A Forest Growing With Its Roots in the Ceiling

After walking for quite some time we reached the hole in the centre, and climbing down it we happened upon a strange sight. Just as the map had shown we were now in a forest growing from the roof and down, with the solid ground being far far below us. It goes without mention that Cathrine was not thrilled about this development. Personally I found this second layer to be very beautiful and also very exiting in its unusual habitus. The many updrafts served to bring small droplets of water to the trees, while also creating the illusion of waterfalls falling upwards in the most wind ridden of areas. The branches of the many trees were sturdy and close between, so we slowly and controllably started to make our way towards one of the edges, where a strange building was marked on our map.
Upon our arrival we found a homestead carved into one of the larger of trees in this forest, with an observatory of countless spyglasses overlooking its surroundings. This would also be the place where we got to meet our two first living locals. A woman who called herself Ozen and her young helper Marulk ran an outpost down here, where people from the surface could take rest on their journeys, and they brought us in to stay and rest for a while. Over the duration of our stay they answered a lot of the questions we had held about this place, and also informed us of some of the dangers we would encounter delving deeper into the hollow. Before she would let us continue our decent in good conscience, she wanted to test the ones who would call themselves defenders of the group, which only amounted to two of us: Omen and yours truly.
Ozen was a formidable opponent to be sure, of the likes I have never sparred with before. Unmoved by any hit taken and dealing blows with the force of a rock sliding full speed down a mountain behind them. The ageing woman tested and trained us for a couple of days before we finally took our leave, and sometime after we had thanked the woman and the young boy for their hospitality, and left their homely resort, we started closing in on the edges of the third layer. And as we entered a strange cave found ourselves back outside of the mighty walls of Pelayar with the cube laying at our feet once again.