the kingkiller chronicle takes place in the fictional world of temerant, a large continent of which the known part, called the four corners of civilization, is divided into several distinct nations and cultures. much of the world follows a religion similar, though not identical, to medieval christianity. coexisting alongside the mortal world is the realm of the fae, a parallel universe inhabited by supernatural creatures which can move between the two realms only when the moon is full. magic exists in temerant, too, but obeys a well-defined set of rules and principles that can only be exploited by those who have trained in its professional and scientific use.