Olympia: The Age of Gods PBEM (May 4 1999)
Several commands (such as bribe) and skills are available which can be used to convert a noble from one faction to another faction.
Nobles serving through contract or fear are susceptible to bribes, which may induce them to renounce loyalty to their lord, and pledge their service to the bribing faction. For details on bribing nobles, see bribe.
Oath-1 nobles ignore all bribes. There is a persuasion skill which may cause an oath-1 noble to defect, although its use is difficult and rarely succeeds. Oath-1 nobles may reveal their factional affiliation if tortured.
Oath-2 nobles will not renounce loyalty to their lord under any circumstances, nor can they be forced to reveal any information about themselves.
When a noble is converted from one faction to another through the use of a bribe, persuasion, or any other means, the faction that receives the noble may have to pay the NP cost of the noble. The NP cost of the noble is simply the number of NPs that have been invested in the noble by the other faction (e.g., 1 to form the noble, 1 to change his loyalty to oath-1, 1 to learn a magic skill for a total of 3 NPs). If the receiving faction does not have sufficient NPs to pay the NP cost, then the attempt to convert the noble will fail. There will be no indication that the failure occurred from a lack of NPs.
The faction receiving the new noble must pay the NP cost of the new noble if the noble comes from the same nation as the receiving faction. The original player will re-gain the NPs invested in the noble.
If the noble comes from another nation, the receiving faction does not have to pay the NP cost of the new noble, nor does the original player regain the invested NPs.