Mothman

Mothmen are a species of mutant insect found in Appalachia. Named for the 20th century folkloric figure (or "cryptid,") these furtive creatures are worshipped by the Cult of the Mothman, who still inhabit the museum at Point Pleasant dedicated to its mythology.
The basic mothman NPC appears as part of a random encounter. If approached or attacked, "mothman" will fly off and disappear. In actuality, the mothman is not a singular entity, and there are many mothmen with various eye colors and characteristics. Hostile mothmen can be encountered quite regularly by visiting cultist locations at night, though they occasionally spawn elsewhere and observe humans from a distance.
Most of these creatures are believed to be interchangeable animals--even by their worshippers, who consider them divine heralds of a higher power. However, a sect calling themselves the Enlightened exclusively revere the purple-eyed Wise Mothman, which they believe to be a unique, sentient, mortal creature who somehow existed before the Great War.Exodus
==Background==
===Pre-War context===
Prior to the Great War, the "Mothman" was a mythical creature in local Appalachian folklore described as a terrifying half-man, half-moth who stalked Point Pleasant.Fallout 76 loading screens: "According to local folklore - as well as a statue and museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia - the Mothman is a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid. Pray you never encounter it and learn the truth." It was considered a harbinger of great danger due to its historic tendency to appear before deadly disasters in the area.
The story of the Mothman was sensational enough to create a wide following, ranging from cryptid hobbyists to aggressive conspiracy theorists hellbent on uncovering the deeper mystery of the creature. The Mothman's legend led to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. Stories featuring the Mothman and other popular fiction were sold here as books and novelty holotapes.
The Mothman was seen as unworthy of study by the scientific community, but enjoyed enduring popularity as local folklore.KMAX Transmission terminal entries; KMAX Talk Radio show notes, The Conspiracy At some point, a clandestine church of devotees formed in Point Pleasant, the mysterious Cult of the Mothman. Its followers were fervent in their worship of the Mothman as a divine being. They organized rituals in secret at the chapel beneath the Mothman Museum. 
Fringe cryptid enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists unaffiliated with the cult also took serious interest in the legend."Once again, the powers-that-be fail to allow speech to flow freely in the public square. Noted Mothman experts Professor Angus Dykstra was denied the ability to speak on college campuses throughout the state, despite other researchers having their travel and bookings be fully re-reimbursed by the state. The state decided that their research was non-scientific and not worth pursuing DESPITE not giving it the chance to be peer reviewed. TRUE SCIENTISTS OF BIOLOGY know that the Mothman is worth pursuing and will yield meaningful results DESPITE the best efforts of the state." (KMAX Transmission terminal entries)Daily: Queen of the HuntVan Lowe Taxidermy terminal entriesBoth issues of Cryptid Hunter Monthly mention Mothman; one mention is in a poem, the other is in a conspiratorial context. 
===The final nights===
As the nuclear holocaust loomed on the horizon, the cult attempted to summon the Mothman to benefit from his cosmic wisdom, and receive any omens he might see fit to impart.Sermon: Summoning the Mothman The summoning was successful on October 22, 2077. Just one of their number, Brother Charles, claimed to have seen the Mothman in a glimpse, who warned of a flood to come on the following day. The faithful took it as a signal to gather on the rooftops to avoid the deluge and prove their faith to the Mothman.Sermon: Impending doom
The deluge came in the form of nuclear fallout. The cultists ultimately survived through the apocalypse by traveling across the state to the Lucky Hole Mine, nestled in the cliffs overlooking Watoga. 
===Pre-Plague period===
As the cult remained in the safety of the mine, the Charleston Emergency Government formed to the north, where people were disturbed by frequent sightings of the Mothman.Speaker Poole interview The creature was also documented by the Appalachian Enclave at some point.At the Whitesprings Bunker, anatomical depictions of nearly every enemy in the game can be seen on a series of displays in a certain room. Mothman can be seen as part of a small miscellaneous group with three other uncategorized cryptids.
The cult ultimately split into two groups. The Enlightened emerged from the Mine early (with the prophet who would come to be known as Wise Charles the Forewarned) and fled the state. They came to serve the unique purple-eyed Wise Mothman, a mortal creature, to whom they attribute Charles' vision on the eve of the War.False Gods of Appalachia The Followers of the Winged One continued to dwell in the Lucky Hole Mine, until they eventually spread out in a series of crusades, establishing footholds in surrounding territories. On the surface, they directly worshipped the numerous red-eyed mutant moths collectively as manifestations of the "Holy" Mothman, a god of Light.
