Ember-Moth

Ember-Moth belongs to vermin in the Landorya bestiary. Its usual habitat is Ember-Moths cluster in dense colonies around geothermal vents in the Shattered Basin and along the lower slopes of the Blacksmoke Peaks, drawn by the constant heat and the bioluminescent fungi that grow at vent mouths.. The Orcs harvest Ember-Moth cocoons to produce a fire-retardant silk that is woven into forge-aprons, protective hood-linings, and the inner layers of armor worn by Vent-Tenders a… Key abilities include Full resistance to ambient heat and minor open flames, Cocoon silk with exceptional fire-retardant properties, and Attraction to geothermal light sources, making them predictable to harvest.

The Ember-Moth is a broad-winged insect as large as an Orc's outstretched hand, its wings patterned in deep orange and smoldering red, marked with vein-like lines of charcoal black that mimic cooling lava flows. Up close, its body radiates a faint warmth, and the fine hairs covering its thorax are naturally singed to a crisp at the tips, giving it a perpetually scorched appearance.

Ember-Moths are docile and slow-moving for insects, drifting lazily near vent openings in large, softly glowing clusters. They show no aggression and are easily startled into flight, scattering like living embers when disturbed.

Vent-Tender Grelka Vent-Warden at Gor-Mok is said to maintain the largest managed Ember-Moth colony on record, housed in specially constructed heat-chambers carved into the citadel's lower vents. Among the Orcs, gifting a garment lined with Ember-Moth silk is considered a gesture of deep personal care, it is the gift that says 'I wish you to return from the forge unburned.' It is rumored that Human alchemists have attempted to replicate the fire-retardant properties of the silk through chemistry alone, and have thus far failed.

The Orcs harvest Ember-Moth cocoons to produce a fire-retardant silk that is woven into forge-aprons, protective hood-linings, and the inner layers of armor worn by Vent-Tenders at Gor-Mok Forge-Citadel. The silk is also exported as a luxury trade material, making it one of the few Orcish goods that Human and Elven markets actively seek.