#auvellius

Auvellius Phibbs used to be a salesman and was pretty well known throughout the vast network of galaxies, mainly due to his connections with a plethora of wealthy clientele. He maintained good relations with his clients and upheld a good reputation - even if his dealings weren't exactly good. However, something mysterious happens while meeting with one of his clients which causes him to be accused of swiping an important possession from the buyer, so now he's on the run from the client's cronies who plan to cut him down and take back what he stole. He eventually (reluctantly) abandons his salesman shtick due to the circumstances and finds himself in a life of swindling and petty crime, a change which comes easily thanks to his existing skills.

In actuality, Auvellius didn't steal anything...rather he was infected with an alien parasite when it forcibly entered his body as a means of escaping its prison. The particular client Auvellius was working with owned somewhat of a personal (and definitely unethical) zoo for rare and exotic creatures, and the sentient parasite Kresh was fed up with being trapped there. So taking advantage of Auvellius' ignorance and proximity, Kresh used his remaining strength to slip through an unseen flaw in his enclosure and wormed his way into Auvellius' body, forcing the salesman to become his host. Despite being at odds in those first moments of connection, Kresh managed to latch onto Auvellius's mind and mentally persuaded him to escape, seeing as his client was bent on subduing both of them.

Due to the unique nature of his species, Kresh has the ability to meld with Auvellius' body on both a mental and physiological level. This means he can integrate himself into all of Auvellius' internal systems/processes, as well as communicate with Auvellius freely through a shared mental link.

The two are able to escape Auvellius' client together only because of a new ability granted to Auvellius by Kresh's presence; when Auvellius intentionally relinquishes control of his body and Kresh takes his place, Auvellius can undergo a transformation that allows him to grow three times in size. With this size comes a new strength and some extra physical features. Kresh can only work with the canvas he's given, so Auvellius' parasite form closely resembles his original body in many ways.

Whenever Kresh is in control, Auvellius is still present as a voice in the back of his head - much like how Kresh sounds to Auvellius on a regular basis. In general Auvellius must be willing to let Kresh take over for any change to occur, which requires trust from both parties. Unfortunately, the two don't get along super well at first thanks to their highly conflicting personalities. Auvellius and Kresh realize they need to learn to tolerate each other if they're going to work together and be a successful team.

Unlike what one might expect, Kresh doesn't have any malicious intentions or uncontrollable habits as a parasite. In fact, he's actually the voice of reason between him and Auvellius. His direct needs involve staying connected to a host and getting the chance to 'stretch his legs' by taking control every once in a while, rather than siphoning energy or resources. So protecting Auvellius is a very good thing. Auvellius himself is a shady, narcissistic sweet-talker who gets himself into trouble quite often (as is typical for a conman), and Kresh often ends up advising against his decisions with an unexpected wisdom. It's a fun twist compared to what's generally expected from fictional alien parasites.