According to the accounts found in the Gospels of Light, it is said that the Vertskli were dwarves captured by the Forgotten and imprisoned in dark dungeons for the crime of resisting their foul evil with all their might. The Vertskli suffered greatly in bondage in the dark until a great mage, who had escaped from the dungeons and returned from a distant land, called upon his brethren to fight back once more. He was seen as the fulfillment of a prophecy for a Vertskli Messiah, one that would save them from the foul Accain and the lightless dark in which they were imprisoned. He was called Pistonaos—Herald of the Light.

Pistonaos’ return to his people occurred at the same time when the forces of the free Elderkin united to drive the Accain from the world once and for all in the wake of the Great Cataclysm. With the Accain distracted and weakened, Pistonaos led the Vertskli to freedom, emerging from the deep dungeons to see the light of heaven for the first time. It was here that the Light of Creation, the one that Pistonaos claimed fealty to, appeared. The historical texts continue, stating thus:

“Lo, and behold! For in the sky above the Cage-Of-Forgetting, a shining star, greater and brighter than the rest, beckoned the Vertskli. It shone even in the day, a second Sun in the heavens. And so did the people feel a great tugging in their hearts towards the east. Led by the Herald of the Light, Pistonaos, the Vertskli followed the First Star. After a thousand days, they came upon the Silver Peaks and found home.”

The ancestors of the Vertskli left their old prisons in the north, leaving behind the devastation that the war against the Forgotten wrought. For a thousand days, they travelled, led on by the Herald, following the shining First Star. They trekked across the ancient lands of East Ciradon until they found the Silver Peaks—a mountain range near the south-east tip of the Ciradonian supercontinent. 

It would be here that the Vertskli ancestors built their civilization. Because they wished to be connected to the light of heaven at all times, they became surface dwellers, unlike most other dwarves. They built the city of Kapel Eregos, a city, fortress, and cathedral all the same, which ringed the mountains like crowns of hewn stone, marble, and gilded silver, though they still delved deep in search of wealth and materials. 

Eventually, the faith known as Pistofanism would be born from the writings of Pistonaos’ thirteen disciples. The Thirteen were men and women to whom he taught the teachings that were given unto him by the Voice of Light that he heralded, and that which led the Vertskli people to the Silver Peaks. The disciples of the Thirteen, they who came after them, became the first Ecumenical Circle, canonizing the Gospels of Light that would become the defining texts of Pistofanist faith.

As the Vertskli grew in number and strength, they spread throughout the Silver Peaks, building more cities and citadels. Kapel-Eregos, the City of Bells and Crowns, remained the most powerful and influential. At this point, however, it was now accompanied by two other great cities, Seleunikos, the seat of learning and astronomy, and Yretz Khorazon, a naval power and trade city. Ten other cities also arose, but they were nowhere as mighty as the first three. These independent city-states were held loosely together by their common Pistofanist religion and a common origin as the Vertskli, but would often feud and fight over territory, wealth, and power. 

The Ecumenical Circles, which gathered in a neutral location every year, would occasionally erupt into arguments over perceived heresies and groups splitting off from the main Circles. However, the most prominent of the Pistofanist groups would be the Celestial Assembly, a reformist sect that emphasized scholarship, particularly in the field of astronomy, as they argued that the stars were the Light’s eternal witnesses. This sect, which originated from Seleunikos, eventually grew to encompass the majority of the Vertskli city-states’ populations.

Lesserkin tribes populated the regions around the mountains of the Vertskli cities, and were rarely interacted with. Instead, the Vertskli usually watched them from afar, using lensed telescopes and periscopes to observe their comings and goings. In this regard, the dwarves of this part of the world were not seen as masters or rulers, but as distant, enigmatic figures that only ever intervened against existential threats. However, the Vertskli would purchase farming land from the Lesserkin on occasion, using magic to increase their crop yields.

This fragmented state of affairs was not to last. On 1344 of the First Age, the Vertskli of the border city of Argovesh encountered the Rukliv Dwarves for the first time. For a time, there was a tense coexistence, but it was clear that it would not last. The Celestial Assembly, harkening back to the Vertskli’s own mythological beginnings as prisoners of the Accain, denounced the Rukliv as misguided demon-thralls for their brutal treatment of orcs and other lesserkin. 

