Submission (#3481) Approved

Weathered pillars of rock break the waves rolling towards the forest towering behind them. A soft hint of green visible only along the very tops of the flat topped stony sentinels turning rough seas to gentle currents as the boat weaves inland. The rocking of the boat abates as the forests before you draw ever near. Twisting roots begin to rise from the water’s surface, larger and more tangled the closer you come to the massive trunk of the tree that could be seen long before any other part of Ealei appeared over the horizon. The greatest of the elder trees, Yggdrasil dwarfs all surrounding it. Seafaring saltwater fish that had been visible in the clear waters below become fewer in number as their freshwater cousins take their place the further into the mangrove roots you travel.   

Arriving at the small wharftown making up the port, the journey upwards begins. Climbing higher the tops of the trees growing from the waters below transition to the bases of trees growing grafted to the elder tree itself. Skyward and skyward, rising into the lowest layer of the cities built and growing along mighty branches much like the trees themselves. Bridges sway over great expanses connecting platform to platform where homes and buildings gave shelter to the masses living with Ealei. A friendly populus greets you and the other travelers before directing you at your behest upward yet again. 

The multitude of bodies milling about the city walkways shrink away and become more sparse as you continue the climb. Higher still mists of vapor roll through the branches as the great tree breaks through the low hanging clouds. What a sight to behold. All of Erye stretched across the horizon, the whole of the mainland shore visible from the great height atop Yggdrasil’s boughs.