Moon Molting
Nature finds a way, even across planets...
Banguk's lack of a moon hasn't stopped these transplants formerly found on Thanged from adapting and prospering in a world once burnt to ash. Even without the light of the Lunar Sisters Jhuno and Jhunin, moon moths have evolved rather quickly to use their neighboring planet itself as a marker to begin their life cycle. In the wake of the destruction of an entire civilization, these simple creatures have found a way to endure, healing alongside the planet they now call home.
Manifestation
Only specific conditions are able to facilitate the cycle: It must be night, Thanged must be in view in the sky, and there must be enough reflected light to simulate the conditions of a full moon. Unlike moths found on the Oldworld, moon moths spend most of their time in their larval stage hanging from tree branches like little ornaments until the conditions are right and they complete their pupal stage, absorbing the organs used in their larval stage before shedding their carapace and unfurling their wings.
BangukianMoonMoth2b.jpg
Bangukian Moon Moth Anatomy (Sketch)
by
Mardrena
Rough pencil sketch (VERY OLD)
Obsolete Content
In early drafts of AoD, Banguk once had a moon but it was destroyed during the Battle of Banguk. It either has no moon period, or if it did it might been destroyed or consumed during the previous Solar Swap thousands of years ago.
Localization
A relatively recent adaptation following the Burning of Banguk, the moths have achieved in a mere decade what most species spend thousands of years developing. Similar to species from the Oldworld that changed their camoflague rapidly to adapt to changing environments, moon moths persevered in the wake of the firing of the Vyerrdeklagn. Whereas their Thangien cousins are primarily restricted to the canopies of the Eastern Jungle and Tirmutua, Bangukian moths have proliferated across the entire planet. As a result, only a few regions at any given time progress their molts. The lack of natural predators such as Pei monkeys and gherfen allows even more larvae to complete their cycle.
All artwork used is self-made and belongs to me unless otherwise stated, such as kitbashes and commissions. Age of Defiance does not and will not use or feature RW/YST original artwork out of consideration for the OAS creators
Comments
Author's Notes
Writing this I'm reminded of the old example of the Russian moths how the white ones were found in snowy regions and the black ones adapted to blend in with sooty buildings. Another inspiration comes from Satisfactory where at night the "moon" is actually a much weaker star with a soft blue glow.