Mothdrive

**Mothdrives** are exotic engines used to propel interstellar vessels in the heptarchate and hexarchate, as well as surrounding territories with calendrical technology. They appear throughout the Machineries of Empire continuity.

Mothdrive vessels are comprised of technologically augmented **voidmoths** and are often referred to as **moths** for short. Military moths of many configurations are collectively known as **warmoths**.

## Overview

Mothdrive engines take advantage of voidmoths' ability to travel through space, operating by "grabbing onto spacetime and pulling [themselves] along." The engines are dependent on calendrical terrain. The ability to cross vast distances with mothdrive vessels made it possible for the hexarchate to expand and thrive as a cohesive regime far beyond its original boundaries. Surrounding polities, such as the Hafn, use mothdrive vessels tuned to their own calendars; the formants of these vessels differ from hexarchate mothdrives on scan. Age, damage, and refits can also change individual mothdrive scan profiles.

Mothdrive vessels are biotechnological in nature. Breeding, construction, and harnessing are carried out in mothyards. The vessels' biological components are vulnerable to certain exotic attacks which specifically affect living objects, such as parasites or fungal canisters. Mothdrive harnesses are also vulnerable to calendrical rot, making the vessels unreliable in unfriendly or null calendrical terrain, so the vessels are also fitted with invariant maneuver drives, which work regardless of calendrical terrain. Warmoths are equipped with both exotic and invariant weaponry and defenses for the same reason. Mothdrive vessels with damaged biological components are healed by being fed batteries which have been charged with gate-space radiations.

Variable layout allows the vessels' interiors to be rearranged as needed, adding space or minimizing proximity between destinations. A state-of-the-art power core is required for variable layout in small moths. Lighting is provided by candlevines and ecoscrubbers maintain a livable environment and control pests. Access to vessels' mothgrids, including master maps, variable layout, communications, data, and secure areas, is handled through encrypted augments. Many mothdrive vessels are supported by enclaves of servitors which handle maintenance, food preparation, and other scutwork.

The Nirai are often superstitious about mothdrive vessels, knowing their biological origins. Much of the work of voidmoth design and construction is accomplished by servitors, who frequently add features for their own use without informing humans. Though most humans are ignorant of the vessels' origins as self-aware creatures, servitors can communicate with their moths through mothgrids.

## History

The first mothdrive engines were developed by Nirai Kujen during the reign of Heptarch Nirai Esfarel. A number of deaths took place during the period of experimentation before the first voidmoth was successfully harnessed.

Dependent upon calendrical terrain, mothdrive vessels allowed a period of expansion for the heptarchate. The shift from earlier invariant vehicles navigating the dustways to the biomechanical vessels equipped with mothdrive was reflected in a change of terminology from fleets of ships to swarms of moths.

Over subsequent centuries, the Nirai continued to create larger and more powerful generations of voidmoths through a long-term program involving breeding and genetic engineering. Between the death of Shuos Jedao and the Siege of the Fortress of Scattered Needles, class 22-5 mothdrives were developed; the improved drive could almost have fueled a new expansionist wave if the Pale Fracture's calendrical dead zone had not stood in the way.

Three mothyards, among them the only two capable of building cindermoths, were destroyed shortly before the revised calendar was broadcast.

The Compact ordered a system in the Vonner Salient destroyed to deny the Protectorate resources necessary to resume building cindermoths. Though neither polity had the necessary infrastructure to build more cindermoths after that, Kujen continued to research and develop mothdrive in secret, culminating in the construction of a prototype for a new, larger class of warmoth, the shearmoth.

Isteia Mothyard was annexed and destroyed by Kujen in a calendrical attack on the Fissure.

## Kel warmoths

Kel warmoths of same class may be varied in shape; commanders may requisition customizations as budget permits. Most Kel moths are lean, sleek triangles with bristling gunports; cindermoths have mounted spinal cannons.

In swarms, warmoths are usually divided into tactical groups. A group's most powerful warmoth usually heads the group, with the swarm's most powerful warmoth heading Tactical One and acting as formation leader of the swarm entire. Each warmoth has a commander; the moth heading Tactical One also carries the swarm's ranking high officer, usually a general.

Like infantry personnel, Kel warmoths are used to channel formation effects.

### Shearmoth

*Revenant*, the only known shearmoth, is the largest mothdrive vessel known to have existed. It was called a "butchermoth" by the Kel.

### Cindermoths

Kel Command's six cindermoths, the hexarchate's “largest and most powerful vessels of war,” included *Unspoken Law*, *Sincere Greeting*, *Hierarchy of Feasts*, and *Three Kestrels Three Suns*.

Cindermoths are agile and project calendrical stability around themselves. Used together, they synergistically bolster each others' individual effects.

### Scoutmoths

Scoutmoths range around their swarms to extend scan range. The Swanknot swarm had scoutmoths.

### Arrowmoths

A type of warmoth in Kel swarms during the Lanterner rebellion.

## Andan silkmoths

Kel Command could build half a cindermoth for the cost of one silkmoth. Small, swift, and used as courier vessels, they may differ radically from the sleek configurations of warmoths. While many Andan moths have scrolled finials and etched flower motifs, *Beneath the Orchid*, a silkmoth commanded by Andan Tseya, is a dainty “stellate glory of silver-blue lace.”

## Needlemoths

A needlemoth is a small, swift, expensive one-or two-person moth often seen in spy dramas. A needlemoth owned by Vahenz afrir dai Noum was commandeered by Ajewen Cheris.

## Enemy moths

Forty-eight years before the Hafn invasion, Kel Command responded to a quarrel with the Andan by switching to flower names for enemy moth type designations.

### Hafn moths

Hafn "magnolia" moths are larger than bannermoths but not as formidable as cindermoths. "Lilacs" roughly match bannermoths in both size and armament. The Hafn also possessed at least two unclassed auxiliaries.

### Lanterner moths

During the Lanterner rebellion, Lanterner swarms such as the one commanded by General Bremis kai Meghuet used hellmoths, a class smaller than fangmoths but well-armed in friendly calendrical territory. Slower transports were also employed.

## Trivia

* The humming sound made by hoppers, which are only slightly smaller than needlemoths, opens the possibility that they may also be moth-derived.

## References

1. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 1
2. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 3
3. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 5
4. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6
5. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 5
6. ↑ The Battle of Candle Arc
7. ↑ Hexarchate Stories: Glass Cannon
8. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 14
9. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 23
10. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 15
11. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 9
12. ↑ The Chameleon's Gloves
13. ↑ The Factions: Low Faction Nirai
14. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 5
15. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 26
16. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 7; Revenant Gun, Chapter 1
17. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 1
18. ↑ Revenant Gun, Chapter 19
19. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 5
20. ↑ The Battle of Candle Arc
21. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 12,14
22. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 24
23. ↑ Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6
24. ↑ The Battle of Candle Arc
25. ↑ Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 9