Lore24 Jan 18: On the Shape of the Cosmos

Most of these things are known only to mystics, sorcerers of great power and understanding, the most learned sages of the temples, and those who willingly consort with intelligences not of this world. What would the common man do with the information that the world is not flat, but a sphere, anyway?

The known world (called in a great many names by different people, although almost all of them derive from their language’s respective word for “ground” or “dirt”) orbits an even bigger objects, called a gas giant by the few gods willing to discuss the topic. It has no natural satellites, but it has twelve brothers and sisters, fellow worlds orbiting the gas giant. This gas giant, being by far the largest object in the sky is associated with Atar-Numash, the Unconquerable Sky Father. Some say it’s his eye, some that it’s his chariot, and some that it’s his home. The twelve other moons are similarly associated with other deities. They are called “moons” in most languages, even if they don’t orbit the known world itself.

The gas giant in turn orbits the sun, which is associated with the goddess Hath-Ur. There are ten planets in the solar system, though only four are observable with the naked eye, and six with the most advanced telescopes mortals can produce, even under the guidance of various gods. It is said that those who came before left behind some arcane machines capable of observing all ten planets, but nobody has seen such a machine for the past few hundred years. These planets also have their associated gods, though those not easily observable tend to have mystery cults and more esoteric teachings.

The stars are understood to be like the sun, just farther. The gods of the stars are also sometimes venerated, but they generally tend to be quite adversarial to mortals, and need to be placated and feared rather than followed and respected.

Image by Korvas, using Space Engine

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