“A grim resignation of a body’s fate, the knowledge that you can never return to the way you were. Life’s a burden to be borne by the stoic and the brave; death only offers the easy way out.”

The second layer of the Gray Waste resembles a verdant Prime forest — except everything is completely gray. A body won’t find any of the green leaves or bright colors he expects in Prime jungles. It’s cool, too, so a thick mist constantly shrouds the dense forest. It clings to clothing, makes everything just damp enough to be miserable, and rusts unprotected metal. Predators lurk in the misty trees, eager to sneak through the fog and hunt down unfortunate prey.

Despair clutches at everyone that passes through the Gray Waste. Even amid the dense foliage of the second layer, the despair grabs for travelers, tries to drag them down and keep them trapped in utter apathy and hopelessness.

Nestled among the misty pines is a small burg called Death of Innocence. A wooden wall ten feet deep surrounds the town and huge spikes ward off unwanted visitors. It looks like a wooden city you’d see on any Prime world — save for the mist and the fact that all of the wood oozes sap and blood. Some 5,000 people live in the town but it always feels empty. People rarely walk the streets, and many of the residents are quiet, peery bashers. Of course, living on the Gray Waste long enough would make anyone peery.

It’s not a bad place, though — and that’s saying something for a burg on the Gray Waste. The Liber Malevolentiae has the following to say about it:

The strangest thing about this town is that it’s full of people trying to redeem themselves. Rather than giving in to how they lived before, they’re making an effort to develop new patterns. Despite their ingrained nature, they’re striving to change themselves. This results in a place actually halfway decent to live in.

It’s a dismal place, don’t get anyone wrong. But amid the gloom the flame of hope still glimmers — a true miracle on this horrible plane.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.