Shayhiloosh

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Shayhiloosh the Arborian
Name:	Shayhiloosh
Rank:	Ensign (jg)
Gender:	Both male and female
Species:	Arborian
Age:	Youthful at 100 human years
Position:	Botanist in Science Dept
Ship:	USS Boudicca
Status:	Active: Available Light, Reflections of van Helsing and the Dragon

Character Info

Character's Full Name: Shayhiloosh

Species: Arborian

Gender: Asexual

Age: Youthful at 100 human years

Place of Birth: Arboria Prime

Height: 7-7.2 feet depending on current foliage

Weight: 175 pounds

Eyes: 3 Blue eyes on vine-like stalks that can extend approximately 1.5 feet in any direction from the inside of main branch crotch.

Skin: Brown black

Blood Color: Golden Amber

Hair: None but leaf color is silvery green

Physical Description

Tough durable rubbery skin covers hir body and limbs such as that found on dolphins or elephants but slightly wrinkled and brown black in color. Shayhiloosh has lots of root legs that join together at a trunk that is approximately 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 shake and rustle when speaking. The voice is generated through the leaves themselves by vibating them at specific speeds to achieve various frequencies. ‘Leaves’ are a silvery green. 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. Shayhiloosh has 5 main branches that at rest are anywhere from 90 - 135 degrees in relation to his main trunk.

Correct pronoun usage would be singular 's/he', singular possesive ‘hir’ (similiar to his or her), or plural 'them, they and their'.

Hearing: Arborians can hear by detecting vibrations through touch and through the air. No ears are visible.

Sitting: Though Shayhiloosh can bend easily and curve his trunk, hir’s natural stance is to remain upright. Hir preferred method of sitting is to gracefully spead out his roots, what humans call doing the splits. Shayhiloosh then curls up hir ‘feet’ or root ends in a nice neat circle around hir trunk. Hir finds this preferable and is short enough to sit at tables, consoles and any other equipment. Shayhiloosh feels most species are a bit on the short side. For better stability, if there is room Shayhiloosh can spread hir roots out as far as they will go, regardless of the surface.

Special needs: 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. Their native planet has an Earth-like nitrogen and oxygen atmosphere.

Educational Background

As for many Arborians, Shayhiloosh was taught in a nursery of sorts or young grove where he was planted in rich loamy soil. After his species was contacted and and a Federation Embassy established, Shayhilosh was chosen to go out and gain experience within the context of the Federation, to encourage understanding and gain perspective on other species. Hir also was instructed to gain comprehension and understanding of the current war.

After the Senate was dissolved and the confusing controversy between La Donna and Doenitz started the Federation Civil War spanning across the Alpha and beta Quadrants, Shayhiloosh was sent on a mission from his people to find out what to do concerning their own planet as per the Federation.

Enrolling in Starfleet seemed the most obvious way to learn and gain experience with other cultures, and to explore and see what the true facts were about LaDona and Doenitz. At this point in time hir is not liking what hir has seen concerning Doenitz's actions and is finding out more about the rebel cause.

He and his people by default are also natural botonists and ecologists. Shayhiloosh majored in the study of stars and mapping, as well as botany. He enjoyed stellar cartography and astronomy.

Biographical Notes

Family and Background: Raised in a group and taught by local elders.

Pre-Starfleet History: Rooting hirself in soil at night and looking at the stars at night after his studies were done for the day became a favorite pastime, as well as talking with the Federation ambassadors and other off world visitors.

Skills and Abilities Profile: Shayhiloosh can generates notes and sounds besides that within human range. These include subsonic and ultrasonic as well as detect sound in these ranges. These can be used to communicate for hundreds of miles planetside and are one way his people communicate long distance.

Although most Arborians have the ability to grow appendages as necessary, it does take time to do so. Shayhiloosh has taken the time to grow three hand like appendages. Hir felt that two were not enough but that more than three were too many. Hir self grown 'hands' as extra branches up among hir main 'arms' consist of three flexible twigs (fingers) with another flexible opposing twig (thumb).

Medical History: 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.

Current Recreational Interests: Shayhiloosh enjoys singing, Arborian styles of dance, and rooting hirself in interesting places in soil whenever possible.

Miscellaneous Information: Arborians have a strong code of ethics, and will not cheat, steal, murder, or lie. They will act to defend themselves in instances of life threatening danger, and are dangerous when provoked. They do possess a type of group telepathy when rooting together in bright sunlight during thier rest period. They can prevaricate and omit the truth when the situation deems necessary for secretiveness and discretion. For more information see Arborians.

