The Layers

The layers The layers are similar to the underdark of the forgotten realms, but slightly less focused on the dark demeanor. The layers are a group of caves and portals that can lead anywhere. Though it is mostly just a bunch of caves, it includes several layers of importance and note, a few of which are listed below.

The waste: The waste is the easiest layer to find. It is a realm of trash, waste monsters, and forgotten items. The ultra weapons, if they still exist, are most likely here. Everything that isn’t used finds its way down here, and, if someone were willing to spend a lot of time down there, they could make a lot of money, due to all the valuable magic items that still exist, forgotten by the normal world. Many believe that the souls of mortals named JJ and Michael, not yet willing to part the world, end up here. This has led to superstitions, one of which warns that those who enter without a special talisman soaked in the blood of a good creature will be the targets of the wrathful, cruel (and poorly named) spirits in the layer. The great darkness: The great darkness is similar to the underdark, it is largely inhabited by dark creatures with malevolent intent, including some drow, though most drow live in the overworld, only coming out at night. Only a handful of cities exist here, and law is impossible to enforce. The few cities that do exist here are either hopelessly outdated or more advanced than even many surface cities, with few in between. The layer of magic: The layer of magic is the reason magic functions in the world. It is very hard to find, but it overlaps with the normal world, and is one of the most vast of the layers. Most archmages journey here at least once in their life to become more attuned to the magic they so powerfully wield. For more on how magic works, read the How Magic Works section. The portal layer: The portal layer is next to the magic layer. It contains portals to nearly every world, and even to other D&D settings. No creatures truly inhabit this realm, only passing through for brief times. One city, the city of sigil circles, exists in this realm. It is hard to find, and the sigil sequence is a closely guarded secret, but once found, it becomes a way to fast travel. The layer is covered in mirror-like natural occurrences, each of which are somewhat styled after the plane they lead to, though they may change over time or disappear completely. The layer of dragons: The layer of dragons is a realm which no mortal has been to in a very long time. Little is known about it, and some deny its existence altogether. Nobody has asked the dragons, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t answer, but it's suspected that dragons were cut off from their home, likely causing the fall of the ancient half dragon empire. Ancient legends say that when a dragon dies fulfilling a duty to their gods, their soul is transported here to experience total enlightenment with its other kin. Until they achieve this state, they are reincarnated, though once they achieve this no souls take their place. This has led to a decrease in dragon population over the years. Over time, they may fade from existence entirely, an ancient myth that parents tell their children to scare them into being good. Celestial layer: The celestial layer has never, and will never, be visited by mortals. If they tried, they would evaporate instantly. This layer is entirely metaphysical, but some sacred texts have referenced it in past years. It supposedly houses the celestials, or the gods, and their closest servants. It is completely sealed from mortal travel, but the gods may travel out of it when they wish. Clockwork layer: No other layer is as deep or difficult to find as the clockwork layer, barring perhaps the celestial layer. This layer is only about a mile across, and is the layer that hosts the world clock. Installed by primus for the gods to change time in the game, it is the governing force of time in the ruins, and is connected to the great clockwork of mechanus, keeping time for all other realms with unparalleled accuracy. Should anyone find this layer, they could destroy the ruins forever by stopping, reversing, or speeding up time to their will.

Forgotten layers Because of the vastness of the layers, it's impossible to find them all. This allows the DM to make whatever type of layer they want. Some possible layers worth including could be the layer of the second world, a place where pieces to the game were stored, who have just recently gained sentience, the layer of elemental imbalance, where the elements rage against each other in an infinite war, creating new and powerful elementals, or the layer of illusion, which can take any form it wishes, leaving adventurers wondering what is truly real.