===Current history===
Like all other humans on the surface, the cultists had all fled or died by 2102. In the aftermath of the plague, feral Mothmen stalked the ruins in silence. When the Vault Dwellers emerged on Reclamation Day, evidence of unspeakable occultic sacrifice littered Appalachia. 
In 2103, the Followers of the Winged One returned to their former settlements and built new ones. To this day, they can be seen communing with Mothman in the woods at night. These violent cultists have even been known to protect the creatures' nests and care for their young. In 2105, the cultists abandoned Ingram Mansion, and large mothman nests were cleared from the area. 
Rituals to summon the Wise Mothman are still held at Landview Lighthouse and Point Pleasant.
==Biology and behavior==
===Behavior and physicality===
These rare creatures like to stalk humans, only to flee or defend themselves when confronted. They may also stand on a perch in the ruins or wilderness, watching over a specific area. However, they do not attack opportunistically, and must be threatened or startled into combat. If approached from a distance, they generally acknowledge and warn enemies before resorting to violence. Adult mothmen are typically solitary creatures unless congregating at a site of worship or nesting ground. 
When idle and alone, they tend to sit with their wings wrapped around themselves like a shroud. At a glance, they could be mistaken for a huddled, cloaked figure, were it not for their piercing eyes. Their silhouette is further distinguished by segmented antenna, evoking small antlers or furrowed brows. 
Their leathery wings are usually drawn back in the presence of people. They pull themselves forwards on four undulating legs, with a pair of forelegs held close to the face. As they amble over land, their wings drag behind them like overlong coattails. This reduces stress on the abdomen, their center of gravity, which must be dragged across the ground. The top and back of the body is protected by a heavy brown mane, somewhat resembling the mantle of a fur cloak. 
Though they may chaotically slam around the environment when defending themselves, they are not known to bite, scratch, sting, wrestle, or otherwise attempt to physically strike their foes. 
===Sounds===
Mothmen can defend themselves sonically by chittering intensely while hovering. They are also capable of releasing a very large blue shockwave to repulse their foes, but the specific nature of this ability is unspecified by the text.
They make subtle chirping noises typical of giant insects. Their voices are softer than those of giant ants, and slightly rattled or distorted by comparison.
===Shadows===
Shadowy clouds seem to pour from their bodies at most times. Additionally, small black specks rise from their bodies and fade away. This phenomenon may be related to the powdery neurotoxin which dusts their wings. 
When startled, mothmen vanish in an abrupt liftoff, apparently dissolving into a wisp of smoke. Aggressive mothmen will reappear in a similar manner, slamming onto the ground disruptively. When visiting cultist locations at sunset, the creatures appear to their worshippers in this dramatic fashion. 
===Cultists and nesting===
They can routinely be seen visiting most major cultist settlements at night, and occasionally grace the smaller camps. Most cultist architecture features some sort of central perch, where mothmen may land at night. The Followers offer handcuffed or caged human victims to the Holy Mothman,There are handcuffs on the perch at Moth-Home, and a dead cultist can sometimes be found lying on it. Additionally, there are human-sized cages at Blake's Offering and Johnson's Acre. though there is no direct evidence of the creatures eating people. Holy Mothmen accompany the Followers in attacking the heretic Equinox festival.They lay out clutches of eggs across surfaces, sometimes carpeting entire rooms or running up walls. Mothmen prefer to nest among jagged roots overtaking pre-War structures, and exclusively leave their eggs in the care of cultists since their return to the state in 2103. One stagnant, overgrown room within Clancy Manor contains several mattresses, and a clutch of eggs rests next to each.
In late 2104, the creatures began making nests in the CAMPs of the Vault Dwellers, when permitted.
Both sects construct ritual troughs, which they fill with offerings of albino radstag blood, believed to attract the creatures with its metallic aroma. One trough located behind the historic Mothman statue, called the Cradle of the Pretenders, is full of mothman eggs.
===Eggs===
Mothman eggs are soft and partially transparent, with a red center. The eggs can also be cooked into mothman egg omelettes. In a blast zone, mothman eggs mutate into ionized cackleberry, yielding raw crimson flux.
They are generally protected by cultists, who monitor egg clutches until they hatch. The cultists also extract a holy oil from "the Bright One's eggs," for the anointment of ceremonial blades.Chapter 7 (Correspondingly, players may loot waste acid from mothman remains.) Cultist high priests may carry an individual "perfect mothman egg" in their packs. 
