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--- moka [2025/08/30 08:53] – [Overview] admin
+++ moka [2025/09/27 07:55] (current) – [MOKA] admin
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 === Major Planetary Zones | (Twin) Sections of the Habitual Belt | Regions | Wildlife ===
-====== THE MOKA ======
+====== MOKA ======
-{{ :moka_2d_scenicview.png?200|}}
+{{ :moka_gg_scenic_2d.png?200|}}
 ===== Overview =====
+The Moka (Hexapodus agriventris) is a medium-sized, hexapodal browser domesticated across the [[asari|Asari Region]] of the [[equator_sections_east_and_west|Eastern Equatorial Section]] in the [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]] on [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]].
-The Moka (Avis duralapis) is a medium-sized, bipedal livestock creature native to the [[asari|Asari Region]] of the [[equator_sections_east_and_west|Eastern Equatorial Section]] in the [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]] on [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]].
+Bred by [[the_humans|Exohumans]] in the [[beta_age|Beta Age]] for shed fiber (“pen-felt”), light pack work, a mild buccal “cheek-curd,” and eggs, Mokas became staple pen animals. After the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] of the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]] and the vegetarian policy, meat/curd/egg consumption ceased; herds persist for fiber, manure, traction in gardens, and breeding stock.
-Domesticated early in the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], Mokas became a staple species in settlement pens. They are valued for their nutritious produce and lean white meat, providing settlers with a renewable food source. With armored hides, glowing ridges, and sexual dimorphism between males and females, Mokas appear distinctly alien yet remain docile and highly manageable in captivity.
 ===== Physique and Appearance =====
+  * **Shoulder Height:** 0.9–1.1 m
+  * **Body Length:** 1.4–1.7 m
+  * **Weight:** 60–95 kg
+  * **Build:** Low barrel torso; six legs — short fore probe-limbs for scraping/foraging; robust mid & hind pairs for gait.
+  * **Hide:** Matte, suede-like dermis with callused plaques on flanks/shoulders; slate–umber mottling; dust/mud in seams.
+  * **Head:** Broad, flat muzzle with keratin rasp pad and prehensile split lips (no beak, no exposed teeth).
+  * **Eyes/Ears:** Large dark eyes (horizontal pupils); leaf-shaped heat-vaning ears.
+  * **Tail:** Short, bristled counterbalance.
+  * **Brood Anatomy:** Ventral brood plates (flexible keratin lamellae) that fold down to shelter a nest; oviposition slit posterior to pelvis.
-  * **Height:** 0.9–1.2 meters
+==== Special Features ====
-  * **Weight:** 12–18 kg
+  * **Ovipositor & Brood Plates:** Females scrape shallow bowls with probe-limbs, lay leathery eggs, then cover them with warm brood plates.
-  * **Body Shape:** Bulky, oval torso standing upright on two powerful hind legs. Mokas have no arms or forelimbs, giving them a squat, compact silhouette.
+  * **Cheek-Curd Glands (Beta Age use):** Buccal fermentation sacs expressed under handler techniques (prohibited Gamma Age).
-  * **Head:**
+  * **Heat Vanes:** Ear lamellae radiate heat during hot twilights.
-    * **Males:** Possess two forward-curving horns with mineral striations.
-    * **Females:** Feature a reinforced exoskeletal skull plate, ridged and armored.
-  * **Mouth:** Flat vertical keratin grinding plate, opening like a nutcracker, adapted for fibrous roots and grains.
-  * **Eyes:** Large, opal-like, multifaceted pupils shimmering with alien reflections.
-  * **Body Covering:** Overlapping hexagonal scale-plates, shimmering bronze, green, and purple, giving an armored appearance.
-  * **Spinal Ridge:** Short row of translucent plates along the back that flare with bioluminescence when stressed or displaying.
-  * **Limbs:** Strong hind legs ending in broad padded feet with three blunt toes and keratin scraping pads, used for balance and soil scratching.
-==== Special Features: ====
-  * **Bioluminescent Displays:** Spine ridge and whisker-fronds glow faintly in twilight or during courtship.
-  * **Sexual Dimorphism:** Males bear horns, while females develop an armored skull plate.
-  * **Scale-Plate Armor:** Natural protection against small predators and pen injuries.
-  * **Bipedal Stance:** Upright, stable posture with no forelimbs.
 ===== Game Mechanics =====
+  * **Armor Class (AC):** 12
+  * **Hit Points (HP):** 28
+  * **Speed:** 40 ft. (land)
-  * **Armor Class (AC):** 11
+==== Attacks ====
-  * **Hit Points (HP):** 24
+  * **Shoulder Shove:** +4 to hit, 1d6 bludgeoning; on hit DC 12 Str save or pushed 5 ft.
-  * **Speed:** 35 km/h sprint (in-game movement: 35 ft.)
+  * **Stamp (Threatened):** 1d4 bludgeoning; disadvantage to hit if two other Mokas are adjacent (herd milling).
-==== Attacks: ====
+==== Special Abilities ====
+  * **Herd Calm:** Advantage on saves vs. fear within 10 ft. of two+ Mokas.
-  * **Plate Bite:** 1d6+1 bludgeoning damage.
+  * **Sure-Footed:** Advantage on checks to keep footing on scree, mud, or pen debris.
-  * **Kicking Strike:** 1d4+2 bludgeoning damage with blunt keratin pads.
+  * **Nestwise:** Advantage on Survival checks to locate or conceal nests in pens or reed beds.
-  * **Flock Frenzy (Group Action):** If three or more Mokas attack the same target, damage increases to 2d4+2.
-==== Special Abilities: ====
-  * **Produce Cycle:** Settlements can harvest multiple nutrient pods per cycle from a healthy Moka.
