Vertikos

Play

Vertikos has such an extensive and convoluted history that they have been potentially associated with multiple—well, every identified planet, really. Whether this is the result of historical record tampering or multiple gods posing as the same figure across various worlds is unclear. What is clear is that, prior to the hyperlane mergers, all gods were confined to their respective planets. The prevailing historical consensus, given Vertikos' mischievous nature, is that this is a case of multiple gods masquerading as one entity. For the sake of clarity (and sanity), this page will focus solely on the confirmed history of the god currently identified as Vertikos

Vertikos's followers suffer from the rather unfortunate side effect that all of their magic, even spells not originally granted by Vertikos, have a chance of randomly bestowing positive or negative effects. It's theorized that this is how Vertikos collects his divine tidings. Trust him to make his primary interaction with his followers resemble a cosmic casino.

 

It's as if Vertikos finds endless delight in turning acts of faith into high-stakes gambles, leaving his followers to ponder whether their next prayer will result in a blessing or a calamity. One can't help but question why anyone would willingly associate with a deity who treats devotion like a game of chance, but then again, perhaps they enjoy living on the edge, or the flip of a coin.

 

Collecting reliable accounts from individuals who have made contracts with Vertikos has proven to be notoriously difficult (uncommon for dealings with a deity, to say the least). From the fragments we've managed to gather, it appears that many of these contracts focus on transforming the individual's life into some sort of twisted, game show-esque spectacle. This is in stark contrast to most gods, who use contracts to spread their ideals or grant meaningful boons. But perhaps Vertikos prefers to meddle on a more personal level.

 

A notable case was that of the aspiring musician who wished for fame. Vertikos obliged by turning her life into a musical complete with spontaneous song-and-dance numbers that she couldn't opt out of, much to the annoyance of everyone around her, especially those unwillingly caught up in playing in the musical numbers.

One of Vertikos's most astonishing—and, frankly, infuriating—feats involves the legendary Ozymandias, the wielder of the first Philosopher Stone. Ozymandias's oppressive rule had drained all joy and spontaneity from the world, an affront Vertikos couldn't ignore. To restore balance, they challenged him to a simple game of catch with straightforward terms: if Vertikos lost, they would pledge complete fealty to Ozymandias; if Ozymandias lost, he would forfeit his kingdom. The only rule was that the ball couldn't be thrown too far from where the catcher stood. Ozymandias took the deal embolden by the confidence that he was more powerful than any god. The game escalated till the final throw where Vertikos threw the ball in the clean opposite direction from where Ozymandias was standing. Ozymandias began to celebrate up until the ball hit him clean in the back of the head   We aren't sure what happened to the Philosopher Stone but it's probably for the best that mystery remains buried

Vertikos's cunning is perhaps their most unsettling trait. Their intellect isn't just vast; it's unpredictable and unbound by conventional logic. They delight in mental gymnastics that leave even the wisest scratching their heads. It's one thing to possess knowledge; it's another to wield it like a chaotic whirlwind, dismantling carefully laid plans with a mere whim.   Their encounter with the Ethiopian king is particularly telling. The king challenged Vertikos to a battle of wits, hoping to secure their wisdom for the prosperity of his people. Vertikos agreed, proposing a simple game with ostensibly straightforward rules. The stated rules were to create a true statement with both Vertikos and the king adding one word at a time. If you end the sentence with the statement being untrue you lose. Yet, as the game unfolded, the king found himself ensnared in a web of riddles and illusions. Despite his vast knowledge and the counsel of his advisors, he was utterly outmatched. While Vertikos was victorious they decided to gift the king a unique "blessing". The king had hoped for wisdom to enrich his kingdom, but instead found his realm plunged into a series of absurdities. The crops did indeed become bountiful but grew to such enormous sizes that they toppled over and crushed the very fields they sprouted from. Rivers flowed with sweet nectar, attracting swarms of insects that disrupted daily life. Citizens began speaking only in riddles, turning even the simplest conversation into a convoluted puzzle. This curse lasted until the kings untimely death caused by a miscommunication with another king leading him to being beheaded

Vertikos, unsurprisingly, has a rather unique philosophy, if one can even call it that. He insists that play should be the focus of everyday life, elevating lighthearted pursuits with minimal stakes to the highest priority. While this might be a fine perspective in some competitive scenarios, Vertikos adopts it as an absolute mandate. This becomes a major problem for any organization he whimsically singles out.

 

The aftermath is utter chaos. Government officials are required to sink three-point shots just to pass laws. Military engagements are converted into games of tag (with the unfortunate twist that the entire losing side perishes afterward) and who could forget the time he transformed an interplanetary peace summit into a colossal pie-throwing contest, effectively derailing decades of diplomatic progress? Vertikos is all too willing to distort reality and bend wills to get his way, leaving the rest of us to deal with the consequences of his so-called "playfulness."

While one might assume that interacting with Vertikos in a serious manner would be ill-advised, history demonstrates that it rarely matters how one engages with them; it tends to end in absurdity regardless. However, if you're particularly defiant, or perhaps just foolhardy, a surefire way to gain Vertikos's attention is to challenge him to a game. There's an unspoken rule that anyone who manages to win against Vertikos is granted any boon within his power. But the reverse is also true if Vertikos wins. Needless to say, it's a poor choice to challenge any god to a competition, especially one who specializes in such activities. Bold doesn't even begin to cover it.   Vertikos has never turned down a game, and it seems physically impossible to back out once you've issued the challenge. Crucially, he never cheats and always plays by the rules—no matter how absurd or convoluted those rules might be. The catch, of course, is that if you don't Vertikos often defines the rules himself, twisting them into labyrinthine conditions that only he fully understands, yet he adheres to them meticulously.   Take, for instance, the tale of the overconfident warrior who challenged Vertikos to a simple duel. Instead of a traditional fight, Vertikos transformed the battlefield into a giant board game, with each move altering reality itself. The rules were so complex that the warrior could barely keep up, but Vertikos followed them to the letter. After he lostthe warrior found himself navigating a labyrinth where the walls that were covered in the mans own greatest achivments, shifted like puzzle pieces, ultimately trapping him in an endless loop of his own bravado.   Or consider the scholar who thought a battle of wits would be safe. Vertikos turned their debate into a literal mind game, pulling riddles from the scholar's deepest fears and insecurities. Every challenge was fair according to the rules set at the outset, rules that Vertikos never violated. The poor soul ended up speaking in palindromes for the rest of his days, a constant source of confusion and, no doubt, Vertikos's amusement.   It's clear that challenging Vertikos is not just unwise; it's an invitation to chaos wrapped in the veneer of fairness. Despite the mayhem, Vertikos maintains an unwavering commitment to the rules of the game, never cheating nor bending the stipulations even if they delights in making those rules as perplexing as possible. Those who dare to engage him find that the stakes are far higher than anticipated, and while Vertikos plays fair in his own twisted way, the games rarely end in their favor.