Hummerfly

The hummerfly is a docile insectoid creature whose pleasant sound and sweet aroma makes it a welcome presence in most civilized areas. Clever spacefarers also take advantage of the hummerfly's sound-eating ability to transport messages across the vast distances of wildspace.

A hummerfly's body resembles a string of rubbery purple beads, each bead about a half-inch in diameter. Two pair of hinged metallic wings, each about a foot long, extend from its back. When the hummerfly is at rest, it folds its wings into tight packets, flush against its body. Two spindly legs ending in suckers enable the resting hummerfly to attach itself to any smooth surface. When resting, a hummerfly's whiskers vibrate continuously, creating a soothing lute-like hum.

The creature's head is the size of a plump grape. A spherical mouth opens in the center of its head, and two black eyes at the end of short stalks rise from the top. Inch-long whiskers, similar to those of cats, grow on either side of the head.

The hummerfly has a body odor that smells like fresh vanilla. The aroma of a single hummerfly can keep the air sweet in a 10' x 10' room.

Combat: The hummerfly shuns combat. When threatened, a hummerfly withdraws, flying away as fast as it can. Its normal movement rate is Fl 6 (B), but if it has the space to fly in a straight line for three uninterrupted rounds, it can reach a speed of Fl 36. Once it reaches this speed, a hummerfly is able to teleport without error for an unlimited distance. After teleporting, the hummerfly instantly resumes its normal Fl 6 speed, but if it has the space to accelerate, it can teleport again. It can repeat this process indefinitely.

If a hummerfly is cornered or its eggs are threatened, it vibrates its whiskers to create a high-pitched shriek. All creatures within a 20-foot radius who fail to make a successful saving throw vs. paralysis are stunned for 2d4 rounds and become deaf for 1 d2 hours, suffering a -1 penalty to surprise during that time (affected spellcasters have a 20% chance of failure when casting a spell with a verbal component).

Habitat/Society: Hummerflies have no formal lairs or nests. Instead, they spend their time clinging to various ceilings, mountainsides, and other smooth surfaces. Since hummerflies subsist on sound waves (see below), they prefer locations that are active and noisy, such as a classroom or a factory. Homebodies in the strictest sense, hummerflies never voluntarily stray from within 100 yards of the nest.

The hummerfly has a life span of about ten years. During the last month of its natural life, the hummerfly abandons its lifelong home and te/eports to a randomly chosen location, perhaps millions of miles away. There, it lays 2d4 eggs, which hatch a few weeks later. In this way, the hummerfly population has spread throughout the multiverse.

Docile and friendly, the hummerfly is comfortable around all non-violent creatures and has a special affinity for humanoids. A hummerfly passively allows a humanoid with whom it is familiar to pluck it from its resting place and attach it elsewhere. Housekeepers, for instance, often move hummerflies from room to room to freshen the house.

Ecology: The hummerfly does not breathe, nor does it require water or organic food. Instead, the hummerfly derives all nourishment from sound waves. The hummerfly sleeps for approximately 15 minutes once per day, and during this time, its mouth opens to absorb all of the sound in the immediate area. The body bead just below its head swells to about two inches in diameter as it fills with sound. When the hummerfly awakens, it "feeds" on the trapped sound waves throughout the day, which reverberate repeatedly inside the swollen body bead. If a person holds the hummerfly against his ear, he can hear the trapped sounds inside.

Spacefarers sometimes take advantage of the hummerfly's feeding habits to send messages over long distances. For instance, if a hummerfly is removed from its natural habitat, a spacefarer might wait until the hummerfly is asleep, then speak a message near the creature's body. The sound of the words is absorbed into the hummerfly's body bead. If the spacefarer releases the hummerfly when !t awakens, the hummerfly instinctively returns home. Once 1t arrives, a companion of the spacefarer can hold the hummerfly to his ear and hear the spacefarer's message reverberating inside the body bead.

A hummerfly deprived of sound eventually dies of starvation. If it is not exposed to sounds for more than two consecutive days, it loses hit points at the rate of 1d4 per day.