Arboreal Reaper

Arboreal Reaper

While some forests have an idyllic, peaceful quality to them, others feel distinctly unfriendly or even sinister—these forests are the favored haunts of arboreal reapers. Sometimes these woodlands are sought out by secretive practitioners of malicious arts who claim the unsettling ambiance aids their abilities; arboreal reapers see no reason to interfere with such practices as long as the balance of their forests isn’t harmed.

All arboreals vary in appearance based on their surroundings, but arboreal reapers always seem vaguely eerie, whether they watch over a grim weald or a tropical rain forest. Often slightly warped, twisted, and covered in spiky protrusions, arboreal reapers sometimes sprout around old ruins or other permanent structures, breaking down and incorporating the structures as they mature and become more mobile.

Arboreal reapers focus on the essential decaying phase of a forest’s life cycle, becoming especially active in autumn and winter seasons. Their influence can often be seen in the explosion of mushrooms on a rotting log or the enticing fronds of a flourishing carnivorous plant. Like 

, these woodland guardians are quicker to react to perceived threats than the more deliberate  or retiring —at least by arboreal standards.