====== Godbloods ======

===== Summary =====
The Godbloods were a prominent political and social faction within the [[:skyss:chars:heroes|Heroic]] community of the [[:skyss:places:skyss|Kingdom of Skyss]]. Emerging as a significant power during [[:skyss:chars:schism|The Great Schism]], the faction advocated for a meritocratic system where supreme public office was reserved exclusively for those of divine lineage. They were defined by their belief that the extended lifespan and inherent wisdom of [[:skyss:chars:heroes|Heroes]] made them the only suitable arbiters of human destiny. Following the violent conclusion of the Schism, the faction was largely decimated and its remaining members scattered.

===== Description =====

==== The Great Schism and Ideology ====
The Godbloods faction coalesced around 690 AM, during a period of intense cultural transition in Skyss. While the [[:skyss:chars:college_of_heroes|College of Heroes]] sought to maintain the King as a senior arbiter chosen by Electors, the Godbloods believed this was insufficient. They contended that Heroes should not merely serve as mentors or advisors but should actively occupy the highest echelons of power. This ideology brought them into direct conflict with two other primary groups:
  * **The Silent Service:** Who advocated for Heroes to remain entirely separate from mortal governance.
  * **The Covenanters:** Who supported limited, term-bound participation in public life.

==== The Conflict and the Covenant ====
The rivalry between these factions escalated into the period known as [[:skyss:chars:schism|The Great Schism]]. The Godbloods were noted for their aggressive recruitment and were accused of assassinating non-aligned Heroes who refused to join their cause. In 694 AM, [[:skyss:chars:old_bjorn]] introduced the [[:skyss:chars:covenant|Covenant of Heroes]] in an attempt to forge a compromise and end the internecine violence.

Although many Godbloods initially signed the Covenant, the peace was ephemeral. In the Spring of 695 AM, violence resumed with renewed ferocity. The Silent Service and the Covenanters eventually formed a tactical alliance to neutralise what they perceived as the systemic threat posed by the Godbloods. The resulting skirmishes and "night murders" significantly thinned the ranks of the divine-blooded.

==== Current Status and Clandestine Activity ====
In the modern era, the Godbloods faction is officially considered defunct, with its survivors living in exile or hiding their affiliations. However, the faction’s influence persists through clandestine subversion. [[:skyss:chars:rojden]], a renegade Hero and former leader of the Department of Resolutions, was a secret adherent of the Godblood cause during his youth. He continues to utilise the faction's methods—such as the laying of involuntary [[:skyss:chars:geas|geasa]]—to build a personal empire. Clandestine agents, such as [[:skyss:chars:ormrun]] within the [[:skyss:places:bot|Board of Trade]], continue to harbour Godblood sympathies, waiting for an opportunity to realise their vision of divine rule.

===== Relationships =====

=== People ===
  * **Founding Influence:** [[:skyss:chars:old_bjorn]] (whose Covenant they ultimately rejected)
  * **Clandestine Adherents:** [[:skyss:chars:rojden]] (Renegade), [[:skyss:chars:ormrun]] (Board of Trade Agent)
  * **Primary Opponents:** The [[:skyss:chars:covenant|Covenanters]], Members of the [[:skyss:chars:silent_service|Silent Service]]

=== Places ===
  * [[:skyss:places:kronstadt]] (The site of the faction's early political manoeuvres)
  * [[:skyss:places:trollheim]] (A region where factional death squads operated during the Schism)
  * [[:skyss:places:western_isles]] (Current hiding places for scattered survivors)
  * [[:skyss:osnines]] (The continent over which they sought to exert influence)

=== Concepts ===
  * [[:skyss:chars:heroes]] (General term for those with divine blood)
  * [[:skyss:chars:schism]] (The era of factional warfare)
  * [[:skyss:chars:covenant]] (The failed peace treaty)
  * [[:skyss:chars:geas]] (The primary tool of compulsion utilised by the faction)


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{{tag>fantasy world-building skyss_chars Skyss Godbloods 2026 james}}