Skip to main content

Cosmology and the Super-World

Scope​

This file owns the cross-game super-world model: the structure of the mortal world at planetary scale (continents, worldseas, sky bodies), the gate-network that links distant places, and the relationship between mortal-built or god-built transport gates and demon-incursion gates. Specific continent names, worldsea names, and the shape of a single game's geography are deferred or gl-* scope; the structural model lives here.

Naming constraint: Per Wave 0, no continent names, worldsea names, or named celestial bodies are committed yet. The continent on which Valenar is set is referred to as "the continent of Valenar" using the Zone's name, not a continent name. Other continents are referred to as "other continents beyond the worldsea" without specifics. This file must not invent names.

Facts​

Fact: The mortal world has multiple continents separated by worldseas.​

The mortal world is a planetary-scale geography: multiple continents, separated by worldseas, with their own histories, polities, ruins, and Demon Cycle wounds. The setting is not a single landmass with edges; it is a finite super-world with multiple continents. The exact number of continents is deferred.

Canonicity: hard canon

Fact: The sky contains moons and wandering stars.​

The sky of the mortal world contains moons and wandering stars. These have cosmological significance in world-law and divine-layer lore: ward work, ritual scheduling, and certain leyline behaviours respond to celestial conditions. The exact number of moons, the names of wandering stars, and their precise cosmological roles are not yet committed.

Canonicity: soft canon

Fact: Gate-networks predate the Demon Cycle.​

Gate-networks are not exclusively demon incursion points. Some gates pre-date the Demon Cycle and were mortal-built or god-built as travel links between distant places of the mortal world. Demon incursion gates are corruptions of, or alternatives to, the original transport-gate type. The two are different kinds of gate; they share the structural property of being a breach in some boundary, but their origins are distinct.

Canonicity: soft canon Cross-refs: ul-demon-cosmology.md, ul-wardhearts-and-nexuses.md

Fact: Access to ancient transport gates is not default travel.​

Even where ancient transport gates exist, accessing them is not default travel. Activation requires specific knowledge, materials, ritual conditions, or divine-adjacent power consistent with world-law. The gate network is real but not freely usable; this is a structural feature of the cosmology, not a mechanic restriction.

Canonicity: soft canon Cross-refs: ud-world-law.md

Fact: The super-world is finite but large.​

The super-world is bounded; it is not infinite. But its full map is not known to any in-setting scholar in any single game. Mortal cartography is necessarily partial; the breadth of the super-world exceeds the reach of any single mortal civilization to fully chart.

Canonicity: hard canon

Fact: Different continents have different Shielded Zones and different Demon Cycle wounds.​

Each continent has its own Shielded Zones, its own Afterwar conditions, its own historical Demon Kings and remains, and its own political histories shaped by those Cycles. The setting is structurally heterogeneous at continent scale; what is true on one continent's territory is not necessarily true on another's.

Canonicity: hard canon Cross-refs: ul-demon-cycle.md, ul-wardhearts-and-nexuses.md

Fact: The exact number of continents is deferred.​

The total count of continents in the super-world is not yet committed. Authoring of universe-scope content must not commit to a specific number until it is decided.

Canonicity: proposed

Fact: Names of continents and worldseas are deferred.​

No continent name and no worldsea name has been committed canon. The continent on which Valenar is set is referred to as "the continent of Valenar" pending a future committed name. Other continents are referred to as "other continents beyond the worldsea". Authoring must not invent names.

Canonicity: proposed

Fact: The cosmological role of moons is bible-only.​

Whether moons are gods, divine remnants, natural bodies, or some combination is reserved as bible-only material. It is not surfaced in any player-facing content.

Canonicity: bible-only

Whether the gate network includes links to non-mortal layers — for example, whether any ancient transport gate connects to the divine layer or any other layer — is reserved as bible-only material. It is not surfaced in any player-facing content.

Canonicity: bible-only

Fact: Whether the super-world is expanding, stable, or contracting is bible-only.​

Whether the super-world's overall extent is changing across cosmological time is reserved as bible-only material. It is not surfaced in any player-facing content.

Canonicity: bible-only

Cross-references​

  • ul-demon-cosmology.md
  • ul-divine-layer.md
  • ul-shroud.md
  • ul-wardhearts-and-nexuses.md
  • ul-demon-cycle.md
  • ud-world-law.md