Niskhisima (/ˈnisχisima/)
A medium-sized planet, Niskhisima stands out from most other planets in the galaxy because of its unstable Vita, leading to Vita overflows. Overflows are irregular, and both frequency and severity vary based on numerous factors, including location, inhabitants, and several others not quite established. It is, after all, not an easy task to study sudden (and highly dangerous) bouts of uncontrolled magic.
Though the planet once housed two sapient species, the yuhalm and the early human(-ish) ancestors of the niskhi, these days only the niskhi remain, the yuhalm having gone extinct during the First Age (and having largely been forgotten about).
Geography
Niskhisima is a terrestrial planet, being largely rocky in composition, but covered in vast oceans. Its exact geography is somewhat more variable than that of similar planets, as Vita overflows can vastly alter the planet's terrain--not just directly, but also by causing volcanic erruptions, seismic events, or flooding.
Aside from the direct layout of land and sea, Niskhisima houses a great many biomes, inhabited by highly adaptable plants and animals. After all, magical outbursts are sudden, come with little to no warning, and can greatly alter your environment. Surviving on Niskhisima is not for the faint of heart.
History
Much of Niskhisima's early history has been lost to the tooth of time, and only partially pieced together from age-old stories, and ruins such as Wayitnayark.
It appears that, at some point during the First Age, the planet housed the fairly advanced yuhalm, and the much less technologically advanced niskhi (or, at least, their early ancestors). The yuhalm discovered the presence of a Vita-harvesting machine just outside the planet's atmosphere, and decided to destroy it. It's unclear if they knew what it was, or what purpose it served, but they must've understood that it was left there by some other species, watching them, possibly even using them in some way.
Destroying the harvester, however, had an unfortunate side-effect. All Vita stored within the machine flowed back to Niskhisima, flooding the planet with far more Vita than it normally contained (as the machine stored more Vita only, whereas on a planet it is used by inhabiting life). This resulted in massive large-scale Vita overflows, devastating the planet, and permanently destabilized Niskhisima's Vita network.
The early days after the return of Vita to Niskhisima were fraught, and all inhabiting life was pushed to the brink. Only the most adaptable survived to see the new Niskhisima. The ancestors of the niskhi were among those. The yuhalm, however, were not.
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Planet
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