True Reality is the term given to everything that is. Confusion may come from referring to individual universes within the Finite Omniverse as realities, when True Reality encompasses all of that and more. There are two known layers of True Reality, the Finite Omniverse and the Deep, and a range of other sub-layers that are nestled within and in between the major layers.
(See: Finite Omniverse)
This is the first, lowest layer of True Reality. Within it is every single finite universe in existence. A finite universe is so called because it has borders, and most of them are mortal and will eventually collapse. The Finite Omniverse is so called because the amount of universes it contains can be tracked with an incredibly high number. Even though this number is large and infinitely growing, the Omniverse is still measurable, unlike the Deep, which has no actual end. The Omniverse is subdivided into multiverses, groups of universes that share a common root universe and are at least somewhat similar when compared to other universes within that cluster.
Interuniversal travel is incredibly difficult for those confined in the Omniverse, and it is often impossible for them to travel between multiverses. Thus, many of the interuniversal civilizations discover only their local multiverse and never guess at the true scope of the Omniverse. Like how the shallow layers of the ocean provide detritus that eventually trickles down to the bottom of the ocean, so do the collapsed parts of the Omniverse feed the lower layers. There is much nuance to the structure of the universes in the Omniverse, with a lot of variety with regards to how time works and whether or not they can truly be destroyed.
Also called the Great Sky. The Deep is the second layer of True Reality. The Deep is a vast, infinite void of a pastel green color, populated by structures rather than universes. There are many kinds of structures, including plains, monoliths, islets, pillars, and mobiles. Each structure is classified based on its behavior. For example, pillars are stationary objects that seem to rise infinitely up from the void, and plains are vast horizontal spaces that can be either infinite or finite.
The Deep is split into three sections, much like miniature layers— the floating void, the lowlands, and the great waters. The void is the green part, the lowlands is an infinitely large plain, and the Great Waters are like the above void, but filled with a form of matter very similiar yet not identical to water. The various structures take on different shapes across the various layers, for example Pillars appear as infinite arches on the lowlands and point downwards in the great waters instead of upwards.
The layers are stacked on top of each other, from the void down, and each is also infinite in size. Travel between layers requires a specific form of interdimensional disruption called compression, which brings the layers physically closer temporarily. On that note, there are also far more disruptions scattered regularly throughout the Deep than in the Omniverse. All kinds of beings populate the Deep, scattered across its structures.
The Chaos Realm is divided into two sections: the "high" realm, called the instability zone or the funnel, and the "low" True Chaos Realm. These are both places of madness and chaos, where physics is optional.
Every universe in the Omniverse has its own instability zone. It is a space that remains latent underneath physical reality, and can technically be accessed by shrinking below the subatomic level. Imagine the Chaos Realm like the rough hide of a creature, and the instability zones like the bumps protruding out from it. Each universe has its own gateway to the world below.
It is not often that inhabitants of a universe ever reach their instability zone. Instead, it is more likely for the zone to reach them. There are occasional surges, when the zone breaks up into the universe above and leaves behind a piece of energy or draws in matter for itself. When a universe nears the end of its life, surges will become more and more common before the universe finally collapses into the zone, and the zone folds back into the Chaos Realm.
The instability zone is still anchored to a universe, meaning it is still partly governed by the laws of that universe. A visitor may at least be able to grasp the general idea of what's going on. There is familiar matter and familiar occurrences; even the paradoxes would be semi-expected, as they are violations of known rules.
The Chaos Realm is accessible through physical channels and wormholes in the instability zone, and it is pure madness. No sane being can exist there for very long. Atoms phase in and out of existence at random, or are suddenly replaced by other matter. Effect precedes cause. At one moment, you may become a pile of spaghetti for three seconds before being rearranged back into yourself.
It is the domain of the chaos gods, the only beings who have control over the terrain, though they push it into madness. The instability zone is a land of paradoxes and roving bands of grotesque creatures; the Chaos Realm is the very antithesis of structure. It exists sandwiched between the Deep and the Omniverse, and one potential path from one main layer to the other is to pass through this, although it is unlikely to make it out to the other side.
This is more or less the afterlife. In some parts, it is a vast, open plain of black sand and the occasional husk of a tree, shrouded in thick fog. In others, it is an obsidian ocean, or a marsh with black mud. Infinite sleeping corpses lie buried in the sand, materializing there after their deaths in the Omniverse.
Only those whose universes aren't looping end up here, those whose lives only appear once. Creatures called Sentinels roam the lands, watching over the sleepers. If one awakes, they will capture it and bury it once more. If a soul should escape the Sentinels, it may go into the next layer of the Field, a kind of purgatory. Exactly what this is and where it leads to is unknown.
