Books are lore information about Eden in Black and white 2 and its expansion, Battle of the Gods.
There are totally 14 books, and each costs 1,000 Tribute, which makes them one of the cheapest products that can be bought in the game.
They don't provide any influence, but they do inform player about tribes, the history of Eden, and other lore.
They aren't available for purchase immediately (except the Book XIV, the Prophecy, that is owned from the beginning), and more of them become available for purchase as you progress through the game, but its not quite clear, what the conditional flags are which unlock the ability to purchase them all.
BOOK I: THE AGE OF GODS[]
Before the age of man, this world was home to the gods. Their vast powers shaped the land powers shaped the land, and their playful rivalries were played out through vast Creatures who lived, fought and died at the deities' command. It was inevitable that greater conflict would arise and that the dust of destructive miracles had settled, not single divine being remained. But some say that since god cannot die, they must lurk somewhere still in the universe. and that one day they will return to save the world of men.
BOOK II: THE BARREN SEAS[]
There was once a time when the seas were alive with the flaining sails of ships, their masts spearing into heaven as they lunged among the waves. Trade between lands was common, and fishing was much more bountiful, not being confined to the shores. Yet the Aztecs could not, or would not, master the art of sailing, Some say that they believed their dark gods had sunk into waters long ago, and so it was both perilous and sacrilegious to glide along the surface. Whether unwilling or unable, they realized that while other civilization remained sea-worthy, they were at a disadvantage. The Aztecs developed siege weapons, specially designed to sink any vessel within their range, and soon the seas were as dead as the deserts of their homeland.
BOOK III: THE FATE OF THE EGYPTIANS[]
For centuries the people of this world lived in harmony and peace. Through there was little contact between civilizations, there was also little hostility. Until the Sand Wars. The mighty Egyptians, known to all as supreme architects with no interest in warfare, found themselves under attack from the neighboring Aztecs. The invaders were ruthless, the slaughter relentless. Some of the greatest buildings ever constructed fell, and soon an entire civilization was laid to waste. The Egyptians were no more. And war spread like a plague throughout the land.
BOOK IV: THE FRAGMENT[]
Under the earth, archaeologists found a broken chunk of stone with an inscription on it. The only words which are still readable are XOATL WAITS. Who or what Xoatl is remains mystery.
BOOK V: GODLESS MIRACLE[]
Many wise men have pondered the riddle of miracles in a world bereft of gods. If the almighty beings are no longer here to bestow the gift of miracles on humans, how can lowly men harness such vast, heavenly powers? The answer most sages have offered is that there is still a strong connection between the remnants of those divine miracles and the life-force that courses through all humans. It is because of this connection that men have been able to generate epic miracles through sacrifices. The ending of a life-force is the most intense way of recreating divine powers.
BOOK VI: THE IMMORTAL[]
There is a legend that is shared in some form by all civilizations - which is perhaps proves that is has some basis in fact - of a man who has walked the Earth since the Age of the Gods. For some he is the first man, a prototype created by the gods as an experiment for new form of life, before they decided humans would need a finite lifespan. For others he was the first sinner, condemned by the gods to suffer for all eternity, never knowing peace or redemption. For others still, he was a god himself, fallen from grace before the war that destroyed his brethren. Whatever his origin, such a man would know more of his world than any book or sage could ever tell.
BOOK VII: THE MISSIONARIES[]
The legends told of travelers who built a boat and set off to spread the word of the gods. They fetched up on a lush shore and immediately renounced their faith, deciding instead to ferment extremely potent beverages. And there they remain, drunk and godless, with nothing to upset their hazy world.
BOOK VIII: ORIGIN OF CREATURES[]
During the Age of the Gods, Creatures populated the land, each brought there by a deity. The gods used them as avatars in the world, nurturing them to reflect their own personalities and setting them up against their rival brethren. Some say the Creatures served as trials for the animals that inhabit our world today, but it is undeniable that their birthplace is not inside the bounds of nature and that they are more likely to originate from the same mysterious place the gods themselves came from.
BOOK IX: THE PARCHMENT[]
All a god needs to exist is belief from people. Kill the believers and you kill the god. In olden days everyone prayed to their tribe's god, but with the big cities and the armies and the war machines, the gods seemed less important. And the one thing the non-believers feared most was another tribe with enough faith to have a god.
Trivia[]
- One book explains why there are no boats or ships in Eden. Early concepts for the game seem to suggest they were planned at some point, but they didn't manage to be finished products by the time of the games' release, even in demo phases.
- Despite this, artillery is never shown in the game.
- Xoatl, as named in Book IV, could be a reference to a real-life Aztec god, Xolotr. He was a soul-guide for the dead, and known for many things, such as being evil god of monsters, misfortune, sickness, and deformities; otherwise, it could be a reference to the nameless Aztec god.
- The rumors about a single so-called "immortal", could be a biblical refence to a fallen angel, or the Judeo-Christian figure who served as the first and one of the most long-lived humans, Adam.
- Book VII most probably references to the Missionaries, that players meet in the first Black and White game; they seem to become drunks, who appear in side-events throughout Black & White 2's lands.