Pistofanism, translated from the ancient Vertskli tongue as “Faith in the Light”, is the principal religion of the Vertskli Omospos, and one of the most enduring faiths on the continent of Ciradon. It is a monotheistic, evangelistic religion venerating a single divine being known as the Voice of Light, or The Light of Creation. Unlike many Elderkin faiths that center around pantheons of deities or spirits tied to elements, Pistofanism is absolute in its monotheism. 

It teaches that all creation flows from a single source of divine illumination, that which gave life, thought, and purpose to the world, and which still guides it through the echoes of its Voice. Pistofanism is both a religion and a philosophy, shaping not only the spiritual life of its followers but also their moral, political, and intellectual traditions. It emphasizes illumination—both literal and metaphorical, as the path to truth: “To be enlightened is to see as the Light sees.”

According to the Gospels of Light, Pistofanism was born from the bondage and deliverance of the Vertskli ancestors during the Age of the Forgotten. These dwarves, once enslaved deep beneath the world by the Accain, were said to have been imprisoned for defying darkness and corruption. For generations, they languished in black dungeons where no sun nor star could be seen.

Deliverance came through Pistonaos, the Herald of the Light, a figure of legend and faith who united the captive dwarves, calling them to rebellion and liberation. Guided by visions and miracles, Pistonaos led the Vertskli from the abyss of the Forgotten’s dungeons and into the light of the world above.

The Gospels recount that upon their emergence, a great radiance appeared in the sky, a second sun, brighter than all others, called the First Star. This heavenly sign, said to be the manifestation of the Voice of Light, beckoned the freed Vertskli to journey eastward. For a thousand days, they followed the Light until they reached the Silver Peaks, where the star finally came to rest. There, they built their first home, Kapel Eregos, the City of Bells and Crowns.

Before his death, Pistonaos gathered thirteen disciples, scholars, warriors, and mystics who chronicled his teachings and visions. These writings became the foundation of the Gospels of Light, later canonized by their successors, the First Ecumenical Circle. The Thirteen each contributed to the faith’s core doctrines. Their combined works formed the sacred Corpus of Illumination, a body of 77 verses and parables that shaped the Vertskli worldview for millennia.

At its heart, Pistofanism revolves around three Tenets of Illumination:

1. The Light is One: There exists only one true source of creation and virtue. All other powers—whether divine, infernal, or elemental—are reflections, distortions, or perversions of that Light.

2. To See is to Know: Knowledge, curiosity, and the pursuit of understanding are holy acts. Enlightenment is achieved through learning, discovery, and reason, not through blind obedience.

3. The Light Frees All Chains: Darkness manifests as ignorance, tyranny, and enslavement. The faithful are commanded to oppose such darkness wherever it is found, for freedom is sacred to the Light.

From these stem the Four Virtues of Radiance: Wisdom, Mercy, Discipline, and Creation. Each believer is expected to embody these virtues, just as Pistonaos did during the liberation of his people.

The Forgotten are described in the Pistofanist canon as beings of shadow that oppressed the ancestors of the Vertskli. To Pistofanists, the Forgotten are not merely demons or monsters; they are metaphysical principles—manifestations of ignorance and entropy. When nations enslave, when kings hoard knowledge, or when mortals close their eyes to truth, the Forgotten are said to stir once more.

Unlike centralized religions, Pistofanism remains decentralized, governed by councils known as Ecumenical Circles. Each Circle is composed of thirteen priests, one for each Vertskli city-state, selected by lot every election year. Their purpose is not to rule, but to interpret doctrine, deliberate over heresies, and bestow divine legitimacy upon the election of the High King.

Despite this apparent democracy, the Circles wield profound influence. A king without the blessing of the Circle is seen as one without Heaven’s favor. However, since the faith forbids clerical hierarchy, the Circles’ authority is moral rather than coercive—its strength lying in tradition and public piety rather than swords or gold.

Throughout history, Pistofanism has seen numerous schisms, often reflecting political divisions within Vertskli society. The most enduring among these was the rise of the Celestial Assembly during the Second Age, a reformist sect emphasizing scholarship, astronomy, and the divine order of the cosmos. The Assembly argued that studying the heavens was itself an act of worship, for the stars were said to be the Light’s eternal witnesses.

Other heretical offshoots, such as the Dawnkeepers, who claimed the First Star still burns hidden beyond mortal sight, and the Children of the Reflection, who believed the Forgotten were redeemable, were eventually reabsorbed, exiled, or extinguished.

In the Third Age, Pistofanism remains the unifying spiritual force of the Vertskli Omospos, shaping its ethics, aesthetics, and politics. The architecture of its cities; towering spires, radiant domes, and walls of silvered stone, reflects the faith’s devotion to illumination. Every public building is designed to catch the first light of dawn, a daily reminder of divine creation.

Beyond the Silver Peaks, Pistofanist missionaries have spread the faith across East Ciradon and beyond. Among the Lesserkin, the message of liberation and enlightenment resonates strongly, and many within the Vertskli Omospos have adopted the Light as their guiding belief. Though regarded by outsiders as philosophical or idealistic, Pistofanism’s enduring strength lies in its ability to marry faith with reason, freedom with duty, and divine revelation with the pursuit of knowledge.

Pistofanism can be encapsulated in one of its oldest liturgical verses, sung by priests of the Ecumenical Circle during coronations and solstices:

“In the Light we awaken.

From shadow we rise.

The chains of ignorance we shatter,

That the Voice may see through our eyes.”

To the Vertskli, these words are not mere prayer. They are history, identity, and destiny intertwined. For as long as the Silver Peaks gleam in the morning sun, so too shall the Light of Creation shine upon the faithful.