The Sworn Blades of the [[Kyourin Shogunate]] are [[Setting/Organizations/Shayakar/Shayakar]] bound not merely to a spirit - but to a _person_. They are soul-forged guardians, warriors who pledge their life, blade, and spirit to another being, often a noble, a commander, or a scion of one of the [[Akumei]] clans. This is not mere bodyguard duty - it is a **sacred pact**, woven through ritual, devotion, and pain.

In the tongue of the [[Kyourin Shogunate]], the Sworn Blades are known as the **Seikensha** - _“Those Who Swear by the Sword.”_ The name carries ritual weight, composed of characters meaning _oath_, _blade_, and _one who is bound_. In formal contexts and sacred rites, the full ceremonial title **_Ketsushin no Seikensha_** - _“Vow-Blades of the Blooded Heart”_ - is spoken, recalling the life-binding ritual in which their pact is sealed. Among common folk, they are sometimes called the **Akai Himotsuki**, _“Those Bound by the Red Cord,”_ a humbler name echoing temple superstition and whispered reverence.

## The Oath of Life and Death
Each Sworn Blade undergoes the **Ketsushin Rite**, a binding ceremony in which they carve an oath of protection into their own flesh and speak a vow beneath a moonlit shrine. During this rite, a spirit of _honor, steel, shadow,_ or even _pain_ is drawn to the oath, lured by the strength of the bond. The spirit is then sealed within the blade the warrior will carry for the rest of their life - never to be drawn without purpose, never to be raised except in defense of the one they serve.

Should the one they are sworn to die, the Sworn Blade is expected to follow - either in battle, ritual suicide, or vengeance. Failure to do so often leads to **spiritual decay**, or the horror of Hollowing.

### Discipline and Pain
Sworn Blades undergo brutal training in both martial arts and spiritual endurance. Many are taught from childhood by the **Order of the Red Cord**, a temple-brotherhood that treats pain as a tool for refining discipline. They are taught to quiet the spirit's hunger, to endure its whispering, and to never allow emotion to interfere with duty.

They are marked not by uniform, but by **threaded red cords**, which they wrap around wrist, hilt, or braid into their hair - each knot a vow, each thread a reminder.

### Spirit Domains
Common [[Spirit Dominions]] among the Sworn Blades include:

- **Honor** - for clarity of purpose and unshakable resolve.
- **Steel** - for physical precision and invincible defense.
- **Pain** - for endurance beyond mortal limits, and the transmutation of suffering into strength.
- **Shadow** - for silent protection and unseen movement.   

Rarely, a few bind spirits of **blood** or **binding**, but these are regarded with suspicion - prone to possessiveness and dangerous zeal.

### Tragedy and Reverence
To be chosen as a Sworn Blade is an honor, but also a curse. They live lives of emotional suppression, of purpose defined by another's existence. In Shogunate culture, they are honored as paragons of loyalty - but pitied, too, as those who have no future of their own.

In death, they are buried in silence beside those they protected, their blades laid across their chests - still bound, even in the Veil.

## Oaths and the Cultivation of Bond
The core of a Sworn Blade's strength lies not in their swordplay, but in the **oaths they swear** - vows that anchor their spirit and shape its power. These oaths are not abstract: they are specific, binding, and enforceable by the spirit itself. To break them is to invite spiritual rupture, madness, or Hollowing.

### **Foundational Oaths**
Each Sworn Blade begins with a **Vow of Devotion**, a solemn promise to lay down their life to protect the one they serve. This may be worded differently across lineages, but always includes the core tenets of:

- **Guarding them in life and in sleep.**
- **Shielding them from blades, poison, betrayal, and spiritcraft.**
- **Taking no action that would bring shame or harm to their charge.**

These vows are often spoken **before a spirit**, a shrine, or even directly into the steel of the bound blade. From the moment the vow is made, the spirit binds more tightly, feeding on the strength of conviction and drawing closer to the [[Setting/Organizations/Shayakar/Shayakar]]'s soul.

### **Deepening the Bond**
Over time, a Sworn Blade may **forge additional oaths** to deepen their connection and unlock further spiritual power. These can be forged through ritual or spoken in moments of extreme emotional clarity. Some examples include:

- **“I shall not draw my blade except in your defense.”**  - grants exceptional power when intercepting harm intended for their charge.
- **“I shall bear your burdens in silence, no matter the cost.”**  - manifests resilience and unshakable will, allowing the [[Setting/Organizations/Shayakar/Shayakar]] to absorb spiritual afflictions or pain meant for their ward.
- **“So long as you live, I shall never fall.”**  - some believe this vow allows the spirit to momentarily anchor the [[Setting/Organizations/Shayakar/Shayakar]]'s life past the point of death, letting them fight on in defiance of fatal wounds.
- **“My eyes shall see what you cannot.”**  - binds the spirit to heighten perception, enabling the Sworn Blade to sense deception, ambush, or magical influence directed at their ward.

Some particularly zealous Sworn Blades go further, promising **celibacy**, **silence**, or even **to abandon their own name**, becoming only what their oath demands. These deeper promises feed and refine the spirit's dominion, often leading to greater manifestations and more unique powers.