Known Parabatai (past and present)

● Valentine Morgenstern and Lucian Graymark (split by Luke's werewolf transformation)

● Jonathan Shadowhunter and David the Silent (split by David's Silent Brotherhood)

● Alec Lightwood and Jace Herondale

● Silas Pangborn and Eloisa Ravenscar (split by Silas' death)

● Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale (split by Jem's Silent Brotherhood and Will's death)

● James Herondale and Matthew Fairchild

● Michael Wayland and Robert Lightwood (split by Robert's exile and Michael's death)

● Julian Blackthorn and Emma Carstairs (split by heavenly fire when they became true Nephilim)

● Cordelia Carstairs and Lucie Herondale

● Clarissa Fairchild and Simon Lovelace (formerly Simon Lewis)

● Kait and Lily (:D)

Oath:

"Entreat me not to leave thee,Or return from following after thee—

For whither thou goest, I will go, And where thou lodgest, I will lodge.

Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.

The Angel do so to me, and more also,

If aught but death part thee and me."

About Parabatai:

Parabatai are pairs of Nephilim who are bound to fight by each others sides for all of their lives, through the oath [see above] no matter their gender. This oath is sworn in front of the Council. Not all Shadowhunters must have a parabatai; it is a lot less common to have them. However, Shadowhunters must find their parabatai before their 18th birthday. After that point, the ceremony is no longer open to them.

There are two trials to undergo before two Shadowhunters become parabatai: the trial of water and the trial of fire.

Trial of Water

The test must be kept secret and done without any prior knowledge on the participant's behalf. The two prospective parabatai drink water from Lake Lyn, often served in a weaker form in tea. These waters are known to produce hallucinations.The reason for this test is to see whether, in these hallucinations, the prospective parabatai will lay down their lives to save the other. Passing this test means that there is an existing link between them, before the bond makes it official.

Trial of Fire

This trial is the actual ceremony held to bind the parabatai to one another. There are three rings on the ground: one for each prospective parabatai and a shared one in the middle that symbolises the joining together and the bond. The oath is spoken [see above] and parabatai runes are drawn on each other.

Witnesses

The ritual requires two witnesses, one for each Shadowhunter in the ceremony. These are usually two people of importance to those being bonded. They stand close to the ring of the person who chose them.

Bond

Shadowhunters can only choose one parabatai for life and cannot perform the ceremony more than once. The vast majority of Shadowhunters never have a parabatai. The ritual and the bond enhance pre-existing feelings of love and friendship that the pair already have, however this doesn't make it impossible for hate or rivalry to materialise between them.

The runes placed on them during the ceremony allows them to draw upon each other's strength whenever it is needed the most. They are also able to sense changes in each other's state of wellbeing, such as serious injuries or changes in moods. In addition to this, runes drawn by parabatai are stronger than regular runes without the bond.

Severance

Usually, like the marriage bond, the parabatai bond is broken by the death of one member of the partnership. However, there are also other ways that the bond can be severed. For example, if one becomes a Downworlder, exiled or stripped of their marks.

When one becomes either a Silent Brother or Iron Sister, the bond dissolves naturally. The process of severance is not a pleasant one. Some partners feel the connection break, feel constant and literal pain, as if something were tugging on their heart.

Curse

One bond that is forbidden to parabatai is the romantic attachment bond. This has been upheld by the Clave and written into both the Law and the Shadowhunter's Codex. The real reason that romantic links between parabatai were banned was kept hidden from Shadowhunters for a long time.

True love between parabatai will make their bond stronger, to the point where their powers become magic. The more parabatai give in to their emotions, the stronger he curse gets and the worse it affects them. They will develop abilities that no other Nephilim can do.

Eventually, their runes will burn with heavenly fire, followed by the spread of black lines all over their skin. Finally, they will transform into enormous beings that are known as true Nephilim. The problem with this is that parabatai have very little control over what they do in this form. They have been known to lose complete control and kill those around them until they themselves die. If they somehow survive, they can wake up to their parabatai rune and bond broken.

Article by kait-astrophe