The Black Pact
The Black Pact is an ancient rite by which a mortal may gain powers drawn from entities that dwell in other dimensions - the bargain of a warlock. In exchange for such gifts, the supplicant must answer when the entity calls upon their service, within the bounds laid down in the pact itself. The nature of the bargain depends entirely on the patron: a demon such as Sidonai may ask favours that are more selfish than destructive, leaving the pact-bound free, for the most part, to go on doing as they will.
The Rite
The rite is worked in secret - in one recorded instance, in a rotting old library in the abandoned Francer Hamlet. A great circle of magical sigils is drawn in red chalk across the floor; candles hang burning in the air, and pages torn from old books drift and glow about the room. Nine robed figures, their garments stained with blood, ring the circle and chant. The supplicant stands at its centre, cuts their hand, and presses the bleeding palm to the circle; the patron rises from the floor in a churn of smoke to take its chosen shape. A contract appears, is signed in blood, and vanishes in blue flame - after which the supplicant must drink down a draught of the patron’s own bubbling ichor to seal the bond.
Appendix
See Also
Sources & Attribution
- Primary lore: the Drouble backstory (Hebrew), archived privately.