The Worldsphere

(Pictured from top to bottom, left to right: Higher Planes, Astral Divide, Material Plane, Realm of Shadow, The Fey, World Below, Ethereal Expanse, Infinite Abyss, Elemental Chaos)  

The Worldsphere Cosmology

The Worldsphere Cosmology has been the prevalent cosmological model in which the world of Zoar is said to exist since the Dragon Ascension.   It is described as nested concentric spheres, with the Material plane being considered the 'mid-point' between the planes,  the Elemental Chaos being the 'core', and the Higher Planes consisting of it's outer shell. The model itself has not yet been refuted by scholars, as the spherical nature of the Material world, and the seemingly infinite expanse above is evidence to its validity. No significant disruptions to the meta-structure of the universe have been observed to require abandoning the model since its establishment. There were some concerns that after  The Fall of Pride  , that efforts made by the Archdevil may have significantly disrupted the Worldsphere. No scholars of note have discovered confirmation of this hypothesis.  

Basic Structure

The Planes of Chaos, consisting of the Infinite Abyss and the Elemental chaos lie at the core of the model, acting as the 'seed' that every other plane is wrapped around. Other scholars prefer to refer to it as the 'Heart' of the universe, citing the primal forces involved and the basic instincts that would derive from the planes. Originally the two planes were thought to be one and the same, but this was disproven during [SECRET#2].   Above the Planes of Chaos, are The Planes of Balance, consisting of the Ethereal Expanse, the Material Plane, and the Mirror planes. The Ethereal Expanse and the Astral Divide are considered to be Transitive planes, as both act as buffers between the Material and the Planes of Chaos and Law respectively. Due to the relative ease of accessibility of the Mirror planes, it's widely believed by Scholars of old that they are indeed simply Demi-planes that exist within the Material Plane itself. Most consider them to be simple refractions of the Material.   Lastly, The Planes of Law comprise of the Astral Divide, and the Higher Planes. The latter is referred to as such due to the multitude of demiplanes and dominions that the Higher Beings have carved out for themselves. It is the only plane that may or may not have a definite edge. It is agreed that beyond the Worldsphere itself, lies The Void. Little is known about what lies beyond exactly, but scholars have many theories that many of the aberrant entities that make their way into the Worldsphere originate from The Void.