Realm Familiarity: Arborea

"It's okay, I'm totally happy to get it for you," Poggers assures the fretting Haenym, who's still a little misty-eyed. She's one of the residents of Minfheil that he'd just met, a lovely little lady, who enjoyed making flower crowns for her friends. However, she'd had a little misstep during the delivery of this one, causing her new craft to fly out of her hands, and tumble into the depths of the foliage. "Besides, I've always wanted an excuse to go down there, so really, you're the one doing me a favor!"

"Are you sure, Poggers?" she asks again, nervously plucking at her hip bloom, "It's really not a problem, I-I can just remake it..."

"I insist! Everyone's been nice enough to get me the rappelling equipment already." The Onini gestures at his feet, where a pile of equipment sat; ropes, harnesses, spurs, pulleys, you name it, they had it. "And how can I come all this way to Arborea, then leave without finding out what's beneath its canopy?"

Poggers crouches, so he can peer over the edge of the platform. The residents of Minfheil had led him to a place where the branches part just right, revealing a long drop down to... well, he'd say the forest floor, but that'd be inaccurate. The purple trunks of the trees seemed to stretch on and on and on, before being engulfed in darkness, simply because the light couldn't reach that far down. There were plenty of footholds from what the Onini could see, though beyond that, who knew— how exciting!

"Besides," he continued, picking the end of a long piece of rope, "you said no one has ever died from this, right?"

"Well, no, I guess not," the Haenym responds thoughtfully, "But those who return are... different."

"In all of Arborean history, not a single Lythian has failed to return — that's a 100% survival rate! So there must be a reason for that," Poggers chirrups, tying one end of the rope to the metal hook on the platform, "And different is a-okay! Change isn't something that frightens me; if it did, I wouldn't be exploring strange new worlds!"

"I guess that makes sense... thank you, Poggers," she replies, finally cracking a small smile, "And please be careful."

"When am I ever not?" he grins, tossing the other end of the rope into the depths of the forest.

Then, without putting on any of the other equipment, he walks to the edge, turns around to give her a jaunty wave, and falls backwards off the platform. The Haenym lets out a little shriek as she rushes forward, flattens her rootage out, and looks down just in time to see Poggers twist in the air, catching the rope between his hands and feet. She hears him let out a trill of excitement, as he slides quickly down the rope. His figure gets smaller and smaller before he's engulfed in the shadow of the trees.

"Please be okay," she murmurs, closing her eyes, then putting her hands together in prayer.

Meanwhile, Poggers is still falling swiftly but controllably, occasionally swinging to and fro to avoid some foliage. The rope hadn't run out yet, but the forest floor was still nowhere in sight. They weren't kidding, the alien thought to himself, just missing another tree branch on the way down, this forest is much deeper than anticipated! Just as he's doing some mental calculations about his current distance travelled, the Onini notices he's nearing the end of the rope, its fraying edges gradually coming into view. Immediately, he tightens his grip and presses his knees together to slow his descent. He allows himself to stop just short of the end, dangling just above a wayward branch. It looks sturdy enough to hold him, so he shifts into a Kella Ser for better balance, before letting go of the rope and catching himself on the leafy protrusion. The form's superior night vision immediately kicks in, allowing him to better see the other branches. However, it still doesn't allow him to see the bottom of the realm.

Maybe the stories about there being no forest floor is true, Poggers muses, entertaining the thought for a moment, as he launches himself to catch another branch, going down much more slowly now, but I don't see how—

His thoughts are interrupted by a sickening crunch and the sudden rush of wind under him. He's falling rapidly again, and this time, there's no rope or branches to catch onto.

Well, let's hope that 100% survival rate holds true!