Árdan
Árdan (/ˈɑ:rdən/; see § Name) is a seemingly endless flat world, a small portion of which is illuminated by the Sun, sitting stationary in the sky. This illuminated region is the only part of the world known to harbor life, enabled by the presence of the Sun, allowing for liquid water on the surface. The surface of Árdan contains six known continents, only two of which fit entirely under the Sun's light.
Árdan is thought to have been created upon a bedrock of ichor by a divine entity known as Ár, which then made Angels to create life. It is not known exactly how old Árdan is, but the Consensus estimates the world's age to be measured in eons. Árdan has supposedly gone through many Ages before the creation of modern humans, marked by creation and destruction.
Today humans have spread across the illuminated region of the world, from the subsolar point to the furthest reaches of the Sun's light. Civilizations have risen and fallen over several millenia, through both conventional warfare and also aided by magic. Magic is the practice of harnessing the powers of cosmic gods through communion, though this often comes at a heavy cost. The practice of magic reached its peak during the Unraveling Wars, after which it has experienced a slow decline over the following centuries.
Name
The name "Árdan" comes from the Órun language, as the Órun were the first to document the Angels' account of the history of the world. The name comes from Ár and dan, meaning "land". Árdan is known under many names across the many languages of the world, including: TBA
History
Characteristics
Solar mechanics
The region of the world illuminated by the Sun is a circle with a diameter of 8,400 km. The Sun is not a traditional star, but a magical entity which appears to have a mind of its own. Around the Sun orbit two moons: Ezad and Laksha. Ezad orbits below the Sun and regularly eclipses it every few hours. It completes a full orbit in 12 days, commonly separated into two 6-day weeks. Laksha orbits around the Sun over a period of exactly 24 days, or 4 weeks. The beginning of a new month is marked by the two moons aligning. Every 360 days, or 15 months, the Sun enters a period of increased activity, lasting a few days. During this time, colorful aurorae can be seen around the world. This commonly marks the start of the new year.
Given the nature of the world, the people of Árdan use compass directions relative to the Sun, and coordinates are expressed in the polar coordinate system. The four directions are sunward (toward the Sun), distal (away from the Sun), clockwise (clockwise rotation about the Sun) and anticlockwise (counter-clockwise rotation about the Sun).
Shadelands
The regions of the world not illuminated by the Sun are known as the Shadelands. They are a dark and frigid expanse of land of unknown proportions. Blizzards are extremely frequent, with wind speeds beyond anything seen elsewhere. Almost no living creatures are known to live in the Shadelands, and explorers who have returned from the Shadelands have reported "terrifying beasts larger than mountains", but no evidence of their existence has ever been found.
Climate and seasons
The climate of Árdan is diverse, being regulated by the Sun. Directly under the Sun is a scorched desert known as the Zenith Desert. Areas near the Zenith Desert are more humid and tropical, still receiving plenty of light from the Sun. The further away one gets from the Sun, the colder temperatures become, until reaching freezing in the Shadelands.
Seasons do exist on Árdan, which are affected by the energy of the Sun. During summer, the Sun’s heat is at its greatest and the Moons' orbital speed is much slower, making days and nights longer, averaging at around 24 hours but going as high as 30 hours during the summer solstice. During the winter, the Sun powers down and temperatures drop, meanwhile the Moons orbit much faster, making days around 18 hours, with the winter solstice lasting around 12 hours. Autumn and spring are the transitional periods between summer and winter, when the Sun is changing from one equilibrium temperature to the next. Seasons on Árdan have no fixed length, and summers and winters last several years on average. Autumns and springs may last from only a few weeks to several months.