"When the body falls, it is the demon who celebrates. When the heart consents, it is the house that surrenders." — Reformed Inquisitorial Manual, 1841.
I. The Pact — canonical mechanics
Founding principle
No demon possesses a human by force. Every possession and every pactuary corruption depends on human consent. Hell operates by seduction, temptation, offer — never by direct invasion of one who stands in a state of upright faith.
This rule is the oldest law of the Cosmos (recorded in the Theomachy — see The Theomachy). The 7 Princes of Vice, the Four Mothers, the 72 Kings, all respect it. To break it would mean tearing the cosmic structure — something not even a diminished Luzhar dares.
The Rule of the Three Yeses
A pact takes effect when the target person answers "yes" three times consecutively to the demon's questions, in a conscious state, without physical coercion. The three affirmative answers must be:
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