The Structure of the Universe

"Welcome, strange traveler. Let me tell you of the worlds, and what they are." - The Librarian of Foxbridge, talking to you, right now, across the barrier between worlds.

There are many worlds in universe, and they are all different from one another. I'm going to tell you about how the world looks from my perspective, and I hope it makes sense from yours. Things may look a little different from the other side of the looking glass, but I will try to stick to common ground.

The universe is made up of three distinct components, all bound together and interacting. Here, we call those components realms: The Physical Realm, the Dream Realm, and the Spirit Realm. Every place the three realms intersect we find a world, the nature of which is determined by exactly how the three realms come together there.

The Physical Realm

This is usually the easiest to understand. In fact, some people believe it is the only realm, because it is the one most easily percieved by our senses. Essentially, the Physical Realm is everything you can touch, taste, see, hear, or smell. It is the realm of matter and energy, with light and air and flesh.

It is also the most fractured realm. Pockets of the Physical Realm exist throughout the universe, suspended and connected to each other via the other realms. These pockets can be large or small, and sometimes there are several closely related physicalities bound together. Odds are very good that you are in one of them right now as you read this.

My world is in one of those pockets. Physically, it is similar to many other worlds. We have stars and planets, and creatures who live on those planets. The part of my world where I live is called the Great Ring, and it is a collection of archipelagos that surround a great central ocean called The Middlesea. Whether or not there are actually a million islands in the Great Ring is a matter of some debate, mostly around how small something can be and still count as an island. Regardless, we have a lot of islands on our half of the planet. If you want to explore our little part of the Physical Realm, you might want to start here.

The Dream Realm

The Dream Realm, sometimes called the Mental Realm, is the domain of thought, imagination, and belief. Everything that thinks is interacting with the Dream. The pockets of the Physical Realm are all embedded within the Dream, and connected to each by the ideas and concepts they share.

It is in the connection to the Dream that my world is particularly unusual. While all worlds have some connection to the Dream, the world of the Great Ring is dominated by it. The power of collective belief (which we have named The Egregoric Force) can directly shape our world. Our gods are born from this force, rising up from the minds of their believers. Ideas, particularly stories, have the ability to shape both lands and creatures, as well as most of the magic you will encounter here.

If you want to know more about the Dream, and how the power of stories and belief can shape our world, you can read more about it here.

The Spirit Realm

Of all the realms, Spirit is the hardest to describe. It is a place outside of thought and matter, and resonates with the true essence of all things. Spirit permeates everything in the Dream and Physical realms, and might be described as 'the substance of significance' - which is a philosophical way of saying we don't really understand it.

What we do know about the Spirit realm is that it is the repository of connection and meaning. The bonds that form between people and places exist here, and persist regardless of their physical or mental state. Magical power resides here as well - while the shape of magic comes from the Dream, it is Spirit which empowers it.

Many scholars and philosophers have attempted to describe the Spirit Realm, with varying degrees of sucess. You can read more about what they think it might be here.

The Force that Shapes Us

Our world is shaped by the power of collective belief, which we have named the Egregoric Force. It is more powerful in the world of the Great Ring than in any other place I have seen, and can create gods, make magic, or transform people into legends and fairytales. More than anything, this is what makes us different from other worlds. You can read more about it here.

As Above, So Below

It isn't only the worlds that are made up of Physical, Dream, and Spirit components. So are all the various beings who live there. Everything, including you and me, has physical, dream, and spirit bodies, which some of our philosophers call the Soma, Eidolon, and Pneuma. You can read more about the Eidolon and Pneuma below - I assume you are already familiar with your physical body.

Born from Belief

In my world, the gods did not make the people - the people made the gods. Spirits and gods are creatures of the Dream, who start as ideas and beliefs and then anchor themselves in the physical world. They have great power and can do many things - but being born of belief can also make you vulnerable to it. Gods and spirits are collectively called Numina, and you can read more about them here.

When it All Comes Apart

The three parts of each person are not permanently connected, of course. When we die, they break apart and drift away from the worlds we inhabit. Or at least, that's what supposed to happen. If you want know what happens when things don't go as they should, you can read about that here.