Weeping Willow (Rot-Variant)

Salix lacrimans corruptus / “The Crying Trees” / “Sorrow-Wood”

“The willows weep for what was lost. Or what will be. Or they’re just corrupted trees. Either way, they mark places you shouldn’t be.”
—Murk traveler’s warning

Quick Reference

Weeping Willow (Rot-Variant) - The Crying Trees

Description

Weeping willows infected by the Rot are among the most unsettling plants in the Aetherium—trees that literally weep dark fluid and emanate faint whispering sounds, creating an atmosphere of profound sorrow and dread. They mark heavily corrupted zones where the Rot has transformed nature into something alien, beautiful, and deeply wrong.

The trees retain the basic willow form: drooping branches that hang like curtains, creating enclosed spaces beneath. But corruption has changed everything else. The bark is black and weeps dark fluid that runs down the trunk like tears. The leaves are purple-black and rustle with sounds that aren’t quite wind. And if you stand beneath the branches and listen carefully, you hear whispers—faint, almost inaudible, in a language that predates human speech.

The Weeping Halls settlement is named for a grove of these trees, where Sister Morrigan established her Rot-Touched sanctuary. She claims the trees are beautiful, that their weeping is cathartic, that the whispers are the Voice Beneath speaking truth. Orthodox clergy say the trees are corruption incarnate, that their beauty is a lie, that the whispers are poison. Both might be right.

Physical Characteristics

The Tree

Structure: - Height: 10-15 meters (mature) - Trunk: 1-2 meters diameter - Branches: Drooping, curtain-like - Root system: Extensive, corrupted - Overall form: Recognizable as willow but wrong

Bark: - Black (absolute, light-absorbing) - Rough texture (like burned wood) - Weeps dark fluid constantly - Warm to touch (5-10°C above ambient) - Smells like iron and decay

The “Tears”: - Dark fluid (black or deep purple) - Viscous, oily - Runs down trunk continuously - Pools at base - Mildly corrosive (damages skin on prolonged contact) - Smells like copper and sorrow (if sorrow had smell)

Branches: - Long, drooping (3-5 meters) - Flexible, strong - Black or deep purple - Create enclosed spaces beneath - Sway without wind

Leaves: - Purple-black coloration - Willow-shaped but wrong texture - Rustle constantly (even in still air) - Sound like whispers - Fall rarely (tree keeps them year-round)

Roots: - Extensive, corrupted - Break through stone - Spread corruption to soil - Difficult to remove - Anchor tree firmly

The Whispers

What People Hear

Characteristics: - Faint, almost inaudible - Constant (never stops) - Language: Unknown (pre-human?) - Tone: Sad, pleading, warning - Volume: Increases with proximity

Content (What listeners report): - Names of the dead - Warnings about future - Secrets they shouldn’t know - Personal fears spoken aloud - The Voice Beneath (faintly)

Who Hears: - Everyone (to some degree) - Rot-Touched hear clearly - Uncorrupted hear faintly - Some claim to understand words - Most just feel unease

Effects: - Psychological distress - Unease, fear, sorrow - Some become obsessed (listening for hours) - Prolonged exposure: Corruption risk - Most flee quickly

Theories on Origin

The Trees Are Speaking: - Corruption gave trees consciousness - They mourn their transformation - Whispers are their grief

The Voice Beneath: - Trees are conduits - Voice speaks through them - Whispers are its words - Dangerous to listen

The Dead: - Spirits trapped in corrupted trees - Whispers are their voices - Trying to communicate - Seeking release

Acoustic Phenomenon: - Just wind through leaves - Pareidolia (hearing patterns in noise) - No actual words - Psychological, not real

Truth: Unknown (probably never will be)

Ecology and Corruption

Pre-Corruption State

Original Species: Normal weeping willows - Grew near water - Beautiful, graceful trees - No supernatural properties - Common pre-Shattering

Transformation: - Exposed to Rot (Stage 2-3) - Gradual corruption over years - Bark darkens, tears begin - Whispers emerge - Becomes what it is now

Current State

Stable Corruption: - Trees don’t progress to Stage 4 - Remain in Stage 2-3 indefinitely - Don’t spread Rot aggressively - But don’t heal either

Reproduction: - Seeds (corrupted, only grow in corrupted soil) - Cuttings (work, spread corruption) - Natural spread: Slow - Human cultivation: Rare (why would you?)

Lifespan: - Unknown (oldest specimens ~80 years) - May live indefinitely (corruption preserves?) - Or may suddenly die (corruption consumes?) - Monitoring ongoing

Ecological Role

In Corrupted Zones: - Provides shade (rare in Murk) - Creates habitat (creatures shelter beneath) - Indicates corruption level (Stage 2-3) - Spreads corruption slowly (roots)

Interactions: - Rot-Beasts shelter beneath branches - Corrupted plants grow nearby - Aether-vines climb trunks - Creates micro-ecosystem

The Weeping Halls Grove

Location

Description: Largest grove of weeping willows, 50+ trees

Location: Deep Murk, Sister Morrigan’s sanctuary

Size: 200m diameter grove

Access: Dangerous (deep Murk, Rot exposure)

Population: ~30 Rot-Touched live beneath trees

The Grove Itself

Atmosphere: - Deeply unsettling to uncorrupted - Peaceful to Rot-Touched (they claim) - Constant whispers - Dark (branches block light) - Tears pool on ground (ankle-deep in places)

The Sanctuary: - Buildings beneath trees - Rot-Touched community - Sister Morrigan’s chapel - Meditation spaces - Living quarters

Why Here: - Morrigan says trees are sacred - Whispers are Voice Beneath speaking - Tears are “sorrow of transformation” - Grove is holy site (to her followers)

Morrigan’s Interpretation

Her Claim: > “The willows weep for humanity’s fear. They mourn not what was lost, but what we refuse to become. The whispers are truth we won’t hear. The tears are grief for our stubbornness. Stand beneath them. Listen. Let them teach you.”

