Cosmology

Andlang is a parallel universe that arose out of ancient beliefs about the liminal spaces that exist just outside the comforting glow of the campfire: the hills, forests and rivers that humankind had yet to tame. It has many names, but in Europe it has been called Fairyland, Alfheim and other similar names. Its native inhabitants were quasi-immortal beings that were originally worshipped as gods, but they were eventually “demoted” to the status of mischievous sprites when Christianity became the dominant religion across much of Earth.
Physically it is an amalgam of various ancient concepts of cosmology that were eventually discarded in favour of our present scientific understanding. Its exact form and nature has changed over the millennia with changing human beliefs; for the purposes of this reference guide I will only be describing its current conformation.

Time and space

Many Earth stories say that time passes differently in Andlang, but this is not true; time passes exactly the same in both. The reason for the discrepancy is that the region between worlds is not an empty void but a rushing torrent of chaotic spacetime, and it takes strong magic to cross it without being swept downstream. As a result, humans who manage to escape Faerie often find themselves day, weeks or even years from where they had entered only the night before.
The place between worlds is known to the alfar as Bifröst (as in the rainbow bridge of Norse myth—and MCU—fame), from the flow of colours that those crossing it seem to experience. However this is but an illusion, an attempt by mortal minds to make sense of an environment that is beyond their comprehension. Powerful temporal currents run through the barrier, which is why so many stories about visits to Faerie feature anomalies in the passage of time. These currents also make travel between the realms difficult and dangerous, so for the most part such interchange has ceased in recent centuries.

Life after death

While many cultures’ folklore equates the fae with the dead, this is not literally true. The fae were once immortal and therefore could not die, and while Andlang gets its name from late pagan sources influenced by Christian accounts of heaven, neither is it a realm of human souls. Basically, if there is an afterlife, it remains as mysterious as it was on Earth.