Scythe Tree

Malevolent, vicious, and cruel, scythe trees pose as normal trees near deep forest paths, where they wait to slaughter passersby. Instead of drawing sustenance from light and soil, scythe trees gorge themselves on the flesh, blood, and bone of sapient creatures. Nothing is more delectable to scythe trees than a kind-hearted gnome or an altruistic dryad who believes that a scythe tree can be redeemed. The screams and whimpers of these victims are music to these cruel plants and add an extra dimension of flavor to the meal.

Scythe trees are solitary creatures by nature, and their size and power mean that they don’t need to compete for food with other carnivorous plants. Once food sources dwindle in an area, scythe trees move on to another location. When a scythe tree dwells in a location for many months or years, it leaves traces of its bark and roots in the soil. Over time, these blood-nourished fragments might grow into a new scythe tree, but the progenitor will most likely have already moved on to new hunting grounds long before the new scythe tree reaches maturity.

Scythe trees appear as dead or dying deciduous trees with long, twisted branches that end in scythe-like blades. These carnivorous plants have dark-brown bark that is nearly black near the bottom of the trunk and rusty brown leaves that remain attached year-round. Scythe trees’ disturbing mouths remain closed when not eating, appearing as a jagged gash on the trunk. When scythe trees deign to speak, their voices are rough, deep, and mocking, particularly when discussing arboreals, whom scythe trees universally find to be insufferable and worthy of little more than being hacked to pieces.

Scythewood

Wood harvested from a dead scythe tree is knotted and twisted, and often contains pockets of teeth and bones from long-digested meals embedded in the growth rings. While difficult to obtain and challenging to work with, this wood is sought out by necromancers, as it is a vital component in creating particularly potent necromantic wands and staves. A single scythe tree typically yields about 150 gp worth of viable scythewood for such endeavors.