Mothwings
A Wings of fire fantribe created by Glossoholic
What are Mothwings?
Mothwings are a closed fantribe based off of different kinds of moths.
As a Closed species, this means that they are not open to be made by anyone. To receive a Mothwing, you must pay to make your own, have one made for you, or get it during contests/adopts.
For any questions regarding Mothwings go to @Glossoholic or @woolly.ruby
Info Sections
Basic Information
Name Meaning
The name Mothwing comes from moths. This is due to their similar appearance and behaviors that they share with the insect.
Abilities
Mothwings are excellent climbers, with talons specially adapted for gripping and clinging to tree bark.
They are born without wings, and gain them through a metamorphosis once they reach a mature age.
They are primarily arboreal, spending most of their time in the jungle canopy.
Their antennae are sensitive to sound and movement.
They are very alert, and have quick and jumpy movements.
They have excellent night vision, but are the most active around dawn and dusk.
They are known for their voracious appetites, and are able to store nutrients in their large tails.
They can produce a foul-smelling odor from a gland on the tip of their tail. Waving their tail around spreads the odor through the air.
They can produce silk from glands on their wrists. (Mothwings do not have any flamesilks)
Animus
Mothwings have no known animus dragons.
Weaknesses
Mothwing tails are very important to them, due to them needing to eat large amounts and relying on energy stores. Losing their tail could render a Mothwing very malnourished.
They are the smallest tribe on Aurovia, and are easily overpowered by the larger tribes.
Young, wingless Mothwings are more vulnerable due to being unable to fly.
They are not known for their intelligence, and are easily impressionable.
They need to eat in large amounts. Going without food for a while leaves them sluggish and vulnerable.
Diet
Mothwing diet consists primarily of plants. They consume fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, roots, flowers, seeds, nuts, honey, and nectar.
Sweet foods are their favorites. While not normally part of their diet, they have recently taken up eating animal products such as milk, eggs, butter, and cheese. these are typically made into a dessert.
They struggle to digest meat, and most prefer not to consume it at all.
Appearance
Anatomy
Mothwing bodies are very short, and somewhat stout.
Their necks are covered in a protective, thin silky fur.
Their snouts are short and narrow.
Their tongue is very narrow and long, used for getting inside flowers to lap up the nectar.
They have a horn on their snout, as well as two larger horns on their forehead, above the eyes.
They have long, "fuzzy" antennae.
Their talons are long and hooked, specially adapted for clinging to tree bark.
Adults have four moth-like wings, with the shape and patterns varying slightly among individuals.
The first set of wings are larger than the second set behind it.
Young Mothwings that are yet to mature are wingless, instead having wing buds where the wings will grow in. The buds get larger the closer the dragonet is to metamorphosis. They metamorphose around 4 years of age.
Markings on their wings tend to be very moth-like, with patterns such as eye-spots, small splashes of color, or tree bark for camouflage.
Their tails are short, and very thick. Tail size is a good way to indicate how healthy a dragon is. A Mothwing with a skinny tail is extremely malnourished.
Mothwing eggs are more spherical in shape compared to other tribes. They are a light yellow-brown in color. Some may be speckled. Their shells are somewhat soft, and care should be used when handling them.
Egg clutches tend to be large, with the smallest containing two or three, and the largest containing five or more. It is rare for a dragon to lay just a singular egg.
Colors
No Mothwing is neon! While their wings and parts of their body may have splashes of bright colors as an accent, it cannot be too intense.
Their colors tend to be very earthy, muted, and natural. Common colors include (but are not limited to) greens, browns, reds, white, grays, and black.
As long as the main body is primarily a more natural or earth-toned color, the wings may have brighter, less common colors such as pink, yellow, blue, etc. These colors will still be muted, and cannot be neon.
Their body and wings can have any pattern, be it based on a real moth, or a made-up one.
Neck fur is a different color than the main body.
Their teeth can be pearly white, or a dirty yellow.
Their horns tend to be a color that matches the face.
Their pupils, iris, and sclera can be any color.
Inside ears/gums/tongue can be any color.
Claws are always black.
Size
Habitat
Continent
Mothwings live in the jungle, on the continent of Aurovia.
Landscape
Mothwings live in the canopy of a large jungle, close to the warm tropical ocean.
The jungle is extremely dense and lush, full of a wide variety of plants and animals.
Their kingdom is mainly known for its vast amounts of fruit, and supply of wood.
Most of the trees are too close together for larger tribes to fly unhindered. Vines stretch among the branches as well, proving to be a further hindrance.
The jungle floor is littered with detritus and fungus.
There are quite a few scattered rivers, streams, lakes, and waterfalls.
Kingdom
Mothwing architecture is rather simple, using materials found within the jungle. Most structures are built only from wood, silk, and various plant matter.
