Homebrew Mothkin Species Details

Mothkin

“I HAD NEVER BELIEVED TALES OF THE MOTHKIN. Winged creatures no larger than children, able to weave garb that would make a noble swoon out of the barest of materials, until a few summers back when one paid me a visit. I considered myself a competent tailor, a designer, but when I awoke to this creature using my needles and cloth to weave its magic, I was entranced. It was as if it could weave the very moonlight into cloth. I spent hours asking it questions, learning of her history and her techniques. I hadn’t even noticed the sunlight creeping in the window until my first customer had arrived for the day. He asked for an outfit, but when I looked back to the Mothkin for advice it was gone. However, the outfit she had left fit the customer perfectly, and made me a sizable profit.”

-Esmé, Waterdhavian Tailor

The mothkin are a diminutive race, both in size and number. They are tiny mothlike humanoids whose love of beauty in all its forms can drive them to the very fringes of civilization seeking the perfect pigment for a new paint color, exotic cloths and materials for weaving fine fabrics, or simply to seek inspiration in the form of beautiful music or new culinary styles. They are dedicated to the ideals of beauty above all else, but there is also a beauty in friendship and kindness; beliefs that many mothkin hold very dear. Those who seek to meddle in the affairs of a mothkin will find themselves facing a tricksy and clever opponent, but those who seek friendship or their craftsmanship is sure to find a good friend, or even a loyal companion.

Beautiful Outcasts

Many centuries ago, a group of Fey created the first mothkin. They were seeking to create a physical embodiment of beauty, in the hopes that such a creature would garner them great favor amongst the Fey Courts. The first mothkin was exactly what the Fey had hoped for. He was small but humanoid, with lithe bright fuzzy arms and legs, a thin humanoid torso lean and strong, with a small flat head rounded with large bug eyes that refracted the light like stars. Folded on his back were two delicate wings that appeared to be made of glass stained all the colors of the rainbow, and covered in dust like powdered moonlight. He had two featherlike antennae sprouting from his head to complete the look of regal beauty.
All the mothkin that followed had similar features and the sheer beauty of their eyes and wings became renowned by Fey across the realm for many years. The mothkin lived in luxury, treated as prized children or playthings and spoilt with all things they could desire until some of the Fey began to grow jealous of their beauty. Before long, the mothkin were cast out by the Fey and abandoned, discarded like toys or common trash.
Forced to fend for themselves, the mothkin discovered they were naturally adept at surviving in the wilderness, with instincts honed by their original insect forms and the residual Fey magic that flowed through their veins. Instead of being created, they learned to mate and breed. Mothkin young are multi-colored larvae who develop into pupae after 18 months. These pupae are vibrant and considered art in of themselves, often kept by the mothkin when they hatch as their first true work of art.

Winged Weavers and Worshippers

Mothkin are known for their love and desire of all things beautiful, physical or metaphysical. A masterpiece of art is regarded with the same loving care as a piece of music or a finely made meal. However, the art most closely tied to the mothkin is weaving and tailoring. It is said that to wear a mothkin crafted garb is to wear cloth weaved from moonlight itself. The mothkin do not have traditional family units, instead, all of the mothkin larvae are cared for by the elders of their race, and taught how to read, speak and acknowledge the beauty of the world.
 By the time the larvae are old enough to craft their pupae, the elders will have passed to them all of their knowledge regarding craft, and techniques of their chosen skills that they have learned throughout their lives, from weaving, to pottery, to glassblowing. Once hatched, a mothkin will choose its profession, and begin working to both aid the mothkin people, but also to create and cultivate manifestations of beauty in all of its forms.
The mothkin's craft and love of beauty is reflected in the gods they follow. The Mothkin have two minor deities that have appeared to them over the years, granting those who worship them power and bestowing both light and life to the mothkin people. Orea, is embodied by the Sun, she symbolizes beauty, boldness, passion, and spirit; whereas Arutak is embodied by the Moon, he symbolizes peace, consideration, protection, and inner strength. The mothkin believe that Orea and Arutak together maintain the natural balance, preserving life where they can and watching over the mothkin to keep them safe.
While all mothkin are raised to worship both deities equally as larvae, their colors upon hatching from their pupae dictate which of these two deities the new adult will feel more of a connection with. If a mothkin hatches with bright, evocative colored fur, full of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens, they are considered Suntouched and find themselves walking in the footsteps of Orea. Those who are born with subtler colors, such as greys, whites, and dull blues, find themselves aligning with the beliefs of Arutak and are given the title of Moonkissed.

