Sylvan Incubus Tree

The Sylvan Incubus is a peculiar plant, looking like any other mostly barren tree, and can be found in most forests. Passersby would hardly know it's sinister nature as they just passed by. The tree doesn't look particularly ominous, nor does it ever move or shiver in a manner that would hint that it's a member of the necrofoenae. It has no crimson colored petals, or long prehensile vines that would indicate it preys on any creature. It's leaves are green, like any other tree, and they fall off in the fall and grow back in the spring.

What does make the Sylvan Incubus interesting is the curious fruit that lies about it's root stalks year round.

Any villager or peasant knows not to pick up strange fruit in the forest. And with good reason. The "fruit" at the foot of this tree is not actually a fruit at all - it's a symbiotic fungus that grows from the roots of the tree. The fungus assumes a ball-like shape, with the surface sheen of an apple or pear, though it is completely stalk-less, and tethered to the root by only a few thin strands of stringy material. Thus, it comes away from the ground with little effort. It weighs roughly the same as a common apple, and it smells absolutely delicious with the remarkably firm surface, and a strangely alluring smell. In fact, those who are in even the same forest as this remarkable fungus, can claim that they smell the succulent aroma from the moment they enter the forest - and are drawn, nay, pulled to find out just what is creating such a delicious smell.

Once they find it, of course they feel immediately starved and must sit down on the strangely comfortable roots of the tree above and enjoy a sumptuous treat on the fruit below.

Of course, this is somewhat blemished by the fact that the root-fungus is a highly potent, deadly neurotoxin.

Death is usually quick, after an epileptic onset of acute, violent seizures.

The fruit's job is done - the tree has a tasty snack of it's own now.

With surprising grace, the tree uproots itself, and uses one of it's uprooted stalks to sweep the body underneath the trunk. The trunk effectively sits back down over the body and begins to digest.

Dissections of the Sylvan Incubus lead us to believe that the tree opens it's stomach over the corpse, and lathers it with digestive enzymes which slowly dissolve the body into a nutrient soup, which is absorbed through the roots. There is evidence of a roughly maw-like structure on the underside of the trunk, which is commonly thought by Herbologists to be used to crack open bones to get at the marrow, though that is completely speculative.

What we do know is that the most common victims of the trick of the Sylvan Incubus are children, and city-folk who are caught unaware by the overpowering allure of the tree's "fruit." Forest paths are usually lined with warnings against eating strange fruit, since the presence of the Sylvan Incubus is completely unknown until it's far too late. And even when a hapless victim falls prey to it, he or she is unlikely to tell anyone else about it's whereabouts, or anything else, ever again.