===Hatchlings===
Hatchlings have orange eyes, and are paler than most mature specimens. The events of the Equinox might imply they emerge from their eggs as tiny fully-formed mothmen, or grow to physical maturity very quickly.Placing a perfect mothman egg in the Cradle of the Pretenders during the ceremony will cause the Holy Mothmen in the final round to be replaced with hatchlings. They are not known to attack cultists, who keep hundreds of eggs at most of their settlements, and deploy swarms of newborn mothmen in small skirmishes throughout the region.Mothman hatchlings are encountered during any cultist incursion in Daily Ops.
Allegedly, a member of the Enlightened named Jelle once attempted to clone the Wise Mothman, and was eaten by the hatchlings.Observer Johanna: ""(Observer Johanna's dialogue)
===Remains and neurotoxicity===
Upon death, mothmen almost always begin thrashing and disintegrating. It is very rare, but not unheard of, for a mothman's body to remain intact after death. Torn mothman wings may be broken down for acid and ballistic fiber. Neurotoxic dust, a powerful hallucinogenic compound, may be harvested from their remains for ritual use.
The neurotoxic dust gathered from a mothman's body can produce sensory hallucinations and unusual thought patterns.Interpreter Clarence (distorted): "See the world now through his eyes, children. Let the dust and flames and fumes fill you; let it soak into your throats. Let it show you the Truth!" (Clarence's dialogue) The Enlightened seek to experience this altered state of consciousness as deeply as possible,"Breathe in the dust... Let it guide you... Let it show you..." (Observer Errol's dialogue) though the voices tell them this may be harmful.Observer Johanna: "They say the dust may harm us if we breathe it too long. Who said so? Observer Marlon. Well, THEY told him. They told him, he told me." (Johanna's dialogue)
During the Equinox festival, the Enlightened disperse massive amounts of this substance into the air with industrial fans.Interpreter Clarence: "Go, ignite the flames as I release the dust of our Wise One into the air!" (Clarence's dialogue) This causes the sky to appear purple and sunless, shortly before the high priests arrive with deathclaws under their command.Interpreter Clarence: "Do not fear what you see. It is but their true form. The darkness that surrounds them is the influence of the pretenders. The false ones." (Clarence's dialogue) Brother Scarberry casts doubt on the events of the Equinox due to the excess of ambient moth dust.A Vault Dweller: "There was some 'Moth Dust' and then I remember fighting some weird glowing cultists."Steven Scarberry: "Ha. I hope you were not fooled by such a 'display'. It's obvious that was merely some kind of mind-altering substance. Why would the True Followers need to invade Point Pleasant, their home? Exactly. They wouldn't."(Steven Scarberry's dialogue) Due to this factor, mothmen may be chemically hallucinogenic by proximity.
==Eye colors== 
* Hatchlings have orange eyes, which may represent the species in its basic, uninfluenced form."The orange-eyed mothman can be seen hunting in the forests of Appalachia, without a place in the theology of either cult, and shares an eye color with mothman hatchlings. This mothman may represent the species in its natural, uninfluenced form."(Wanderer's Guide Book, p. 174) Some orange-eyed adults have light grey wings, also resembling hatchlings. 
**All orange-eyed mothmen are hostile to Vault dwellers.
**Orange eyes are not known to be of spiritual significance to either sect.
**However, the Followers still kneel when these "vengeful mothmen" visit their camps.
*The same is true of green-eyed glowing mothmen, produced by exposure to radiation.
**Glowing mothmen may be encountered within blast zones at night.
**Mothmen affected by the Scorched Plague also have green eyes, but are not known to peacefully engage with cultists. Like all Scorched beings, they have raw, mottled, reddish skin.
** Scorched mothmen and glowing mothmen have many glowing spots around the thorax.
*Whatever might 'influence' so-called Holy Mothmen to develop red eyes is not understood. All skittish mothmen have red eyes, but Holy Mothmen are otherwise functionally identical to vengeful and glowing mothmen.
**In pre-War pulp iconography, the Mothman of urban legend is overwhelmingly depicted with red eyes.
**The Holy Mothman as worshipped by the Followers of the Winged One is always depicted with red or fiery eyes. They hold this variant to be the most sacred.
