Grieving Tree

A grieving tree is a giant skeletal tree made of the purest white marble, weighing thousands of pounds. One of the greatest inventions of the daashor Taruuzh, a grieving tree is part execution device, part torture device, a nearly inescapable prison that sustains victims on the very edge of death. The secrets to the tree's construction were lost with Taruuzh's death, as was the art of controlling them. To attune to a grieving tree, a character will have to rediscover these forgotten techniques. The grieving tree has the following features.

Grab. While you are within 120 feet of the tree, you can use an action to target a creature within 20 feet of the tree. The target must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw as the tree reaches down to snare them. On a failed saving throw, the tree captures the creature within its branches, dealing 6d6 points of magical piercing damage, and the creature is stunned until it's released from the tree.

Eviscerate. While you are within 120 feet of the tree, you can use an action to command it to eviscerate its unfortunate prisoners, draining their life and blood as the branches shake and quiver. All creatures stunned by the tree take 8d6 points of magical piercing damage, and half of the total damage dealt is added to the tree's Lingering Life pool.

Answering for Their Crimes. While you are within 120 feet of the tree, you can use an action to cast speak with dead on the corpse of a creature imprisoned on the tree, without expending a spell slot or requiring material components. When you cast the spell in this manner, the corpse is compelled to speak truthfully.

Prisoners of the Tree. The tree can hold up to four creatures (or their corpses) at one time. If it is at full capacity, you must release a prisoner before imprisoning another.

Lingering Life. The tree has a Lingering Life pool of hit points. The pool begins at 20 hit points, and gains hit points when the tree uses its Eviscerate ability, to a maximum capacity of 200 hit points. As long as there are hit points in this pool, whenever an imprisoned creature drops to 0 hit points but is still alive, that creature is healed by 1d4+1 hit points and the same amount is subtracted from the Lingering Life pool.

Freeing a Prisoner. While you are within 120 feet of the tree, you can use a bonus action to command it to release one of its prisoners. Additionally, another creature that is within 5 feet of a prisoner can attempt to free it from the tree by making a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, the prisoner is freed, and both creatures take 3d6 magical piercing damage. On a failure, the prisoner remains on the tree, and both creatures take the same damage as on a success.