STRATA

Strata is one of the strongest and most hardy of all the Stellar Foxtaurs breeds, a Mountaineer, and has a superior sense of balance and a high tolerance for oxygen-poor environments such as are found at high altitudes. Like the other Mountain Breed foxtaurs, shi made hir home in a natural cave, which was extended and modified with the use of mining equipment. Strata's profession is a mining engineer, and shi was the discoverer of the eternally glowing starstones that are becoming the latest fad in Federation jewellery shops. Rare and unreproduceable, they have become the status stone of the era, affordable only by the moderately wealthy.

Mountain Breed foxtaurs tend to have very macho personalities, and Strata is no exception. However, unlike the rest, shi has no interest in hir female side whatsoever (except when shi goes into heat and hormones overwhelm hir), and wished to find a mate who would be happy with that. Unable to find any who could tolerate that on Arisia, shi buys out hir contract with the wealth gained from the starstones and returns to Earth on the starship Pegasus. On board, shi meets Chakat Forestwalker who takes an interest in the unusual Stellar Foxtaur and promises to introduce hir to someone whom shi feels might be suited to Strata. When Forestwalker and hir family visits the Mountain Glade foxtaur clan, shi has arranged for Strata to meet up with a vixen named Fellana Blacktail who had previously expressed interest in the chakats, and Forestwalker feels that she might find a herm foxtaur even more interesting. Shi was right way beyond all expectations because Strata and Fellana fell in love at first sight. Even after their first fantastic encounter, the pair remained on a high for days, although both know that they need to learn more about each other before they make a formal mating.

Sample art by and copyright to Kacey Miyagami and Rachel Beaconsfield.