Svartelvolx Contracts

The Feywild does not recognize the concept of law in the mortal sense. Instead, its order is woven from intention, wordplay, and exchange of essence. A Fey Contract is the most binding form of promise within this realm — a pact forged not on paper, but through reality’s own reflective nature.

Formation

A contract in the Feywild does not need ink or witnesses. It forms the moment both parties acknowledge an exchange — be it a spoken vow, a shared drink, or even mutual silence that implies consent. The realm itself eavesdrops, twisting the environment subtly to record and enforce the terms. Mushrooms may grow in sigil patterns, or time might pause briefly to “seal” the promise.

Terms and Binding

The strength of a contract depends on how precisely the promise is spoken. Fey creatures exploit ambiguity like oxygen — “I will return what is yours” might mean the broken shards of what was once whole. A deal stated with clear, literal terms creates a solid metaphysical structure; one riddled with metaphors or assumptions leaves cracks the Fey can crawl through.

If one side breaks the deal, the Feywild enforces balance automatically. The punishment reflects the weight of the promise — a broken vow of service might cost the betrayer’s shadow, while breaking a vow of love could drain their emotions forever.

Essence Exchange

Every contract requires a price. Fey prefer essence-based payment — years of life, a memory, a scent, a heartbeat, a name, or even an emotion. Mortals rarely grasp how valuable these are until they’re gone. The Fey measure value by rarity in emotion rather than material worth.

Loops and Paradoxes

A Fey contract cannot contradict itself; if it does, it collapses into a Loop, trapping the participants in a cycle of partial fulfillment. Some Fey use this deliberately, making contracts that can never end, forcing mortals to eternally “almost” complete their side.

Breaking and Outsmarting

There are three known ways to nullify a Fey contract:

1. Rescind the Intention — both parties must willingly agree that the deal no longer serves them. The realm then unbinds itself.

2. Fulfill it Literally — if you complete the contract’s exact wording (even if not its spirit), the bond dissolves.

3. Invoke an Equal Fey — bringing a higher-ranking Fey or deity to “witness revision.” Dangerous, but possible.

In Play

Mechanically, Fey Contracts act as persistent conditions tied to a PC’s soul slot. Breaking or fulfilling them changes that slot’s affinity — often granting Fey-like traits or curses. NPCs bound by these contracts may behave erratically, obeying strange compulsions like reciting phrases at dawn or fearing unspoken names.

When a Fey Contract Is Broken

The Feywild does not punish through morality — it punishes through balance. When a contract is broken, the realm itself intervenes to restore equilibrium. No entity, not even the Fey who brokered the deal, can stop the enforcement once it begins. The form it takes depends on the nature of the promise and the degree of the betrayal.

Minor Breach

A minor breach occurs when intent remains but execution falters — a delay, a misworded phrase, or failure caused by circumstance.

The Feywild responds subtly: colors around the offender dull, their voice may carry faint echoing whispers of the deal, and plants may grow away from them. The realm’s response acts as a warning, not punishment — a reminder that the promise is still owed.

Major Breach

When intent is broken — the mortal chooses not to uphold the bargain — the realm collects its due directly. The original price is reversed and magnified; essence once given is reclaimed with interest. Lost memories spread wider, stolen time compounds, emotions offered return hollowed out.

The Feywild is mathematical in this — no malice, only perfect adjustment. The environment often reflects the act: mirrors fracture, names vanish from record, or a chill settles in the air where they walk.

Catastrophic Breach

A contract shattered through deception, mockery, or deliberate defiance triggers the Feywild’s full retribution. Reality itself bends to enforce repayment. The offender may find their reflection replacing them, trapped as a silent echo while the duplicate fulfills the deal in their stead.

Others might become Concept-Bound — tied eternally to the essence of their broken word. One who swore to protect and failed may become a spirit that endlessly guards empty halls; one who promised love and betrayed it might spread emotional numbness wherever they go.

Realm Equilibrium

Regardless of severity, the Feywild’s corrections are always symmetrical. For every word broken, something else is silenced; for every promise abandoned, a bond in the realm frays. Even the Fey themselves risk this fate — those who abuse too many mortals or twist too many contracts find the realm turning deaf to their calls, their magic unraveling from within.

Its a guaranteed occurrence within @Svartelvolx.