The Moka (Avis duralapis) is a medium-sized, bipedal livestock creature native to the Asari Region of the Eastern Equatorial Section in the Habitual Belt on VOI 700 D.

Domesticated early in the 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.

• Height: 0.9–1.2 meters
• Weight: 12–18 kg
• Body Shape: Bulky, oval torso standing upright on two powerful hind legs. Mokas have no arms or forelimbs, giving them a squat, compact silhouette.
• Head:
  • 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.

• 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.

• Armor Class (AC): 11
• Hit Points (HP): 24
• Speed: 35 km/h sprint (in-game movement: 35 ft.)

• Plate Bite: 1d6+1 bludgeoning damage.
• Kicking Strike: 1d4+2 bludgeoning damage with blunt keratin pads.
• Flock Frenzy (Group Action): If three or more Mokas attack the same target, damage increases to 2d4+2.

• 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.

• Diet: Omnivorous (roots, grains, insects, carrion scraps).
• Social Structure: Flock-based, guided by dominant females.
• Temperament: Docile in captivity, territorial during reproductive cycles.

• 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.

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, specialized lines emphasized docility and high yields.
• * Gamma Age Ban: With the transition to a strictly vegetarian diet in the 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.

• Clutch Size: 3–6 nutrient pods per cycle.
• Incubation: 8 weeks.
• Hatchlings: Born with pale skin, developing armored scales after 4 months.
• Lifespan: 12–15 years in captivity.
• Mating Behavior: Males lock horns in ritual contests; females flare their skull plates in defensive displays.

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.

• Settlement Resource Hook: Pens may be raided, sabotaged, or threatened by predators, requiring protection.
• Wild Encounter: Feral Mokas exhibit stronger bioluminescence and aggression, creating chaotic encounters.
• 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.

• Habitual Belt
• Equatorial Sections East and West (Asari)
• Eastern Equatorial Section of the Habitual Belt
• Wildlife of Asari
• Exohuman Nutrition in the Beta Age

Known Predators:

• Arr
• Zapor
• Korozo (targets feral herds outside settlements)