Sablethorn Tree

"They are the forest's last cry, the final defence of a wounded land. I have stood before one and offered my oath to protect the groves. It listened. It spared me. But do not mistake mercy for forgiveness; their patience for trespass is as thin as the light beneath their canopy."

— Aelderin Mosscloak, umbral druid

 

An Umbral Barking

  This colossal woodland entity, cloaked in bark as black as midnight, its form is gnarled and imposing, with knotted roots that claw into the earth and twisted limbs that extend skyward, as if to ward off the very heavens.   At a distance, a sablethorn tree might be mistaken for a towering, withered tree, its bark a glossy obsidian streaked with veins of dark amber sap that seems to pulse faintly, like a slow heartbeat. But as one draws closer, the illusion falters. Its gnarled branches shift unnaturally, tracing the movement of intruders with deliberate malice. Its roots, long and serpentine, coil beneath the soil, ready to surge forth and entrap unwary prey.   The sablethorn is not alone in its watch. The ground surround it teems with a lattice of fine, sinewy roots that thread through the earth like a subterranean web. These roots detect the faintest vibrations, marking the passage of every step or breath. Those who fail to tread lightly find the earth itself turning against them - roots erupt to bind their ankles, thorns pierce their flesh, and shadowed tendrils snake up to pull them into the sablethorn's crushing grasp.  

The Woods Harken

  Sablethorns do not discriminate between threats. A lumberjack intent on felling a tree or an adventurer carrying a torch may both find themselves deemed enemies. Those who enter its domain without reverence may be met first with warning. The canopy above will darken; a chill will creep into the air. If these signs go unheeded, the sablethorn will rise to action, its shadowy branches extending like emaciated hands, its roots snaking through the soil to ensnare and drag.   Though they are creatures of wrath and defence, sablethorns are not mindless. Druid circles speak of those who have knelt at the roots of these grim protectors and offered tribute - precious relics, rare seeds, or the blood of their enemies - and been granted safe passage.   However, to most, they are nothing more than monsters of the forest's deepest shadows.