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The Lonely Mendicant's Tree

by Hulen

"If you watch it close, you can see the branches move when you walk by."
"Dare ya to break one."
"What are you, stupid?"

- A discussion between street urchins regarding the tree

"Yes, I've heard the stories about the tree, but it's so good for holding up the boards we use for examples."

- Sable Blossom of the Cinnabar Chalk Initiative

The Lonely Mendicant's Tree stands in Fish Mail Avenue, and it is the center of many urban legends told by the street children of Cinnabar. It is rather unimpressive; it's simply a short, stooping tree, so named because it appears to hold its branches out, begging. While the fact that these brances are bowed low might lead one to believe that they are weak, they are surprisingly sturdy, and the Cinnabar Chalk Initiative uses it to hold boards for art lessons. It is the only tree in the street, and has been so as long as anyone can remember.

The street children believe that the two 'begging' branches move to face anyone who walks nearby, and also believe that anyone who harms the tree will be harmed in return. The local adults do not believe these tales, but the tree is safe nonetheless, because they might be true.

Rumors

• Some children have claimed to hear the tree whispering and seen it moving to face them when they walked past, although they refuse to tell what it said.
• A more recent children's tale tells of a boy who snapped a branch off on a dare. The next day, one of his arms was gone, replaced in the night by a bloody stump.

Secret

• The Lonely Mendicant's Tree is actually a bound wood elemental. It was bound long ago by a sorcerer of power whom it annoyed; it is forced to be a tree until a Wood-Aspected Hearthstone is placed in its branches. It can sense nearby movement, and stretches its branches out in case a generous passerby will place such a Hearthstone in them. In the hopes of getting gratitude (for it isn't a very bright elemental), it is willing to hold anything placed in its branches.