Verskia is a rapidly industrialising country with imperial ambitions. Landlocked and in the far north of the world, the climate is harsh, but there’s enough arable land for people to eke out a living, and the earth is rich in minerals.

The country is an autocratic monarchy, ruled centrally by the Imperial Family. Administratively, it is divided into a number of provinces, also known as oblasts. The Verskian Administration also lays a claim on the mountainous territory to the east, though this is the subject of an ongoing war.

Demographically, Verskia proper is mostly populated by humans, most of them ethnically versk, with significant minority populations of goblins, halflings, dragonborn and orcs. The language most spoken in Verskia is Versk. Mechanically, Versk replaces Common.

Verskia is a large country with a long history, and as such there are many locations of interest.

The capital city, and centre of Verskian culture and government. The ruling family, the Vastalkovs, have been based here for several centuries, and it is home to many fabulous palaces, basilicae and monuments of national importance.

For more information, see Stalgorod.

Stalgorod is a medium-sized city near the mountains, that has recently become a centre for industrialisation due to its proximity to the mountains.

The most common religion is Verskia is a faith often called ‘Favourism’. This faith views the gods as significantly less human than many others. The gods are capricious beings whose personality is too great for humans to understand. Rarely, a person or group of people will gain the attention of a god and with it their favour. Those favoured by a god in this way will have access to the god’s power and an ability to influence them. Often this is used to accomplish mighty and heroic deeds.

However, this favour is thought to continue after death. Those favoured by the gods in this way are thought to have stronger souls than others, which will not dissipate after death but rather go up to the celestial plain, where they can continue to petition the gods for favour. People on earth, in turn, may petition them in the hope that their prayers get through.

Although there are some basilicas dedicated directly to the gods in Verskia, they are rare. The majority of basilicas are dedicated primarily to a Favoured, or a Blessed Group, and indirectly to the god who favoured them. Basilicas dedicated directly to gods tend to have the most powerful and prestigious priests, however - as a lesser priest would be less likely to be able to get a god to listen to them!