Cultivated in the darkest of feywild thickets on a steady diet of terrified mortals, the deadwood turret is a massive member of its suffering species. The tree’s sickly canopy spreads out just over forty feet tall and its writhing roots cover around twenty feet around its equally thick trunk. The interior of the deadwood turret has been hallowed out, first by direfly hives and then waning animus artisans and hive crofters. This process diminishes the deadwood’s mind, making it easier to control and even more aggressive than before. Both are fantastic traits for the massive plant’s purpose; that as a mobile keep and siege engine for the waning host. Sylvan runes crackle along its truck, clustering around openings thirsty roots and twisted branches. Waxen growths leftover from direfly hives provide parapets for fey soldiers to rain arrows and magic down on their foes. Hollowed cavities serve as barracks for an army on the move. The deadwood turret’s strongest branches prove effective at toppling castle walls. The rudimentary face on its trunk alternates between agony and rage never-ending.

Deadwood Heart: At the center of the deadwood turret is a heavy-guarded room, warded by an internal thicket. The heightened security protects the towering deadwood’s heart. Not that the organ originally belonged to the tree. After being ripped from the chest of a captured fey foe waning court sorcerers enchanted the still-beating heart with the foulest of magic and grafted it into the deadwood turret as it grew. The sinister enchantment allowed the tree to continue to flourish despite the infection eating it from within, and while it is intact prevents it from dying as well. Only be destroying the Deadwood Heart can the living tower be permanently destroyed. As a lucky side effect, however, its roots no longer drain the life of dying creatures around it. Most mortal armies find this change of little comfort.

Xylem Rune: Carved from the heartwood of the deadwood turret these palm-sized disks allow one to access the runic xylem within the lumbering siege engine. By simply pressing it to one of the runic lines throughout the interior the holder is teleported directly to the parapet or exit portal they desire. Only a handful of waning chevaliers and decorated troops hold these precious keys and they will go to great lengths to recover them if stolen. As a precaution, the xylem runes are unable to travel to the chamber containing the deadwood turret’s heart.

Deadwood Turret

Gargantuan plant, lawful evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 187 (15d12+90)

Speed 40ft

Str 14 Dex 7 Con 22 Int 5 Wis 14 Cha 16

Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +7

Damage Immunities: lighting

Damage Resistances thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons

Damage Vulnerabilities: fire

Senses darkvision 160ft, passive Perception 12.

Languages sylvan.

Challenge 13 ( 13000 XP)

Ceraceous Parapets:

Every deadwood turret has several spaces throughout its body used for housing and day-to-day activities of the fey host inhabiting it. While most of these rooms are unimportant the giant tree has four ceraceous parapets on its trunk or limbs. Up to four creatures may use a ceraceous parapet as a point to see the area around the tree and make attacks. These creatures have half-cover against all attacks made against them.

For each 45 points of damage the deadwood turret takes one ceraceous parapet is destroyed. Any creatures in a ceraceous parapet when it is destroyed must make a DC 19 Dexterity save or have their hit points reduced to 0 and begin dying.

Whenever the deadwood turret completes a long rest any destroyed ceraceous parapets regrow as long as the tree has its Regeneration trait.

Magic Resistance:

The deadwood turret has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration:

At the start of each of its turns the deadwood turret heals 20 hit points. If the deadwood heart is destroyed the deadwood turret loses this trait. The deadwood heart can only be restored via a wish or similar spell or effect.

Runic Xylem:

A creature within the deadwood turret may use its movement action to access a portal and exit the massive tree. The creature appears in any unoccupied square adjacent to the tree. A creature may enter the deadwood turret if they end their movement adjacent to the tree provided they are fey or have a xylem rune in their possession.

In addition, a creature within a tree with a xylem rune may use its movement to any of intact ceraceous parapets throughout the deadwood turret.

Siege Monster:

The deadwood turret deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions

Multiattack:

The deadwood turret can make two slam attacks as one action.

Slam:

Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 30ft., one target. Hit: 33 (4d12+7) bludgeoning damage.

Lob Hive:

Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 50/100 ft., one target.

Hit. 28 (6d6+7) bludgeoning damage. If the attack hits a swarm of direflies appears in the square the lobbed hive hits.

Direfly Swarm: (Recharge 6)

Non-fey creatures within 60ft of the deadwood turret must make a DC 16 Charisma save or suffer disadvantage on all attack and skill rolls for the next minute. At the end of each turn the creature may repeat this save, the effect ending on success.