Metadata is a second layer of information available in the virtual world, augmenting the perceptive layer.

Depending on visualisation options, it can either be tied into the perceptive layer from the person's perspective, or it can register as information that you're simply aware of like perceptive cues (rendered much like the vivid memory of a perceptive cue layered across actual perception; called subperceptive), or is altogether invisible until actively queried.

The forms of metadata include:

• labels: textual metadata tied to a specific location
• identities: borders, allegiances, 'true forms'
• deep: background information, event-driven information, or anything else that is not tied to a specific spatial location

Standard Denizen metadata settings are for labels to be invisible until queried, identities (borders, true forms, allegiances) to be subperceptive, and deep metadata to be invisible until queried. labels are made visible occasionally.

Denizens that struggle with subperception (it is known to cause dizziness a small sample of the population) may choose to either forgo access to identity metadata or make it perceptive, in which case it is usually rendered semi-transparent amongst the landscape.