Nullian

"The null have never had it easy. Even these humans knew what we looked like. They sold novelties with our likeness on them. That is how deep the hatred of my kind is rooted.” -- Sadir[1]

Nullians (a.k.a. Nulls or Grays) look like typical "Roswell aliens," and are generally discriminated against in Syndicate space.[2][3]

AI Description

First, you need to know what a Nullian is. The Null. You know those annoying, little fuckers with the giant heads? Won’t ever shut up? You called them “The Grays” which is giving them way too much credit.

There’s a reason why you earthlings knew what these twits looked like. They were always poking about this planet illegally.[4]

Description

Nulls are not a Syndicate Council race, and entire systems (illegally) refuse entry to their kind. As a result, many nulls live in communes in unfriendly systems; the Orcs recently raised the tax rate on the Null commune in the Filt System.[2]

Even professionally trained nulls have a hard time finding work.[3] They seem to be known for poking around places they have no right to poke around in, and for being a little bit paranoid.[2][3]

The similar looking Forsoothed appear to have particular dislike for being compared to Nullians, with Evo describing any alien abductions and anal probes as "If that really happened, it was likely done by the Null. You called them the Grays. They are a nasty, unpleasant race. Perverts, all of them.” [5]

Appearance & Physiology

Nullians stand around 4' - 4' 6" (121.92 - 137.16 cm) tall, and have gray skin and long fingers. The bald head is shaped like a guitar pick, and defined by large bug-like black eyes.[2]

When nulls bleed, their blood is gooey and blue-tinted. When they blush, their face turn a shade of purple.[2]

They speak quickly, with Quasar marked for his "gritty, rapid-fire, New York sort of accent," which may be a racial trait, something learned from his upbringing, or related to his career choice.[3]

History

SPOILERS FOR BOOK 6
According to the System AI's description of the Visitor (which may or may not be accurate), the Nulls and Nightgaunts shared a home world. Nulls captured Nightgaunts for use as steeds or pack animals. In 1903, a Null brought a Nightgaunt on "an unauthorized sight-seeing trip to Earth," where the Nightgaunt escaped and was killed by shotgun blast in the Iowa countryside.[6]

References

  1. Dinniman, Matt. The Gate of the Feral Gods (Epilogue) (p. 564). Dandy House. Kindle Edition.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Dinniman, Matt. The Gate of the Feral Gods (Epilogue)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Dinniman, Matt. The Butcher's Masquerade (Chapter 3)
  4. Dinniman, Matt. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (Chapter 41) (p. 397). Dandy House. Kindle Edition.
  5. Dinniman, Matt. Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Chapter 19)
  6. Dinniman, Matt. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (Chapter 41)