Blood-Oaths; Before the Vampire

Oaths are common among the Trel, a practice used hundreds of years before the Vampires first emerged. Blood Oaths were first reserved only for those in government positions alongside high-ranking military leaders. Drinking blood in this manner would bind two individuals, forming a brotherhood unlike any other. Swearing to live as one, each served the other above all else, putting their needs, and the needs of the other family, above their own. These oaths were considered sacred, binding their families to one another, and doing so, promising mutual aid for three generations

These oaths lost their meaning among the Trel nobles long before the Vampires. What was preserved among the upper society had spread like wildfire among the social classes. Bandits, common soldiers, unskilled laborers, and guild members began making similar oaths. This caused them to feel far less significant in the eyes of the aristocracy. Ironically, only bandits and outlanders have preserved the proper way to perform a Blood Oath.

Surrounding themselves with loved ones, the soon-to-be brothers feast upon the flesh of a chosen ox, drinking merrily under the evergreens as they wait for the new day to begin. Then, just before sunrise, they isolate themselves from those gathered, who are either asleep or lying in a stupor around them, and perform the ritual.

The oath requires an equal number of sacrifices to the participants. The sacrifices must be of different ethnicities, taken during a raid upon the lesser kingdoms. Slitting the throat, the blood of these prisoners is drained into cups mixed with alcohol, forming the new drink. Saying their oaths in the forgotten language, they return among their guests as blood brothers.

This tradition has gone through many changes. Without the assets to raid the surrounding land, few can perform the oath traditionally, and even fewer desire it. Rather than using humans, the blood of sheep, oxen, and sometimes fish are used as a substitute. Another sub-sect, primarily found among the guilds in larger cities, will prick the other's hand using a ceremonial ring, using only a few drops for the oath.

Bandits and rebels are the only ones left who view this act as something beyond sacred and maintain the tradition of using human blood. Perhaps it is reassurance in the face of an uncertain future and a sign of sympathy for the hopeless causes for which they willingly die. When death is a bosom friend, the ideals they are willing to embrace are strengthened sevenfold. With such a significant oath among those they see as equals, these ne'er-do-wells can take on the whole world.