The Ecumenical Circles of each year following first contact called for all Vertskli cities to unite and drive the slaving Rukliv from their borders, but the nobility were fearful of the devastation that a war would wreak upon their city-states, and did nothing. Inaction and complacency would prove to be a mistake. The Rukliv invaded the Vertskli city-states, beginning with the border cities of Argovesh, Ter-Rishon, and Sarakusa. Due to political disunity, the Vertskli’s resistance proved ineffective in stemming the Rukliv advance, and the last city, Yretz-Khorazon, fell on FA 1491 after a hundred years of siege.

The Vertskli are a fiercely independent people, and for good reason. Their faith, Pistofanism, taught that freedom from darkness and chains is the right of all sentient beings. The occupation of the Rukliv over their lands reminded them of the ancient stories of the Accain, and soon, resentment grew. However, they were still Elderkin and thus were patient. The Rukliv Confederation was still too large for it to effectively govern all of their conquered territories at once, and so the Vertskli retained a measure of autonomy. Quietly, slowly, and secretly, they began to brew their plans of freedom and vengeance.

Their hated occupiers had expanded too far, too wide. Their empire began to come apart at the seams, and the Vertskli dwarves became even more autonomous. In year 32 of the Second Age, the Rukliv Confederation erupted into civil war, and the Vertskli seized their chance. Calls for aid from the Rukliv suzerains went unanswered, and the Vertskli obliterated the already undermanned occupation garrisons assigned to their city-states. The Vertskli were once again free.

Over the centuries of occupation, the Vertskli had drifted into a far more cohesive identity. They began to identify less with their individual city, and instead, called themselves Vertskli first, citizen of whatever realm they came from second, and very often, Pistofanist third. With this more unified identity and newly acquired independence, the Vertskli Omospos, meaning the “Federation of the Silver Peaks,” was formed. The Circle of that year consecrated the Thane that had been chosen by her peers, Valaya Alsakan of Ter-Rishon, and she was thus crowned as First Mandator of the Vertskli Omospos.

The occupation of the Rukliv was not forgotten, and it would never be. From this point on, the Vertskli would constantly seek to sabotage their efforts in every manner, though the Gate Wars would be a rare exception. No matter how much they despised the Rukliv, the Forgotten were still demons of shadow, and were very much real.

When news of the Ninth Gate War reached the courts of Kapel-Eregos, the response was swift. The Forgotten were seen in Pistofanist canon as demons of darkness—eldritch oppressors that would see all life bound to their chains. The Vertskli Omospos mobilized, declaring the conflict against the creatures of the Gate as a holy crusade of light. 

The Mandator at the time, Palaigos Kadrin of Etirus, quickly organized an expeditionary force, composed not just of the Vertskli military forces, but of numerous Lesserkin crusaders, all marching under the banner of the First Star. Vertskli forces were some of the most effective in the war, leveraging implacable dwarven lines supported by human skirmishers and orc guerrilla warriors, stemming the tide of mutants and unspeakable entities until the Champions of Sperrhis gave their lives to seal the Gate.

When the Orcish Wars began, the Vertskli sealed their gates and opted to wait it out, citing that their own national security was paramount above all else. Even when the neighbouring Rukliv began to be battered by the Orcish hordes, the Vertskli did absolutely nothing but observe, hoping that the Orcs would destroy their former occupiers once and for all. 

Military planners within the Silver Court believed that Vertskli Omospos’ forces could obliterate the Orcs once they were weakened after fighting the various Elderkin and Lesserkin nations in the region. Scattered orcish warbands that attempted to infiltrate the compact and cosmopolitan Vertskli territories were quickly spotted and destroyed. Thus, for the most part, the Vertskli were unaffected by the Orcish Wars, but were seen by other nations as cowardly and aloof for refusing to help. 

The simple reply, however, was that they were more than willing to assist in reconstruction. Using their vast economic influence and the fact that they remained relatively intact, the Vertskli practically funded the rebuilding of entire nations in East Ciradon, buying the goodwill and debts of many… but not all.

For centuries, Vertskli Omospos had stuck out like a sore thumb among its peers. It was exceedingly wealthy because of its mineral resources and commanded a sizable military force that combined the strengths of both dwarves and various lesserkin to achieve maximum tactical redundancy. It also had a merchant marine and naval fleet, which plied the Veiled Ocean. It was the advocacies that stemmed from Vertskli Omospos, however, that confused other Elderkin. 

