# Moths (Dnin-Nepid)


"Well, shit, here we go again.""

## why + devnotes

### REGEX MARKERS
%%SPECIES_NAME%% - `Dnin-Nepid`
%%SPECIES_NAME_POSSESSIVE%% - `Dnin-Nepidean`
%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% - `Dnin-Nepids`
%%PLANET_NAME%%
%%FQ_PLANET_NAME%%
%%STAR_NAME%%
%%FQ_STAR_NAME%%h
%%SYSTEM_NAME%%
%%FQ_SYSTEM_NAME%%
%%STELLAR_COORDINATES%%
%%FLEET_NAME%%
%%FLEET_NAME_FLEET%%
%%LANGUAGE%% - `Luinimma`
%%CURRENT_YEAR%% - `2566`
%%CURRENT_YEAR_MINUS(YEARS)%% (not really easily regexed but placeholder regardless; can be parsed by script)

### todo;
- ref images
- height adjustment?
- rewrite fur desc/neck fluff to be biologically feasible (cooling?)

### "why would you add another furry race"
- we have no moths
- dusklight titanians and their creator informed me they're *fairies* and my gods i am not playing a *fairy*
- i like moths
- tg made epic moth lore
- clearly we need one more wacky nomadic race
- haha vox funny but this is funnier
- can we *please* canonize moths ship-racing vox/pirates/salvager ships for fun?

### dev stuff
- a few people wanted subspecies.
- i am undecided on how to do this due to the current lore being unified species
- i am not i want to officially incorporate this as opposed to just "well some people will just genemode lol"
- props to the tg moth lore devs
- no seriously call /tg/ lrp all you want but it's awesome
- stolen ideas: tidal-locked planet, planetary exodus, nomadic fleet

### dev summary
- nomadic moth species in outer south rim of galaxy
- developed on half-gaia tidal-locked world; lower competition = lower aggression; planet exodus due to rolling d0 on cosmic placement
- superstitious tech astrologian-wannabes turned nomadic engineers
- strengths:
- enigmatic but highly efficient engineering (janky in the good way)
- bleeding edge ship/engine/FTL/habilitability (**NOT TERRAFORMING**) tech & engineering in general
- nimble & adaptable
- currently located in empty-ish southern arms of galaxy (no territorial issues with standing governments)
- weaknesses:
- slightly frail, lower aggression (this is a weakness when you're sandwiched between a bunch of expansionist assholes huh??)
- winged flight weakened post exodus
- subpar medical tech
- subpar, janky-in-the-bad-way military tech
- late to the galactic party (contact ~100 years ago, except for select species/explorations, due to distance)
- sandwiched between orion/jargon space (not that bad, they still have a good part of an arm to themselves)
- outnumbered by all other species combined by around 100x (e.g. **all** other major species, combined, so they're not that tiny either, 1% is a lot when talking about "1% of a quarter of the galaxy")
- *their planet blew up*
- "neutrals"
- retains some old culture/superstition
- tends to be religious
- AI tech replaced with highly automated but non sapient systems; AI tech exists unindustrialized (labs only atm)
- main fleet tends to be mildly isolationist at best towards other species

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

# %%SPECIES_NAME%%

The %%SPECIES_NAME%% - commonly known as "Moths" due to their appearance resembling a specific Terran insect - are a nomadic people hailing from the southern reaches of the Milky Way. Having lost their homeworld in centuries past, they wander the fringes of the galaxy - expanding their fleet as they search for a new home. While the majority of their population still inhabit systems outside the reach of even the frontiers of more sedentary civilizations, more and more have migrated inwards - readily accepted by enterprising corporations for a source of reliable innovation - or marked off as a non-factor for being latecomers to the galactic stage.

