Lorebooks, and the search for them, are a large portion of the questing nature of early adventures in the Land of the Everflow. Rumors abound that there is a person, or persons, that have the Book and they know why the Awakening happened. Before the Awakening these were merely thought to be great tomes of knowledge, describing history that goes back thousands of years and even to a time before companionship. After the Awakening some sought them only for knowledge, others soon learned that they are also repositories of power.

Actual photo of Encyclopedia Genetica by Ryan Somma at https://flic.kr/p/a6yTFZ

The Five have learned that there are more than just the Lorebook they hold. They also learned that Cortez refers to other scholars around Kin that communicate and hide these books from those attempting to use them.

They do not know how these Scholars are using the books. Chorl was once a student under Cortez and clearly sought to use the book to advance the cause of Nak. Trapped between this contest for control of the Lorebook they witnessed Cortez cause a volcanic eruption and probably destroy Chorl and his cultists. As Cortez laughed at his power The Five fled the area with the tome.

Now they head towards Telse with the Book in hand and somewhat aware of the powers contained within it.

The Lorebook
wondrous item, legendary

Half of each Lorebook contains a history of Kin that starts at an event called The Uncoupling. This event is not described. The book that the Five hold talks about the Western Wildes and various empires that rose and fell throughout history – Qin, Mira, Bell’an, Telse and Sheljar. That history ends about 10 years prior to the Awakening with Sheljar ruling the West. The introduction includes a summation of the People of the Land, the Land of Az and Sel, Ahid’s Home, the Green Isle, Gallinor and Lake Country.

Any intelligent peoples within 100 feet of the Lorebook are able to cast divine spells at standard casting times. Arcane spells do not climb the wild magic spectrum as is standard in Kin. If a Lorebook is attuned to a thinking person that person gains +1 INT while in control of the book. When attuned the Lorebook’s range becomes 100 feet times the attuned user’s Intelligence modifier. The attunee can also, as a bonus action, choose to limit the effects of the book to only their allies, limited to a number of intelligent peoples by their intelligence modifier. These effects do not override cantrip casting, only leveled spells.

Finally the Lorebook can also act as a spellbook as the final half of the book contains hundreds of spells.