For a long time, the Vertskli had called upon their fellow Elderkin to relax their treatment of the Lesserkin, citing their own general lack of unrest as proof. The loudest advocates were the priests of the Celestial Assembly, who stressed that humans and other Lesserkin were only so easy for the Forgotten to subvert precisely because they are oppressed by the Elderkin.

These advocacies would mostly fall on deaf ears, but the priests of the Assembly would be vindicated when the human nation of Voskgardia was attacked by the Elven Empire of Tassendrel. When the Elves were humiliated in what they expected to be a quick victory, the Vertskli watched on. In the end, however, the Umrinor Cordiale would annihilate Voskgardia, but only after years of grinding attrition and millions of deaths.

Many figures in Vertskli society used this as an “I-told-you-so” moment, telling the other Elderkin that this very event is what they had warned against for so long. That, through ‘the binding of the light within them,’ the Elderkin nations had inadvertently planted the seeds of rebellion against them. However, when it became publicly known that pollution from industrialization weakens the Leylines, Vertskli adopted a more cautious approach. 

They still advocated for universally better treatment for Lesserkin, but also called upon the human nations to consider the possible consequences of destroying the world around them. The current Mandator, Kirdan Lekh, has even issued a proclamation, calling for all sentient races to acknowledge one another as equals.

The Vertskli Omospos lies nestled within the Silver Peaks, a sprawling and ancient mountain range that dominates the far southeastern corner of East Ciradon. Though situated close to the equator of Tyrrell, the extreme elevation of the Silver Peaks tempers the tropical heat, giving rise to a unique warm alpine climate. Cool winds sweep across the ridgelines year-round, carrying with them the scent of metal and stone, and snow often caps the highest summits even under the blazing equatorial sun.

The mountains themselves gleam faintly under daylight, for their upper strata are laced with veins of silver, giving rise to their poetic name. When the sun sets, the peaks catch the last of its rays and shimmer like blades, a sight the Vertskli call Erekos d’Vael, “the Hour of Living Silver.”

The Vertskli Omospos is a constitutionally elected monarchy, with a Mandator being elected amongst and by the Thanes of the twelve states that comprise the nation. The Mandator is also consecrated by the Ecumenical Circle, which is composed of twelve Pistofanist priests who have been randomly selected during each election year. As such, Vertskli has also been described as a theocracy, with the Mandator supposedly being vested with the will of Heaven itself. The blessings of the priests are highly important, as they represent the will of the common people.

The twelve states are roughly divided along the lines of the ancient city-states that existed before the Empire of Ruvkliv’s takeover. The Thanes hail from the most powerful and wealthy noble families of their respective states; the majority of these prestigious clans have remained consistently in power since the First Age. The capital city, Kapel Eregos, and the surrounding regions are considered a separate 13th region, and have hosted the Mandator and the court since the foundation of the Vertskli Omospos.

The Vertskli Mandator has less executive authority than the absolute monarchies of many other Elderkin nations, but it is still the most powerful position in Vertskli Omospos. His or her powers are believed to be broadly greater than what a human nation might call a “President”, but less than that of an Elven Emperor.

The twelve states and the 13th administrative region are centered around major cities, with which they share the same names.

The twelve states and the 13th administrative region are centered around major cities, with which they share the same names. They are:

1. Kapel Eregos

2. Seluenikos

3. Yretz Khorazon

4. Abranoniki

5. Tiryat

6. Gereadesh

7. Etirus

8. Argovesh

9. Arcanthios

10.  Sarakusa

11.  Ter Rishos

12.  Elaton

13.  Xindis

The capital and spiritual heart of the Omospos, Kapel Eregos stands in the center of the Silver Peaks. Its white-stone towers are crowned with golden bells that chime in harmonic resonance. It is both fortress and cathedral, the seat of the Ecumenical Circle and the residence of the Mandator.

The city is famed for its Aurite cannons, monumental engines that defend the sacred peak, and for the High Canticle Spire, a colossal cathedral to the Light. Kapel Eregos is also home to the Grand Archives of Pistonaos, where scripture and science coexist.

Second only to Kapel Eregos in influence, Seluenikos lies eastward, built into a ring of mountains that open into vast, clear skies. The city’s famed observatories and the Celestial Assembly, Pistofanism’s leading sect, make it the center of theology, science, and arcane study.