**Prophets of the Winged One wear red glowing mothman goggles."Look for eyes that glow. They believe themselves to be the pretenders incarnate. Rip those silly glasses from their skulls." "The ritual cannot begin if they still live. Hunt them." "Their deaths please me. This pyre will burn brightly now." (Observer Errol's dialogue)
**The Enlightened abhor these creatures, and believe pre-War cultists were mistaken for serving a Mothman with red eyes. They also use the term "holy Mothman" in reference to this "false idol," but more commonly dismiss it as the "Red-Eyed Pretender.""The Dim Ones believe the red-eyed animals are harbingers of the "holy" Mothman... Some kind of otherworldly god. A false idol." (Clarence's dialogue)"Long may The Lantern shine against the ignorance of the world, and never may the Dim Ones and the falsehoods of the Red-Eyed Pretender snuff out its beacon." -Exodus
**Red-eyed mothmen have a unique visual effect on their eyes causing a narrow vertical glare.
*The Enlightened claim the magenta-eyed Wise Mothman is a unique pre-War being. They revere it, but do not worship it. They believe it communicates with them through nonverbal means and grants them visions.Observations, vol. XXVIIObserver Errol: ""Observer Errol: ""(Observer Errol's dialogue)Observer Errol: ""(Observer Errol's dialogue) 
** This is the only variant non-hostile to Vault Dwellers.
**The Followers dismiss the Wise Mothman as a "purple liar" and "butterfly," and condemn its students as apostates.Steven Scarberry: "When people say "Mothman" I assume they're talking about the "Holy Mothman", and not the purple liar."(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)A Vault Dweller: "There was an abundance of Albino Radstags."Steven Scarberry: " Wait, do you mean to tell me that they have left the Light but still use His teachings for rituals? "(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
**Some Enlightened attempt to sacrifice humans to the Wise One, but he always absconds upon hearing the screams.Observer Errol: ""(Observer Errol's dialogue)"No... he... wants... them... spared... fool...""Stop... save... them..."(Wise Charles the Forewarned's dialogue)
**Its eyes cast a soft horizontal glare.
== Gameplay attributes==
Mothmen encountered in the wild may only spawn during the evening at specific random encounter locations, and never appear during the day. They may also appear at any "Travel" type random encounter location. Mothmen have a large detection radius, and will typically observe players until they get too close. They may remain still even as their name turns red, indicating they have become hostile to the player. If the player continues to advance, or startles the mothman, it will flee or attack. 
Highly evasive by nature, a mothman that feels directly threatened will chaotically reposition by vanishing every several seconds for as long as it senses danger. Skittish mothmen may be turned into the aggressive Scorched or glowing variants by a scorchbeast or nuke. If a mothman is skittish, or if a player successfully enters stealth after provoking it, it will flee by abruptly bolting upwards and simply vanishing, leaving behind only a shadowy wisp which is quickly dispersed by the wind. The scorched mothman at Enclave Research Site J is an exception; once alerted, it will ruthlessly hunt the player character. 
They attack by aggressive vocalizations, releasing directional sonic waves that cause physical damage. Mothmen also wrap themselves in their wings before unleashing a powerful shockwave against targets too close to them, which causes staggering and blurred vision. 
In the event of a mothman successfully killing a player character, it will not always disappear. Instead, it may walk back to its chosen perch, where it can be challenged again. Mothmen tend not to engage in combat with most creatures other than player characters, and may stare indifferently as their cultists fend off an attack. 
Upon death, they disintegrate into a pile of ash similar to the ash piles resulting from laser weaponry kills. Because of this, challenges that involve taking a photograph of a mothman should be completed when they are still alive, as the ash pile that's left after its death cannot be photographed for challenge credit.
==Variants ==
===Mothman===
A timid mothman that permanently vanishes when approached or attacked. It is invulnerable.
===Stalking mothman===
The stalking mothman will follow any player in proximity. It isn't aggressive, but will defend itself if attacked. They only appear as the red-eyed variant.
=== Vengeful mothman ===
The vengeful mothman may spawn with one of 3 textures. The black variant ranges between levels 20-50, the gray between levels 25-50 and the red between levels 30-75. Most have orange eyes, but they may occasionally spawn with red eyes. This mothman is aggressive and will always be hostile.
===Glowing mothman===
The glowing mothman has been highly irradiated, and as a result, now glows. It has a mostly black body with glowing green features.
===Scorched mothman===
The Scorched mothman has been infected by the Scorched Plague. It is one of the rarest creatures in the game, only encountered after a mothman has been Scorched by a scorchbeast. Alternatively, one may be found in Enclave research facility.