Homes are made of silk with a wooden frame underneath, are spherical in shape, and hang down from branches. The outer layer is covered in leaves and branches, so that the structures blend into the canopy.
"Doors" are typically a leaf cover, a curtain, or strands of wooden beads. Very few homes will actually have a wooden door.
Insides of homes tend to be small, with only two rooms: sleeping and living. The whole family shares the sleeping space. Floors are wooden. Homes are decorated with wooden furniture, bowls of seeds, pressed flowers, and artwork.
Stores are similar to homes, being that they are made of silk and wood with a protective leafy cover, but they tend to be larger and more easily accessible, with wider entryways.
Some shops and buildings are located on the jungle floor. These are usually farmer's homes, or bakeries, and tend to be wooden huts. These buildings will more often have wooden doors, to keep jungle animals out.
Fire will not be found up in the canopy, but it is used in the clay furnaces of the bakeries on the jungle floor. Fire is not trusted up in the canopy, where everything is flammable wood and silk.
Stretching among the trees are wooden bridges with rope railings. These were originally made for Mothwings that are yet to metamorphose, but they have since been enlarged and built more frequently for guests.
Another accommodation for guests are the platforms. These are large, flat wooden surfaces laid across tree branches. Larger tribes can land and walk on these. They tend to be decorated with wooden statues.
There is no palace. Instead, the Queen lives in a large hut on top of the biggest visitor platform, which is adorned with wooden carvings of royalty. The hut has a leaf roof and is one story, but has multiple rooms. It's walls are covered in elaborate, colorful paintings.
The royal hut is located on the Royal Tree, the largest tree in the jungle that sticks out above the canopy. This tree also serves as the royal family's burial tree, and is carved all over with an ancient pattern royals used to have upon their wings. Many homes of royal family members hang from it's branches.
Decorations include carved wooden statues, paintings, woven tapestries, and garlands of flowers and wooden beads. Recently, stone statues with gems have been popping up, as the trade deal with the Terrorwings have given artists more materials to work with.
Because their buildings are meant to blend in with the jungle, it's difficult for a dragon flying above the canopy to even realize that the kingdom is located just beneath.
Plant-life
The jungle is teeming with a wide variety of plants. One might find ferns, palm trees, moss, vines, rubber trees, orchids, cacao, giant water lilies, and coffee plants, to name a few
animal-life
Just like the plant life, the jungle is bursting with animal life. Animals that can be found include: parrots, jaguars, dart frogs, primates, tapirs, snakes, chameleons, a wide variety of insects, toucans, piranhas, bats, and many more
Misc.
Naming System
Mothwing names are chosen by the parents of a hatchling. The tribe is very lax with name changes, and all one must do is inform their parents and the Queen
Mothwings are named after:
Jungle animals (arthropods preferred). (Ex: Mantis, Macaw, Spider)
Jungle plants and flowers. (Ex: Fern, Heliconia, Palm)
Plant-based words. (Ex: Leaf, Twig, Bloom)
Fruits. (Ex: Papaya, Pomegranate, Tangerine)
Types of moths. (Ex: Atlas, Comet, Gypsy)
Misc. jungle-based words. (Ex: Canopy, Tangle, Tropic)
If you are unsure on what to name your Mothwing, or want to see if it would work, please don't be afraid to ask.
Duplicate names are completely fine! All we ask of you is to not use any names that Royalty have.
Beliefs
Mothwings believe in the power of kindness. They are welcoming to all tribes, even going out of their way to modify their kingdom to accommodate much larger guests. They believe that if they are kind to others, they will receive kindness and good fortune in return.
It's not uncommon for dragons of other tribes to get swarmed by welcoming Mothwings before they even reach the kingdom.
Compassion, loyalty, and hospitality are very sought after among the tribe.
The jungle is to be seen as sacred. It provides all of the food and wood that they need to survive. Mothwings believe that they need to give back as much as they take, and will replant sections of the jungle that they cut. They only take as much fruit as they need, leaving enough behind for the animals to have as well.
Dead Mothwings are wrapped in leaves, and buried with a tree sapling of the family's choosing. (Some families opt to have a singular tree that the whole family is buried around. The royal family is one such family.) They believe that by allowing the dead dragon to be nutrients for the tree, they will continue to live on and become a part of the jungle. Certain sections of the jungle are reserved for this custom, so that the burial trees are not cut down.
A family's burial tree falling over, getting sick, or losing major branches is a bad omen. The family will then do activities to "improve" themselves, such as being more active in the tribe, or planting new trees in the jungle.
History
Mothwings are long lost descendants of Beetlewings. During the search for a new home, a group of Beetlewings went a separate direction than the rest of their tribe and the Leafwings, and arrived on Aurovia. Generations of living in the dense jungle led to them evolving into the Mothwings.