Seluenikos’ scholars were the first in Vertskli to measure the flow of energy from Aurite as both divine and physical light. To dwellers of Seluenikos, to understand the heavens is to understand the Light’s will.

The maritime jewel of the Omospos, Yretz Khorazon rests at the foot of the Silver Peaks where they meet the sea. It is a bustling trade port, home to the Mares Hagan, the Vertskli navy. The city’s harbors are carved from solid granite, and its shipyards are renowned for constructing Aurite-powered warships.

Yretz Khorazon’s people are worldly and pragmatic; they trade with elderkin and lesserkin alike, for as long as they have something to offer in return. Though once nearly destroyed during the Rukliv occupation, its modern docks stand as symbols of Vertskli resilience.

Nestled deep in the mountains, Abranoniki is the heart of Vertskli metallurgy and artifice. Its forges burn day and night, fed by rivers of molten metal and the steady rhythm of dwarven hammers. The city is famous for producing the Themakon’s sacred arms, individualized weapons and armor imbued with Aurite power.

Abranoniki is ruled by the Guild of Ninefold Flame, a council of master smiths. To them, crafting is a form of worship; each hammer blow is a prayer to the Light that shapes all things.

Lying closest to the Kundalikan Rainforest, Tiryat is the agricultural heart of the Omospos. The Vertskli here are farmers and botanists, cultivating enchanted crops sustained by filtered sunlight and Aurite-fuelled irrigation.

The city of Tiryat-Mor houses the College of Living Light, where bioluminescent flora and enchanted herbs are cultivated for medicine, dyes, and rituals. Tiryat’s people are patient and contemplative, viewing the rainforest as a living embodiment of the Light’s balance—destruction that gives renewal.

Gereadesh guards the western frontier, its bastions hewn directly into the mountain passes that once faced the Rukliv Supremacy. It is a fortress-city and a grim reminder of the wars that nearly destroyed the Vertskli. Its people are stoic and martial, descendants of those who resisted longest during the occupation.

The Citadel of Valaya, where the First Mandator was crowned, still stands here, both shrine and fortress, revered by pilgrims and soldiers alike. Gereadesh remains the primary training ground for the Themakon and the Omospos’ standing army.

A city of artisans and scholars, Etirus is famed for its intricate textiles and jewelry. Etirus also houses the Hall of Silent Arts, where artisans undergo meditative training to perfect their craft. Its people value elegance and precision, believing that beauty itself is an expression of divine order.

Once the first to fall to the Rukliv invasion, Argovesh has since been rebuilt into one of the Omospos’ most heavily fortified cities. It sits on the western rim of the mountains, its walls bristling with Aurite defenses. The people of Argovesh are vigilant and stern, still bearing the memory of centuries of occupation.

Today, it serves as the Omospos’ primary espionage hub, training intelligence agents and border scouts who monitor foreign movements. In the capital, Argovesh’s representatives are often called “the Shadowed Lanterns” for their mastery of secret warfare in the name of the Light.

Arcanthios is the seat of the Vertskli Magic Association, or Kolethos Arcanthion, the foremost institution of magical study, regulation, and innovation within the Omospos. Founded in the First Age, the Association was born of a single conviction: that divine light, if properly understood and contained, could be refined into a tool for progress without sacrilege. Over time, this conviction would come to define the city’s identity.

Where the scholars of Seluenikos seek enlightenment through celestial contemplation, the Arcanthians pursue mastery through controlled application. Their motto, “To shape the Light is to serve it,” encapsulates this pragmatic approach. The Association thus functions not merely as a college of magic, but as a vast bureaucratic order that certifies mages, licenses experimental research, and oversees the ethical use of Aurite. Every Vertskli magitech engineer, thaumaturge, or battlemage must bear the Seal of Arcanthios, stamped with the city’s sigil—a radiant eye within a circle of thirteen rays.

Located beneath a towering natural cavern system, Sarakusa is famed for its acoustics. Its vaulted halls are filled with sound, choral songs, echoing sermons, and the ringing of its subterranean bells.

Though conquered early in the Rukliv conquest, Sarakusa’s priests preserved countless relics of the early faith. In modern times, it has become the Omospos’s spiritual sanctuary.

