there's no torment 'neath the stars

Now that he was feeling a touch more grounded in the world again, Jarilo raised a low howl from the foothills of the empyrean mountain--he intended to trek out beyond, see what he might see. As ever, would stay on the lookout for the fragments of their family, and while he was at it, range out in the interest of re-learning the lay of these lands. It would be to their advantage to know what they had nearby.

Alongside the obvious motives, there was one great beacon that set his course: he had seen the old tree a distance that warranted a closer look. He was certain it had never been this near to them before. The great reaching boughs had readily drawn him in, and the dark Ostrega headed its way.

He finally closed into its proximity near the last of the day's daylight, and even from a good distance, realized the water that surrounded the tree's massive base. Not at all like anything he had seen before, he kept moving on towards it for a better look at its finest details. At this rate, knowing these mysterious wilds, he kept all expectations wide open.

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would like to gear towards some skill point posts, ecologist-stuff especially for him -- all welcome ^^

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Runar had been to the tree before, though it was impossible to say he had seen it all. The roots here traveled for miles, a winding underfoot that could trip even the steadiest of travelers. It was how he had met @Shale after all. It was a wonder how the tree had grown to be so big. It reminded him much of his grandfather, and, well...now him he supposed. Runar's bulk had filled in as he neared the end of his yearling spurts, but a tree did not grow in quick bursts. How many years had the roots clawed their way, surely reaching the depths of Hel.

For as strange as it was, Runar found comfort here. Perhaps it was because his family was convinced it to be the Tree of Life. It was a powerful presence, fitting for the tree that connected the nine realms. However, it would seem his visit would once again take place in the presence of another. “Hail, traveler!” His voice boomed, but without the authority he often held back home. Here he was a man like any other, but still warm like a friend of old.
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Jarilo let the earth, and by powerful extension, the tree guide the course of his route. He didn't know what lie ahead, closer to the trunk of this great entity. It seemed wisest to let it tell him where to go, so with this winding route, he let his paws fall into place, right where they needed to.

He was in no hurry, pausing here and there generously to investigate, and keeping a slow look-around even when he did carefully press on. In every direction he looked, he could find something to see--or smell. At a glance, the wood, and the root system, seemed about like any other but there was.. more detail in it, a texture he had not seen before on the mountain, and perhaps a different type of weathering? A new to him tree species, potentially? He could only surmise, but his mind whirred at the possibilities, hungry to understand--and catalog this phenomenon in case he never got to see it again if the world's shifted tomorrow.

His ears flicked up when a voice rang out, with his head rising seconds after to set his sights on the source. Jarilo's stance stayed within his easy-going neutrality, peering curiously towards the stranger. A sizable young wolf, tall and wide in almost equal measure. Over the water and the vegetation, he didn't have the winds playing in his favor to tell him a lot more. The ranging Ostrega also did not have the neighbors, whoever they might be now, particularly fresh in mind--definitely not enough to identify anyone on sight. But, he wanted to be friendly as long as they were too. “Hello there!” he whuffed back, the soft sway of his tail to indicate his good-natured approach. “Do you know this place?” he asked, just starting to make his way over towards the other.
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Ah! A man of friendliness. Not that his company was usually unpleasant, but his greetings sometimes caused others to stumble or stutter in the weight of his presence. The mountain king nodded, a rumble of confirmation in his chest, “Runar knows tree. Our family takes great wonder in its presence.” He beamed glancing up to the towering branches as his tail swayed at his haunches, “So big with roots only Yggdrasil could bear! Ah, but rest? It is just jungle, as far as Runar can tell.”

He'd turn his attention back to his now-approaching company, “What of you? You know? Have you seen branches from land far, or are you new to land?” It was hard to tell sometimes. Those dazed and bewildered were often new arrivals, woken from gods slumber and in need of guidance, but Runar's family was not the only one born in this land. There were surely others, and he could only wonder what they saw from their homes.
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The growing suspicion that he had found good company for today's pursuit only further served to lighten his expression. Hearing the stranger say he knew the tree was a better starting point than he could have expected, and gleaming lightly with this new fact, Jarilo kept his tail to a slow sway. Good, he supposed as he listened onward, gathering pieces of information as they went by.

It seemed this fellow who was familiar with the tree was named Runar, who had teachings of old norse cosmology from the sounds of it too. Not all would know of Yggdrasil enough to realize the magnitude of the comparison. Jarilo only did thanks to his father, who had been raised with coastal nords and passed on pieces to his mountaineers in turn. But these were all fine bits of a greater picture for him--so was this Runar possibly from Vanderfell? Were they still close enough for that to be reasonable? Potentially plausible.

“Well, mostly I have seen it from far--I come down from the mountain, I'm Jarilo Ostrega.” he detailed for himself with a matching a gesture in the direction he had come from, towards the coarse Empyrean spires. “Lately it's been looking a lot closer than before,” he said, a hint of a furrow on his brow as he glossed over the uncertainties of this world, and the theory that maybe the tree had just had a massive growth spurt recently. But he had a feeling it had been more than that--other pieces moved, trending towards the strange shifts they observed even from home. “It is high time I see it up close,” his nose tipping just enough as punctuation. “I guess I was not exactly expecting the jungle, but alongside a tree of that magnitude, I suspect anything may be possible.” he mentioned, a look of curious reverence towards the towering entity.
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“Mmmm, then you are Empyrean?” He may not know this man, but the nearest mountains he knew of had been Shiroshika's and Empyrean's. Both were plausible, though jagged peaks were in view from the tangled jungle they found themselves in. That and his mother had spoken of a Hydra Ostrega several times. “A friend.” Bold given his unfamiliarity with the group, but if they were all as pleasant as Jarlio, then he could see why his mother favored them. “Ah, my apologies. Runar's mother has spoken of your family. Only recently has Runar taken her place as High King, but I would be interested in keeping Vanderfell's favor with any friends she made.” 

Though such discussions were ill-fitted for this moment, nor was the company necessarily appropriate for such a conversation. He had only just met this man, and his word may not speak for the whole of his mountain. He could see out their land another day with proper introductions to share the news. Perhaps he should have done so already. Runar turned his head to the overhead branches with a cock to the side, “It is not normal? This is only jungle Runar has ever know. I do not expect such a tree to grow in each, but seems fitting here. Wood looks no different from the rest.” Though even if it did not match, he supposed he could not claim it did not belong. Birch wood was a stark contrast to oak, and yet they thrived together.
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