Lunar Lands Cosmology

In a previous post, I mentioned that in keeping with my reluctance to slavishly abide by "canon" D&D lore, I don't presume that the cosmology of my setting follows the Great Wheel model of Planescape. I don't have a problem with Planescape or the Great Wheel - god only knows it's produced some of the most beloved and evocative settings in the history of the game - but it doesn't really fit with the more folkloric feel my setting has evolved to take on. To that end, I might as well elaborate on the details.

Although the precise shape of the universe - and even if such a thing can even be defined - is a subject that has been of much debate among scholars, philosophers, and theologists, the most popular model envisions the cosmos as an incomprehensibly massive sphere, inside which float four other spheres, each of which is a plane of existence unto itself. A common depiction shows this sphere as being balanced on the head of a vast cosmic goat, which stands upon an infinite pillar of rock. No one can speak of laying eyes upon such a creature except in the wildest of visions, and there have been arguments that it must only be a metaphorical statement, or that this being - if it exists - can scarcely be called a goat at all.

The four inner spheres consist of:

• The Mortal Realm, where men, beasts, and other such creatures dwell and the laws of reality govern day-to-day life. This is the reality that the common people inhabit and concern themselves with, though they may know the vague outline of other planes from folklore and religion. It contains the planet on which the Lunar Lands sits as well as its three moons, as well as the stars, planets, and all other celestial bodies.

• The Land of the Dead is the final destination for the vast majority of mortal souls. When a living thing dies, its spirit is guided by Morthanos, the god of death, across the Black Gates, where it joins the rest of those who have died for the rest of eternity. The Land of the Dead resembles an endless expanse, with its own geographic features - it too has forests, hills, mountains, and seas, though the vegetation is grey and withered and all is shrouded in mist. However, the shades of the dead largely live out the same existences they did in life (albeit usually more decayed and without the need for food or water) and form their own communities and cities, recognizing Morthanos as their king.

• The Heavens are the domains of the gods, from where they rule and cast their designs upon the Mortal Realm, and their celestial servants. If perceived by mortals, the Heavens resemble an impossibly perfect mirror of the Mortal Realm - the sun is always shining, the fields are continually in bloom, and the robust landscape is dotted with the massive golden palaces where the gods make their abodes. However, the gods are not ones to share such pleasures freely, and of the three afterlives, this is the rarest and most difficult for mortals to obtain. Generally, it is only those who become saints who are granted the company of the gods, and they live beside and serve their masters, though not without luxuries that far surpass any conceivable by mortals.

• Hell is the domain of demons - enemies of the gods in an age-old conflict, attested to stem from when the demons took the secrets of magic the gods held to themselves and shared them with mortals. There is no distinction between demons and devils in the Lunar Lands. One cannot be sent to Hell merely through a sinful life, and the only mortals who find themselves here after dying are those whose souls are the property of demons, usually through deceitful deals. However, the folly of man and the lust for power means that there are more mortals in Hell than in the Heavens, though not as many as in the Land of the Dead. All manner of nightmarish scenes can be found in Hell, as demons have no care for the plight of mortal souls and enjoy tormenting them eternally - one may burn forever in a lake of fire, or be eternally devoured and excreted by a bloated bird-faced creature, or be chased around labyrinthene trap-laden corridors by a headless axe-wielding ogre clad in the still-screaming skins of the damned, only to be resurrected every time they die. Demons, too, are vastly diverse in their shape and demeanor, and they have their own hierarchy - and scheme against each other as much as mortals do, if not more, given their predisposition toward malice.

Bound within the outer sphere, but outside of the inner spheres, are the lands of Faerie, the home of the fey folk. Though without the malice of the demons, the fey are capricious and free-wheeling beings who regard mortals with amusement if not indifference, and many are less willing to honor the service of mortals as the gods are - though they may still be bound by custom and taboo, such as respecting earnestly-given gifts. The lands of Faerie typically appear a vibrant, untamed wilderness, though there are cities and castles of the fey as well. These lands do not, however, have anything resembling a consistent geography, and locations and scenery are known to move around, disappear, and reappear to confound those unlucky enough to find themselves in this domain. Furthermore, time passes very differently than it does in the Mortal Realm, and one may enter the realm of Faerie for what seems like minutes only to find years have passed on the outside.

Because it is the substance in which the four realms sit, it is easiest to travel to Faerie from any other realm than it is to move between one inner sphere and another. However, every realm has points in which the fabric of reality is weaker, and beings can travel more easily from one plane of existence to another - these are your hellmouths, your fairy rings, your holy mountains, and your passages to the underworld. These places may be sought out for ritual purposes, as the proximity to realms beyond lends strength to magic - and brave souls may, for whatever reasons, wish to traverse the cosmos.

In addition to space, the strength of reality waxes and wanes with time. The inner spheres are thought to travel around the outer sphere on their own paths, much like the wandering stars (some attest this to the movement of the celestial goat), and there are certain times of the year where their orbits overlap, allowing for them to be contacted or traveled to more easily. The two points at which the boundaries of reality are at their weakest are Beltane and Samhain - the nights before the fifth and eleventh new moons - but there are other times when some realms can be accessed more easily than others, or when certain points in space are "softer" than others. An aspiring magician would be wise to keep a calendar handy.

As for what's outside the outer sphere? That is anyone's guess...