The Vertani are an aristocratic race of foreign giants who in the year 379 AF opened a portal to Sapience and entered as visitors to our world.
Curious about Sapience and somewhat evangelical in their religion, culture and morals, the Vertani went about learning as much as possible about our culture, and began to extend an offer of protection to the villages of Sapience, including El'Jazira and Tasur'ke.
This was perceived by many to be the start of a plan to annex our world to the Vertani Empire, and was met with great hostility, particularly on the part of Ashtan and Mhaldor, who declared war upon the foreigners. After one altercation involving a number of Theran soldiers, who had allied with Ashtan in their fight against the Vertani, the power of the foreigners was truly revealed. In a fiery rain of meteors, Vertani mages brought about the complete destruction of Thera, reducing the village to rubble.
The majority of the race was decimated in events following the destruction of Thera during what is referred to as the Fall of the Vertani. A small faction still remains as guests in the city of Shallam.