Esterm's Races - Moff

Male Moff. Less fluff more carapace.

The Moff are a recent occurrence to the family of sentient beings within Esterm. As such, they are rugged and still attach themselves to instinct. The Moff are insectoid beings and follow a collectivist culture. It is rare to see a Moff astray from their swarm in the Nebulla bed where they base themselves in their city of Cocoon. The Moff are mostly nocturnal as they are at their busiest in the night, where they soar the skies they are so native too.

At the heart of Moff society, is their queen, whom births all the Moff who start off as eggs. From then on, Moff eggs are distributed to adults who care for them until they hatch into the first stage of development, larvae. Working together, adult Moffs, both female and male, care for the young larvae until they mature through a series of moults into fine Moffs. Then the cycle repeats again, as they work together as a unified entity, raising young, producing food and surviving as a swarm.

Although now Bipedal, the Moff retain all of their defining features. Their wings are typically broad and start from just over their shoulders. When not in use, a Moff’s wings drape like a cloak against their back, effectively like powdered fabric. The Moff have two pairs of wings, with the secondary being smaller and attached to the larger. Often, tufts of indigo or distinctive fluff cover the shoulders, neck and head off Moff’s, but this is more common in females. In comparison, the males have a greater emphasis on their carapace, with their head adorned with a nail-shaped extension. The males sport less fluff and instead have tougher shell skin and a thinner, lighter body. All the wings of Moff’s have a fine layer of powder that takes effect when the Moff beat their wings extensively. This fine layer of toxic powder is a defensive mechanism used against predators, and is capable of inducing nausea and delusions to their attacker. When in danger, most Moff’s release pheromones that switch on their swarm instincts. Most predators can not stand against such a fierce wave of Moff as they envelop them in a fog of toxic powder and bodies.