Editing Genius The Transgression/Chapter Four:Special Rules and Systems (section)

==== The Crystal Spheres: ====

It's obvious that the Earth can't orbit the Sun, because we would all fall off, but the universe insists on not being obvious, and almost before the Inspired existed in their recognizable modern form, geocentrism gave way to a new model of the universe where the Sun stood immobile, encircled by planets, moons, and various bits of cosmic detritus.

But don't tell that to the Christian and pagan "angels" that push the seven planets around the Earth. They have a difficult enough job, guiding the clockwork of the Crystal Spheres through its regular motions. Here, great planes of shimmering translucent glass stretch on seemingly forever, guided by strange but intelligent manes that take the form of winged beings of light. The worlds themselves aren't more than a few miles across, but they too often team with life, including intelligent manes called Micros (especially Crystal Mars, which is rarely more than a brief journey from the Martian Empire's naval base on Deimos). Dragonfly-riding Selenites and beings of living fire on the surface of the Sun crisscross the Crystal Spheres, but most of this realm is empty, bleak, and starkly beautiful.

The angels, or the "Megas" as less theologically-minded geniuses are prone to calling them, hint obliquely at realms greater than their own, beyond the farthest Crystal Sphere. Geniuses have journeyed in vain, looking to find if anything still remains of Dante's system of the Cosmos, whether there is an icy Hell somewhere near the Hollow Earth, Purgatory's mountain in the Southern oceans, or some kind of Maniacal paradise still offering bliss and salvation beyond the Circles of the World.