Mothpeople

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Mothperson
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Basic Information
Origin Point: It's Complicated
Temp Range: 270-340K
Height: 169cm
Diet: Fruit, sugar. Can consume most equipment.

  • Can fly, if there's pressure and no gravity
  • Technically mammalian
  • Increased light sensitivity
  • Anti-insect weapons vulnerability
  • Lamp jokes are not funny

Mothpeople are a people originating from the Sol system that resemble anthropomorphic lepidoptera. They are a scientifically and taxonomically controversial species with their muddled origin being the source of significant amounts of discourse. A majority of Mothpeople are citizens of the Solar Confederation.

Lore

Mothpeople have a complicated origin. They were first discovered several generations ago, at multiple separate locations, all at around the same time, fending for themselves in various habitable locations such as abandoned habitats, research outposts, and habitable but isolated exoplanets. The moths discovered there had been there not particularly long, no more than a few generations, and had no apparent concept of society outside of what little they had formed. They were quickly taken in and introduced to the galactic society at large, and today, they're a very common sight across the galaxy, especially in space, where they're more common.

Study into the mothperson genome was conducted after their discovery in hopes of shedding any light at all on their origin. Mothpeople contain DNA from humans, various species of true lepidopterans, and unknown genes seemingly fabricated whole-cloth. One controversial study that was unable to be replicated claimed that at least some of their DNA was derived from the cotton plant.

Mothpeople's categorization as either another human geneline or the second distinct species to come out of Sol is hotly debated. They represent the boundary between humans and otherwise, and the general rarity of total-conversion genemods is often attributed to the appearance of mothpeople at the same time Solarian genetic engineering technology reached the ability to produce something that complex. It's because of this, their cultureless and mysterious origin, and general distaste for the insectoid that mothpeople live a heavily fractured existence, often living alongside other more dominant cultures. This hasn't stopped some small attempts at banding together by moths, including a pidgin language intentionally propagated using the babbling idioglossia of the original moth discovery sites.

Playing a Moth

Mothpeople have usable night vision thanks to their sensitive eyes, but thus require more shielding in order to be fully protected from bright, disorienting lights. Aside from this, their wings, and the plethora of minor weaknesses to common anti-insect weaponry, moths are rather similar to their closest relative, the Humans.

You might...
  • Feel a sense of deja vu in strange locations, even if you've never been there before.
  • Feel isolated and lonesome, even when in good company.
  • Believe that you are more aware of your surroundings than others.
Others probably...
  • Think you are full of shit.
  • Believe you like lamps.
  • Assume you are scatterbrained.

Moth names

Due to the fractured nature of the Mothpeople's existence, there are no set naming conventions. The most prevalent name trend in the past few years are names based on the scientific names of lepidopteran species. Another common trend are mononyms consisting of a common object, usually organic or natural in nature (for example, "Fish" or "Leaf").

Adventurers

Due to the dodgy nature of the emergence of Mothpeople, many lack a sense of identity and community. This can push one to sign on with crews, in hopes that they can forge new bonds with others and a new identity for themselves. Mothpeople are far more likely to be spacers than any other geneline or species, and might simply be working on a ship because they've always lived in space.

Gameplay

  • You can fly in low-gravity situations, given there is enough atmospheric pressure for your wings to function (and that you still have them).
  • You have functional night vision, which can be invaluable for an explorer!
  • Pesticides are poisonous to you, and flyswatters do damage comparable to a real weapon to you (instead of barely anything).
  • Violently allergic to meat.