The Vericasi Isles

Illustrated by Averie

To the North, the Bitter Channel separates the Vericasi from the Adharan. To the West, the churning sea keeps the Vericasi planted firmly in the rocky crags and sweeping desert sands that call home. Cities are built near oases, when possible, and carved into the rock by their now-diminished Dwarven population. Neryas is one such city.

The lands themselves are dry, inhospitable, host to many, many dangerous creatures, and rarely traveled without an expert escort. To the North is where many battles in the Bitter War have taken place, and is littered with discarded weapons, armor, and horrifying mechanical contraptions from the Adharans… but no bodies. To the East, the great mountain of Rekk Peak occasionally spews death and smoke. Below it, an intricate series of caves and pumice and obsidian flows withstand the storm.

Largely human and Dwarvish, with a larger occurrence of tieflings than in most parts of the world. They have darker skin than one might see in Antiveille, but lighter than those in Adhara, for the most part. The tieflings born to the Isles are generally in hues of green, red, and brown.

### Culture

Vericasi strive for the honor and respect granted to those who are truly great in the eyes of the people. They do not place a great weight on the knowledge of ‘philosophy,’ preferring to focus, for the most part, on the things that they can see, hear, or touch. What cannot be observed is unimportant as it will grant no honor. They do not necessarily undervalue intelligence, but the weight they place upon it lies in a different place than most; knowledge for knowledge’s sake is seen as pointless. The mettle of Vericasi is tested on the fields of battle, in games of tactics, and in the demonstration of physical feats of strength.

It is not uncommon for a leader to find themself challenged by a ‘lesser’ member of their society to a duel. The stakes for such are declared by the challenger, and could be for something as inconsequential as a minor dispute ruled against the challenger’s favor, or for the position of the challenged. They see these duels as incredibly honorable and righteous, and they are deeply ingrained in their culture. Thus, many see the Vericasi as brute savages, but they would be wrong to write them off so curtly.

The Vericasi culture values family, friendship, and camaraderie above all else. Their nationalism is intense because they see the entirety of the Vericasi population as their siblings, parents, or children; and they have been either at risk of, or directly in conflict with the Adharans for over a century.

As they say, the Isles breed children as hard and as sharp as obsidian...

### Political Landscape

The government is ruled by the Shah, a warrior-leader selected at the end of a series of long trials. Other leaders are chosen by their merit, selected by the people over whom they will be ruling. There is a strong sense of honor among the rulers, and they are held accountable by the people.

As the Isles make for exceptionally poor farmland, most of the exports from the Vericasi are of stonework and mineral export -- specifically, that of metal. This has required that they receive their goods from elsewhere, historically, leading to a society dependent on military trade.

### Magical Attunement

Evocation, abjuration. Most of their spells take the form of fire magic.

## Prominent Characters

The Shah

Greyson Ryder