===Wise Mothman===
A non-hostile, magenta-eyed mothman seen after completing The Path to Enlightenment event quest at the Landview Lighthouse. Interacting with the Wise Mothman will grant Wisdom of the Mothman, a +5% Experience Point boost, for the next hour.Bug: Buff is lost upon server hop or death. The creature also appears in Point Pleasant during The Mothman Equinox, a seasonal festival held by the Enlightened to bask in the presence of the Wise One, and help him absorb celestial energy.
=== Mothman hatchling===
A tiny mothman encountered only during Daily Ops, or during the Mothman Equinox if a perfect mothman egg is placed in the Cradle of the Pretenders during the ceremony.
==Locations==
===Guaranteed sightings===
*Enclave research facility: A Scorched mothman consistently spawns in one of the labs.
*Hatchlings join cultists in Daily Ops.
*Red-eyed mothmen join cultists at the Mothman Equinox. 
**They will be replaced with hatchlings if a perfect mothman egg is placed in the Cradle of the Pretenders.
*The Wise Mothman can be summoned to the Landview Lighthouse by completing the The Path to Enlightenment event, and Point Pleasant after a successful Mothman Equinox ritual.
===Visitation sites===
* A hostile mothman may spawn at most cultist locations approached at night, especially those which have built spires for them to perch upon. Mothmen usually keep their wings drawn back during these visitations, and always stand motionless at their appearance spot, unless the camp is disturbed by Vault Dwellers specifically.After sunset, the Mothman has a 20% chance to appear at the following locations: 
**The belfry of the church in Kanawha County Cemetery
** The peak of Moth-Home
** The campfire at Blake's Offering
** The cliff outside Lucky Hole Mine
** The spire at Johnson's Acre
** The perch at Sacrament
* Small chance to appear at any unmarked cultist camp, including those generated at random encounter spots at night. These mothmen will stay very close to their worshippers and pace, usually with their wings wrapped around themselves.
* Very rarely, a skittish mothman may appear at the door of the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant and peer inside.
===Wilderness spawns=== 
* Approaching any of the markers on this map at night will have a 2.5% chance to spawn a mothman:
** Chance to appear at the southwestern point near the lower southwest or eastern guarded "checkpoint" of the Whitespring Resort near road 83A and may interact with the nearby Whitespring Assault random encounter.
* Possible encounter during Daily: Queen of the Hunt at night.
==Notes==
===Spawning===
*Although mothmen only spawn at night, they will not despawn during the day. The Wise Mothman summoned during The Path to Enlightenment and The Mothman Equinox is not bound by the time of day.
*Mothman would previously appear to its followers in the courtyard of Ingram Mansion, like other cultist locations, but this scenario was deactivated at an unknown point prior to the Expeditions: Atlantic City update.Over a hundred rolls in October 2023 failed to produce a Mothman appearance. In Atlantic City, the cultists abandoned the location altogether.
*The Wise Mothman previously appeared in the Wise Mothman! random encounter, which has been removed from the game. It was scripted to grant Wisdom of the Mothman when interacted with, but due to a bug, the buff would not be applied.
*Mothman is not yet known to appear at Clancy Manor, the Sacramental Glade, or Organ Cave. It has not been spotted in the Pitt or Atlantic City.
===Random encounters=== 
* It's possible for the crashed satellite random encounter to occur near the bonfires south of Watoga. In this event, the cultists will abandon the bonfires to patrol near the satellite. If it is approached at night, there may be a mothman inspecting it. Like the cultists, the mothman will pace back and forth next to the satellite, periodically stopping to stare at it. The cultists may walk alongside the mothman as it paces. 
**If mothman appears here without the satellite, it will stand between the cultists and the bonfire. The cultists will be kneeling in their usual spots.
*Although extremely rare (0.06%), it is possible to trigger adjacent spawns of the mothman and the Flatwoods monster, the latter of which may control the former if it strays too close.
*If the Smiling Man is attacked, he will disappear in the same eruption of shadow as fleeing mothmen. His identity is implied to be Indrid Cold, a mysterious historical figure associated with the 1966-1967 Mothman sightings.
