FASA Games, Inc.

As you enter the tree, the air smells fresh, even fresher than forest air outside, and the walls gleam like polished stone despite being the tan color of a cut tree. A narrow staircase spirals away from you up and down with light spilling from windows in either direction, the stairs themselves either perfectly carved or grown from the tree, slightly rough so you don't slip, and barely wide enough for two orks to walk side-by-side. Lonoko begins the counter-clockwise descent down, "The main entrance is actually on the forest floor, and most of the rooms are underground. Upstairs are experiment platforms, most open-air, though we've hardened the air around them to protect the city. But Balen's Dowsing Rod was stored down this way."
As you descend, you quickly see through the many windows that you've past below the main levels of Axalalail and are approaching the ground level. Between each window are wooden sconces holding light quartz. Once you have to shift to one side as a portly dwarf attempts to squeeze passed. You pass two other doorways, one of which is open and leads out onto a small platform with a handful of Namegivers talking quietly. Quick snippets of conversation you hear suggest some arcane elemental topics. Lonoko briefly slows down as you pass, ear cocked to eavesdrop, but then she picks up speed again. Finally, the staircase begines to widen, and Lonoko says, "We're about to reach the Antechamber."
Soon after, you reach the bottom of the stairs and a simple set of doors, wide open. Beyond is a tall, wide room, a delicate chandalier hangs from the ceiling, like everything else made from wood with crystals and gems of many types dangling from it. Light quartz shine brightly, cascading the room in a riot of color. Small tables and rugs are set about the room, but the floor is left mostly bare, concentric rings spreading out from the center. Directly opposite the stairwell are massive double-doors big enough for several trolls to comfortably walk through together. Symbols are etched across the entire surface of the polished wood. A couple of robed figures are conversing off to one side, briefly glancing at you as you enter.
"This way," Lonoko says, and turns left immediately after entering the room and opens a pair of doors set in the wall next to the ones you just went through. More stairs greet you, heading further down. "Not much further to the main level!" She leads you down one more flight of stairs, which headed down with no turns, the end not far away. After traveling at least two Troll heights down, the staircase opens onto a wide, circular hallway, brightly lit by light quartz. The floor is a wooden walkway. The walls are smooth, and upon closer inspection are revealed to be tightly packed dirt. Lonoko says, "And here's Balen's Burrow! It used to be the root system of the sister to the tree we just left, but Balen asked it to move away as they were killing each other. We reinforced the walls with magic we renew every year. Well, not me, I'm still a new member of this particular guild."
She begins leading you further in, sometimes taking branching tunnels. You get the sense that the passage leads gently but constantly down, but soon you're fairly well lost. <SCOUT MIGHT NOT BE LOST> You pass people frequently, generally robed but a few are more martial, carrying themselves as Warriors. Most wave hello to Lonoko or give you dirty looks, a few simply ignore your group. At random intervals, round doors are set into the walls, curving wood matching the shape of the earth. Lonoko points out various ones, "This is a classroom. Oh, Frenaldo stays here. This lab is often on fire."
Eventually you turn down a short tunnel, which rapidly narrows to the point that Boris has to duck a little. The tunnel end is abrupt, blocked by a mass of dirt. At your approach, the dirt begins to shift, emitting a deep rumble you feel in your chest. Lonoko tells you, "That's just an earth elemental set here to guard the artifact room. Should have had him there a month ago! But, no! 'No one can break in to the Burrow!'" She sighs heavily and shakes her head. She speaks to the spirit, "Out of the way, Brynochus!" and waves her hand. The massive thing rumbles in a way you feel shows discontent, but it slowly slides into the wall leaving no impression that it was ever there. Beyond it lies a simple door, made of metal and lacking any sort of handle. Lonoko strides up to it and waves hand, muttering something, and a soft 'click' echoes lightly in the hall.