Derek the Tree
Dairech, better known as Derek the Tree, was a member of the Eternity Club.
Biography
Early life
Dairech, meaning "protector of the last wood", belonged to a forest on Lucrece who gave up their bodies to build a wooden ark named the Endless Arboretum to save the plants of their planet from destruction. Unwilling to do so himself, Dairech fled Lucrece and lived in shame as a result. (AUDIO: The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"])
The Eternity Club
Dairech, (AUDIO: The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"]) going by "Derek", came to join the Eternity Club. He advised Bernice Summerfield to think properly before heading off to New Catafalque to find the Ascension Pennant for 312, which lead to her realising that it was being used as a tablecloth, and began to develop a leaf mould, (AUDIO: The Armageddon Chair [+]Loading...["The Armageddon Chair (audio story)"]) specifically dark rhubarb.
Benny promised to fetch Derek a spray for the dark rhubarb, but she kept putting it off. He inadvertently broadcast the dark rhubarb across his telepathic network and caused people on the Eternity Club, beginning with Professor Altazar, to start repeatedly saying "rhubarb" in place of other words. Eventually, Benny placed the spray in the club's sprinklers and armed the clockwork butlers with it to disinfect everybody. (AUDIO: Rhubarb [+]Loading...["Rhubarb (audio story)"])
Derek tracked the Endless Arboretum and was content in the knowledge that it was safe, but Benny forcibly took him there to witness the rare blooming of the hoar trees, unaware of his history with the spaceship. They failed in their attempt to flee when Alkaran and her loggers boarded and worked to save the plants from them, killing several loggers who had not listened to their warnings. When the hoar trees bloomed, they released a psychic wave which connected Alkaran to the Universal Tree and cleansed Benny's synapses. (AUDIO: The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"])
Departure
Although Derek intended on returning to the Eternity Club, Benny managed to persuade him that he had proven himself to the hoar trees and that he should remain with them aboard the Endless Arboretum. He joined his forest and Benny wished him a happy birthday. (AUDIO: The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"])
Appearance
Derek was unable to move by himself and stood in a plant pot (AUDIO: The Armageddon Chair [+]Loading...["The Armageddon Chair (audio story)"]) which he eventually gave wheels. He was charred by fire on the Endless Arboretum and a lot of him was cut off by Alkaran. (AUDIO: The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"])
Behind the scenes
Derek was originally intended to return to the Eternity Club at the end of The Terrible Shame of a Tree [+]Loading...["The Terrible Shame of a Tree (audio story)"]. However, Tim Foley suggested to James Goss that he remain on the Endless Arboretum. (BFX: The Eternity Club 3)
