Hero

"I can never tell if heroes are the lifeblood of Covenant or the noose choking it to death. The problem is, neither can they."
-Vidar Elf-Child, hero

The history of Covenant is often colored by the machinations of the gods. Many times these gods treat even kings and queens as mere playthings to be used and discarded. There are those that defy this paradigm, however. These are truly exceptional men and women: heroes.
These individuals are marked by mysterious beings known as the Weird Sisters. This triumvirate of crones are the caretakers of the fate of all mortals and gods of Covenant, working towards mysterious ends unknown to all others. Whether for good or ill, heroes alone are free to weave their own fates.
With as frail as they appear, even the gods fear the Weird Sisters. They do not interfere directly in the affairs of heroes. Conversely, the freedom heroes have to affect fate is of interest to gods and mortals alike. Everything they touch is affected in one way or another. As such, many seek to manipulate heroes, or take advantage of the way fate seems to bend around them.
Some scholars from the wider multiverse seem taken aback by the use of the word "hero" in Covenant. Unlike in many other places, the term has no moral component. Some heroes are, indeed good, kind-hearted people. Others, however, are petty, self-serving, or sadistic.

Heroes and PC's
Of course, most Covenant PC's are heroes. Naturally, the whole hero concept is here for a reason, and quite distinct even from the divinely-sponsored Greek versions.
That reason is so that I could make the gods as active as they are in mythology, even Greek mythology. Heroes allow me to protect PC's from godly shenanigans without a divine nerf of God of War proportions.

Known Heroes

Across the history of Covenant, there have been innumerable people who have claimed to be heroes. Most were simply lying in an attempt to gain some manner of influence, often with disastrous results. These imposters don't seem to understand the sheer weight a hero's presence has on the world around them
Those few who are truly heroes are too remarkable to ignore. Some consider the mark of the Weird Sisters a blessing, others a curse. Whatever the truth of the matter, one thing is perfectly clear: gift or curse, boon or bane, a hero will never pass through history quietly.

Karad Blackheart

Born under the sign of the Wild Hunt, almost no figure in Covenant's history is as sinister as him. He blamed the gods for his terrible upbringing, and used his incredible powers of necromancy in an attempt to destroy their works, even becoming a lich so that he could take all the time he needed to see his vengeance through.

Vidar Elf-Child

The most powerful and well-known archmage in all of Covenant, Vidar Helgasen is a revered figure in some circles. During his career as an adventurer, he opposed the genocidal ambitions of Karad Blackheart, eventually destroying him after years of effort.

Halvar Leifson

Born of humble origins, Halvar Leifson was the sole survivor of Clan Jondrakr after the orcish invasion of Skogsmark. He helped to unite the clans of Bjornland to fight of the orcish horde. In gratitude, the jarls of the clans of Bjornland crowned him the first king of that land.

Cinniah Mac Lainne

In many ways, the beautiful bard Cinniah Mac Lainne is a mysterious figure. She came from seemingly nowhere, helped the land of Fasach unite against the orcish invasion, and disappeared just as quickly. She is one of the only people revered by all in this clannish land.

Athiope the Swift

In the long tradition of morally questionable demigod heroes from Polisia, Athiope the Swift built her legend from a terrible war. She exploited her immunity to the power of the Apple of Discord to spread war across the islands. Suitably for a hero so drawn by selfish motives, her only reward was death.

Ur-Sharadin

Ur-Sharadin is one whom death would not hold. He was once a simple farmer who was killed by an invasion of demons led by a vile creature falsely claiming to be the god Dagon. He was brought back and empowered by the goddess of the underworld Erishkigal, claiming his vengeance and saving Sakkal.

Amaunotep

Called the Forsaken Prince by the people of Kemet, Amaunotep is a very complex figure. He saved the kingdom from strange creatures known as mind flayers, but raised an army of the honored dead to do it. As punishment for his sacrilege, he became an immortal being, neither alive nor dead.

Citlali

All lands have their heroes, including the isolated floating island of Cipactli. Fueled by revenge and empowered by her rage, she tracked down a conspiracy of the followers of the chaos god Tezcatlipoca and prevented them from stealing the island of Cipactli from the sun god Huitzilopochtli.

Tao Sing

The Jiayuanese hero Tao Sing rose from strange circumstances. Formerly the emperor Tao Wei, he was impersonated and replaced by a villainous dragon. Now a woman named Tao Sing, she learned martial arts and opposed the Dragon Emperor until she could face him in battle.

Ando Haketuro

A devoted priest of the Sokokan sun goddess Amaterasu, Ando Haketuro managed to defeat the corrupted Dragon Empress that was impersonating the Sokokan emperor. As a reward for his service, his goddess made him the new emperor, founding the current imperial dynasty.