Old Gods of Appalachia
Haint trees were once normal trees, but over the years and decades of their lives, powerful events under, around, and beneath them imbued them with supernatural power. Emotions and incidental magic from weddings, murders, blood sacrifices, human and animal burials, funerals, hidden treasures, suicides, and marriage proposals seep into the tree, changing its heart like a strange seed and giving it an aura that perpetuates its power, drawing other people and creatures to provide it with more of the energy that created it.
Those affected by a haint tree usually don't know it's affecting them. A family picnic turns to arguments. Near-strangers meet up for a kiss and end up getting engaged. Burying one beloved pet leads to similar burials and remembrance offerings. Initially the tree attracts all kinds of energy—good or evil—but eventually the balance tips one way or the other, and thereafter the tree only draws things aligned with itself.
Haint trees grow more powerful over time—for a very old, very potent tree, increase its level and other stats proportionately to that change.
A creature sensitive to the supernatural world can usually feel the presence of a haint ree up to a very long distance away, although they'll have to search a bit to find the tree responsible for this sensation.
Belongs To: The Green, the Inner Dark, or something else
Motive: Gather and enhance emotional and magical energy
Environment: Woods
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Armor: 2 (0 against fire)
Movement: None
Modifications: Speed defense as level 3 due to size and immobility (see below); Might defense as level 6
Combat: Haint trees are immobile and can't easily make direct attacks against anything that would harm them. At best, once per round a tree might manage to drop a heavy limb on an attacker or cause them to trip over a root and hit their head. In addition to this attack, it can direct its power on one creature within long range, hindering their actions by three steps for as long as the tree maintains this focus.
Most haint trees are watched over by allied creatures (whether that's a group of animals, a concerned witch, or things from beneath the earth) and any attack on the tree quickly draws these creatures to protect it.
A haint tree enhances creatures and tasks that match its heart. For example, a tree aligned with the Green enhances healing, growth, and change, and one aligned with the Inner Dark intensifies murder, corruption, and defilement. Within long range of the tree, these creatures and tasks are eased, or by two steps within short range.
Interaction: A haint tree's awareness is simple and primitive; communicating with one feels like an empathic exchange of emotions. They recognize hearts that are similar to their own and are inclined to help them, and they oppose contrary energies and entities.
Use: A difficult curse-breaking ritual is likely to succeed only if done under the branches of a haint tree of the Green. A haint tree of the Inner Dark is the center of a blighted grove where sickness and pain take on physical form.
Loot: A root or branch from a haint tree—especially one given freely without killing the plant—can be a powerful token or crafting component for a cypher or artifact. Some of the tree's fruits or nuts might even be cyphers without needing any crafting.
Connection: A character's parents were married near a haint tree. Someone the character knew is buried under one.
GM Intrusions: An ally of the tree (such as a bear, a local witch, or a wrongness formed from bones buried nearby) appears and immediately threatens or attacks the character.
The character is overwhelmed by memories and emotions of past events projected by the tree, stunning them for a few rounds until they succeed at an Intellect defense roll.