At long last, in late 388 A.F., the Blackrock dwarves perfected their
technique for attacking the Vertani fortresses. With the dwarves led by
Mhaldorian and Ashtani forces, attacks were made upon the fortress in
Tasur'ke as well as one near the temple of Valnurana.

Following this, Ashtan soon became the site of a new horror: the
spherical monument that the Vertani gifted to them from the Game of the
Eyes years past, which had granted to the Ashtani the ability to
resurrect their fallen, began to churn out monstrous beasts: massive,
scaly xabats, vicious kalyugas resembling immense bats, striped, catlike
moirahs.

The ferocious beasts roamed the streets of Ashtan, attacking on sight,
until the monument was destroyed by the Blackrock initiates. Would the
monuments gifted to Hashan and Eleusis by the Vertani contain likewise
horrors to unleash? Only time would tell.

With Ashtani newly emboldened and enraged from the Vertani's surprise
manoeuvre with the monument in their city, a siege began in earnest at
the site of the controversially placed fortress near the Temple of
Valnurana.

Mournria openly invited alliances from any who wished to side with the
Vertani against its destruction (PUBLIC NEWS #14479). Despite the
Vertani's valiant defenses at the site, this fortress would be the first
to crumble from the relentless, days-long onslaught of the combined
forces of Ashtan, Mhaldor, and Blackrock.

Three Vertani fortresses, their strongholds of power, still stood: one
in El'Jazira, one in Tasur'ke, and the first fortress to be erected upon
the land of Sapience in the Dardanic Grasslands, which concealed within
its depths the mysterious gateway from the Vertani plane. The dwarven
initiates found that they were unable to harm this fortress in the
grasslands, and they theorised that the other fortresses shielded it
somehow and must first be brought down.

The next to fall was the fortress in Tasur'ke, the seaside town that had
declared its loyalty to the Vertani in return for their protection. In
the aftermath, Mhaldor and Ashtan scoured the streets of Tasur'ke with
singleminded savagery, laying waste to every last remaining Vertani man
and woman in the village.

Gregg Saer'rac, Archon of Ashtan, offered amnesty to the people of
Tasur'ke, which was later accepted: "During Ashtan's war against the
Vertani, we have made it a point that we weren't waging a war against
the villages that allied with the Vertani," he wrote. "...We want no
tribute, no surrender, or humiliation." Tasur'ke would merely have to
call off its hostilities against Ashtan and end their alliance to the
Vertani. A second option was offered: that of not mere cessation of
hostilities, but mutual alliance with Ashtan (PUBLIC NEWS #14492).

The Archon ended his missive by proclaiming: "The Vertani's power in
Sapience is waning. Think long and hard Tasur'ke, how you respond here
may for better or worse determine the fate of your village, of your
children for years to come."

And indeed, the Vertani's power in Sapience was waning. Overlord
Mournria was no fool. She could see her mission disintegrating before
her eyes, and knew she would have much for which to atone were she
forced to return to her homeland in disgrace. Having received no
concrete responses to her previous call for allies, she offered payment
in gold for those who would aide the Vertani (PUBLIC NEWS #14497).

Mournria's move proved to be unwise, however, as Shallam hastily
rebuffed the offer of gold for alliance, displeased by the mercenary
motivations it might reflect upon them.

"Shallam would never consider an alliance for money." rebuked Solar
Stormcrow, the Sultan. "Any alliance between Shallam and Vertan would
have to be based on shared ideals and goals for Sapience...We need a
commitment that the Vertani will be a force for good in Sapience"
(PUBLIC NEWS #14508).

Negotiations between Shallam and Vertan stalled indefinitely as Vertan
was called upon to prove their commitment to good.

In Phaestian of the year 389 A.F., Blackrock dwarves razed the fortress
in El'Jazira to the ground. Ashtan-Mhaldor forces later purged the
desert oasis of remaining Vertani.

Then, the siege on the first and now final Vertani fortress in the
Dardanic grasslands began. Was the end of the war at hand?

Penned by my hand on the 4th of Phaestian, in the year 390 AF.