The Field is not between layers; rather, it is between the dimensions of the Omniverse. And it is always growing. It is the force that restores the loops of dimensions, cleansing them before their new start, and it also consumes universes that have become unstable. Only the dead of the Omniverse go here, and only those that are neither in a looping universe nor a singularity.
It is difficult to say much about the Sentinels, though recurring forms have been identified. No deity has been discovered. It is theorized that it is a shortcut between the Omniverse and the layer beyond the Deep, and those who breach the purgatory ascend there. Such a tunnel could theoretically be possible, though it is unproven. Little else is known of the Field.
Another sub-layer of the Omniverse, every single universe has its own Time Canal running through it. This void can be accessed with certain technologies and enough power. It is a physical representation of the time stream. Moving in and out of it allows for time travel in the universe itself.
Though, it is important to note that an object in the Canal moves exclusively through time and not space. The point where one enters the Canal is the same point geographically where one exits. It is therefore important to note that there are no potential obstructions that could arise in that space across all of history.
The Time Canal has its own perils, from constructs to fractures, to the potential chaos that can be caused by manipulating time.
This sublayer is the filler space between universes and is another layer between the two major layers. It holds much in common with the Chaos Realm, being a connective sublayer that is also extremely difficult and dangerous to navigate. In some ways, it is even more chaotic than the Chaos Realm.
It appears as an enormous tunnel of pure energy, rocked by void winds (wind-like forces of antimatter, bits of matter, pure kinetic force that puts nuclear shockwaves to shame, and burning-hot streams of nuclear energy, all of which race at billions of mph), plasma lightning strikes, and any random pieces of universes pulled into the mix.
It often bleeds in along with a Field break-in. A dying universe may be pulled to shreds between three different layers: the Chaos Realm, the Field, and the Void.
Going between dimensions requires passing through the Void, which less advanced civilizations may have great trouble with. More advanced societies and entities pass through it without any issue, but this does not change the fact that Void travel is traumatic not only on the traveler but on the very fabric of reality. Entering and exiting the Void pokes a hole in whatever universe it occurs in. After enough holes, the tapestry falls apart and a total collapse will occur.
Despite the dangers of the Void, hardy civilizations and organisms have taken up residence. Part of what may make it appealing is that being there means constant movement, making it difficult for you to be hunted down or conquered. Even advanced civilizations have difficulty tracking objects through the Void because of constant and violent movement.
The Void is also considered the most important sublayer, the mother river of the Deep, because it is constantly feeding fragments of the Omniverse to the lower layer. People and objects are traumatically ripped from their home universes and hurled forward, which creates an additional level of life in the Deep besides native objects.
At least one third of a universe ends up in the Void during a full collapse event, and of that, about one tenth will survive all the way to the Deep. Even with so few survivors, this process is repeated infinitely across infinite dimensions, therefore ensuring a steady supply.
Traveling between layers can be difficult and brutal, but also very rewarding. There are many ways to go about it. The most seemingly straightforward method is to use sublayers like the Warp Void or Chaos Realm.
Even though this method is brutal and often fatal, most interlayer civilizations and beings escape the Omniverse through this method. It is possible to construct a vessel sturdy enough to withstand the Warp Void and temporarily stabilize parts of the Chaos Realm long enough to carve a path.
A disturbance where a simple path between the Omniverse and Deep opens can also be a potential method of travel, though it is highly unpredictable. Highly advanced beings and civilizations can skip all of this entirely, able to create their own artificial disturbances that allow for easy travel. No way to access lower layers has yet been discovered.
The Omniverse influences the Deep by depositing matter, objects, and beings that help make the Deep what it is. Many scavenging cultures depend entirely on picking up fallen remains, and for many others it remains a large part of their influx.
For some beings, it is an indispensable part of life, like, for example, the Great Devourers, who go up to the Omniverse to feast upon the cosmos.
This last relationship represents potential effects of the Deep on the Omniverse. The Deep's more powerful denizens manipulate and destroy universes, while its most powerful can create completely new ones.
Entities from layers further beyond often leave their incomprehensible marks on the known ones, coming down to alter both the Deep and the Omniverse without anything able to interfere with their unknown machinations.
The Omniverse and the Deep are not the only layers of True Reality. It is, in fact, proven that there are at the very least three more undiscovered layers waiting just beneath what is visible. It is highly likely that the layers of reality go on infinitely.
For now, almost nothing is known of the next layer, but this is subject to change at any time. The most concrete sources of knowledge for the next layers are the Kovenal vision and the observed effects of higher beings coming down to interact with the lower layers.
For now, the next layer and beyond remains as mysterious as the corners on the maps of primitive civilizations, marked with clouds and monsters. Perhaps this is all for the best. A society without a hidden horizon to seek out stagnates and collapses, and as long as there is something to find, there is a reason to go on living.