Luftreich

Luftreich is a realm of air and clouds, bounded above by a sky of endless water for as far as one can imagine, and bounded below by a region of intense heat and light, which grow in strength the closer one approaches. The dominant inhabitants are a humanoid species that navigate through the environment primarily with their wings. These creatures and many others in the world have suction-empowered skin that allows them to attach at will to surfaces suspended in 3D space. However, this ability is not strictly necessary to stay "afloat" because there is no gravity. In fact, the perception of "up" and "down" itself is only determined by the direction from which the light comes. The geography of Luftreich is slightly complicated; the airy world exists within the surface of a 3-dimensional toroid (imagine the surface of a donut). But because this world is massive in size, it appears flattish to its inhabitants -- a world with depth, but that extends much further on the projected 2D plane that it does in the "up" and "down" direction. (In this sense it's not so different from Earth.) "Land" masses exist in Luftreich, but are suspended with this space. Living beings may navigate on the surfaces of the landmasses or within their hollow spaces and crevices, depending on the composition of the landmass and the creature's own preferences.   The ring at the center of the toroid, or "down" in the vernacular of Luftreich's inhabitants, is an oscillating energy source that emits an intense blue light, fluctuating in strength over the hours in a mostly predictable manner. No one knows what is at the origin or why this happens; it is far too hot for any creature to survive anywhere near the center. The occasional foolish adventurer has traveled down towards the light during the night hours, only to be incinerated by the periodic pulse that marks the start of the next day.   Slightly wiser -- but still arguably foolish -- explorers have ventured into the wet and wonderful realms above. The most skillful of these explorers (or perhaps merely the luckiest?) have returned from their journeys with tales of mythical creatures, bizarre luminous phenomena, and near-death experiences. But the less fortunate and the less prepared never return. Legend has it that they remain frozen forever in the harsh, cold waters of the heavens.   Although most creatures of Luftreich lack the ability to breathe in water, eminent scientists report that many small pockets of air exist near the surface, affording air-breathing creatures the ability to continue respiration frequently enough to survive. However, expert opinions differ as to whether this remains true as one ascends further into the cosmos. Adventurers be warned!