Built upon two neighboring peaks joined by a colossal bridge known as the Span of Faith, Ter Rishos is the administrative heart of the Omospos. The First Mandator, Valaya Alsakan, hailed from this city, and her descendants still hold influence in its council chambers.

Ter Rishos serves as the meeting ground of politics and philosophy, a place where the ideals of the Light are weighed against the practical realities of governance. The Assembly of the Peaks, the Vertskli’s legislative body, convenes here beneath the open sky, symbolizing transparency before the Light of Creation.

Perched on the southernmost peak overlooking the ocean, Elaton greets the sunrise before any other city. It is a city of temples and watchtowers, famous for its sunrise festivals and radiant mosaics that capture the morning light.

Elaton’s priests interpret the dawn’s first rays as direct communion with the Light of Creation. Pilgrims often journey there to be anointed beneath the first light of day. The city also serves as a key observatory for monitoring sea routes and weather patterns, acting as an early warning post for the Mares Hagan.

Xindis is perched atop the tallest peak of the Silver Peaks, often shrouded in clouds. It is the site where, according to Pistofanist belief, Pistonaos first beheld the Light of Creation. The city is home to monastic orders and hermits who live in isolation, meditating on the nature of illumination.

Pilgrims climb the Stair of a Thousand Days, retracing the steps of the Vertskli exodus. Those who reach the summit without faltering are said to have glimpsed true enlightenment.

Due to the nation's proximity to a rainforest composed of trees that devour magic, the Vertskli has, by average, an abnormally high ratio of Aurite-powered machinery and infrastructure, as any harmful waste could simply be fed to the forest. Kapel Eregos itself is home to many magitech wonders such as airships and the Aurite cannons that defend its walls. Trains powered by magic also exist, primarily to transport goods and passengers between the various cities. This has proven to be rather economical as Vertskli is a modest-sized nation, and its cities are relatively close to each other.

Due to the nation's proximity to Kundalika, which is dominated by a rainforest composed of trees that devour magic, the Vertskli Omospos has, on average, an abnormally high ratio of Aurite-powered machinery and infrastructure, as any harmful waste could simply be fed to the forest. Kapel Eregos itself is home to many magitech wonders. This unique relationship with their environment has made the Vertskli pioneers in controlled magitech ecology.

Among Kapel Eregos’s greatest wonders are the Aurite cannons that crown its fortifications, massive siege weapons. The Vertskli also maintain a modest fleet of airships, elegant vessels of silver and brass that drift between mountain cities and serve as both transport and diplomatic symbols of the Omospos’ unity and refinement... and an air force, if need be. These airships can easily host mini-dragons, gryphons, and gyrocopters just as well as they could cargo and diplomats.

Within the mountains and valleys, rail lines fuelled by shimmering Aurite engines snake between the cities, carrying both passengers and goods. These enchanted trains operate with remarkable efficiency, their engines running on regulated pulses of light-energy. The distances between the cities of the Silver Peaks are short by global standards, but the terrain is steep and treacherous, making these magitech railways the lifeblood of Vertskli commerce and communication.

While not afraid to use mass-produced human weapons like rifles, machine guns, and cannons, Vertskli does not produce them, at least not in an industrial manner, for they are still Elderkin and rely on the Leylines. Instead, it prefers simply purchasing them from industrialized powers to arm those troops that are not part of the professional and elite themakon, who often craft and maintain their own Aurite weaponry.

The Vertskli Omospos also operates a small but high-quality naval force known as the Mares Hagan (Sea Guard), primarily to defend the chokepoint between the sea and the Vertskli coast. It consists mostly of armoured surface warships armed with Aurite weapons.

The Vertskli dwarves are a paradox of brilliance and restraint; ornate yet disciplined, wealthy yet devout, proud yet curiously humble before the greater will of the Light. Though outsiders often see only their gilded halls and jeweled attire, Vertskli culture is built upon three unshakable pillars: faith, stewardship, and dignity.

While the mountains that these dwarves live on are not as rich in iron as other mountain regions are, they have higher concentrations of precious jewels, gold, and silver. The sheer mineral wealth of the Vertskli is something to be jealous of; reports and tales speak of treasure vaults within every Vertskli hold, filled with ‘lakes of gold’ and ‘stacks of jewels as high as a ten men’. Considering the gaudiness of the Vertskli aristocracy, these stories are probably rooted in a sort of truth. The Vertskli are well-known for not being afraid to flaunt their wealth in front of Elderkin and Lesserkin alike. Even the poorest of Vertskli would have enough gold and gems to at least appear good in social functions. As such, their capital, Kapel-Eregos, has been named as the ‘city of the world’s desire’; if not for the harsh geography that protects the Vertskli heartland in nearly all sides, it would have probably faced numerous invasions aimed at gaining its wealth by this point.

