Warped Trees

Once a disturbingly common occurrence across the entire continent, the places where these trees grow look no different save for the complete lack of anything living within reach of branch or root.
They were known to not only suck the very essence from the surrounding foliage, but also fed on passing animals or people, luring them into their clutches. Occasionally, this calling was what alerted the hedgewitches of old, but it was far more common for them to be warned by nearby trees, who expressed something close to terror at the presence of their warped neighbour. Unchecked, these trees could thrive for centuries past their species' normal lifespan.

Causes

Despite the hedgewitches being able to easily identify these trees by the wrongness they emitted, there is no record of them knowing the source behind the warping. It is believed by the current Coven of Hedgewitches that the trees were corrupted by absorbing a toxin through their roots.
Ancient Domian documents unearthed from a preservation dome found at the ruined site atop The Gilded Cage by Darshan vris Mhanek suggest that deposits of infitialis were to blame for the corruption. Whilst no one is willing to test this old theory, it would explain why there have been fewer sightings since human occupation and the mining of infitialis.

Treatment

The only way to deal with the threat these trees pose is through complete eradication. This means burning such a tree all the way to the roots and salting the ground to ensure no new growth can occur for a very long time. In the most extreme cases, the dwarves were known to wall off the area, marking the outer surfaces with warnings.

The Twisted Willow sitting at the centre of The Gilded Cage

Type

Chemical Compound

Origin

Natural

Rarity

Extremely Rare