Freelance Traveller

Danny Nasaya

profiled by Paul Anuni

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2021 issue.

M. Danny Nasaya (Hiver) 687BA9
Story-Teller 4 (6 terms) Cr90,000 (Nest Credit)
Smell
Streetwise-3, Liaison-3, Admin-3, [Hiver] Pistol-1, Jack-o-T(1), Computer-4, Carousing-4, Medical-2, Instruction-2, Vacc Suit-2, Manipulate-3
Hiver pistol, Type HX Hiver Explorer

Danny Nasaya is travelling around human – principally Imperial – space in search of two things: Human stories that will ‘harmonize’ (its word, at least in translation) in some way with the Hiver psyche, and interesting odors that it hasn’t encountered in Hiver space. (Note: Danny Nasaya insists that [a] its human-use name should always be used in full, not abbreviated, and [b] that, as Hivers are – in human terms – hermaphrodites, the correct pronoun is, in fact, ‘it’.)

It has been unable to adequately explain what sort of stories it is looking for, so is seeking ‘native guides’ to take it to where it can hear stories and ask questions about them, and it expects its human guide to act as an interlocutor in the process. The actual subject matter of the story isn’t necessarily important to it, but the reason the story is remembered and retold, and how the story is supposed to affect the teller or the listener, is very definitely of interest, and the questions it will ask will focus on those aspects. If asked in turn about Hiver stories, it will willingly (perhaps eagerly) answer, though the answers may not make sense (or may seem like non-sequiteurs) to the human asker. If asked to tell a Hiver story, it will do so, and will entertain the same sorts of questions that it asks about human stories.

Its interest in odors also extends to asking why humans find a particular odor pleasant or unpleasant, but it will be completely uncomprehending of any discussion of the relationship between odor and flavor (apparently, there’s no acknowledged relationship between the two in Hiver physiology). It will ask to be taken to places where interesting odors, whether pleasant or unpleasant by human standards, may be found (or generated). This can lead to some awkward scenes; Danny Nasaya’s Liaison and Streetwise skills are of limited applicability with [non-Federation] humans; they’re much more useful in Hive Federation member societies.

While a daring player may wish to attempt playing Danny Nasaya, it is quite frankly more likely that Hivers in general – and Danny Nasaya in particular – will appear in an adventure as a NPC, likely a potential patron. In such a case, the initial approach will be by its previous “native guide”, who is leaving Danny Nasaya’s employment now that s/he has returned to his/her homeworld and family.

Danny Nasaya’s Type HX Hiver Explorer is generally stock. However, two staterooms have been modified to take up to four human passengers, and a third has been modified into a small human-compatible “common area”. Human characters will be welcome in the (Hiver) common area, though it may be uncomfortable due to physiological differences.