Vow

Context and first mention

At the gate of Orithena (ancient center of learning), a gatekeeper declares that outsiders may not pass unless they make a “solemn vow” never to leave again. A resident later refers to this as “the Vow,” stating they would not admit one who had not sworn it. The formula is said to be a customary gate speech used in places like a math (walled scholarly community) since the time of Cartas.

Description and practice

Within mathic contexts, the Vow is presented as a binding promise to remain intramuros once admitted. It is framed as part of the Discipline (rule set) that separates avout (math members) from the surrounding Sæculum. Gatekeepers use it to underscore the seriousness of crossing a threshold that is “not your own.”

Orithena-specific usage

At Orithena, residents invoke the Vow at the gate, yet one observer infers that the community there does not always require newcomers to swear it in practice. He notes that they "pretend" to be a math when dealing with outsiders, and that he was not made to swear a vow before being admitted. This suggests a situational use of the Vow as a public-facing rule rather than a universal, enforced requirement inside Orithena. Questions raised at the gate (for example, whether a specific person had sworn the Vow) are left unanswered.

Related concepts

• Peregrin (sanctioned extramural travel): mentioned at the gate in contrast to permanent admission under a Vow.
• The Lineage (pre‑Cartas tradition): Orithena’s residents identify themselves as a lineage rather than a standard math, which may explain a pragmatic approach to the Vow’s enforcement.

Current status

• Used as a gate condition and solemn statement at Orithena.
• Treated as part of mathic boundary-keeping where invoked, though on-site practice at Orithena may be more flexible than the public formula implies.

Notes

• Ambiguity: References to the Vow at Orithena combine formal language with selective enforcement; descriptions reflect statements by residents and the inferences of an admitted visitor, rather than published rules.