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The Forest of Cheem were a group of Trees descended from the trees of Earth's rainforests, (TV: The End of the World [+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"]) specifically the Amazon. PROSE: From the Platform One Guest List [+]Loading...["From the Platform One Guest List (short story)"])
By some accounts, the Forest was a race which encompassed all treeforms, (PROSE: From the Platform One Guest List [+]Loading...["From the Platform One Guest List (short story)"], Category - Non-Human [+]Loading...["Category - Non-Human (feature)"], GAME: Trees of Cheem [+]Loading...["Trees of Cheem (game)"]) with individual members of the species known as Trees of Cheem. (GAME: Trees of Cheem [+]Loading...["Trees of Cheem (game)"]) They were also called the Cheem. (GAME: Coils of the Serpent [+]Loading...["Coils of the Serpent (game)"])
By other accounts, the Forest of Cheem were one of many tree people cultures. (AUDIO: Death in the New Forest)
The Forest were a Higher Species. (PROSE: Meet the Doctor [+]Loading...{"page":"21","1":"Meet the Doctor (DWAN 2006 short story)"})
Biology
The Trees of Cheem were humanoids with large, intricate heads, and wood-like skin. They had retractable vines on their arms called lianas, which they weren't supposed to show in public. The Trees of Cheem were made of wood, and were therefore highly flammable. (TV: The End of the World) Being higher on the evolutionary ladder, the Forest of Cheem was able to perceive changes to the histories of the Lesser Species during the Great Time War. (PROSE: Meet the Doctor [+]Loading...{"page":"21","1":"Meet the Doctor (DWAN 2006 short story)"})
The Tenth Doctor described the Forest of Cheem as being mystical beings. (COMIC: Growing Terror [+]Loading...["Growing Terror (comic story)"])
Culture
The Trees of Cheem did not understand technology, referring to computers as "metal minds" or "metal machines", but they were known to use it. They kept clippings of their relatives, occasionally giving them as gifts. According to the Ninth Doctor, they were of huge financial importance due to their land holdings and forests on various planets, and they had "roots" everywhere. (TV: The End of the World)
History
Origins
The Trees were descended from trees in the tropical rainforest on Earth. (TV: The End of the World) The Brothers of Hame brought a 500x300-mile plot of trees from the rainforests on Earth to the Panjassic Asteroid Field during the Middle Blue Period of Earth, where the trees' evolution was accelerated from a billion years to just three years. Collectively, the Trees turned against their creators and fled into space in spaceships made from bark. Two hundred years after the experiments, they had chosen the name Forest of Cheem for themselves, taking the name from their word for water. (PROSE: From the Platform One Guest List)
By another account, "Cheem" was a planet which the Forest came to live on. (PROSE: The Game of Death)
Ascension
During the Great Calling, every treeform of the Forest of Cheem left the Panjassic Asteroid Field overnight in barkships and travelled to the edge of the universe, disappearing from history for 5000 years. It was there they became higher species, but the details of what happened were a secret of the Forest. Some said the Forest encountered, killed, or became God. (PROSE: From the Platform One Guest List [+]Loading...["From the Platform One Guest List (short story)"], Category - Non-Human [+]Loading...["Category - Non-Human (feature)"])
The Forest of Cheem witnessed the Great Time War. They were aware of the course of the war and its history-changing effects, and were horrified by the bloodshed. (PROSE: Meet the Doctor [+]Loading...{"page":"21","1":"Meet the Doctor (DWAN 2006 short story)"})
Presence in 50000001st century
During the destruction of Earth in 5,000,000,000, a group of trees were on Platform One, due to the Forest of Cheem's wealth, attending the event to keep up their share prices as well as paying respects. The group of Trees seen on Platform One was led by Jabe and also included Coffa and Lute. (TV: The End of the World [+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"]) All three of these Trees came from the Caven Hol Arboretum, one of the Forest's younger branches. (PROSE: From the Platform One Guest List [+]Loading...["From the Platform One Guest List (short story)"])
At some point after the destruction of Earth, Coffa and Lute returned to their Biogrove and were menaced by the Elth of Balhoon. When they tried to warn the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler, they were discovered by Montodon Slemm, who intended to capture them for resale. Though the Doctor and Rose were able to stop Montodon, Coffa and Lute were captured by the Elth in the confusion. (COMIC: Growing Terror [+]Loading...["Growing Terror (comic story)"]) Elth held the survivors of Platform One responsible for his brother's death and planned to kill them in revenge. When the truth came out, Coffa and Lute agreed to plant a garden in remembrance. (COMIC: Reunion of Fear [+]Loading...["Reunion of Fear (comic story)"])
A group of Trees dressed similarly to Jabe, Coffa, and Lute were shopping at the Übermarket when it was visited by the Twelfth Doctor, Bill Potts, and Nardole. (COMIC: The Great Shopping Bill [+]Loading...["The Great Shopping Bill (comic story)"])
The sapling Vale was grown from a cutting of Jabe, becoming a Tree identical in appearance by the second half of the 500000001st century. (AUDIO: Death in the New Forest [+]Loading...["Death in the New Forest (audio story)"])
Behind the scenes
- The Dalek Handbook identifies the Trees of Cheem as one of the Higher Species due to their recognition of the Time War.