The Taper FAQ, 2.3.

Q.  What is Taper?

A.  Taper is a shapeshifting alien, who generally goes about in a lupine
form. 

Q.  What kind of alien?

A.  Taper is one of a race of beings formed from the leavings of an
ancient civilization of hive-makers.  Long after these highly advanced
bee-like creatures disappeared, the wax-like substance of their
cities, developed to hold memories, gained sentience through an
accident of fire, creating the beings known as Candles.

Candles come from the third planet from the star known as Candlestick Beta.

Q.  What kind of abilities does Taper have?

A.  Taper's abilities are mostly linked to her telepathic and telekinetic
powers.  He telekinesis is what allows her to retain her form.  It also
allows her to move things about, and create WaxGates.

Q.  What's a WaxGate?

A.  A WaxGate is a portal between two points in space/time.  It allows
near-instantaneous travel at stellar distances, but it is impractical over
shorter distances.  Taper discovered this ability about 200 years ago, 
making Candles independant of off-worlders for long-distance transportation.

Q.  Does Taper have any children?

A.  Taper has two children on #watertower and related fora:  Dot Warner,
and Masem J. Mouse.

Q.  How did Taper come to have children?

A.  Well...

	Dot was relaxing in Taper (in the form of a large vat of paraffin), 
	and was caught inside when Taper resumed his wolf form.  Taper
	assumed female form, and gave birth to Dot.  Dot later underwent
	the Ritual of Lighting, and became wax as well.

	Masem was severely injured, and Taper melted him down and lit him, 
	completing the Ritual and making him her son.

Q.  Why did Taper leave her homeworld?

A.  Quite simply, the memory wax that Candles are created from is
running out.  It is only a matter of time until Candles die out.
Taper and 19 others volunteered as envoys to find the Ancients.  Taper
was sent in the direction of Earth.  And the rest is history.