Shayhiloosh Finding He can Be a Covert Spy

Mission: Reflections of van Helsing and the Dragons, Day 4

Mission: Available Light, Day 16

Stardate: 2407.02.10

(USS Boudicca – Sickbay – Botanist Ensign Shayhiloosh (jg) – 1538)

Shayhiloosh drifted in and out of consciousness, barely aware of Dr. Jahlen attending to his wounded parts. Hir was in agony and was weak enough that at one point hir became vaguely aware hir was propped up against a wall in Sickbay.

(Reply Jahlen)

Upset that the hostile Marines had hit one of the doctors hard enough to send her flying across the room, Shayhiloosh had been reluctant to obtain much care, hir concern for the bloodied doctor who was being threatened outweighing concern for hirself, but the grave extent of hir injuries soon gave hir little choice. He had lost a lot of ichor and was having difficulty remaining alert due to the throbbing agony from hir many wonds. Hir main branches began to droop and leaves began to wilt, and in bleak despair hir fled, seeking solace in the dreamscape of the ship.

(Reply Jahlen, any in Sickbay)

(Dreamscape – The Grey Plain – Botanist Ensign Shayhiloosh (jg) – 1539)

Again, as before, Shayhiloosh found hirself on the dull grey metal plain, hir pain a pulsing throb but a more bearable background to the scene before hir. Hir entire trunk was trembling with weakness, and the scene that greeted Shayhiloosh gave no comfort.

Hir watched as large dark shapes scuttled across it, busily hurrying elsewhere. One approached and Shayhiloosh shuddered as the dark enraged looking insect-like shape scurried through hir ephemeral self. A muted roaring buzzing sound filled the atmosphere.

Shayhiloosh had hoped to draw solace from the eternal stars, but found much of the overhead vastness to be covered by a large shadow. Studying it warily, hir realized this must be the enemy ship. As hir watched, smaller shapes descended from ropes or tendrils from the gargantuan shape that blocked most of the star field. ~They must be the hostile forces, boarding the Boudicca.~ Wondering if he could effect anything here in his weakened state, Shayhiloosh could only watch helplessly as more climbed down from the ship.

As more of the large, dark, scuttling things scampered past, hir remembered the small scruffy creature with concern. It was aware of hir, knew hir and might even feel safe with hir. Hir could use the company as hir didn't feel too brave right now either. Leaf bladders shaking with fright, hir felt fear welling up as a sinister shadow inside, threatening to overwhelm.

Hir began following, shambling along unsteadily, after the dark shapes. Hir couldn't hope to stop them, but maybe hir could contact someone who could. Hope gave Shayhiloosh more courage once again and hir drew against that, in an effort to marshal hir strength.

Moving with the thin scattered tide of dark creatures, Shayhiloosh worked to reach whatever point they were all moving toward, dreading what hir might find. The plain wasn't so barren. Now it was littered with debris; a large piece of stone here, a large conical shape there, bits of smaller rock and shattered pieces, of what Shayhiloosh could not guess. Hir suspected it to be parts of the ship's consoles, furniture, or even bodies, and knew hir mind must be protecting itself from grief and shock in an effort to stay strong enough to function, so Shayhiloosh did not investigate the rock-like objects closely. Instead hir moved past them, carefully going around or avoiding them altogether, attempting no tactile contact.

Perched atop one large rock was the little scruffy being, frightened, trying to make itself small and hide. It trembled in fright and was hunched in a ball of fear, radiating terror. So far the dark creatures around them seemed unaware of them as they scurried about moving generally in one direction in their unstoppable tide.

Shayhiloosh stopped beside the large rock. ::Hello again, small one. I see you are frightened. I am frightened too. Would you like to stay with me?::

Until now, amidst all this trouble and pain, hir had no idea how much hir missed home. Home, with its peaceful vales and hills, meadows and lakes was so quiet and happy by comparison with the present situation. Arboria Prime with its muttering elders, classes of younglings, and gentle rains, seemed incredibly, wonderfully, joyous and idyllic, compared to the place hir was in now.

The creature looked up blinking large round dark eyes wide with anxiety, whooped with loud relief, and sprang eagerly toward Shayhiloosh's upper trunk. It didn't hurt much to have the creature leap like that; it was relatively small and light. Shayhiloosh felt hir could bear it as long as hir wasn't alone. He scuttled about to sit on one of hir main branches, clinging tightly with long fingers.