Because of their wealth, Vertskli is considered a decadent realm when compared to other dwarven states. However, in recent times, another side of their society has been brought to the limelight by the recent ascendancy of humanity. It is well known that the Vertskli do not approve of enslavement, seeing it as something that ‘the stewards of this world must not partake in’. What is less known, however, is that the Vertskli separated from a greater dwarven empire centuries ago. The western portion that remained treated humans and other lesserkin as little better than cattle. The Vertskli meanwhile, watched over the lesserkin and traded with them, and allowed them representation in the Court of Vertskli.

The mountains of the Vertskli are not iron-rich, but gleam with veins of silver and gemstones that seem to pulse like frozen stars beneath the earth. Generations of miners and jewelwrights turned these natural gifts into an aesthetic language of excess; polished domes, marble plazas veined with silver, and great statues inlaid with sapphire eyes. The Vertskli do not merely own wealth, they wear it, build with it, and live within it.

Yet this opulence is not simply vanity. In Pistofanist thought, beauty is an act of reverence. To shape the bounty of creation into splendor is to mirror the Light’s perfection, and thus to create art is a form of worship. Gold leaf is applied not only to temples and crowns, but even to watermills, lampposts, and Aurite engines. Every crafted object, no matter how mundane, is expected to reflect divine craftsmanship.

Despite their grandeur, the Vertskli reject the notion that their power grants them mastery over others. Pistofanism teaches that the Light entrusted the Elderkin to tend creation, not own it. The Vertskli interpret this as a divine mandate to guide, protect, and uplift lesser races rather than dominate them.

Thus, the Vertskli Omospos is one of the few Elderkin nations where lesserkin are granted local autonomy and legal rights. They serve in guilds, hold offices, and may even petition the Thanes’ courts. This benevolent stewardship is not mere charity; it is seen as a holy duty. “To lift another,” the Pistofanists say, “is to lift oneself closer to the Light.”

This ideology, combined with their economic strength, has made the Vertskli both respected and resented abroad. Other Elderkin see them as idealistic meddlers, while many humans regard them as the most trustworthy of the Elderkin.

For all their moral posturing, the Vertskli are far from ascetic. Their nobility; gilded Thanes who live in towers capped with crystal domes. are notorious for grand feasts, dueling orchestras, and competitions of luxury. A Vertskli noble is expected to display refinement in all things: dress, speech, and architecture are all statements of divine favor. The wealthy often compete not for power, but for honor in beauty, sponsoring sculptors, poets, and artisans whose works will secure their patron’s name in the annals of eternity.

Still, this obsession with grandeur has drawn criticism from more austere Pistofanist sects, who argue that the Vertskli risk mistaking ornament for enlightenment. Among the common folk, there is even a saying: “Gold blinds as well as it shines.”

Music is central to Vertskli life, especially the choral hymns that echo through the mountain rings at dawn and dusk. Each city has its own Bell Choir, whose task is to toll the great resonant towers in harmony with others across the nation, creating what travelers describe as “a song that rolls through the mountains like sunlight over stone.”

 Artisanship is equally revered. Vertskli metalwork is famous across the world for its fusion of artistry and magitech; an Aurite rifle from Kapel Eregos might bear filigree of gold depicting the rays of the First Star. Even their written language, Vertsklirun, is an art form—letters shaped like intertwined gears and rays, often engraved rather than inked.

Beneath their finery, Vertskli society is rigidly ordered. Every citizen belongs to a guild, whether of artisans, engineers, traders, or theologians. To be guildless is to be adrift, without name or honor. Merit is measured by one’s contribution to craft and faith; even the poorest miner can earn dignity through excellence in labor.

Vertskli custom places immense importance on conduct; modesty in speech, composure in conflict, and exactitude in one’s word. To lose one’s temper or fail one’s duty is to invite shame upon one’s family and guild alike. This cultural precision extends even to their diplomacy; Vertskli envoys are famous for their calm, deliberate speech and their ability to conceal razor-sharp logic beneath layers of politeness.

