fourworld

Fourworld is a term used in speculative fiction and cosmology to denote a model of reality that consists of four distinct but interrelated realms. In this framework, the worlds may be coexistent on different planes or sequentially linked through gateways, portals, or resonant events. The arrangement can be hierarchical, with a primary material world and three subordinate or elevated realms, or it can be evenly balanced among the four.

Each world typically has its own physical laws, inhabitants, and resources, and travel between worlds is usually possible but governed by rules, requiring artifacts, magic, or specific conditions. Boundaries may be permeable at certain locations or moments, creating opportunities for interaction such as commerce, diplomacy, or conflict.

Common motifs include the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, water) or other quartered schemes (spiritual, corporeal, temporal, digital; or mortal, divine, ancestral, and void). The model allows writers and designers to explore contrast and interdependence between different ways of life, ethics, and technology.

In worldbuilding, role-playing games, and certain fantasy or science fiction narratives, fourworld structures provide a flexible scaffold for plotting, world logic, and map design. Authors may define the causal links between worlds, such as shared history, cross-world governance, or recurring convergence events.

Etymology and terminology: the term combines four with world; variants include four-world or quad-world, though usage is not standardized and writers may invent their own labels for the realms. Related concepts include multiverse, parallel universe, cosmology, and worldbuilding.