Adventure is never too far away in Istva for those who seek it. The lands between cities often are claimed by bandits or marauding cultures. The many forests, swamps, and mountain ranges are filled with its own unique dangers; be it an orc tribe, a deadly dragon, or demons leftover from The Fall. Ruins of ancient cultures are found across the land and deep caves delve deep below the surface. Often the treasures of ancient races can still be found in these forgotten places, as long as one is willing to risk their life to claim them.
Unlike most tabletop roleplaying game settings, Istva doesn't have a multi-planar system. Instead there is simply a Physical World and a Spirit World (an extreme reflection of the Physical World). Think of it like Avatar the Last Airbender or Spirited Away. All of the magic in the universe is housed in the Spirit World (or held by the gods themselves). As such the Physical World is more “low fantasy” (think Middle Earth): magic is decently rare, and many rural folk probably have never seen it in person.
The Physical World
The "Material Plane" of Istva some may say, is an Earth-sized planet is made up of many different continents and islands. Travel between them is a difficult and long journey, taking months by ship. Only the most experienced and well seasoned captains dare make the journey. As such most knowledge of other continents is mostly rumors and tales passed down through time.
The Spirit World
Home to the majority of magical energy in Istva, the Spirit World contains many wonders; and dangers. Most of the inhabitants of the Spirit World are related to the gods. Being either celestials, fey, or demons. None of which enjoy the company of mortals. Physics don’t work the same in the Spirit World as they do in the physical world of Vriem, as such magic is often required to get around the various sections (or 'planes' if you wish to think of it that way).
Using Magic
As mentioned, all magic either originates from Gods or from the Spirit World. Some creatures can innately siphon magic from the Spirit World, others need to study and learn how to manipulate the natural magic that seeps into the Physical World from the Spirit World by use of sound and/or material components. Powerful creatures that have an innate connection to the magic of the Spirit World can act as a funnel for others: Fiends and Demons are notorious for granting this access of power to mortals, however other magical creatures like Spirits of the Land often grant their power to mortals as well. Others magic users may sidestep the Spirit World connection all together and get their magic funneled to them by the gods (likely through a saint).