– The Setting –
The Atlas of Dreams has a traditional setting that mixes high-medieval culture, specifically the colonial feudal systems particular to Europe and South America, with futuristic elements; advanced technology of our modern world, entwined with myth and religious dogma. The story takes place on various partly inhabited planets across the last galaxy to survive our universe's cosmic heat death, billions of years into the future. Although there are many more planets than those shown here, these are the main four, appearing in the first and second books of the series.
- Atlas -
As you can see, only a fragment of the planets is mapped and highlighted. These are the areas that have been populated. Other regions are uninhabitable, barren like the moon, and exposed to the natural environment of outer space. Nothing can live there, so despite the size of each planet, as vast as our own, only fragments of continents breed life. Most habitable regions are located in the tropics, seasons are broken into dry and rainy. The Forests are riddled with dangerous beasts and creatures, and human populations struggle in deep isolation from each other.
Whitegarden is home to 2 main protagonists, the Saviour and the Guardian, and an important spiritual land for God. Its habitable region is mostly located in the north with the land being extremely mountainous, having its sea level near 3,000 metres with respect to ours.
Skygarden is home to God's Palace of Araboth, Capital of the Imperium, and home to the largest populations in the known galaxy. Its habitable region is mostly tropical, so the climate varies according to altitude. Andean style mountain planes abound.
Sangarden is a desert with expanses of land so vast the conditions have forced the people to live mostly underground. Its habitable region is also tropical, but there are few mountains so water is scarce.
Rosegarden is located in the distant sectors of the galaxy, rarely visited by God's entourage and mostly abandoned to the tyranny of its local lords. Its habitable region is also tropical, though most of the land is mountainous plains, like those found in South America.