In Defense of Nioningel

The party has uncovered the gruesome secrets regarding the deaths of regional patrols and caravans. Many were devoured by Melchior Vossen's black dragon, trapped in a cavern, guarding the castle library's secrets for centuries, feeding off of carrion and any passerby who sought refuge in the caverns. Denizens of the castle were also to blame, with blood hawks poisoning victims who journeyed near the castle, only to succumb some time later to the ill effects of their diseased bites. Other patrols were eaten by trolls or dopplegangers or became the unwilling servants of a yellow musk creeper, turning them into mindless guardians. The book found in the nearby tomb was discovered to be a manual of alchemy and helped the adventurers to create black powder with which they used to free the dragon. The dragon, against its usual nature, left with a thankful departure leaving behind a horde of arms, armor, and treasure. They then descended into the library, no longer blocked by the black

Vlaakith, the Lich Queen of Nioningel, has convened a conclave in her orrery and fortress on the isles south of Tawic. Her ogre-mage emissaries scoured the lands for tribal representatives who were teleported to the goblin-controlled port to be ferried over. The fortress is considered impenetrable as powerful magic guards its secrets to the extent that not even her closest magicians are able to advance directly to the structure. Such a meeting is unprecedented. Rumors and conjectures swirled among the crowds of representatives as they made their way up through the tower interior. It is through this process, the members of the party met. By happenstance, the group ended up in the same queue to receive the lich queen's branding and after passing through the maze of stations, found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the lich queen to appear and inform the crowd for the reasons behind not only the meeting but for the branding as well. Why was this required?

     Welcome to the strange and wonderful world of Nioningel, a planet with a circumference of about 12,800 miles (just a bit smaller than Mars). With centuries past since the planet was colonized, the origins of the various populations remain a mystery, shrouded in ancient legends. Humanoid populations were teleported by dragons or planar travelers perhaps? Did the gods intervene?      What is known is that the lands have been free from human interlopers and their companions of elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes since recorded time. Nioningel has been a sanctuary for outcasts and mythical beasts normally hunted and at odds with human populations elsewhere in the universe.       Peace has been tenuous among the many tribal lands. The threads of civility are presently held together by a powerful lich queen, who goes by the name, Vlaakith. Clan warfare has broken out on occasion sprinkled with infrequent "mad mages" and cultists. The queen and her loyal army have quelled suc