Hollowhusk Trees

"I lost something in that grove. I just can't remember what."

The Hollowhusk is a towering, lifeless thing, its bark smooth as bone, its leaves brittle and black. It does not spread by seed, nor does it flower, it simply appears, where nothing should grow, where something else once stood. Those who linger too close to its roots feel their memories unraveling, the edges of their thoughts fraying like old cloth. Stand near it too long, and you may forget why you came. Touch it, and you may forget who you are. By the time you step away, it may be too late—the Hollowhusk does not just steal memory. It consumes it. Those who lose too much to it often find themselves wandering the land without names, without pasts, without purpose. Some say that if you listen closely to the creaking of its branches, you can hear all the things it has taken, whispering from the hollow within.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A pale, towering tree, its bark smooth as bone, its branches clawing at the sky. Unlike other trees, it does not bear rings—it is ageless. Its leaves, black and brittle, crumble at the slightest touch but regrow within moments, whispering softly as they reform, though no wind stirs them. Some claim to have seen words faintly carved into its bark, written in languages long dead. Yet, when they return to prove it, the markings are gone, and so is the memory of ever having seen them. There is nothing inside the Hollowhusk. No core, no heartwood. Just emptiness. Those who have cut into its bark find that the inner wood is a perfect, bottomless black, absorbing all light. If a piece is taken, it withers to dust within hours, and its former owner forgets ever having held it.

Genetics and Reproduction

It does not spread by seed. It does not bloom, does not flower. It simply appears, where something else once stood. More disturbingly, there are reports, though unverifiable, that a Hollowhusk grows in the exact spot where a person was last seen, before never seen again.

Growth Rate & Stages

It does not grow. It simply exists. Its height, its shape, its presence remain unchanging across decades, perhaps centuries.

Ecology and Habitats

It does not need nourishment. It does not need light. It does not even need soil. Hollow Husks have been found growing on the ruins of collapsed buildings, on barren tundras, even within the stone floors of ancient tombs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

It does not feed on flesh or water. It feeds on memory.

Biological Cycle

It is eternal.

Behaviour

The Hollowhusk does not act. It does not reach for you, does not harm you directly. But if you stand too close, if you linger near its roots, you will forget. At first, just small things. Where you left your bag. Why you walked into the clearing. But stay too long, and you may forget your name, your home, your past. The effect is slow, creeping. People who have made camp near the tree often leave their belongings behind, wandering away with a blank expression, never returning. Some who have been found later swear they were searching for something, but they can never remember what. Some say that if you carve a name into its bark, it will remember for you. But those who have tried this often return to find a name they do not recognize. More chilling still, there are accounts of travelers who left a mark and, upon returning, found not a name but a message: You were never here.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It does not see. It does not hear. It simply takes.

Scientific Name

Arbor oblivis

Origin/Ancestry

A tree that should not be. No one knows where the first one grew, nor how they continue to appear.

Conservation Status

None. Few even realize how dangerous it is until they have already lost too much.