Bloodbark

A lot of cultures symbolises red with danger, war, and other negative conotations. I would say it is the same in the case of trees: seeing one with such vivid red is a sign of warning and any place having any would be better burning the whole place, cause nature takes it's toll too much with the bloodbark. I can safely say the term of treehuggers didn't lasted long when the tree itself brings back your friend as husk of what they were, hungry for your lifeblood like a root to water.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The bloodbark differs from other tree as it's structures feels more... alive. It is capable to bend like it had a spine, resulting in numerous crackles sounds. It can also use large branches as failing arms depending on it's original structure. Variant includes those that comes from a weeping willow, which can use it's branches as whips to flaggelate and grapples foes. Some variant are known to also have the look of a large mouth in it's center, which fragmented bark acting as simulated fangs/teeth.

Genetics and Reproduction

A bloodbark does not reproduce. However it manifests in a unique way, when blood has been spilled in very high quantities, should has a mass sacrifice, a battle with several casualties, of if the trunk was used by a Flesh Drainers to secure a supply of blood or let an egg grow inside of it. This would cause over time (many years) for the tree to become a bloodbark, gaining a new taste for survival through consumption of blood.
The bloodbark can create some facsimile of undead by inoculating some of their roots and cursed blood into dead organism, making them Earth's rejects : which will move and attack any other living organism to try and consume blood.

Ecology and Habitats

Any forest which inhabits living organisms.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Hemovore. The bloodbark consume solely blood, draining it from any organism that contains any. If the bloodbark is sated for it's size, it will sometimes create spawns (Earth's rejects) to gather most blood in regions farther than it's location. Sometimes, it will even inoculate other trees and connect through it to keep a share of the blood the new bloodbark may manage to feed on.

Biological Cycle

The bloodbark will hibernate during cold period if the local fauna generally also acts the same in order to reduce it's need of consumption. This is less common if humanoids frequently goes nearby.

Additional Information

Domestication

Impossible to domesticate

Average Intelligence

Above animal/Limited : the bloodbark is able to detect early when a source of blood is contaminated, and thus is able to create a blood clot inside one of it's branch to make it sever, not reaching the base of the tree. It is also capable of limited intelligence like waiting for preys to scatter when possible.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Bloodbark do not have any regular detection capacity, outside of touch sense (from it's roots), which can also detect nearby prey through heat detection. Their heat detection can also transfer to their Earth's rejects if they connect directly through them by their parasitic roots. This allows the bloodbark to 'borrow' the vision of their husks they control.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Two species shares the bloodbark's capacities:

• The fleshdrainer: why use of the trees originally helps it bring offspring and feed on. It will continue to feed on a bloodbark as the creature can avoid the roots by jumping over nearby trees, if capable. the bloodbark can also profit off a fleshdrainer in it's biome, as it can connect its roots to a tree which contains live preys of the fleshdrainers. Rare are the occurences when one kills the other, but they can profit of another.
• Mosquitoes/Stirges: small insects that consumes blood can be interest into feeding inside the tree and even set residence in it. This can cause the parasitic symbiose to mutate the nature of those insects and create tumor-like pustules on the trees, which will later create much more dangerous vermin.

Lifespan

Unknown

Conservation Status

No protection. Bloodbark are considered high level menaces and destruction of them when possible is heavily recommended.