The Tree of Seduction

The Tree of Seduction is a name given to a very old and large rain tree found in the Mango Mine Garden Park, of the town with the same name. It is said to be one of the oldest trees that was planted when the Park was first opened several centuries ago by the officers of the White Empire. Now, you can find the rain trees overlooking the lake, their branches arcing gently over the road towards the surface of the crystal clear waters.

Appearance

The Tree of Seduction is a wide-canopied tree much like the rest of its genus. It stands at an approximate and impressive height of 20 meters, with an unmeasured girth. It is also a rain tree which does not have a symmetrical-shaped crown. Rather, it leans heavily to one side like the rest of its brethren around the lake. Something odd about the tree is that from a certain angle, one can possibly make out what would look like the outline of a woman's back and dress, with hair flowing to one side. However, not everyone who has examined the spot has found the likeness.
There are some who say that the Tree of Seduction has always been there since the Garden Park opened, and in fact, the reason why the Officers of the White Empire decided to turn it into a park was to have easy access. Some records say that instead of the tree being planted when the Garden Park was opened, the trees were already there, and were given just a bit of landscaping and grounds clearing in order to create the airy and shaded pathway that now circles the lake. The trees, for the most part, were left untouched.

Origin

The Tree of Seduction is located at the far end of the lake, towards its midway point if you were to do a circuit of the lake. This particular spot is far enough from the lake that couples and lovers would be assured of a little privacy, and in fact used to be quite a popular spot for amorous couples. It is said that the tree would actually expand during the afternoons, to the point that it was possible for two or more couples to meet amongst its thick branches in relative privacy. However, this is not what gave the tree its nickname.
It is said that sometime during the early 1900s, when the White Empire was at its peak and the country was stable, one could see a handsome young man or beautiful woman standing under the tree. If you were to visit the tree at night, they would appear to you in the guise you felt most comfortable in. Some reported seeing a feminine man, some reported seeing a woman, while others saw someone of the same gender as they. No matter what it was, their questions were always the same; they would invite you for a drink under the moonlight, or if it was raining, to take shelter and trade stories under the tree.
Locals began avoiding the tree the moment they heard the last, because everyone knows that rain tree allows the rain to pass through its leaves, and that is why it has that name. It is said that they would hear out your story with patience and kindness, never passing judgement but offering empathy and kindness instead. Sometimes they may ask if you have a wish, and then give a cryptic remark as to how the wish may come true.

Legend

It is said that one woman got her wish granted directly by the Tree of Seduction. This young woman was the beloved daughter of a mid-ranking officer of the White Empire. She was a woman of some beauty, with a gentle and kind demeanour. However, her father's superior wished to betroth her to his son, a boorish and abusive young man of ill-temper. The mid-ranking officer tried to prevent the engagement but he was "suddenly wounded in the line of duty" and lost consciousness. In desperation to avoid the superior's family and his son, the young woman ran to the Tree of Seduction. She had grown up with the education that the White Empire provided, and so she thought to make herself like a maiden of old and throw herself into the lake to avoid an unwanted match.
It is said she was stopped at the Tree of Seduction by the mysterious individual who had been appearing to all. They asked her kindly what was the matter, and she told them. From across the lake, they could see the torches and hear the bark of the hunting dogs as her father's superior had sent men out to find her. They offered her a choice; escape into the waters, or escape into their embrace. If she accepted their embrace, she would be loved and protected by them, and they would gain an everlasting companion. She took their offer without question.
The myth goes that she climbed the tree and then at an angle where the seekers could not immediately see her, she pressed herself against the tree. The tree seemed to open a part of itself to embrace her, but the joining was not without pain, as the young woman let out low, crying moans. Yet by the time the seekers arrived, there was no sign of her. The next morning, the superior himself came to the tree. In the light of day he saw something yellow from the top of the tree. Sending someone to bring it down, it was the yellow sash of the young woman.
She and the mysterious individual were never seen again.