The Lands of Nioningel

    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 such squabbles quickly, sometimes with diplomacy, often with violence. The problems of human civilization are not unique to humans. The undead still rise, tyrants come and go, but overall, the orcs, bugbears, catfolk, goblins, and other fey civilizations have evolved to engage in commerce, create weapons and armor, build castles and keeps and have staked out claims to lands that support their habitat needs.

    But the lands find themselves in turmoil. Powerful magic was detected by ogre mages and the lich queen has summoned representatives from the major tribes to scout out the region and make sense of rumors that human interlopers have appeared in order to lay claim on these lands. Is that their purpose? Do the Terrans want war or coexistence? How did they arrive? How many have arrived? These are questions the lich queen seeks to answer.

The world of Nioningel orbits a relatively weak sun, and at a greater distance than we'd associate with our Earth. As such, the arctic zones are quite large with the temperate zones expanding deep towards the equator. A narrow tropical band houses the amphibious tree dwellers, like the Grippli tribes, and other cold-blooded creatures.