Trailblazer’s Cutie Mark (+5) affects your roll. You roll an 11 +5 (required 10). Success!
 
You decide to explore the isle together, starting with the nearby ruins.
 
Cracked and crumbled walls form shapes that may have once been houses, now sunken into the verdant soil. You spend a few minutes searching the open rooms, but there is nothing to be found, let alone of interest.
 
Seeing as the isle appears to be empty at first glance, you ask Moonflower if she can sense anything that you cannot. The bat pony begins to emit a series of high-pitched clicking noises, then she scrunches her muzzle in confusion, and looks over to the giant tree.
 
Moonflower: “Weird! S’like there’s some sorta really deep hole near the bottom o’ the tree over there.”
 
With nothing else to go on, you make your way toward the tree to investigate. As you get closer, you are indeed able to discern some sort of opening at its base, easily mistaken for a mere gap in the bark. However, your attention is drawn away from it when a large creature suddenly appears from the canopy above.
 
In the blink of an eye, the creature runs down the trunk, then jumps off, and lands right in front of you. It strangely resembles a very large, glowing squirrel, and begins to speak while gesturing excessively.
 
Creature: “Welcome, welcome! Forgive my lateness, I was… in the shower! Yes, that’s it! Anyway— I am Ratatosk, courier of Yggdrasil, at your service! And you must be the esteemed heroes sent to deliver us from Odin’s curse, yes?”
 
You and your friends give each other hesitant looks, before turning back to meet Ratatosk’s expectant gaze. You introduce yourselves to him, and admit that you actually came here looking for a seed of the Yggdrasil tree. At the mention of a seed, the squirrel recoils.
 
Ratatosk: “Oh? A seed, is it? Hmm, I wasn’t expecting that. Well, I was, but not today. Yes, that might be a problem… though I’m sure given a few days, I could probably get you one? Maybe…?”
 
As Ratatosk trails off awkwardly and winces a tentative smile, you add that you are also looking for a way to destroy the Philosopher’s Stone. He perks up at that, and immediately regains his liveliness.
 
Ratatosk: “The Philosopher’s Stone?! You have it? Oh, you silly mortals, why didn’t you say that sooner? Wait, wait, wait— you don’t even know what it is, do you? No, what am I saying? Of course you don’t!
 
Ah, that doesn’t matter; all you need to know is that I have a message for whoever brings the Philosopher’s Stone here — and that’s you! So listen well:
 
Harken thou unto Svalfartheim— Sfarvaltheim? Asphaltheim? Uh, go to the realm of Darkness and find the Talking Statue. Midgardsormr’s words, not mine! Now go forth, heroes, to victory!”
 
When Ratatosk strikes a pose and waits for you to move along, you try asking if he can tell you how to travel to the realm of Darkness.
 
Ratatosk: “Easy! Just walk through gate behind me to the World Between Worlds, then place any object containing dark magic on the pedestal — that would be the Philosopher’s Stone, by the way —, and you’ll be transported to where you need to be!
 
Oh, and I suppose you’ll want to come back here when you’re done. Putting your hoof on the pedestal should be enough arcane magic to do just that. Speaking of which, do wipe your hooves before you enter! It’s a sacred interdimensional space, after all.”
 
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