Mothpeople

MOFF
Mothperson	Genus: Motha Disgustus Homeworld: Unknown Central Authority: None Restricted Job Roles: None Guides: No external guides

Mothpeople are a mutant race similar to the Earth moth insect, found on Nanotrasen space stations.

Lore

>"Hey, Bug-Eyes. I think you got the wrong door, the outfitters is two blocks down."

-Anonymous Moth recounting their experience as the first of their kind to walk into a formerly human-only restaurant, following the creation of the Species Equality Act.

Description:

The Moths originally hail from a world that has since been lost, though how exactly the moths came to forget where their own planet is confuses everyone- everyone, it seems, except the moths. Apocryphal tales of the planet are passed down through generations, describing its remarkable geography- it was tidally locked, and split into two halves as a result- upon the sun-facing side grew a vast jungle, full of life, while on the dark side an arctic wasteland formed, bitter and cold year round. And from these two sides, came two different types of moth- the hardy, cold resistant frost moths, and the lighter, fun loving moss moths. The cultural and physiological differences between the two sides run deep, however they have come to reconcile their differences due to their new living arrangements, aboard the Grand Nomad Fleet.

Mothkind now *mostly* lives aboard the Grand Nomad Fleet, an impressive armada of thousands of ships, from tiny shuttles to hulking capital ships, kept afloat by the combined efforts of every moth living aboard the vessels. In order to keep them running, the moths trade resources harvested from regions the fleet passes by to other civilizations in exchange for crucial parts. Many moths, in support of the fleet, thereby depart from it to work within the ranks of corporations, with the intention of sending money and resources to their families back home. And this is how moths came to live and work alongside the other species of the galaxy.

The moths have had a bumpy past with humanity- following first contact, raids on human vessels by moth pirates were common, however the nature of the attacks was anything but. The moths would arrive, disable the ship, and board, taking as many salvagable parts as they could, all while doing their best to harm nobody aboard their target vessel. Particular preference was given by these fluffy raiders for particularly glowy parts, including (most notably) the ships' uranium power cores, which led to an epidemic of ships being stranded on minimal power in the outer rim for some time. As contact between the two species increased, their piratical ways gave way to trading (most of the time, anyway). In the decades since, moths have become easily the most accepted xeno species by humanity, likely due to their amicable nature and humanlike mannerisms.

As to why the moths have not settled down and founded a colony to serve as a new homeworld, many speculate. Some believe that they are just happy aboard their fleet, and see no need to settle. Others reckon that they're searching for their home planet, to reclaim their lost heritage. Others still believe that the moths are perfectionists, and will accept only a perfect substitute for home. Regardless of their true reasoning, one thing is clear- the moths are here to remain on the galactic stage, and few seem to want this to change.

Fun Factoids

• Moths are quite sociable, particularly amongst members of their own species, due to living in the tight quarters of the Grand Nomad Fleet.

• The antennas of a moth serve as a receptor for their keen sense of smell.

• Moths have a very keen sense of smell. It is their primary sense for perceiving the world, and they are often big fans of perfumes which they can coat themselves in. Their antennae serve as their main olfactory receptor, as they have no noses. (How do they smell? Like whatever they doused themselves in.)

• Their "fluff" is more akin to scales than human hair. It is used for sensory input and will glimmer upon falling off. As a show of dramatism, Moths are known to shake themselves violently to throw off a cloud of shimmering, glittery scales.

• Moth wings are near useless outside of low gravity environments- this does not stop them from priding themselves on their wings and flaunting them around. This is because their wings are particularly precious to them, and most Moths will defend them with their lives.

• Moths are generally not very good in fights. They shock easily, they're susceptible to bright flashes, and so on. Most opt to take the peaceful route instead. When forced to fight, they instinctively scratch rather than bite.

• Some of the more isolated moths have their own religion which is based around space moth deities. These deities appear to represent positive ideals that shine through the darkness of existence and the moths frequently call themselves lightseekers. This religion calls for isolative exploration of the self, which leads adherents to live isolated lives in solitude, counter to moth nature, and very hard to find aboard the Fleet.

• Moths by nature are very considerate of others and this extends to other species. They often think about their companions before they think about themselves. As a result, they also tend to avoid confrontation, and will frequently use flowery or deceptive language when saying negative things about other people.

• By no means do moths believe they can physically intimidate other creatures and instead opt for underhanded tactics.

• Mothra is a very popular hero among the Moth community and most conflicts in Kaiju conventions are usually caused by uppity Moths.

Names

Names hold significant importance within moth culture. According to folklore, names are inextricably bound to the owner, like a key to their soul that must be protected or face terrible consequences should anyone with ill intentions discover it. In more modern times, revealing one's own name has become a symbol of great personal trust. It is a matter so rarely discussed that it's not unheard of for some moths to forget their own name.

For this reason, no official name is recognized on the fleet. Every citizen is assigned an identification number that will be used for all official matters, while colloquially moths will address one another in various ways such as by nickname, rank, occupation or the ship they are serving on.

To allow identification within human society, moths are eventually required to pick their own legally recognized name. Some regard this as a meaningless formality and will pick at random, while others, seeing it as an opportunity to further exploit their amicable appearance, may choose a name that humans could find cute or amusing, much to the chagrin of the officials that have to approve the requests.

Racial Tensions

Racial tensions with the Moths have dramatically declined since the initial conflicts of first contact, however this does not mean that everything is peachy between them. Many surveys find that humans are much more positively inclined towards Moths than other xeno lifeforms, and the feeling is mutual. This may be why Moths have managed to dodge the racially-motivated violence that is common to the other xenos.

