Layers
From Rose and Maria down to the Heart — what the Dark Zone's layers are called and what each one holds.
In short
- The layers run from Rose to the Heart, each deeper and harder.
- Neither the site nor the handbook says where the Heart lies.
The Dark Zone goes down in layers, from Rose and Maria to the Heart. The first two carry the names of walls that once stood there; past them each layer is mostly ground the Cascade swapped in from another world.
Land activity is logged
No automatic land logs; killing still counts
Deeper — harder to breathe
Safe Zone: Land activity is logged
Wall Sina — stops nobody
No automatic land logs; killing still counts
- Rose
- Maria
- Ash
- Hush
- Talmora
- Xendar
- Heart
Deeper — harder to breathe
| Layer | What is there, what is new |
|---|---|
| Rose | The ruins of the first wall, the first caches. |
| Maria | The ruins of the second wall. |
| Ash | Ground from a world of fire. From here monsters walk by day wherever the light is dim, and the air sign counts the air you have spent. |
| Hush | Ground from a world of ice. The dark drains your nerve, faster when you are alone. |
| Talmora | Ground from an ocean world. The map records new ground only while you hold a theodolite. |
| Xendar | Ground from all of those worlds at once. Something beats in the distance, and you can tell which way: the beat leads to the Heart. |
| Heart | Svitanok stabilisers. A party that brings them down eases the air for everybody for a season. |
Distances appear as soon as the game publishes them.
Where the Heart lies, neither the site nor the handbook will say.
What gets harder with depth
Deeper caches hold more loot. Reaching them takes longer and requires equipment for the terrain and harsher air. Check Air for respirators, filters and sealed rooms.
The Heart
A party that brings down the Svitanok stabilisers around the Heart stills it, eases the air for everybody for a season and is written into the registry for it. What the Heart guards is paid out only beside the Heart itself.