavy iron tablet the size of a buckler, stamped with the mark of every clan that has ever sworn into the Stone-Breakers mercenary company, its surface dense with interlocking blood-oath runes inlaid in dark copper. When held, it radiates a low warmth, said to be the collective body-heat of every Orc who pressed a bleeding palm to its face to seal their contract.
Artifact Details
- Type
- Relic
- Rarity
- Unique
- Origin
- Created by Captain Grul Anvil-Born and the Stone-Keepers of Kragthar Hold to formalize the Code of the Hired Hammer, the tablet was cast from the first iron ever smelted at Gor-Mok Forge-Citadel and consecrated with the blood of twelve clan War-Chiefs. The runes were inscribed by a Binder-ranked Stone-Keeper over the course of a full lunar cycle.
Overview
The Siege-Bond of the Stone-Breakers is a unique relic in Landorya. Its known origin is Created by Captain Grul Anvil-Born and the Stone-Keepers of Kragthar Hold to formalize the Code of the Hired Hammer, the tablet was cast from the first iron ever smelted at Gor-Mok Forge-Citadel and consecrated with the blood of twelve clan War-Chiefs. The runes were inscribed by a Binder-ranked Stone-Keeper over the course of a full lunar cycle.. Its most cited abilities include Any contract sworn upon the tablet is magically binding, betrayal causes the oathbreaker to suffer searing pain in their sword-hand, Emanates an aura of authority, compelling respect from those who recognize its mark, and Stone-Keepers can commune through it over distance, as a node in the Stone-Singing network. Accounts also warn of a drawback: Any Stone-Keeper who attempts to falsify or alter a recorded contract upon the tablet is immediately and permanently severed from the Stone-Singing network, re…
History
The Siege-Bond has governed every mercenary contract the Stone-Breakers have undertaken across Landorya, including agreements with Human city-states along the Ironspine Trail and at least two secret arrangements with Azarian alchemical houses. When a Human client once attempted to void a contract mid-siege, the tablet's curse left him unable to grip a weapon for a full year, a tale that spread far and ensured the Stone-Breakers' reputation for ironclad dealings.
Powers & Abilities
- ✦ Any contract sworn upon the tablet is magically binding, betrayal causes the oathbreaker to suffer searing pain in their sword-hand
- ✦ Emanates an aura of authority, compelling respect from those who recognize its mark
- ✦ Stone-Keepers can commune through it over distance, as a node in the Stone-Singing network
- ✦ Records and preserves every contract ever sworn upon it, readable by a trained Runic Bard
Curse or Drawback
Any Stone-Keeper who attempts to falsify or alter a recorded contract upon the tablet is immediately and permanently severed from the Stone-Singing network, rendered deaf to the voices of stone for the rest of their life.