The Red Pines

The Red Pines are one of the stranger anomalies in the forest surrounding Maple River.
In a small clearing in the Tall Pines travelers have foretold of three tall pine trees with needles of crimson red, bark that resembles pale skin and a strange moss that is a dark red and blackish color.
Only a few people of the town have ever claimed to have seen the Red Pines but those who have will tell you that there was something very strange about them. Every single observer felt as if they were watched and one of them even swears that they saw the moss on one of the pines consume a large buck as if it was a predator.
The history of the Red Pines go all the way back to the natives who originally made this place there home, in their mythology they spoke of three evil spirits whom were banished into the bark of three large pines. These spirits were spirits of destruction and there only purpose was to bring chaos and death to wherever they traveled. In a tale passed down between the natives, they claim a great ritual was preformed and when it was over the needles of the three pines took on the color of blood.
Some researches have ventured to Maple River to study the myth but they were unsuccessful in finding the Red Pines. It seems that only those who are not looking for them tend to find them.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The anatomy of these trees are a mystery to even the most intelligent residents of Maple Woods. They resemble that of a regular pine tree but with a few major differences. instead of evergreen needles the pines of this tree are a crimson red and it's bark very pale, almost as if it was bleached. Along the trunk of the tree, underneath the bark, skinny vein like vines of bright crimson travels from the moss around it's base up and around the tree.
The base of these trees usually have an crimson and black moss growing around it. The moss usually wraps itself around the trees trunk.
In previous myths the native people believed that Red Pines lured in it's prey with the sweet scent of it's moss.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Some people in the town of Maple River believe these trees to be sentient and those who have approached their grove have been reported to have had a weird feeling of being watched as they moved closer the area.

Scientific Name

Crimson Pinus

Origin/Ancestry

Pinus

Conservation Status

While not conserved in the traditional sense, the people of Maple River know to stay clear of the Red Pines.