Verthani

Verthani are the dominant sentient species of Verces, the fifth planet of the Pact Worlds System. As their homeworld is tidally locked, the verthani population is concentrated in the Ring of Nations, the heavily urbanized terminator line between the Fullbright scorching desert and the Darkside frozen wasteland.

History

The verthani have long been the pioneers of cybernetics and space travel in the Pact Worlds system, even before The Gap and the advent of Drift travel, traveling between the worlds in their dirigible-like aetherships. Although other worlds have since caught up up, verthani pilots, explorers, and their massive shipyards at Skydock, a geosynchronous satellite connected via a space elevator, retain their reputation. When the Absalom Pact was signed, the success of the verthani Ring of Nations led to the Pact Worlds adopting both its structure and the peacekeeping Stewards.