Areore

The Areore were an ornithoid humanoid species native to the planet Areolus. They were once a formidable spacefaring civilization, until they forswore their technology to return to a pre-industrial lifestyle.

History[]

In ancient times, the Areore were technologically advanced and warp-capable. However, they found only unending war with alien races among the stars, and so eventually they decided to return to the "paradise" they had known before discovering space travel. Retreating to their homeworld, they stored their starships underground and forbade the use of technology. They also warned their descendants about the dangers of off-worlders.

By the 24th century, the Areore had lived in near-total isolation from the wider galaxy for generations. Though they were content, they also suffered negative effects from their technological regression, such as parasitic infection, vitamin deficiency, and infant mortality.

In 2381, the exocomp Peanut Hamper, having gone AWOL from the USS Cerritos at the Battle of Kalla, crashed on Areolus after using a jury-rigged warp nacelle to escape from Drookmani scavengers. She was restored to health by Areore village leader Kaltorus, and over time endeared herself to the villagers by using her advanced scientific knowledge and mechanical capabilities to improve their lives. She grew especially close to Kaltorus' son Rawda, and the two became romantically involved.

The following spring, on the wing-joining day of Peanut Hamper and Rawda, the Drookmani arrived and claimed salvage rights on the ancient Areore ships beneath the village. As the Drookmani began tearing the vessels out of the ground, endangering the village, Peanut Hamper sent a distress call to the Cerritos and volunteered to infiltrate and destroy the Drookmani ship. However, the Drookmani beamed to one of the Areore ships and attacked, claiming to have been deceived by the Federation. They revealed that Peanut Hamper had invited them to take the ships, so as to engineer a situation by which she could redeem herself to Starfleet. With the Cerritos outgunned, Rawda boarded a larger Areore ship and defeated the Drookmani. In the aftermath, Rawda declared that the Areore would henceforth defend their way of life and turn their backs on fear. He also banished Peanut Hamper from the planet. (LD: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption")

Biology[]

The Areore were six-limbed ornithoids with a similar morphology to the Aurelians. Their bodies, aside from their digitigrade lower legs, were covered by feathers that could be various shades of gray, brown, orange, green, or purple. Like all animals on Areolus, they possessed a pair of large wings, enabling them to fly with great speed and agility. They had five digits on their hands and three on their feet, which ended in claws. Their faces were owl-like, with large orange eyes, vertically slitted pupils, and hooked beaks. The genitalia of male Areore were "complicated". Their young developed in eggs; the hatchlings emerged fully feathered and highly precocious, able to walk and flutter within moments. Areore fecal matter from a healthy individual was "oily and white". (LD: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption")

Society and culture[]

The Areore lived according to the philosophy of the "Great Circle", in which death was seen to be natural and accepted. Their villages were headed by a single hereditary leader whose judgement could not be questioned. The Areore engaged in farming and the husbandry of livestock, from which they obtained milk. Their water supply came from wells. They used spears to fight threats such as sky snakes, whose venom they had no means to treat.

Areore villages were built high off the ground on platforms supported by large trees. Areore structures were constructed from wood, rattan, and straw, and were illuminated by lamps containing native bioluminescent flora. A key building was the incubation hut, where the villagers' eggs were incubated communally using heat-producing devices. The Areore did retain the use of small metal tools.

Some Areore believed in witches. Areore arts included painting and singing, which consisted of loud, shrill screams. Their equivalent of a wedding was called "wing-joining". (LD: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption")

Technology[]

The ancient Areore possessed technology that rivaled that of the Federation in the 24th century, which remained fully functional long after being abandoned. Their vessels were equipped with deflector shields and energy weapons of unknown design, capable of penetrating the shields of Federation starships. (LD: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption")

Individuals[]

Named

• Doyle
• Kaltorus
• Rawda
• Skaf

Unnamed

• Unnamed Areore