Please, come in. Sit down. Let us take a break from Peneloper's story to learn a little more of the world beyond, overhead, and underneath Potter Oaks.

Excerpts from, "An Explanation of Layers" Author Unknown

Foreword: Our world is more complex than what was initially thought and so to you,  kind readers who have proven to be seekers of truth, I offer this guide to assist you in your travels. May you traverse the layers well and secure the knowledge of a thousand men.

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Our layer is known to most as Reason, a place where rationality dwells and too much thought has caused us to lose our innate sense of magic. We're looked on with pity, at how mundane our layer has become, other creatures commenting on the permeating smell of grey that hits their nostrils when they travel through us. Our magic --though limited-- is not extinct and Reason can sometimes house the most brilliant beings. Crispen Heavensley is one such creature.

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The Reflection is the layer next to ours, one that houses all manner of wonderful creatures. It was once believed that the layers of Reason and Reflection were one, but because of humanity's insistence of all things explained, they lost the magic, and the layer separated. 

Reflection is by far the easiest layer to get to and mayhap be the most enjoyable. All sorts of gentle natured creatures live and work in this layer, controlling what we see as nature. As long as you don't hinder their work, these creatures will welcome you with open arms.

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The Retelling- "The pen is mightier than the sword"- Never has this been more true when you consider that a layer exists for creations of the imagination. Focus too much on your story and your words will inevitably sketch themselves into the layer, birthing life to your characters. A variety of people and creatures live in the Retelling, living out their tales.

Don't be fooled, however, a sadness lurks in this layer. Some characters, penned by uninspired writers, are forever left wandering in a blinding white, their stories never finished. Consider this, dear traveller, when you begin a tale. Never leave your story unfinished lest you want to condemn your beloved characters to a life of aimless wondering in a world of nonexistence.

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The Refinery lies beneath Reason and is filled with endless corridors and stone labyrinths. Those brave enough to travel here have the potential to gain swells of undiscovered treasures though they risk madness, death, and mild dehydration in the process. Thieves and other unsavory lots like this layer, the risk enticing, the promise of treasure, alluring. There's a brothel and bar at the entrance of the labyrinth called "The Dead Man's Song," that's meant to celebrate the lives of those soon to be lost to the desires and madness of the Refinery.

And to cure any of their mild dehydration.

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The Refracted is a layer which obscures what we know as truth and is a breeding ground for madness and abyss eaters. Inhabitants here seek passage into our layer to change our course. Throughout history, creatures of this layer have disguised themselves as humans, committing  unspeakable acts of horror. Ever wonder how someone is capable of such evil? It's because they aren't a someone. They are an inhabitant of the refracted and you should seek magical council immediately.

The council I speak of is the Council of Four, a grouping of our strongest sorcerers bound together to protect all the layers from the whims of the Refracted. It is by far the most dangerous layer and because of this, my weighted recommendation is that you stay as far away from it as you can.

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The Renewal is a layer slightly visible to those who squint enough and believe in its existence. We call it death, though it is anything but final, and many shows have been made around this layer's inhabitants. Just because they look like ghosts to you, doesn't mean they are; you're just not squinting hard enough.

They are very much flesh covered beings who seek to help us with dilemmas or decisions. They're not angels- they've never been a winged kind- but they do seek to council our race. Their motivations unclear, seek their council at your own risk.

Highly organized, they'll gladly aid you with your renewal, placing you where you will be needed the most. This layer is very ethereal housing the Yggdrasil and smelling of fire. It is veiled in an ever-present mist; steel-toed boots are a must.

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The Reverse is a layer of ever falling sand inhabited by one lone man, who is forever, struggling not to be buried alive. This layer offers travellers the ability to time travel (backwards mind you, never forward), though this comes at a great cost.

To travel the time line, you are required to give up someone you love, effectively erasing their existence from time and space. Because of such a high price, few travellers ever visit the Reverse and as a consequence, the man--who's always choking on sand--is also, always choking on loneliness. He wears a pair of tinted aviator shades, a gift from his last guest, a hope in the wearer that someday, someone, will visit him again.

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The Rose and Relinquished- this is not a layer, though it's worth mentioning. The Rose and Relinquished is a prison of the highest tier, housing the most dangerous known criminals to all the layers (most cells are occupied by inhabitants of the Refracted and this comes as no surprise).

To make transportation of these criminals easier, the prison was moved from the Refinery to the edge of the Refracted, a daunting obsidian tower of spikes and flame lighting the sickly green sky ablaze with shades of red and screams of madness. A most terrifying place, avoid at all costs.