===Misc===
*In certain regions of Appalachia, Beckett may complain of strange dreams or visions of the Mothman.Beckett: "I dreamed of the Mothman the other night... I think it was a dream anyway."(Beckett's dialogue) (Script Notes: "Admiring the landscape") Scarberry also suffers from nightmares related to his faith."I just can't shake these nightmares. Floating in darkness forever... What if I cannot find His Light?"(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
*Brother Scarberry believes that the imperceptible "glow" of an irradiated person may attract Mothman, especially if that person were to climb a tall structure and "jump around."Steven Scarberry: ""(Steven Scarberry's dialogue) 
**He also implies he can see ambient radiation as a glow, and describes Mothman as emitting a "warm glow" which seems incongruous with in-game visuals.Steven Scarberry: ""(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
*Mothmen can be gibbed during their death animation, if subjected to an inordinate amount of damage. The gibs continue dissolving into ash as normal.
*The remains of the Visitor emit smoky black particles, similar to a mothman. These particles are also emitted by a flayed corpse hidden in the tunnel directly in front of the Visitor. This flayed body asset is elsewise only found at sites of confirmed cultist activity, but there is no cultist paraphernalia in the Deep.
*During the Equinox, the Holy Mothmen who attack Point Pleasant have the red aura of a high priest's influence, like the deathclaws.
*Observer Errol casually refers to red-eyed mothmen as "the pretenders.""Look for eyes that glow. They believe themselves to be the pretenders incarnate. Rip those silly glasses from their skulls." "The ritual cannot begin if they still live. Hunt them." "Their deaths please me. This pyre will burn brightly now." (Observer Errol's dialogue) The blood trough behind the Mothman statue in Point Pleasant is called the Cradle of the Pretenders. Both sects also call their enemy's icon "the Pretender." Steven Scarberry: "The Pretender has purple eyes. The Holy one has red. What could this one be? Another false one?"(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)"Our benighted brethren among the Dim Ones, even in their misguided worship of the Pretender, seek to know their false god better by increasing their understanding of him as a natural phenomenon. They make of him a supernal being, yet they have clamored and scrabbled for the writings of those who, like us, study the physical reality of the Mothman." (Wise Martin the Bearded, On the Thesis of Doctor Wallace)
*Red Death is a mirelurk in Fallout 4: Far Harbor with searing red eyes that cut through fog, resembling a Holy Mothman in its distinctive silhouette.
=== Unlockable content=== 
*Various posters depicting the pre-War conception of the Mothman can be obtained.
*Plan: Mounted mothman may be found upon opening a holiday gift. 
**Unlike other mounted heads, which are taxidermy, the Mothman appears to be bronze. It may be a sculpture or bronzed specimen.
*Steven Scarberry's altar is a unique sculpture of a kneeling mothman.
*A cryptid card of mothman may be obtained as treasure.
*Mothman is depicted in many items unlocked through the Atom Shop or Seasons, including but not limited to: 
**The Mothman power armor paint scheme includes a special red headlamp.
**The buildable smoke machine projects two rotating mothman silhouettes.
**The mothman cuckoo clock features a tiny animatronic Mothman and emits smoke when activated.
**Players can build a replica of the iconic statue at Point Pleasant. When activated, it explodes into moths and reconstitutes.
**A pennant depicting the red eyes of a Holy Mothman could be obtained by participating in the Public Test Server for Night of the Moth.
**A cute smiling Mothman plushie can be obtained as a backpack or CAMP object.
*The first activation of Fallout 1st unlocks the "Funky Mothman" dance emote, which involves flapping one's arms and hiding one's eyes while music plays.
**The melody ends with a motif associated with Mothman. See Vats of Goo for more information on motifs in the series.
===Apparent bugs === 
*Mothmen may spawn within a Towering Might world object present in a random encounter. They do not visually clip with the large totem, and will reposition as normal when alerted.
*Very rarely, mothmen may fail to disintegrate upon death. The model has ragdoll physics, which would not be seen under normal circumstances.
*The Mothman Equinox event uses the default wing texture for the Wise Mothman, rather than the unique texture seen at the Lighthouse. As a result, the Wise One has a different appearance depending on where it is summoned. In reruns of the annual festival, other minor bugs and oversights were corrected, but this discrepancy has not been adjusted.
===Fixed bugs=== 
*A spawned mothmen could be ostensibly marked as a ghost NPC, intangible and unable to interact with anything. This bug was seen in other creatures in Fallout 76, but it was especially common with scripted mothmen at cultist settlements.
==Appearances ==
Mothmen appear , Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, as well as the Magic: The Gathering crossover event.
== Behind the scenes==
===In the Fallout series === 
* In the documentary The Making of Fallout 76, the Mothman is described as being a "winged beast with piercing red eyes that prey on those in the Point Pleasant area."The Making of Fallout 76 - Noclip Documentary
*A Fallout-brand Funko Pop for the Mothman was released in 2019. A similar Mothman Funko Pop figurine also exists separate from Fallout branding.
