Veskarium System

The Veskarium is the name of both a solar system consisting of eight planets orbiting the star Ghavaniska, and the militant interplanetary empire that rules it. It is the inhabited solar system nearest to the Pact Worlds, and is named after its dominant species, the vesk.^[1][2]

• 1 Composition
• 2 History
• 3 Government
  • 3.1 Relations
• 4 Religion
• 5 References

The Veskarium consists of the star Ghavaniska and the eight planets orbiting it. Except for Vesk Prime, homeworld of the vesk and the Veskarium's seat of power, these planets officially have no names, only numbers correlating to their distance from the sun (such as Vesk-6).^[3]

The rigid organization and martial focus of vesk society led to the race conquering the other races of its home system after achieving space travel. The resulting empire was named Veskarium, and eventually extended to encompass their entire system. After Drift travelers from the nearest inhabited system made first contact, Veskarium invaded their system, initiating the Silent War. The conflict led the various planets of the Golarion system to unite into a single government known as the Pact Worlds. The war lasted for approximately 250 years, until both the Veskarium and the Pact Worlds were invaded by an extrasolar enemy known as the Swarm. This mutual threat forced Veskarium to call a truce with the Pact Worlds in 291 AG and join forces; this uneasy truce has held to the present day.^[1][4]

Each planet in the Veskarium is ruled by a vesk high despot, who resides in a building located in a key position that doubles as military base and governmental headquarters. The Veskarium as a whole is ruled by the council of high despots. Vesk see themselves as honourable, and view their subjects as inferior but strive to provide them with high standards of living.^[2]

Since the war against the Swarm in 291 AR, the Veskarium has been holding a tenuous alliance with their former enemy, the Pact Worlds.^[1]

Within the Veskarium, the zilbrees alone have not been conquered by the vesk, due to their territory lying deep within Ghavaniska. The Veskarium is in the process of negotiating with the zilbrees to integrate them into the empire, offering them protection in exchange for technology. It is speculated that the zilbrees have nothing to gain by becoming the vesk's protectorate, and that some vesk generals are delaying the peace talks so they could develop starships to attack the zilbrees' home deep inside the sun. In the meantime, the Veskarium has been keeping information about the zilbrees secret from outsiders, even their Pact World allies.^[5]

The Veskarium colony Najin-Korozayas, unknowingly built near territory controlled by the Azlanti Star Empire, lasted for a decade before being destroyed by the Azlanti, its populace enslaved and its resources plundered. Since then, the Veskarium has been keeping their distance from the territory of the Star Empire, whose navy is suspected to rival those of the Pact Worlds and Veskarium combined.^[6]

Damoritosh has traditionally been the Veskarium's patron deity.^[7]