Arborians

A young Arborian is nearly indistinguishable from a normal tree when at rest

Walking Trees'

Arborians, (Arborianus Jatamansi) nicknamed 'walking trees' inhabit a planet known as Arboria Prime that orbits the large hot blue star, Alpha Regnus. They have no gender as any of them can flower and pollinate themselves to produce a single large round seed. They encourage cross pollination however for genetic diversity.

Arborians are unusual in that they possess a metabolism and body structure that has both animal and plant characteristics with a thick tough outside skin of cellulose. They do posess chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis when sleeping in bright sunlight with plenty of UV rays.

Correct pronoun usage would be s/he (singular), hir (singular possessive), they, them (plural), and their(plural possessive). When in doubt 'it' can be used, although that conveys connotations of non-sentience.

Physical Appearance

Tough durable rubbery cellulose skin covers their bodies and limbs such as that found on dolphins or elephants but slightly wrinkled and range in color from white and beige, golden yellow, to terra cotta to brown black in color. Arborians have lots of root legs that join together at a trunk that is approximately at middle of the thigh on an average human.

The top part is composed of upper tree branches with leaves such as those of a quaking asp that dance when speaking. The breezy whispery voice is generated through the leaves themselves by vibrating them at specific speeds to achieve various frequencies and sounds somewhat musical. ‘Leaves’ or bladder like structures can be silvery green, dark green, or greenish blue. The main trunk is roughly 2.5 feet and connects the ‘legs’ or root-like structures to ‘arms’ or branches. Overall height at full growth can reach approximately 8 feet tall, though some of the elders have chosen to grow taller. Main branches that at rest stretch out anywhere from 90 - 135 degrees and can number from four to seven, but are flexible and can bend down easily or reach straight up.

Arborians see using vine-like appendages with eyes at the terminating end that can open or close and can number anywhere from 3 to 5. These are attached at the crotch of the main branches or 'arms.' The eyes are often pigmented brown, green, golden yellow or blue and can look at times startlingly human with dark pupils at the center. They can extend from 1.5 to 2 feet in length depending upon the age and height of the individual.

Hearing

Arborians can hear by detecting vibrations through touch and the air. No ears or other hearing appendages are visible.

Arborians can generate notes and sounds besides that within human range. These include subsonic and ultrasonic as well as detecting sound in these ranges. These can be used to communicate for hundreds of miles planetside and are one way the Arborian people communicate long distances.

Cultural Practices

Seeds are planted in a grove or nursery by the parent. Upon awareness and sentience after germination and development of locomotion, the young are raised in a group and taught by local elders, often the parent creatures. Arborians have a strong code of ethics, and will not cheat, steal, murder or lie, though they will act to defend themselves in instances of life threatening danger, and are dangerous when provoked due to the crushing damage their roots can inflict.

The Arborian society has a biological warp capability with giant sentient beings that are able to travel at warp speeds and are shaped like gigantic seed pods or kernals. These creatures called the Turine travel through space in the Alpha Regnus solar system and then sail in the skies of Arboria to mate and give birth. A symbiotic relationship had developed between the flying seeds and the sentient trees many hundreds of human years ago.

The Arborian culture is based on a natural habitat of clean healthy soil, water and air. They are closely in tune and harmony with their environment. They are by default ecologists and botonists, although they are interested in a wide range of subjects.

Arborians have a strong code of ethics, and will not cheat, steal, murder, or lie. They can prevaricate and omit the truth when the situation deems necessary for secretiveness and discretion. They will act to defend themselves in instances of life threatening danger, and are dangerous when provoked.

They possess a type of group telepathy when rooting together in bright sunlight during thier rest period as a dream state.

Medical Notes

Arborians eat through root tips on their ‘feet’ that can open or close with large pores in rich loamy soil. They require a few hours of sun with plenty of UV rays in which to rest, eat and conduct photosynthesis each day. Arborians need rich loamy soil with plenty of mineral content. Without that they potentially suffer from a large amount of problems that can include leaf loss, swelling of joints, general withering and loss of vision.

Notes

Species Traits:

When together in a group or 'grove' during their rest period in bright sunlight, Arborians have the ability to join together in a dream-like state and communicate experiences, messages or stories, demonstrating a type of telepathy not seen before. They refer to this as the Dreamplane. For the uninitiated, the Dreamplane can be a dangerous place as besides mirroring whatever happens in reality, whether it is being invaded, there is a fire, a plague, or even if things are peaceful, it can manifest people’s sorrow, fear, joy, and anger.

The Dreamplane is a sort of milder type of telepathy that Arborians experience when sleeping. For them sleeping would be when they are rooting in soil and feeding, conducting photosynthesis and having their eyestalks shut.

It is entirely possible for Arborians to recieve flashes from other's dreams but only if the dreamer is sleeping and has telepathic abilities. Then they might share dreams with each other.

Shayhiloosh was chosen to go into the Federation to learn more about the other species and the universe.

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^{The Arborians are the unique creation of Sheila Mayer with contributions by Jim McCrary and Connie Francisco.}