*The Wise Mothman is featured prominently in the Magic: The Gathering crossover card series.
===Cultural context===
 
*In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a winged creature notable for a wave of reported sightings in the mid-1960s. The national press sensationalized the story across the United States. The Mothman has since become a famous cryptid in pop culture. In the region of Point Pleasant, it is considered a harbinger of doom, associated with several tragic events which occurred there. Most who saw it were gripped with terror. Some were temporarily struck blind.
**Similar sightings had been sporadically reported across the South and the East Coast since the late 1800s.
**During its historic rash of appearances between November 1966 and December 1967, it was believed to cause strange dreams among the folk of the area. This coincided with a flap of UFO sightings in the same time and place. Mothman has come to be strongly associated with UFOs.
**It was commonly suggested that witnesses may have seen a mutant moth, possibly spawned from TNT which had been disposed of in the river. 
***The Mothman is thusly associated with pollution, explosives, mining, and the wrath of nature.
***Cryptozoological, speculative biology-based explanations for the events in Point Pleasant - as opposed to skeptical explanations based in normal zoology, or Fortean explanations based in philosophy, anthropology, or metaphysics - are unpopular in modern times. 
****Skeptical zoology generally ascribes the sightings to owls. In Fallout 76, the creature superficially resembles an owl, and cultists commonly incorporate pre-War owl knick-knacks when decorating their shrines.
**The legend was immortalized in the 1975 non-fiction book The Mothman Prophecies by eyewitness and Fortean philosopher John Keel. 
***Keel extensively speculated that the Mothman may have been a radioactive creature (or energy-being). He also believed that anomalies of genuine note tend to glow red or purple because those wavelengths are, definitionally, the edges of human perception.
***The book also codified the urban legends of Indrid Cold and the Men in Black, inspirations for the Smiling Man and the Emissary, respectively.
***The Emissary carries a key to one of the small bunkers at Black Mountain Ordnance Works. Black Mountain appears to be based on the famous "TNT Area" where Keel and others witnessed lights in the sky. Both conceal several subterranean concrete domes, likened to igloos. The location's lore concerns UFOs and Zetans.
**Reports of sightings and strange dreams abruptly ceased after the collapse of the Silver Bridge. It was in the wake of this event that the Mothman came to be seen as a herald of disaster. 
***At least one claimed survivor of the collapse stated that they felt the Mothman protected them on that day. The survivor identified himself as a truck driver named Starling Perry.https://web.archive.org/web/20020113202621/http://pluto.beseen.com/boardroom/z/48504/View?n=00257
*Fallout 76 introduces the Somnus Initiative, which parallels MKUltra, a real-world program of criminal human experimentation conducted by the CIA between 1953 and 1973. Both endeavored to reprogram humans as intelligence agents using various methods of mind control. Although MKUltra is a historical fact, the shadowy program is infamous for being attached to many "gonzo" conspiracy theories due to its scope and unusual nature. Fallout 76 lore implies that pre-War conspiracy theorists believed in a connection between the Somnus Initiative and Mothman, satirizing real-world attempts by fringe conspiracy theorists to connect the legend of the Mothman to MKUltra.
**In the January issue of Cryptid Hunter Monthly, editor Julia H. Park speculates that the government "may be working with the Mothman to hypnotize doctors." Her theory appears to be outrageous and comically contrived.
**The Somnus Initiative was conducted at Sugar Grove, a government blacksite. A large Sugar Grove insignia can be found within a display case at the Mothman Museum, suggesting pre-War cryptid enthusiasts commonly postulated a direct connection between Sugar Grove and the legend of the Mothman. 
***Jeff Lane worked at the Mothman Museum, and an issue of C.H. Monthly, January can be found in his apartment.
***This fiction does not reflect the content and views of the actual Mothman Museum.
**See also: conspiracy theory.
*In the real world, it may be considered somewhat impolite to ask about the Mothman in Appalachia, especially among older folk. This is due to its association with incidents of mass death in recent history, the trauma associated with many paranormal encounters, and its cultural association with the local legend of Cornstalk's Curse, as well as the general cultural context of stereotypes and stigmas pertaining to Appalachian people.