Orthodox Response: > “The trees are corrupted. The whispers are lies. The tears are poison. Sister Morrigan has been deceived by the Rot. Do not listen to her. Do not enter the grove.”

Dangers

Physical

The Tears: - Mildly corrosive (skin contact) - Causes rash, irritation - Prolonged exposure: Burns - Don’t drink (toxic)

Concealment: - Branches hide dangers - Rot-Beasts shelter beneath - Can’t see threats until close - Ambush risk high

Rot Exposure: - Proximity to trees = corruption risk - Airborne (breathing near them) - Contact (touching tears) - Cumulative (time matters)

Psychological

The Whispers: - Disturbing even to strong-willed - Some become obsessed - Listen too long = corruption risk - Hard to leave once you start listening

Atmosphere: - Oppressive, sad, wrong - Induces despair - Some report suicidal thoughts - Psychological toll significant

The Pull: - Some feel drawn to stay - “The trees are calling me” - Resist or become trapped - Morrigan’s followers didn’t resist

Uses (Limited)

Alchemical Research

Kael Greythorn’s Work: - Studying the tears (carefully) - Analyzing whisper phenomenon - Seeking to understand stable corruption - Dangerous research

Findings: - Tears contain unknown compounds - Whispers are real (acoustic measurements) - Trees are alive (in disturbing way) - Mechanism unknown

As Warning

Corruption Marker: - Presence indicates heavy Rot - Avoid areas with weeping willows - Used by scouts (mark dangerous zones) - Navigation aid (negative—avoid)

Encounter Scenarios

Navigate the Grove

Setup: Party must pass through weeping willow grove

Challenges: - Constant whispers (disturbing) - Tears (avoid contact) - Hidden dangers (Rot-Beasts) - Psychological toll - Corruption risk

Atmosphere: Tense, creepy, memorable

The Listener

Setup: NPC has been listening to whispers for days

Complication: They’re becoming corrupted - Won’t leave - Insist whispers are important - Party must extract them - Or let them stay?

Moral Choice: Force them to leave or respect their choice

The Sacred Grove

Setup: Visit Sister Morrigan’s sanctuary

Complication: Beneath the weeping willows - Deeply unsettling location - Rot-Touched everywhere - Whispers constant - Must maintain composure

Challenge: Complete objective without succumbing to corruption or fear

Related Topics

• The Weeping Halls - Named for grove
• Sister Morrigan - Lives beneath them
• The Murk - Primary habitat
• The Rot - Corruption source
• The Voice Beneath - Whisper source?

In-World Documents

Warning Sign (Edge of Weeping Halls Grove)

WARNING

WEEPING WILLOW GROVE AHEAD
HEAVILY CORRUPTED
EXTREME DANGER

Hazards: - Rot exposure (airborne) - Psychological effects (whispers) - Concealed threats (Rot-Beasts) - Corruption risk (cumulative)

Do not enter unless absolutely necessary.
Do not listen to the whispers.
Do not touch the tears.
Do not stay longer than required.

You have been warned.

Sister Morrigan’s Teaching

Come. Stand beneath the willows.

Listen to them weep. Listen to them whisper.

They mourn for you. For your fear. For your refusal to see truth.

The tears are not poison—they are sorrow made manifest. The sorrow of transformation resisted.

The whispers are not lies—they are truth you won’t hear. The truth that change is inevitable, that fighting it causes suffering.

Stand here. Listen. Let the willows teach you.

Let go of fear. Embrace what you’re becoming.

The trees have. Why can’t you?

Orthodox Clergy Response

Sister Morrigan claims the weeping willows are sacred. She is wrong.

They are corrupted. The tears are Rot-tainted. The whispers are the Voice Beneath.

Do not listen to her. Do not enter the grove. Do not believe the trees have anything to teach except how corruption deceives.

The willows weep because they are dying. The whispers are their death rattle.

There is no beauty in corruption. Only lies that look like truth.

Stay away.

“Weeping willows corrupted by the Rot are perfect symbol of the Murk itself: beautiful in alien way, dangerous in subtle way, and deeply, profoundly wrong. They weep tears that burn. They whisper words that corrupt. They create spaces that feel sacred but are poisoned. Sister Morrigan sees them as holy. Orthodox clergy sees them as damned. The truth is probably somewhere between: they’re corrupted trees that happen to be hauntingly beautiful and terrifyingly dangerous simultaneously. Like everything in the Murk, they’re both more and less than they appear. And like everything in the Murk, they’ll kill you if you’re not careful.”
—From Flora of the Aetherium by Botanist Scholar