## Tl;dr - READ THIS IF YOU HATE READING LORE

Short gameplay primer:
- This species is an entirely alien race; They are not co-evolved from any other galactic species.
- This is an alien species with low galactic integration. Their presence is greater within the frontier (which is infact the playable game world) but not by far. Most who live on the frontier have heard of them, but not many know a whole lot about them other than the long and short.
- This species isn't whitelist-tier in term of obligations. Most characters you can imagine can probably fit somewhere.
- You're a nimble, roguish race. Where you lack in sheer brawn you gain in dexterity and utility. Stat-wise, you are more fragile, but far more adaptable depending on if you area **light-adapted** or **dark-adapted** subspecies. The former has better endurance, the latter has better senses.

Short personality/culture primer:
- This race leans towards a visibly gremlin-like, light-hearted nature. Obviously, exceptions exist; Many do not accept the optimisms of the majority, especially after leaving the Fleet.
- %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% tend towards being outwardly pacifistic - violence is both physically and culturally disadvantageous. This is just an outwards preference - it should not be mistaken to be near the degree of say, the Diona - %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are plenty capable of fighting in their own ways.
- This race is somewhat superstitious, with many believing in concepts like luck, later retribution, and deities, usually with a focus on the stars around them and the ships they inhabit.

Short lore/history primer:
- This is a nomadic species whom have lost their homeworld. While planet-inhabiting %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% do exist, the majority of them spend a great amount of time in starships.
- After the Exodus, %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% have more and more embraced innovation - perhaps more by need than want. While much of their culture is still kept and respected, they have became a race of natural-born engineers - seeking out new adventures and explorations, unmatched in their delves into the fringe by any other than perhaps the Vox.
- While some smaller groups have made their forays into the greater galactic space centuries past, the majority of them have had little interaction with other species up until the start of the twenty-fifth century.
- The majority of the Fleet now resides outside both Orion and Jargon space - on the outermost arm of the Milky Way.

## Physicality

%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%%, despite their insect-like resemblences, are actually mammalian. Like many other species proximate to the Orion Spur, they are humanoid in appearance with the standard, bipedal quad-limbed configuration. Their appearance vary highly by the person, and is not visibly connected to any kind of societal or hierarchical influence.

### Reference

// TODO

### Physique

The %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% have survived the trial of time - their core genetics remaining generally intact, even as various mutations arose under the constant bombardment of cosmic radiation. The main differences of their physiology arose from the two sides of their planet.

%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% vary highly in overall build and height. While the average seems to around 150-160cm (4.9-5.2ft), specimens have been spotted anywhere from a lower bound of 120cm (4ft) to a whopping 210cm (6.9ft) - though the extremes of their height is equal to their rarity. Their bodies tend to be adapted for a nimble, dextrous lifestyle - rarily heavily built, instead relying on speed and articulation as an advantage. Their bones are considerably more efficient strength-to-mass than most species; yet they are just as, if more fragile, due to their low weights.

Flight-adapted for their homeworld, %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are physically capable of flight at near-Earth gravities with a dense enough atmosphere - sporting nimble, robust wings reinforced with a minute amount of a calcium-based lattice. For most of them, however, this is an unfortunate formality; Their exile in space has left most of the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% unable to fly on terrestial bodies, often taking years to relearn what was once second nature. Even worse, the large spans of their wings tend to get in the way in the packed interior of a starship - most %%SPECIES_NAME_POSSESSIVE%% technicians opting to hide their wings under cloaks and other outerwear to prevent them from getting in the way.

%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% have a surprisingly efficient metabolism - able to regulate their body-temperature and energy take with ease, thanks to the evolutionary pressure of being on such a chaotic world. Even with this, however, they often find themselves needing to eat half a dozen meals in a busy day of flying, however - the quick motions of their wings exceptionally taxing for an otherwise frugal genome. That said, this is point hardly more than moot for the majority spending their lives aboard spacecraft.

### Adaptations

Due to the polar nature of %%PLANET_NAME%%, the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% usually exhibit one of two adaptations - a light-adapted, and a dark-adapted variant. Unlike in many other species, where only superficial traits like skin color tend to be affected, %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% exhibit some greater physiological changes depending on which adaptation they trend towards.

