Lilith Trees

Commonly referred to as “Blood Trees” or “Sucker Trees.”

Lilith Trees release an alluring pheromone that draws in potential prey. People who have successfully escaped from them describe hallucinating what they most desire. Starving people might see food. Someone dying of thirst might see a lovely flowing spring. But most people see extraordinarily beautiful people.

Depending on the person they mean to draw in, the appearance of these “Liliths” can vary widely. Some people see hyper-sexual seductresses. Some see innocent beacons of purity. Some Liliths even bear the faces of departed loved ones.

Liliths are not creatures in themselves. They are not sentient. They are purely a product of the tree’s pheromones on the mind of its prey. Many of them (especially the abstract, idealized ones) do not speak, but others (namely those that look like real people) may communicate as part of the lure.

The Lilith Tree has a series of specialized roots that lash out and snatch its prey. Once the Lilith draws the person close enough to the tree, these roots grab and constrict the victim, dragging it back to the mouth at the tree’s base where it is promptly swallowed.

You can tell when a Lilith Tree has eaten recently because its leaves turn a bloody shade of red and snow-white flowers bloom in its branches. It is both beautiful and morbid. Once the tree has feasted, it becomes sated and less aggressive for a while. It is safer (though not exactly safe) to approach them at this time. The tree’s flowers as well as its sap are powerful alchemical ingredients.

One of the most common ways that adventurers protect themselves from Lilith Trees is to carry a vial of Stantid Oil. In its pure form, it has an overpowering scent that is enough to make some people sick, but the fumes are very effective at countering the effects of the tree’s pheromones. Inhale, but not too deeply, or you’ll pass out.