The Runyon

Role in Story: Continuing character

Occupation: Venturist

Physical Description: Picture a man with pale gray skin, about five feet in height, who weighs 300 lbs. Now take away 200 of those lbs. such that the resulting skin folds and wrinkles like a shar pei dog. Runyon is completely hairless and has pale blue eyes.

Personality: The Runyon is extremely friendly and particularly partial to humans. He seems to know everyone, and everyone seems to owe him a favor.

Habits/Mannerisms: He speaks both English and Traveler with a distinct pattern that suggests he learned both languages from a translator package created in the NY patois of favored by the characters of the 20th century author Damon Runyon (from which this alien's name is derived). There is some speculation that he speaks this way because of the nature of his interests (which includes gambling and providing support/capital for people with interesting and long shot ideas). Another contender is that his first encounter with other lifeforms occurred in Manhattan, Kansas, the birthplace of Damon Runyon (it's unclear if the Runyon ever actually met his namesake).

Background: The Runyon is the only one of his kind. He may share his consciousness with multiple bodies, though there is some evidence to suggest that there is only one of him anywhere in the galaxy at any one time and that he somehow 'triggers the growth of a body (a process that takes several days but is still faster by far than conventional interstellar travel) on some planet that he wishes to visit, transferring his consciousness when the new body is complete, which in turn causes the previous body to decompose.

Internal Conflicts: The Runyon cannot resist a puzzle.

External Conflicts: The Runyon dislikes spending time with people who are lazy or take the safe path. He feels bad about this, and it vexes him that he is this way.

Notes: The Runyon tried repeatedly to invest in Angela Colson Enterprises (ACE), but to no avail. In the end, he began hiring her (usually through agents or people who owed him favors), only revealing himself when Gel had already taken the job.

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