While these *are* impacted by genetic traits, the early environment of a %%SPECIES_NAME%% greatly affects their development - and things like colorations, and psychological tendencies towards light, or the absence thereof, tend to arise early in one's development. The advent of starships during the Exodus has somewhat dulled some of these traits - while many vessels simulate a similar cycle through lighting and environmental regulation, starship lights are rarely comparable to the full intensity of a sunlit sky, or kept in a nocturnal state entirely - mostly due to practical reasons.

#### Light-Adapted

Those of the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% that originate from the sun-lit side of their world evolve a keen sight - with vibrant, colorful bodies. Their vision is sharp, with incredible acuity and color perception, though many of them perform relatively poorly in darker areas due to a diminished rod count. Ironically, they are mildly attracted to shade and darker areas, due to the presence of such usually indicating natural structures or resources. Furthermore, they tend to be more hardy than their dark-adapted counterparts, due to the need for better performance under the harsh rays of their sun.

#### Dark-Adapted

The dark-adapted %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are the counterpart - adapted to the light levels of their moons rather than their star, their eyes adapt into a high concentration of rods; allowing them an excellent eyesight at darker illuminations, but a decreased color sense - their bodies developing simpler color palettes than their sun-bathed brethren both for identification and for camofladge. They perform less well on the sun side of %%PLANET_NAME%%, finding it hard to do strenuous task under the harsh heat of their star - as well as having diminished vision due to light saturation. They are naturally attracted towards light - often investigating sources of illumination with great curiosity, and a matching amount of caution.

## Identity
The %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are often referred to as internal jargon by many races - no thanks to their rarity, relative obscurity, and their appearance. Humans and adjacent often refer to them as Moths, due to their appearance - despite them not being insects by any tangible measure. The more scathing and less xeno-friendly species tend to refer to them as "Bugs" in common, for the same reasons, as well as their usual personalities and gremlin-ry.

The majority of %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% who enter the galactic community are either immigrants, explorers, or otherwise first-generation - holding fast to their ideals and cultures much of the time. While second or third generation hybrids that are brought up in the cultures of another species, or flat-out with a parent of another species do exist, they are much dwarfed by the former - though they tend to stick out even more.

### Names
The %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are a matriarchal, formally tribal society. Once named after both their tribes, as well as their maternally inherited family names, the former practically evaporated after the rise of technological innovation and the advent of cities - only to reappear in another form after their exodus.

%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% generally go by their given names - with their long, and overly fanciful full alises reserved for formal meetings and introductions.

### Language

**Luinimma** is the primary language of the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% - a fast vocalization constituted of what can be best described by others as a series of chitters, clicks, and chirps. It is found to be difficult to understand and vocalized by foreigners; the volume of certain phonemes nearly impossible to vocalize in full by other species - even by some third-plus generation hybrids.

However, the other way around is not nearly as dibilitating - %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% have an easy time pronouncing Galactic Common, though their vocalizations are described as sharp, and mildly distorted on the higher frequencies.

### Integration

The %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% that have chosen to venture into the greater galaxy usually shorten their name to the two part standard of many other races. Some less culturally attached individuals tend to choose new monikers entirely - either close to another species of their choosing, or for the more aloof, a mildly practical nickname to go by.

## Personality

// TODO

## Locality

// TODO: Rewrite planet

### Pre-Exodus

The %%SPECIES_NAME%% originate from the %%SYSTEM_NAME%% system - consisting of a binary star with five orbiting planets. Their homeworld *was* the second planet %%PLANET_NAME%% - a tidally locked world with a large number of orbiting moons.
- Thanks to the perfect storm of churning water flows and a dense, active atmosphere, the planet's surface was mostly inhabitable - a stark contrast from the majority of planets with such an orbit.
- Massive eclipses and the uneven orbits of the planet's many moons created an unstable pattern of dimmed day for the side facing the star, and half-lit nights for the side facing away. As a result, the two sides of the divide lack some of the more extreme evolutionary differences often experienced by such planets.
- An unusual planetary composition resulted in a large, powerful magnetic field dwarfing even Earth's. The low background radiation resulted in little genetic drift. %%PLANET_NAME%% had little in the way of apex predators until the rise of %%SPECIES_NAME%%, both a blessing, and an evolutionary curse.

