Flora Prime is a unique world within the Umea Bakearen universe. Though it is a full-fledged member of the Galactic Union, the indigenous people never developed space flight on their own. They were approached by the Aldebarans because they were intrigued by the symbiotic relationship many Florans have with their great horned beetles. Aldebarans, of course, have a long standing symbiosis with a giant species of barkmoth indigenous to Aldebaran IX.
The great horned beetle is roughly the size of a house, or a one-room cabin, at any rate. Fitted with a howdah, a small beetle can transport a family of six for several hundred miles before needing to rest. A large beetle can transport twenty or so humanoids. This is the standard form of ground-based transportation on Flora Prime.
One of the most unique life forms on Flora Prime, though, are the aura trees. They are so named because of the trees’ ability to reflect the emotional state of those who shelter beneath them by altering the color, and even the luminosity, of their leaves, which resemble the drooping fronds of the willow tree, in shape at least.
No one, not even Floran scientists know exactly how the trees do what they do. They understand the physiology of color change and bio-luminescence, of course, but how the trees seem to know other beings’ feelings so accurately is a mystery, but that has not stopped people from swearing oaths beneath the trees as a testament to their sincerity. This has, of course, backfired many times, as the trees are never fooled by smooth talk.
Generations ago, the entire population of aura trees was nearly wiped out when strands were uprooted to make room for the main spaceport on the planet. The disturbance affected trees all around the planet. Since then, the aura trees have become a protected species. They are considered sentient beings, though no one has found a way to communicate with them; consequently, harming an aura tree is a crime.
Building projects now take into account how they might affect nature; with the result that even the largest and most modern cities on Flora Prime have a pleasant organic look and feel.