An odd thing occurred. Shayhiloosh, already unsteady, brushed against the stone with some of hir roots. Hir froze in astonishment as the rock like shape opened to show a room with a brown haired human female holding the hand of a tiny youngling. Startled, the Arborian pulled away. The scene of the room disappeared.

The creature, gripping Shayhiloosh tightly wrapped its limbs around the branch and stared with fright into one of Shayhiloosh's eyestalks. ::Bad things,:: it told him. ::We are together and we will help each other:: Shayhiloosh told the little creature. Hir very privately, deep inside, hoped that it was true.

(Reply none)

(Posted by Sheila Mayer)

Shayhiloosh Rooting Trying to Get Well

Mission: Reflections of van Helsing and the Dragon, Day 4

Mission: Available Light, Day 16

Stardate: 2407.02.10

(USS Boudicca – Ship Dreamplane – Botanist Ensign Shayhiloosh - 1650)

Drowsing under the quiet beauty of the stars overhead in the majestic sky, Shayhiloosh became aware that the little scruffy creature was cuddled up sleeping on one of hir studier and fortunately uninjured main branches. S/he had too many aches and pains all over, but they had receded and were more bearable.

The brilliant colorful world of the Arborian Prime Dreamplane contrasted strongly with this dull grey metallic plane, possibly because of the Boudicca's metallic structure and content, and the fact that a single Arborian was here with only this small creature for company. It was possible that more shared perceptions together could create a less barren and vital Dreamplane here, but Shayhiloosh knew no way of doing that unless they began housing more graduates of the Academy that were Arborians.

Peering with gratitude through hir branches at the little fellow who had shown such bravery, Shayhiloosh noted sadly that hir branches were now bare; s/he would be mute and it would be a day, maybe several, before more leaf bladders could grow large enough to allow hir a voice. But with sustaining so many injuries, hir wasn't sure how long it might take. If s/he could concentrate on only growing a few, that might allow him better assignment of energy to heal the rest of hirself. But hir voice would be softer and more difficult for most humanoids to hear. S/he sighed mentally in resignation to that.

As long as s/he could communicate, s/he would not feel so alone. Other than hir present companion, the ship Dreamplane seemed bereft and empty, a desolate place, but one that presently afforded Shayhiloosh quiet to recuperate. Again Shayhiloosh missed the hills, meadows, valleys, and lakes of home. But most of all s/he missed hir people. Perhaps they might stop by hir planet for a visit so the elders could meet the crew and understand for themselves more about the conflict the rebels were fighting. It would afford some time for Shayhiloosh to visit with hir people and bask in the Dreamplane of hir planet.

Shayhiloosh hirself had always understood what the rebels were fighting for; freedom. S/he had begun to fully understand that concept better all the time. S/he felt that freedom to have one's opinions that might differ from the elders, ancient and revered though they might be, should be a freedom for all sentient species across the galaxy, as long as it refrained from hurting or taking advantage of anyone else. Freedom to trade safely, to make internal decisions without interference, and to uphold the individual rights of sentient beings were concepts fundamental to the original foundation of the Federation. Though these concepts were new to Shayhiloosh, they were not difficult to entwine in one's roots.

Though Shayhiloosh knew that the tradition based culture that hir had been brought up in allowed for great beauty and wisdom, it did not always allow for adaptation to changes. Shayhiloosh knew that survival for hir people and planet would require growth to accommodate new concepts and ideas, instead of being mired in the sticky muck of habit and convention. Just because an idea was new did not mean that it should immediately be discarded. To Shayhiloosh that was the same as flinging away the good soil with the rocks. One might miss out on some extremely tasty part of the soil, just as hir people might miss something that they really would need, to deal with the changing situations of the interplanetary community.

Shayhiloosh mentally rustled hir branches and stretched out hir roots, and knew that one day on the Dreamplane would not solve all the problems for hir culture. But eventually s/he hoped to realize and dream better choices for the Arborians. Hir settled back to drowsing under the calm and silent stars, hope for the future and hirself settling in hir roots, trunk and limbs.

(Reply Winston, any)

(Posted by Sheila Mayer)

Credits

Completely made up by herbalsheila with a nudge or two from my spouse Jim who plays Thom Hania and GrannyGM who plays Brianna Frazier.