Book of Heroes

The Book of Heroes is the official genealogical and historical registry of the Heroic class on the Continent of Osnines, mandated to record the lineage and deeds of every individual possessing at least one-eighth divine ancestry. It serves as a vital instrument of statecraft and strategic planning, ensuring that the movements and capabilities of those with divine blood are formalised and tracked across generations.

The volume is a physically imposing artefact, appearing as a thick tome hand-bound with sturdy string. Its covers are constructed from stiffened leather that has blackened significantly with age, whilst the internal leaves are irregular and exhibit varying colours from almost white to a mustard yellow. The current leather bindings are approximately four hundred years old, many of the parchment pages contained within are ancient, predating the memory of any living individual. The book is described as having a significant “thump” when placed upon a table, symbolising its literal and metaphorical weight in Skyssian society.

The primary function of the book is the preservation of Heroic legacies, including both the “deeds and misdeeds” of its subjects. Registration is strictly governed by the concentration of divine blood; individuals with at least one-eighth (1/8) divine ancestry are automatically recorded upon their discovery. New pages are added to the collection continuously as the Nine Gods continue to interbreed with mortals or as new lineages are identified through the Department of Resolutions.

To prevent the subversion of the record—such as the removal of pages to hide one’s abilities or history the Skyssian state maintains several copies of the book in disparate locations. This administrative redundancy makes it exceptionally difficult for renegades or those wishing to remain “lost” to erase their official existence from the state's memory. The book is treated as a “King's ransom” worth of intelligence, and access is generally restricted to community leaders and high-level judicial officials. The primary copy is maintained in the college_of_heroes with secondary copies in the King's Palace in Kronstadt; with the Lord_of_the_Isles; and the Board of Trade.

The following individuals are among the approximately fifty active Heroes currently registered within the ledger.

• Old Bjorn: Reputed to be one of the oldest living subjects, his history is said to stretch back over a thousand years to before the founding of Kronstadt.
• Lady Helga Trollslayer: A granddaughter of Kari and Frijdodr, currently serving as a Sea Lord of Skyss.
• Alfarinn: A demi-god matriarch whose entries describe her as a granddaughter of Jorunn and Fafnir.
• Rojden: A renegade grandson of Meniaxter, whose high divinity rating of 35% allowed him to manipulate the continental order.
• Noren: The son of Alfarinn and Rojden, whose affinity for Jorunn was identified and recorded shortly after his discovery as a foundling.
• Yngvild the Fierce: An initiate of the Malfin mysteries and daughter of the late hero Oddmundr.
• Olaf Ragnarson: Also known as “Olaf the Ready,” he is the heroic captain of the King's ship Seagull.
• Radulfr: A hero involved in the failed resolution attempt that led to the death of Oddmundr.
• Alfinna: A daughter of Alfarinn and master craftswoman with significant Frijdodr blood.
• Inibrakemi: A descendant of Alfarinn who serves as a shapeshifting agent of the state.
• Oddmundr: (Deceased) A former King's Justice and wielder of Jafnadr, whose eye-colour shifted with the use of his divine abilities.

• Old Bjorn: Serves as the primary custodian of a copy of the book within his private sanctum.
• Helga Trollslayer: Utilises the book to track strategic contingencies and identify potential candidates for public office.

• Kronstadt: The capital city where the central copies of the book are archived within the palace.
• Straven: The island community where a secret copy was maintained by Old Bjorn to keep the identities of Yngvild and Noren hidden from the world.

• Heroes: The specific class of humans whose biological potential for magic is the book's entire subjec_.
• The Great Schism: An internal conflict between hero factions that led to a significant reduction in the names listed within the ledger.
• Geasa: Mandatory magical compulsions often recorded alongside the “service” history of heroes.