Several Pistofanist holy days mark the Vertskli calendar. The Festival of Illumination, celebrated at the winter solstice, symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness; thousands of lanterns are released into the sky, said to guide lost souls toward enlightenment. Another, The March of the Herald, reenacts Pistonaos’ thousand-day journey to the Silver Peaks; citizens don white cloaks and carry torches up the mountain passes, chanting hymns that recall the ancient deliverance.

In the end, the Vertskli are a people of contrasts; devout yet indulgent, humble before the Light yet proud of their craft, guardians who wield gold as both weapon and offering. Their mountains glitter not just with jewels, but with the reflection of a civilization that has learned to reconcile piety and luxury, faith and reason, duty and delight.

Where others see decadence, the Vertskli see devotion; where others see arrogance, they see stewardship. For in their eyes, the Light of Creation shines brightest when reflected upon gold.

The predominant religion in the Vertskli Empire is Pistofanism, which translates to 'faith in the light'. Rather uniquely in the world, Pistofanism is a monotheistic religion with its sole deity being the Voice of Light, otherwise known as the Light of Creation or the Holy Light. This deity is typically depicted as a non-euclidean entity, usually seven wheels of molten gold surrounded by holy flames and blinding halos of light. 

Pistofanism is well-known for being a 'religion of advocacy'; its teachings demand virtuous living from its followers, encouraging them to be the best version of themselves. It also preaches 'illumination', ergo, the seeking of knowledge for the betterment of the world; an aspect that the Guilds favor the most.

This kind of belief system has found purchase not just in the dwarves of Vertskli, from whom it originally came, but in Lesserkin as well. Half of the Lesserkin populations dwelling in the Vertskli's valley territories as well as the mercenary forces are believed to be Pistofanists.

While the Light is its deity, Pistofanist also has its own demons in the form of the Forgotten. Passages in the Gospel of Light speak of the Forgotten as terrors of darkness that must be guarded against; and, should they ever reappear, crusades must be declared by the faithful to once again drive the Forgotten into oblivion.

As for its structure, Pistofanism is notoriously fragmented and decentralized in administration. Unlike other religions, it has no 'prime' theologian, with its priests instead forming councils wherein they deliberate on matters of doctrine. However, records state that its texts and doctrines were canonized early in the Second Age, and no change has been done ever since save for interpreting new developments, such as humanity's technological ascendancy, in the context.

Pistofanism, being an evangelistic religion, has missionaries all over the world of Tyrrell attempting to convert individuals of all races.

As a nation that has mostly “observed” the outside world with its perceived role as guardians and stewards, the most well-known symbol of the Vertskli is the Eternal Eye. It appears to be not one eye; rather, it is usually drawn as what could be described as a pair of golden wheels with thirteen eyes on each. However, despite being associated with the state, it has never been used in its flag. It is most commonly seen on the shields of Vertskli soldiers, as well as painted on the hulls of their naval vessels.

The Vertskli Omospos has yet to implement human-style industries in any meaningful scale. While not afraid to use weapons like rifles, machine guns, and cannons, Vertskli does not produce them, at least not in an industrial manner. Instead, it prefers simply purchasing them from industrialised powers to arm those troops that are not part of the professional and elite Themakon, who often craft and maintain their own Aurite weaponry.

While dwarves are generally not known for building powerful navies, the Vertskli Omospos places great importance in its naval capabilities to contribute to its ability to influence the outside world. It maintains a sizable merchant fleet of immense treasure galleons that travel the world of Tyrrell, trading their exotic wares to distant lands before returning to their home port in the Vertskli coastal province of Yretz Khorazon. These gigantic trade vessels are in turn protected by a renowned navy called the Mares Hagan, which, in the common tongue, have been known as the “Sea Guard”, “Warriors of the Sea,” or “The Seafaring Legion.” Unlike the land forces of the Vertskli Omospos, the Mares Hagan has no mercenaries in it.

The Mares Hagan mostly owes its existence and renown to Yretz Khorazon, one of the first three states that would merge to form Vertskli Omospos in ancient times. Yretz Khorazon had possessed a deep water port since the early Second Age, plying the same maritime trade routes that the other Elderkin and the lesserkin used in order to further its wealth through trade of exotic goods. These trade ventures necessitated military protection, and a navy was established to protect the treasure galleons. When Yretz Khorazon merged with the other two states to form Verskli Omospos, these institutions would be inherited and improved upon to protect their economic interests.

