Sharing Character Corner features in this newsletter is so much fun. I love doing these in-depth articles on various characters who inhabit the fictional worlds I've created. In that same spirit, I plan to do similar explorations of other aspects of those worlds. Planets, animals, history, mythology — nothing is off limits from the backstory informing my novels and short stories.
I previously touched on the history of Rubrum – homeworld of a hostile alien race – here at Strange New Worlds. Today, we'll explore an alien animal species native to that planet – the treema.
I love featuring alien animals in my science fiction stories. Their presence imbue a greater sense of realism into the alien worlds I've created and help make the sentient humanoid alien characters who interact with them more relatable to my audience. Including alien animals in a story gives me a chance as an author and storyteller to highlight a side of my characters that comes to life in the presence of animals. Plus, I love animals in real life. Past pets and familiar wildlife have often served as inspiration for many of these animals – including treemas.
(Warning: if you haven't read Under a Fallen Sun or the Alien People Chronicles trilogy, some minor spoilers lie ahead.)
Treema Origins
Readers are first introduced to treemas in Under a Fallen Sun when Melody recalls spending time with Oarc, her pet treema, and her sister Halilah before departing from Rubrum to go to Earth.
Treemas are medium-sized carnivorous mammal-like animals that are indigenous to Rubrum. They evolved on the planet over tens of thousands of years. Many treemas are wild and inhabit dense forests and plateaus on the planet. They are noted lethal predators who subsist on a diet of small and large game.
Domestication of some treema subspecies began 10,000 years ago. These domestic treemas soon became a popular pet all over Rubrum. They were valued for their high energy, sweet temperament, and instinctual protective nature toward their owners.
Appearance and Personality
In Earth terms, A treema blends feline, canine, and primate features into something uniquely beautiful. Upon seeing an image of Oarc on Melody's communicator, Paige remarked how the treema resembled a cross between a cat, a dog, and a monkey.
Treemas possess a flattened skull and snout like a fox to go with triangular ears, rounded face, and eyes like a cat. They possess long broad fur-covered bodies mirroring a blending of a lab or retriever and a mountain lion. Their long limbs are similar to a monkey with the exception of sharp retractable claws. A treema also possesses a long cat-like tail.
Treemas are an intelligent animal species. They are warm-blooded stealth predators who are able to adapt to a wide range of environments. Domestic treemas show a capacity for learning and memory mirroring the intelligence level of an Earthian cat or dog. A treema can be trained to obey simple commands. They are also affectionate animals who love to be held and petted by their owners.
Owning a pet treema is a major time investment. Treemas need regular exercise to get rid of excess energy. They love to climb trees, perch on rock ledges, and get into other high places. Wild treemas will attack their prey from high places. A bored treema can become mischievous and destructive.
Beyond Rubrum
Treemas started being exported to other worlds shortly after Rubrum started making contact with other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. Serbius became a popular destination for the alien animals and a separate Serbiusian treema subspecies soon evolved on that planet.
Thousands of treemas soon turned up on Lathos – originating from both Serbius and Rubrum. These alien animals quickly proved to be an invasive species and were destructive to native wildlife. The Confederation of Northern Tribes, Ra'ahm, Daraconiah, and other major Lathoan nations enacted population control measures and outlawed widescale treema pet ownership. For that reason, Lathoan treemas are wild with only a few exceptions. Most domestic treemas are obtained through illegal trade with Serbiusian merchants.
Wild treemas range throughout the Aurora Mountains bordering Ra'ahm and the Confederation of Northern Tribes. They are prone to attack when startled or cornered. A few people die in the Aurora Mountains each year as a result of injuries sustained from wild treema attacks. Atch, a member of Xttra’s scout ship crew in Alien People, survived an encounter with a wild treema only after incurring serious injuries.
Treemas are a popular subject in Lathoan art because of their exotic origins. They are depicted in paintings, carvings, and sculptures throughout Lathos.