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  1. #1
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    In a mixed race group, how does one neutralize the Khinasi Wizards Oath to destroy all wizards who do not adhere to their four oaths? Can it be neutralized?

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    If you feel that the oaths are causing trouble in your group you can as the DM decide to allow some relatively lax criteria for renouncing the oaths. You can even say that the oaths only hold for those whom Rilni holds any power over, i.e. not the elves. Personally I don't think it should be very easy, as it is one of the things I find rather interesting with the Khinasi setting. While never became a real issue, the last time a player asked me this question I said it would at least require a wish spell cast by another magic user.

    If one use Djinni and Efreeti in a Khinasi campaign it might be an interesting plot to either capture or free a powerful genie so it could cast a wish to break the oaths. If one want to make it even more difficult one could require one wish for each of the five oaths.

    Another interesting question is whether there is some way for other oath bound wizards to know if a wizard has renounced his oaths. Could make for some interesting roleplaying if a character who is freed from his oaths has to constantly try avoid detection by other wizards.

  3. #3
    Well, it would make sense for the Khinasi Wizard to attack if he witnesses another non Khinasi mage doing something that would break the oath, like disobaying the ruler, burning books, attacking other Khinasi wizards, or talking with the dead.

    Otherwise, Khinasi wizards would never be able to learn new things for those wizards who live outside of their lands. And as they are supposed to preserve and protect all knowledge, and people certainly constitute as sources of knowledge, killing them would violate that idea.
    "Who was the first that forged the deadly blade? Of rugged steel his savage soul was made." --Tibullus

    "Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum." --Vegetius

    "Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing sooner than war." --Homer

  4. #4
    Site Moderator geeman's Avatar
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    At 08:54 AM 5/30/2004 +0200, anacreon wrote:



    > In a mixed race group, how does one neutralize the Khinasi Wizards Oath

    > to destroy all wizards who do not adhere to their four oaths? Can it be

    > neutralized?



    Well, nobody really knows how the Five Oaths are applied in the first

    place, so deciding on how they might be neutralized is a bit of a

    problem. I`m of the opinion that magic used to enforce the oaths is the

    equivalent of a powerful geas placed upon Khinasi wizards by a magic item

    at the ToR that is the BR equivalent of an artifact. Thus, breaking the

    oaths would require a suitably powerful magic--on the order of a Wish or

    similar magic.



    It is, however, possible for Khinasi wizards to interpret the Oaths and

    situations in which they are broken in a particularly "legalistic" way,

    making the particulars of the situation in a "gray area" as far as the

    specific nature of the Oaths are concerned. Where possible I think that

    kind of thing goes on quite a bit. If spellcasting that violates one of

    the Oaths goes on without the wizard witnessing it or being confronted too

    directly with evidence of it then he might be able to turn a blind eye to

    the situation. An Anuirean wizard, for instance, who chose to speak with

    dead might do so out of the sight and hearing of a Khinasi colleague, then

    tell everyone the results of that spell, but not mention exactly how the

    information was acquired. Since the Khinasi wizard has no direct knowledge

    that the Oath has been broken he`s got "reasonable doubt" about the

    situation and is not required to act according to his Oaths.



    Gary

  5. #5
    Birthright Developer irdeggman's Avatar
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    IMO the oaths only specifically apply to Khinasi not to other races.

    BoM pg 12 "Any Khinasi spellcaster able to command true magic is legally bound to journey to the Temple of Rilni. . . . .Those called to true magic who will not journey to the temple and swear to them are hunted down and slain."

    This seems to imply that it applies to those who 'reject' the oaths and not to those who do not know about them.

    Now in the party at hand, if the Khinasi wizard had told the non-Khinasi wizard about the responsibilities of being a true wizard (i.e., making the journey and taking the oaths to the god of magic) and the non-Khinasi wizard continued in his practice of defying the intent of the oaths then there could be a real issue.

    Otherwise as long as the non-Khinasi didn't do anything that defied the oaths the Khinasi would have no reason to take any action whatsoever. The non-Khinasi would probably be judged to be 'inferior' and not worth the time.

    There is a lot of interpretation to be had in some of the oaths - who is the lawful ruler of the land? Is it the present regent or someone else? Just one example.
    Duane Eggert

  6. #6
    Senior Member RaspK_FOG's Avatar
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    The real issue with the Oaths would come in regard to elves: are Sidhelien going to accept a humanitarian (mark the irony here) way of action? Guess not.

  7. #7
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    I also tend to believe that the Oaths only apply to Khinasi. There is no where saying that Anuirean wizards have to obey the oaths. Khinasi have sayim that no one else does, and a very different culture. I don't think the Temple of Rilni tries to impose its cultural system onto others, just those of the same culture.

    So I'd say it's fine.

    However, a Khinasi wizard watching an Anuirean wizard Raise Dead may have issues and attack, but wouldn't have to base them on the Oaths, but on 'that's a crime against humanity'.

  8. #8
    Senior Member teloft's Avatar
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    Is there any Khinasi wizards thet are at "war" with the Temple of Rilni. Not taking the oath, nd managing to hide them selfes from the Rilni oath wisards???

  9. #9
    Birthright Developer irdeggman's Avatar
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    Originally posted by teloft@Jun 5 2004, 10:04 AM
    Is there any Khinasi wizards thet are at "war" with the Temple of Rilni. Not taking the oath, nd managing to hide them selfes from the Rilni oath wisards???
    In the Book of Magecraft there is a write up on one, Quirad al-dinn (BoM pg 35)
    Duane Eggert

  10. #10
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    teloft schrieb:



    >This post was generated by the Birthright.net message forum.

    > You can view the entire thread at:

    > http://www.birthright.net/forums/ind...=ST&f=2&t=2665

    >

    > teloft wrote:

    > Is there any Khinasi wizards thet are at "war" with the Temple of Rilni. Not taking the oath, nd managing to hide them selfes from the Rilni oath wisards???

    >

    The renegade Quirad al-Dinn of course who was invented to explain the

    cover art of the Book of Magecraft which obviously shows a Khinasi

    Wizard raising the dead which no Khinasi Wizard normally would do.

    Located in Rjuvik.

    bye

    Michael

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