### Post-Exodus

After the loss of their homeworld, the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% spread out across the south side of the Milky Way.

// TODO

## Society

### Religion

The %%SPECIES_NAME%% are an incredibly superstitious people, and their religion plays a large part of their daily life. It comes in the form of a henotheistic animism, the %%SPECIES_NAME%% worshipping only one god though recognizing others. Further, they believe their gods to be capable of inhabiting any object or concept: On their homeworld, they believed the gods first inhabitated the skies before being pulled down to inhabit the concept of discovery. In the modern day, they believe their god of choice inhabits their arkship.
- The gods have names, but are not associated with any particular domain beyond a general divine will. They are all considered equally powerful, but %%SPECIES_NAME%% only continually worship one at a time.
- Traditional belief says that the gods created revelatory displays in the sky to both inspire and warn the %%SPECIES_NAME%%. These displays are credited for jumpstarting the technological evolution of the %%SPECIES_NAME%%.
- Once the tools needed to study the sky in greater detail were discovered, and explanations for the displays were created, the gods were said to have been plucked from the sky and brought into the concept of discovery by the %%SPECIES_NAME%%.
- The gods are further credited for the creation of the arks. They provided the knowledge and inspiration necessary to discover a way to save the %%SPECIES_NAME%%.
- Once the arks were created, traditional belief holds that the gods inhabitated them, and each ark represented a divine body of a particular god.
- Though the %%SPECIES_NAME%% are not traditionally combative, small remnants of their tribal past persist, making it an extreme faux pas to provide the identity of a ship's god outside of that ship. Before the peace settled, praying to the god of your enemies was believed to impart good luck and turn the god against its worshippers.
- In the modern day, engineers onboard arks also serve as priests, and the act of maintenance to be a form of worship. Most schooling aboard arks is done by engineers.

## Technology

// TODO

equipment dexterity adaptation etc

## History

// TODO

### Pre-Exodus

#### Pre-Industrial

#### Industrial

#### Spacer

#### The Exodus

### Modern

#### The First Century

#### Galactic Joining

#### Current Day

## Relations

%%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% are a newcomer to the galaxy at large. Most governments - especially ones far from the Orion Confederation - are only tangentially aware of their existence and activities, owing to their habitation of what was thought to be an unclaimed void. The most common people to have met with one in earnest are likely spacers - and even in that, the language barrier stands strong, due to the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% being slow to uptake Galactic Common internally.

While much of the tensions and confrontations from first contact have ebbed with time, %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% enjoy a rocky understanding with others - the lack of a permanent, *stationary* government makes them hard to take seriously, regardless of the size of their migratory fleets. Their lack of proximity to the majority of established space - and lack of aggressive behavior - further marks them off as a problem to be relegated for later.

Regardless, many of the %%SPECIES_NAME_PLURAL%% have taken to visiting the greater galaxy - whether to immigrate, or to learn. As a relatively industrious people, migrants have a decently easy time finding an occupation - often arriving on their own shuttlecraft, and having some workable understanding of Galactic Common most of the time. This wasn't always the case, though, and less inclusive groups are fast to hold onto their reservations.

### Nanotrasen

// TODO

### Galactic Politics

Given the remote location of the %%SPECIES_NAME_POSSESSIVE%% fleet, most major governments have little issue with their way of life - the two in closest proximity having exhausted not even their own frontiers.

// TODO

### Other species

// TODO