You’re running around the Abbey grounds at 2:00 AM. Ghostly whispers are everywhere. You’ve got a dog following you. Honestly, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is weirder than people give it credit for. But if you’re trying to crack the mysteries of the grounds, you eventually hit a wall: the Midnight Suns hanging tree. It’s not just a spooky asset. It’s a gatekeeper.
Most players stumble upon it while looking for the Elemental Rods or trying to figure out why Agatha Harkness is being so cryptic. The tree is gnarly. It’s twisted. It looks exactly like something out of a 1690s fever dream, which makes sense given the game’s lore. But finding it is only half the battle. You’ve actually got to understand what the game wants you to do with it, and the UI doesn't always make that clear.
Where the Tree Actually Is
If you’re lost, don’t feel bad. The Abbey map is a circular nightmare of winding paths and repetitive stone walls. To find the tree, you need to head toward the Whispering Wood. Start at the Abbey, head out the main training grounds exit, and push toward the northern section of the map.
You’re looking for a specific clearing. It’s near the area where you find the Air Rod. If you see a tree covered in glowing, spectral nooses or just generally looking like it’s had a very bad century, you’ve arrived. The vibe shifts when you get close. The lighting gets a bit more "Salem."
The Trial of the Hanging Tree
The Midnight Suns hanging tree isn't just for atmosphere. It’s tied directly to the Witch Trials lore and your progression with Agatha. This is where a lot of people get stuck because they think they can just "interact" with it and move on.
Nope.
You need the "Reveal" Word of Power. Without it, the tree is just a prop. Once you have the Word of Power (earned by completing the second Blood Gate challenge), you stand before the tree and use it. This triggers a vision. You see the past. You see the injustice that happened on these grounds centuries ago. It's heavy stuff for a game that also lets you play video games with Tony Stark.
The game uses this location to bridge the gap between the modern "Super Hero" story and the "Midnight Sun" occult history. You’ll notice the names on the nearby graves or the items scattered around the base of the trunk. Those aren't random. They link back to the journals you’ve been collecting. If you haven't been reading the journals, honestly, you're missing out on about 40% of the world-building.
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Why the Lore Matters
Agatha Harkness isn’t telling you everything. She’s a mentor, sure, but she’s a mentor with a lot of baggage. The tree represents the darkest part of her history—the part where the "normal" world collided with the "mystical" world and people died for it.
When you use the Reveal power, you aren't just opening a path. You’re uncovering the memory of the witches who were executed there. This is a recurring theme in the game: the Hunter is the only one who can "see" the truth of the Abbey because they are the bridge between Lilith’s darkness and the Avengers' light.
- Check your Words of Power. If "Open" is all you have, turn around. You're too early.
- Look for the hanging charms. They react to your presence.
- Read the nearby inscriptions. There is a specific document nearby that triggers a dialogue prompt with Agatha back at the library.
Common Misconceptions About the Location
I've seen people online claiming there's a legendary chest hidden inside the tree. That’s not true. There is a chest near it, but the tree itself is a narrative gate, not a loot crate. Another weird rumor is that you have to bring Charlie the dog here at a specific time of night. While Charlie is a very good girl and helps find secrets, she doesn't "unlock" the tree. Only the Hunter's progress through the Trials does that.
The pacing of the Abbey exploration is tied to the main story. You can't just power-run the map in the first five hours. The game forces you to wait until the story demands you grow stronger. This frustrates some players, but it keeps the mystery of the Midnight Suns hanging tree intact until it actually matters for the plot.
Navigating the Whispering Wood
The woods are confusing. Seriously. I’ve spent way too long running in circles because every rocky outcropping looks the same under the moonlight. Here is a quick tip: keep your map open and look for the "Fog of War" gaps. The path to the tree is tucked away behind a stone archway that looks like it’s a dead end but actually opens up once you get close enough.
If you find yourself at the Standing Stones, you’ve gone a bit too far east. Backtrack toward the center-north. The tree is situated in a bit of a depression in the landscape, almost like a natural amphitheater of sorrow.
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Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you want to clear this section and never have to worry about it again, follow this sequence. First, finish the story mission that takes you to the second Blood Gate. It’s the one involving the "Atar" trial. Once you have the Reveal Word of Power (represented by the "eye" icon), teleport to the Whispering Wood fast-travel point.
Walk toward the tree and wait for the prompt. Use the power. Don't just run away once the cutscene or dialogue ends. Look at the ground. Often, a "Witch Trail" collectible or a recipe for the cauldron will spawn only after you’ve used the power at the site.
Next, head back to Agatha. Mentioning the tree to her unlocks a significant chunk of her friendship dialogue and moves the "Senior Midnight Suns" questline forward. This is the fastest way to get the moon-related rewards that help with late-game crafting.
Basically, treat the tree as a milestone. Once you've revealed its secrets, the rest of the northern map opens up, including the path to the more advanced trials and the final resting places of the original coven. It’s a turning point in the game’s "detective" layer.
Don't forget to check the map for the "yellow" icon that indicates a new lore entry has appeared. Sometimes the game updates the journal after you visit the hanging tree, but it doesn't always give you a big flashy notification. Keep your eyes peeled and your magic ready.