Moth Technology

It is no secret that moths are at the forefront of ship technology. Having a culture that breeds excellence in engineering (mostly because keeping deathtraps running is a tricky prospect) alongside a flat societal structure that means anyone with an idea is capable of attempting to put it in practice means that mothic ship engineers are amongst the best in the galaxy. To this end, most systems on vessels of the Grand Nomad Fleet are tinkered with and optimised to incredible degrees- although at the cost of being tempramental and difficult to repair for almost anyone except the moths themselves.

Life aboard the Grand Nomad Fleet: "Authoritarian by Necessity"

For the moths, life is very different to what we experience on Earth, by the necessity of living aboard a massive fleet of old, scrappy ships.

Due to the restrictions placed on space for growing food and manufacturing, much of the supplies necessary to maintain the populations' needs and health must be sourced from outwith the fleet, and as such a rationing system has been put in place to give everyone their fair share. Each citizen is given a weekly ration of 7 main meals served at a licensed canteen (1 for each day), 5 smaller mid-day meals served at a licensed canteen (1 for each workday), and a package of discretionary credits which can be redeemed at a commissary for snacks, breakfast supplies, and luxury items. In cases of illness, injury, or rearing young, two full meals will be provided each day. The licensed canteens where these meals are supplied are communal areas and generally garner a convivial atmosphere, as the moths gather to eat their food with friends and family and forget the harshness of life aboard the fleet for a short while. Alcohol is qualified as a luxury and can be purchased with discretionary credits, either at the canteens or at specialised bars. There are a few days on which restrictions are relaxed: on public holidays workers are relieved of their duties and food is served without a need for ration tickets.

All aboard the fleet must contribute to keeping it running, be that via maintenance, service jobs, medical work, or (in rare cases) working outwith the fleet to gather cash which can be used by the fleet for purchasing supplies. Typically moths will be trained in more than one area of expertise, allowing them to be flexible to the needs of the fleet. Those who do not contribute receive only the barest essentials of rations, and if their mooching goes on for too long, they will be dragged before the Admiralty to be forced to accept a career, or face exile from the fleet- there is no room for leeches.

At the age of 12 moths will enter the workforce assisting with light tasks that are generally safe alongside vocational training for their future career and their education. Later, at the age of 18, they will transfer to their new career and begin working. Those who stay closer to home to work will transfer ship upon turning 18, in an effort to maintain genetic diversity amongst the species. They will stay aboard their new vessel for life in most cases, forming a close bond with their new neighbours.

Living arrangements aboard the fleet are suitably spartan: the best possible place to live is aboard the ex-colony ships or old civilian vessels, as they have larger, more spacious crew quarters which are purpose built for comfortable living. More commonly, however, moths can expect repurposed rooms shoddily divided into individual apartments, with shared bathroom facilities and very little actual privacy. In the worst cases, they may need to share these spaces, or even worse, have to live in dorms with a number of other moths. While they are a communal species, moths do appreciate some privacy every now and then.

Given it is made up of thousands of old vessels, and the Moths' legacy of piracy, the Grand Nomad Fleet has a number of vessel types making up its ranks: everything from old colony ships, to military vessels, ancient trade haulers, entertainment barges (where moths can go on their days off to enjoy themselves), engineering and construction ships, and hundreds of smaller vessels which carry only a small crew.

Smugglers and Privateers

Despite criminality in the fleet being almost absent, partially thanks to lax regulations in regards to narcotics and contraband, the same can't be said about the numerous pirate and smuggler crews that operate from within it. Although officially operating outside of its control, the fleet will often turn a blind eye to their activities as long as they keep contributing to the fleet's upkeep.

Unsurprisingly, this has often put a strain on diplomatic relations. In an effort to remain under the radar, most crews adhere to an unofficial "honor code" that most importantly forbids any type of violence, which has contributed to the moths' reputation of being peace-loving to a fault. Yet the truth is much less glamorous: it is a code followed not for honor, but self-preservation as the fleet will immediately rescind any support and outlaw any crew found guilty of violent crimes to avoid any major diplomatic incidents.

Speculations

As is to be expected of any group which can provide exceptional services, mothic engineers often travel from the fleet to take up positions with the other species of the galaxy, usually demanding a king's ransom to do so. In return, the hiring organisation will find themselves with the highest quality of ship designs that money can buy- at least until their contract expires, at which point they had best hope they've trained the rest of their engineers sufficiently well to keep their systems at peak capacity.

Mothic Engineers have been behind many successes from many companies, including making designs for Azik Interstellar, Cybersun Industries, Donk Co, and even Nanotrasen- for whom the moths were responsible for several station innovations.

Gameplay

Mothfolk are an optional playable race. You can make a mothperson character in the character panel, and change aspects of its wings

Moths attack with their claws to slash and hack people, though this does not deal any additional damage. They are shown to "flutter" when speaking and have unique names that sound like scientific animal/plant names. Moths can talk in moffic using ,m .

For gameplay purposes, moths can flutter around in pressurized low-gravity environments (aka the grav gen dies). However, they get crushed by electric damage, fly swatters and pest spray. Their wings easily burn off too. They also become blind easier from flashes and welders.

Moths need two layers or welding protection to properly protect them from the light of welding. Welding helmets can be found in most areas that welding is a job requirement and from autolathes, and welding masks can be printed from science and engineering tech fabricators after being researched and welding goggles can be found in robotics and engineering but not printed .