They were the first tribe to arrive and evolve on Aurovia, and lived there alone for many generations until newer dragons showed up.
They have no knowledge of any other continents.
About 80 years ago, all tribes were at each other's throats. Mothwings chose not to get involved, and preferred to stay in the jungle where there was shelter and fruit. However, as the war progressed, tribes became famished and needed new souces of food. The merciless Terrorwings took advantage of the Mothwings small size and refusal to fight, surrounding the jungle and picking off any of the insectoid-dragons they could find.
As Mothwing numbers begean to drop, the Konbuwings came to their aid. The Konbuwing queen stationed her troops in the jungle to protect the smaller tribe from the Terrorwings. Because of this, Mothwings nowadays idolize and adore the aquatic tribe, even devoting an entire history museum to them.
In modern days, while Mothwings and Terrorwings may have an alliance and participate in trading, many Mothwings still fear the much larger tribe.
The Mothwing royal family previously had a special, royal pattern on their wings. As royalty became more lax and less selective with marriages, this pattern has gradually disappeared over the generations.
Culture
Family is very important to Mothwings. They form life-long partnerships, love to throw elaborate weddings, and tend to have a lot of dragonets.
Eggs are watched very closely. They are wrapped in a silk bundle, and kept in warm sunlight. Hatchlings are carried in a silk sling around their parents shoulders.
A dragonets metamorphosis is a big deal to a family. While the young Mothwing is changing, the family prepares for a big feast. The dragonets favorite food is gathered, and when they emerge, they are met with a large party filled with family and friends.
Families will carve names and meaningful messages into burial trees, and leave offerings of the deceased's favorite fruit.
Parties and social events are their favorites. There is a feast every month on the largest platform, where meeting new dragons is encouraged.
They are also a very artistic tribe, skilled in using natural materials, as well as their silk. It's not uncommon to find colorful tapestries and flower garlands hanging from the trees, and carved wooden sculptures on platforms and in the home.
Due to the jungle being full of many things that can poison a dragon or make them sick, Mothwings value the medical field. Despite a stereotype that they are not known for their intelligence, they are the best at medicine among all the tribes.
Because of their love for sweet foods, and their desire to have more variety in their diet, Mothwings have recently taken up raising livestock. Goats are raised for their milk, while chickens are raised for their eggs.
Government
While they may have a Queen, and come to her for advice, her reign isn't very strict. There is no council. A Mothwing Queen will pass on her rule to a daughter whenever she gets bored of being queen. This could be very early into her reign, or well into her life when she is close to death.
Rules of Society
Basic rules instilled by the Queen are:
1. No stealing from other members of the tribe. If you are hungry and need food, all you need to do is ask
2. Every dragon does their part to keep the jungle healthy. Do not take more than you need
3. Help out where you can. Gather fruit, chop wood, make art, organize parties, etc. Laziness is frowned upon
4. Murder is not tolerated. Murderers will be cast out from the jungle and shunned by the tribe immediately. This is the only offence that will get a Mothwing exiled from the tribe
List of Occupations
Some Occupations include:
Jewelry maker, wood carver, lumberer, architect, author, painter, gatherer, farmer, teacher, tattoo artist, actor, guard, scout, doctor, babysitter, forester, party organizer, bee keeper, baker
Languages
Common Aurovian tongue
Ranks
Commoner, guard/soldier, rouge/loner, shop/business owner, exiled (event only), royalty (event only)
Alliances
Mothwings currently have a trade agreement with the Terrorwings. They provide fruit, while the larger tribe provides stones, gems, and minerals not commonly found in the jungle.
They are on the best terms with the Konbuwings, often sharing beach space, food, and partying together. The Queens are on especially good terms, often referred to as "the best of friends".
Mothings try to be friendly and welcoming to all tribes, and therefor don't consider anyone their enemy.
Terms of Service
1. If you owned a Mothwing before the revamp, you may still keep them. All we ask of you is that you redraw them with the current design changes on the species. You may also contact one of us with proof of your ownership and receive the base to color.
2. Design changes for your Mothwing is perfectly fine, as long as it isn't too drastic and still follows the design rules (see appearance)
3. If you are ever selling your Mothwing, please inform us first so we may edit the masterlist.
4. If selling your Mothwing to a first time owner, please inform them to read all the information on these pages.
5. Please do not sell your Mothwing for more than you bought it for unless it has accumulated art.
6. Please do not change the species of your Mothwing. Occupation changes/Gender changes/Name changes are all perfectly fine, just inform @woolly.ruby or @glossoholic afterwards.
7. Do not steal Mothwing designs.
8. If you are seeking a Mothwing MYO or Custom, contact @woolly.ruby/@glossoholic.
!! By owning a Mothwing you are AUTOMATICALLY inclined to follow these rules !!
Map of Aurovia
Map is too big to fit here, please follow the link below