Much of the same magical technologies that power dwarven airships, which are all but ubiquitous with any dwarven nation in Tyrrell, are present in at least some of the Mares Hagan’s seafaring vessels. Usually tasked with defending the treasure galleons from pirates and other unsavory characters that might seek to plunder their wealth, the Mares Hagan, by the beginning of the Third Age, operated several classes of warships. 

The majority of its assets are composed of medium-sized vessels known as the Sentinel Class Destroyers. These are ironclad warships, with wooden hulls that had been covered with iron armor plating. A Sentinel Class ironclad destroyer measures around 120 meters long, with six pedestal-mounted guns all over the upper deck. These 120 mm cannons are powerful enough to deter most pirates from ever attempting to steal from the treasure galleons. Flying foes will then have to contend with several machine gun positions, the contents of which have been purchased by Vertskli Omospos from overseas.

The Sentinel uses Aurite steam engines for propulsion, granting it substantial mobility (for something made by dwarves) at about 28 knots. These ironclad warships, with the Eternal Eye painted on their hulls, are synonymous with the Vertskli Omospos’ far-reaching outreach alongside the treasure galleons that they protect. However, when one visits the port of Yretz Khorazon, the image of the Mares Hagan dramatically changes from an escort force to a formidable fleet of defense.

Rare and powerful, a trio of 220 meter long battleships called the Illuminator-Class are the most powerful vessels of the Mares Hagan. Designed to be mobile fortresses to protect Yretz Bay, Herald of the Honored Ancestors, Hierophant of the Coruscating Light, and the class’ namesake, Illuminator of the Ignorant Shadows, can be best described as floating slabs of metal. Their armored hulls are made of the finest steel, emblazoned with magical runes that grant them greater resilience than what is naturally possible. Three dual-barreled 306 mm gun turrets provide its primary firepower, while slits on its upper deck allow about 20 smaller 76 mm cannons to launch attacks from protected positions. Aurite engines provide enough power to move the enormous warships along at a modest 22 knots. The Illuminators each took nearly a decade to complete, as like all dwarven technology, they’re handcrafted works of art as much as they're weapons of war.

Protecting these leviathans is a fleet of Crusader Class cruisers. The Crusaders number at ten ships, averaging at 180 meters long, 21 meters wide at the beam and 7 meters at the draft. At its conception, two dual-barreled 240 mm gun turrets, along with another two turrets with 190 mm guns, served as its primary armaments. The Crusaders are armored cruisers, each protected by a belt of armor that had been further enhanced with runic magic. Aurite engines provide propulsion that measures at about 26 knots.

Several variants of the Crusaders exist, as modifications were placed on each succeeding batch of completed ships. The first four, the Crusaders of Light subtype, were armed only with anti-ship guns. They lacked anti-air weapons, as their primary purpose was seen to be confronting enemy ships and coastal bombardment.

The next three ships replaced one of their gun turrets for a duo of torpedo launching tubes , as well as adding several anti-air positions armed with machine guns. Some of the torpedoes would also feature runic enhancements, primarily ice magic. Upon impacting enemy vessels, these specialized torpedoes will, instead of detonating, smash against the hull and begin to form ice around the targeted area. A lucky hit close to the stern risks ice forming near the propellers, severely undermining or even completely curtailing mobility. Such “Frosthammer” torpedoes are more difficult to create, though, so they’re used only when the Mares Hagan wants a target simply immobilized rather than destroyed.

The next final three would have improved armor belts, with increased thickness and more powerful runic protection. Their heavier armor makes them slower than the other variants at about 24 knots, but make up with their strange arcane munitions. Some of their shells and torpedoes are loaded with a variety of runic magicks, ranging from simply enhancing their penetration or explosive power to effects like frost, shrapnel infused with hallucinatory dust, and one of the most powerful flashbangs in the whole world.

Both the Illuminators and Crusaders are intended to protect the Yretz Bay from any attempts of foreign powers to blockade it. The Mares Hagan’s home fleet is further supported by gryphon and dragon riders, coastal defense batteries, and mages.

• Vertskli Omospos was created by Tax E. Vader.