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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 1381091" data-attributes="member: 16077">Well - I've got a decent solution IMC for the Great Wheel vs. Forgotten Realms vs. *any* other cosmology.First - cosmology is a bad term to use since cosmology is "the study of the physical universe considered as a totality of phenomena in time and space" and "is the astrophysical study of the history, structure, and constituent dynamics of the universe"  and "a specific theory or model of this structure and these dynamics." (dictionary.com)So - really - cosmology only applies to a *specific* plane at a time, given, for example, the idea that the Prime Material is a series of crystal spheres (i.e. galaxies) - such that Krynnspace, Torilspace and Greyspace also contain their own worlds and other planets.  Likewise, Celestia, The Abyss, etc. all have their own cosmology.What I've done to come up with a workable solution to the Great Wheel, and the "FR Cosmology" is apply a little science (fiction).  Basically - each "plane," being infinite in and of itself, is nothing more than an individual universe in a sea of the multiverse, and is defined by n-dimensions (with n>4, such that the universe can be explained by F(Universe) = G(x,y,z,t,...n)).  In other words - each plane, in addition to length, width, heighth and time dimensions, has other dimensions that define it.  This allows for the idea of gates or portals that connect the different planes, time travel, etc.  Since many planes have multiple layers, I've defined each layer as an additional dimension - so that the Celestia (Seven Heavens) has 11 dimensions, Bytopia has 6 dimensions, etc.  Now, granted, this is pseudo-science - but it is what the sages of my campaign have to work with.Each layer of each plane is also infinite.  An infinity of infinities (of infinities) allows for multiple pantheons sharing space without ever knowing the others exist since they are infinitely separated from each other (this is from the idea that between the numbers 1 and 2, there are an infinite amount of numbers - and each of *those* numbers can have an infinitely large amount of numbers between them.  It also allows for the various powers of each pantheon residing on different planes and/or layers (Great Wheel) and being considered local to each other (FR Cosmology).  Note how the FR Cosmology's "planes" are really the same as previous edition's "realms" (from F&A, P&P, and DD) - the Demonweb Pits (Plane) in FR Cosmology was a realm in The Abyss in previous editions *and* is, in FR Cosmology, described as having connections to the plane known as The Abyss.  Basically - it all boils down to the idea that each point in an infinite space can be both local to another point *and* infinitely far away from another point - it allows for the "realms" of 1st/2nd edition to be considered as their own planes (of infinite size) that are themselves part of a large infinity.Of course - the "layout" of the multiverse can be considered Great Wheel *and* FR Cosmology *and* an infinite number of other shapes and sizes *all at the same time* since how they appear is relative to the observer's frame of reference.  This is how, to the Torilian observer, the planes look like a tree yet to someone from Oerth, they look like a wheel, each spoke connected to it's neighbor and to the center hub.  This is also how I describe the idea that the Ethereal connects the Prime to the Elemental Planes while the Astral connects the Prime to the Outer Planes.  Basically - the astral and ethereal allow for the "folding" of dimensions (to go from 4-d to 3-d, 3-d to 11-d, etc.)Anyway - that's just how I approach it - it is up to each of us as a DM to choose how we want to present the planes in our own campaigns</blockquote>

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