-  * **Flock Instinct:** Advantage on saving throws against fear when near two or more Mokas.
-  * **Alarm Hum:** Emits a resonant hum instead of a shriek; vibrations warn other animals and settlers.
 ===== Behavior =====
+  * **Diet:** Reeds, sedges, tubers, crop waste.
+  * **Social:** Herd animals; settle to low humming cues from handlers.
+  * **Activity:** Most active in cool twilight; dust-bathing is communal.
-  * **Diet:** Omnivorous (roots, grains, insects, carrion scraps).
+==== Survival Strategies ====
-  * **Social Structure:** Flock-based, guided by dominant females.
+  * **Freeze-and-Mottle:** Drops low; flank mottling breaks outline among reeds and shadow.
-  * **Temperament:** Docile in captivity, territorial during reproductive cycles.
+  * **Alarm Hiss:** Ear vanes flare; a soft expulsive hiss ripples through the herd.
-==== Survival Strategies: ====
-  * **Camouflage Plates:** Iridescence disrupts outlines in twilight.
-  * **Glow Displays:** Spinal ridges and fronds flare to deter predators.
-  * **Resonant Hum:** Flocks generate low-frequency vibrations that disorient intruders.
-===== Domestication and Use by Native Tribes and Exohumans: =====
-**Native Tribal Usage:**
-  * **Wild Harvest:** Collected nutrient pods and hunted feral Mokas.
-  * **Symbolism:** Bioluminescent glow tied to fertility and seasonal rituals.
-**Exohuman Usage:**
-  * **Food Production:** A cornerstone species for meat and nutrient harvesting.
-  * **Settlement Pens:** Kept in scrap-metal and timber enclosures, fed on root crops and grain byproducts.
-  * **Selective Breeding:** In the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], specialized lines emphasized docility and high yields.
-  * * **Gamma Age Ban:** With the transition to a strictly vegetarian diet in the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], all Moka breeding for meat production was prohibited by the Federal Confederation. Surviving flocks were maintained only for ritual or symbolic purposes, while large-scale livestock husbandry disappeared.
+===== Domestication and Use =====
+  * **Beta Age:** Eggs (soft-shelled, leathery), cheek-curd, shed fiber, light pack, manure.
+  * **Gamma Age:** Animal products banned; eggs only for **breeding**; fiber/manure permitted; traction in gardens.
+  * **Handling:** Halter loop behind ear bases; probe-limbs respond to tap commands.
 ===== Reproduction and Lifecycle =====
+  * **Clutch:** **6–12 leathery eggs** in shallow **moss-and-silt bowls** (often communal “creche rings”).
-  * **Clutch Size:** 3–6 nutrient pods per cycle.
+  * **Incubation:** **5–6 weeks** under brood plates and warmed compost.
-  * **Incubation:** 8 weeks.
+  * **Hatchlings:** Precocial; follow dam within 24 hours; brood plates used as windbreak during first week.
-  * **Hatchlings:** Born with pale skin, developing armored scales after 4 months.
+  * **Weaning:** 4–5 months; breeding maturity ~2 years.
-  * **Lifespan:** 12–15 years in captivity.
+  * **Lifespan:** 18–22 years (captivity).
-  * **Mating Behavior:** Males lock horns in ritual contests; females flare their skull plates in defensive displays.
 ===== Look and Feel =====
+At dusk in a scrap-and-timber pen, a female Moka settles over a shallow nest: six legs tucked, probe-limbs tidying the rim while **ventral brood plates** tent a cluster of speckled, leathery eggs. Dust hangs in the air; ear-vanes breathe heat into the cooling light.
-At sunset, a single Moka standing in its pen seems both alien and familiar: squat, bipedal, armored in shimmering plates, with opal eyes catching the light. Male horns and female skull plates add variety to the flock, while glowing ridges and whisker-fronds create a lantern-like effect as they hum in chorus.
-To settlers, the Moka embodies the practical side of frontier life — reliable, renewable, and adapted to human needs — while its glowing displays and armored form remain a constant reminder of the strangeness of VOI 700 D.
 ===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====
+  * **Egg Heist/Rescue:** Poachers target fertile clutches; stealth and tracking challenges ensue.
-  * **Settlement Resource Hook:** Pens may be raided, sabotaged, or threatened by predators, requiring protection.
+  * **Spooked Herd:** A nest disturbance triggers milling and visibility penalties.
-  * **Wild Encounter:** Feral Mokas exhibit stronger bioluminescence and aggression, creating chaotic encounters.
+  * **Supply Threads:** Salt bricks (historical curd practice) vs. Gamma Age bans create legal/ethical quest hooks.
-  * **Economic Plotline:** Control of nutrient pod yields can drive settlement politics.
-  * **Cultural Role:** Horns or skull plates may be ritual items, sought after in trade or ceremonies.
 ===== Related Pages and Further Information =====
+  * [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]]
+  * [[equator_sections_east_and_west|Equatorial Sections East and West]] (Asari)
+  * [[asari|Eastern Equatorial Section of the Habitual Belt]]
+  * [[wildlife_of_asari|Wildlife of Asari]]
-  * [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]]
+**Known Predators:**
-  * [[equator_sections_east_and_west|Equatorial Sections East and West]] (Asari)
+  * [[arr|Arr]] (targets calves)
-  * [[asari|Eastern Equatorial Section of the Habitual Belt]]
+  * [[moar|Moar]] (rare, on open slopes)
-  * [[wildlife_of_asari|Wildlife of Asari]]
-  * [[exohuman_nutrition_in_the_beta_age|Exohuman Nutrition in the Beta Age]]
-**Known Predators:**
-  * [[arr|Arr]]
-  * [[zapor|Zapor]]
-  * [[korozo|Korozo]] (targets feral herds outside settlements)