Passionate Adventurers and Protectors

A mothkin's disposition towards leaving home is directly related to which of their gods they relate too more. Suntouched mothkin frequently feel a pull to adventure, a desire to leave home and to find their fortune. To a Suntouched mothkin, there is nothing more important than the dream of discovering something entirely new and entirely beautiful, whether it be an incredible natural scene, an exotic instrument from far off lands, or a new crafting technique to bring home to teach the new generation of larvae. Moonkissed mothkin however, rarely feel such a desire to leave their groves, and instead focus on developing their crafting abilities and expressing their idea of beauty through this craft.  They fill their forest with sculptures, paintings, and music, turning their very homes into works of art.
Despite their differences, however, one of the most important expressions of beauty for mothkin are relationships. Through friendship and kind-heartedness, the mothkin believe beauty belongs both on the outside, and the inside, and to act in a way that brings happiness to others is the ideal way to live. As such many mothkin seek to befriend outsiders when they leave their homes, and often seek to perform good deeds for others simply because of the potential for happiness these acts could bring. However, this kindness has also left marks on the mothkin and is no longer as naïve as it once was.
Due to the rarity, size, and inherent beauty of a mothkin's appearance, they are highly prized as illegal slaves, pets, and decorations. Also, their wing powder is highly coveted for its magical applications. Many mothkin have fallen prey to thugs and ruffians who have taken advantage of a mothkin's kindness and ended up far worse off. As such mothkin are trained from a young age to be cautious, and to keep their urges to befriend strangers in check. But once you have earned a mothkin's trust, they become loyal friends and valuable allies.

Mothkin Names

Mothkin do not have their names until they have hatched from their pupae. Before that time they are simply referred to as children, or young. As part of the hatching ceremony, all young are allowed to select their name and are encouraged to base these names off of things they find beautiful. As such there are no gender-specific naming conventions for mothkin, which has been known to cause some confusion amongst outsider races. Also, the concept of surnames is foreign to most mothkin, but those who venture into human lands often find it useful to refer to themselves by their craft, as well as their name.

Beauty Names: Alp, Branch, Berry, Clay, Delta, Dew, Elm, Frost, Grove, Juniper, Love, Moonbeam, Newt, Pewter, Pigment, Reed, Sand, Smile, Sun, Tree, Violet, Wind, Yew

Craft Names: Alchemist, Arbalest, Brewer, Calligrapher, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cobbler, Cook, Crafter, Conjurer, Healer, Jeweller, Leatherworker, Mason, Painter, Piper, Potter, Smith, Tailor, Tinker, Weaver, Woodworker.

Mothkin Traits

As a mothkin, you have certain traits blessed upon you by your diminutive size and your fey heritage. Being able to fly starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing a mothkin requires special consideration by your DM.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 4, your Charisma score increases by 1, and your Strength score is reduced by 4.

Age

Mothkin larvae reach adulthood at 18 months of age, at which point they form their pupae, where they remain for another 6 months. Once hatched, they can live up to 60 years.

Alignment

Most mothkin love nothing more than being free to pursue, seek, and create beauty in all its forms. They are known for their good humor and kind-heartedness, and often their desire to strike up new friendships and meet new people is almost overwhelming. Suntouched mothkin tend to be Chaotic Good, whereas Moonkissed mothkin are lean more towards Neutral Good.

Size

Mothkin tend to be between 8 inches and 1.5 feet tall and weigh between 10-20 pounds. Your size is Tiny.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 10 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light. You can’t discern color in the darkness, only shades of grey.

Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with one artisan’s tool or musical instrument of your choice.

Mothkin Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once per long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the gust of wind spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Diminutive Build

Due to your small stature, any weapons that are not custom made for your size are more difficult to wield, and you cannot carry as much. You count as Tiny when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. All weapons with the light property are no longer considered light for you (e.g. daggers). Any weapons without the light property are now considered to have the heavy property for you (e.g. maces). Finally, you cannot wield any weapon that has the heavy property, if you attempt to do so the weapon will be treated as an improvised weapon (e.g. glaives).

Speech of the Queen Bee

You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with insects and arachnids. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.