The Brass Coast hearth magic

Coins

Coins have power on the Coast, as a portion of the luck and prosperity of their owner rubs off on the coins they carry. Many Freeborn traders keep a coin from a lucky deal, either in perpetuity or as their last coin, and they enjoy telling stories of how they acquired certain coins. There is a long-standing belief that giving a coin of note or significance to a person who is down on their luck will improve their fortunes.

Clothing

Any clothing that is worn for a few years or more becomes invested with a person's soul, carrying a portion of their identity with them. Old worn clothes are usually burned, rather than given to the poor like in other lands, to avoid a person's self being lost or stolen. The exception is with children where families may keep a particular precious veil, or rich robe to deliberately pass on the spirt of a respected elder to a young family member.

Black cloth is the garment of the dead in Freeborn society - it carries you safely into death. Bodies are wrapped in black shrouds when they are burned but black cloth is dangerous to the living. A black gift is any gift of clothing or costume that is black in colour; it is sent as a calculated insult or curse to the recipient. Individuals who offend Freeborn sensibilities beyond the pale find black ribbons, the remains of burned shrouds, nailed to their door, or even worse attached to their clothes, a sign that others wish them dead.

Contracts

A contract represents a binding agreement between individuals, and sometimes takes on a life of it's own. Freeborn stories are rife with examples of villains who break a contract and suffer an ironic, karmic tragedy as a consequence. A properly prepared contract is a physical symbol of an agreement - or an oath, if you will. Tampering with a contract after it has been signed is said to bring bad luck on everyone involved.

Any agreement is surrounded by a little of the hearth magic of the contract, provided that all parties involved enter into it openly of their own will - there are also several stories of villains who trick someone into signing an unbalanced or deceptive contract who suffer terrible fates shortly afterwards,