==Gallery==
===Artwork and renders===
Mothman Museum lithograph.jpg|Harry Osborn lithograph
FO76-NightOfTheMoth Bnet 289x411-01.png|Night of the Moth update artwork
76 LargeHero NightoftheMoth Keyart 1920X870.webp
Tales from the West Virginia Mothman.png|Mothman pulp novel
FO76 mothman drawing.png|Mothman sketch
2d20 WG Mothman.png|In the Wanderer's Guide Book sourcebook for Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
WW Moth Cult crop.jpg|In an illustration for Wasteland Warfare
Fallout Magic Mutant Menace Black-Green-Blue deck.png|Commander Deck from Magic: The Gathering
Fallout Magic Mutant Menace Packaging Art.jpg|Packaging Art
MTG 0343 crop.png| Card art from Magic: The Gathering
Fallout Magic Inspiring Call art.jpg
MTG 0004 The Wise Mothman Premium.jpg|The Wise Mothman
Fallout Magic The Wise Mothman (Etched Foil).jpg|(Etched Foil)
MTG 0343 The Wise Mothman PipBoy.jpg|(Showcase Pip-Boy)
Fallout Magic The Wise Mothman PipBoy art.jpg|Card art
Fallout magic Inspiring Call.png
Fallout Magic Opulent Palace.png
F76 Mothman CC1.png|Mothman card art from in Once in a Blue Moon
FO76 creature mothman 00.webp|Normal/Stalking mothman
FO76 creature mothman 01.webp|Vengeful mothman
FO76 creature mothman 02.webp|Mothman hatchling
FO76 creature mothman 03.webp|Glowing mothman
FO76 creature mothman 04.webp|Wise Mothman
Ben Carnow (Moth).jpg|Concept art by Ben Carnow
Mounted mothman.png|Mounted mothman
FOWW,MothmanCultCandles,Gargoyle,Statues.webp|Props from Wasteland Warfare
FOWW,MothmanCultBackpack,Stein.webp
Wasteland Warfare eclipse.png|In Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
===In-game===
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 03.png|Lifting off from perch
FO76 creature mothman Waster93 01.png|In the distance
76 Mothman close-up.png|Face
Mothman front pose.png|Huddled
FO76 Mothman Attackng.png|A white mothman
FO76WL glowing mothman Moth-Home.png|Glowing mothman at the Moth-Home
FO76 Glowing Mothman Ingram Mansion.png|Cultists pray to a glowing mothman at Ingram Mansion
Kanawha Mothman.png|Mothman at the Kanawha County Cemetery
FO76 WL Kanawha perch.png
FO76 Mothman Johnson's Acre.png|Mothman at Johnson's Acre
Blake's Offering Mothman.png|Mothman at Blake's Offering
76 Blake's Offering Mothman.png|Mothman at Blake's Offering
76 Mothman at Watoga camp.png|At an unmarked camp
76 Mothman by Survival Tent.png
FO76 Creatures Mothman 1.png|Orange-eyed mothman
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 05.png|A rare scorched mothman
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 06.png
Scorched mothman.jpg
76 Scorched Mothman walk.gif
FO76 Mothman Huddled.jpg
76 Mothman wingspan.jpg|Wingspan
76 Mothman eye glare.png|Small vertical eye glare
76 Mothman profile.png|In profile
76 Mothman liftoff.jpg|Taking off
76 Mothman liftoff 2.jpg|Taking off
76 Mothman landing.png|Landing
76 Mothman ripple.png|Small disruption due to sonic attack
76 POV Mothman attack.jpg|Large disruption due to sonic attack
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 02.png
FO76 Mothman in combat SD.png|Red-eyed Mothman in combat
FO76 WL Kanawha visitation.png|Cultists gather beneath a visiting mothman
FO76 The Mothman Equinox (05).jpg
76 NOTM Influenced mothman.png
Ls mothmancult.png|Loading screen for the Mothman Equinox
76 Holy Mothman at Equinox.png|Attacking Point Pleasant
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 04.png|Wise Mothman random encounter (removed)
FO76 Wise Mothman.png|Wise Mothman during the Path to Enlightenment event
FO76 character moth wisemothman.png|Wise Mothman during The Mothman Equinox
FO76 Lighthouse mothboy 1.png
Mothman Landview Lighthouse.png|Wise Mothman in flight above the Landview Lighthouse
76 NOTM Bask.png
=== Maps===
Mappalachia Travel encounters.jpg|"Travel" type random encounters map
==Video==
left|300px
==See also ==
*Smiling Man
== References==
Non-game
External link
Category:Fallout 76 creatures
Category:Cryptids
Category:Mythical figures
Category:Insects
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