Lysander, Engineer of the Artful Venture

A member of the Ausk'phan race, Lysander is considered mildly disabled by his people, because his telepathic and empathic abilities imprinted on machines, rather than on humanoid lifeforms.

Adult Ausk'phan are telepathic, and communicate among each other almost exclusively using their mental powers, saving vocal speech for their young and for artistic performances such as singing.

This means that in some ways, Lys was infantalized by his people, treated by many as a child, or childlike. Having never felt comfortable on his homeworld, Lysander took the first opportunity to leave to live among other species, like Humans. His fascination with Human culture has led him to adopt much of their style of dress and even learn to use their weapons for the protection of himself and his crewmates. 

A chance encounter with Captain Arclight Errant led to Lysander becoming the engineer aboard the Artful Venture, with which he often has conversations about cooking. Lysander's current goal is to build an artificial tastebud for Ship, so it can sample Human cuisine.