what is moth's church?
Moth's Church is a small town located in the Southwestern United States. With a Tesla Gigafactory a few miles north from town, mountains to the west, a forest to the east, and desert to the south, Moth's Church is an anomaly in that no one is quite sure what purpose the town serves. It was there long before Tesla moved in, though no one can quite seem to remember the reason for its founding. Still, Moth's Church functions as any other town might: local businesses and chains coexist in semi-harmony, a population of 900 keeps the town running, there are community events, annual celebrations and, of course, the town is teeming with school pride for its high school and community college. There are two roads leading out of Moth's Church - one to the western mountains and the other to the southern desert. While Moth's Church has a constant cast of characters, it's no stranger to new blood - people come and go all the time. Then they come and go again. And again. Honestly, though, why would anyone want to take the roads leading away from such a wonderful place?

the basics —
moth's church is an offshoot of recognize. in spirit, it's an alternate universe with a slice of life setting where we can feel free to get weird once a month! there's some ground rules to cover just so we're all on the same page when it comes to what goes on in moth's church: 1. moth's church posts go up once a month! the plot posts will be a catch-all of plotting, writing, f2f, and so on. there will be more information regarding how these posts work in the posts themselves.

2. on the off weeks, moth's church will make one radio broadcast to outline upcoming arcs, town gossip, and other events! this will be done in the style of a radio transcript. it'll include elements of member submitted ideas and events, so don't be a stranger to the dropbox if you have any ideas for upcoming arcs!
the residential areas —
There are three residential neighborhoods in Moth's Church, each with their own quirks that makes all of them an exciting and questionable place to live!

Hidden Side faces a forest of quaking aspens, an arborial anomaly here in the desert. residents of the neighborhood say they can occasionally feel the trembling of the trees beneath their feet, though it's hard to say if this is real or everyone's just projecting. however, one thing cannot be disputed: things happen in that forest, and those who live in the houses of hidden side never truly live alone. Cherry Rock faces the vast desert. residents of this neighborhood are prone to fugue states and visions, though most of them revolve around a monastery in the distance that is seemingly invisible to the rest of the town. residents of cherry rock are often compelled to leave their doors unlock and slightly ajar- you know, incase of visitors. Milky Meadows faces the mountains. some swear that when they squint they can see a staircase leading up to the highest point of the furthest mountain. atop that mountain, a great, glowing purple mass that never seems to fade- but is also never really there. residents of milky meadows often find their household objects resting on the ceiling, a gravitational anomaly that makes rearranging your home a particularly difficult task. be careful of your windows, residents of milky meadows... don't always believe what they show you. Tesla/Space X Housing this residential area is within the city. you are not allowed to live there. the parking lots are always full, and so are the rooms. at night, the windows glow a deep, ominous yet beckoning purple. the doorman insists you weren't invited.
locations (npc run) —
The following are businesses, government buildings, and landmarks that are owned and operated by npcs. Feel free to have your characters interact with these places in any way you like, and if you have any ideas for them in upcoming arcs, let us know in the dropbox! This list does not include member-created locations.

The Moth's Church Gigafatory the first tesla gigafactory founded in the united states, it's said that elon's jewel of the southwest powers moth's church. located in the distant desert, nobody seems to question that the parking lot is always full but nobody in town actually seems to work there. Moth's Church Town Hall local government plays a very important, almost overbearing role in moth's church. one might say the mayor and city council rule with a collective iron fist, while somehow always being at odds with one another. participation in local government is mandatory. town hall meetings are held every fifth saturday of the month at 6:66 am and every moth's church citizen is encouraged to attend, or face the consequences! The Community Center is run by the mayor. no one's really sure what happens at the community center. it's just a nice fixture of the community. a center, if you will. besides, we love the mayor! The Church the church of moth's church celebrates on the one true religion: respecting the moth. services are held in the dead of night and everyone is required to wear heavy gear that shrouds you and makes it impossible to tell who you are. many residents of moth's church attend church, though you wouldn't know it by their lives in the hours of the sun. the early bird at the edge of town you'll find the early bird, an establishment which supposedly predates the existence of the city itself! this diner is the proverbial waterhole of the city, where everyone gathers to gossip, trade secret and ancient relics, and provide a listening ear if needed. mothwing Community College moth church's establishment of higher education. their motto is "afraid? trust everyone! why not?" the city is rife with school spirit for the community college's mascot: the moonpeople. X Æ A-II's prepatory academy every citizen of moth's church attends pre-school, elementary, junior high and high school here... but no one remember what those years were like! that was, like, soooooo long ago!! the giant sleeping cocoon to the south something awaits the city of moth's church in the desert. something great. something sleeping.
locations (members) —
the following are locations created and submitted by members. they are an extremely important part of future arcs but unlike the locations run by npcs, the fates of these areas of moth's church are determined by whomever created them! member run locations are more than encouraged! if you have a business you want your character to run, an establishment to manage, outline your idea and let us know in the dropbox! here are some member run locations so far:

the glow worm farm a mainstay of moth's church for centuries, the glow worm farm is maintained by roy sommer. fauna mission run by @floraso — moth's church's animal rescue/control business operates out of a dress barn that was closed and stood abandoned for many years before fauna mission moved in, seemingly overnight. while the building itself is quite small, the space inside seems a little too large, the ceilings a little too tall. people carrying candles can often be seen moving around inside after hours. moth's church petrol reserve submitted by @esfahani — it's a full service gas station - no cars allowed! due to mayor elon musk's stance against fossil fuels, moth's church has made acquiring gasoline as difficult as possible, with citizens allowed to fill only one wine glass of petrol per day. but hey, if you're in the market for takis, off brand vapes, slurpees, pulverized floppy disks, or commemorative moth's church keychains, this is your spot! moth's church drive-in and rock museum submitted by @esfahani — moth's church drive-in allows you a peek at the glorious world of cinema - they play the earth dies screaming 364 days a year, with a special respite on valentine's day when the classic gremlins airs. adjacent to the drive-in lot is a series of rocks laid bare to the environment. they may look common, but did you hear the mayor gifted the town one of those boulders in honor of X Æ A-XII's (redacted) birthday? supposedly it came from proxima centauri b, or so the placard says. some of the rocks hum if you put your ear to them, others glow in the right light, and every evening, someone comes after hours to rearrange them... the mausoleum of unnatural history (MOUH) submitted by @bentz — the MOUH is moth church's local museum, housing not only an arrangement of its notable dead but a wide array of unhistorical pieces of both fictional-and-true heirlooms, moth fossils, and community centered art programming. newest exhibits include TESLA: THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE and the sculpture garden of sustainable virtuousness for the betterment of harmony and peace (otherwise referred to as, the garden of elonden), where possibly radioactive (or naturally illuminated) scraps from the tesla gigafactory were provided to schoolchildren at X Æ A-II'S prepatory academy along with glitter glue and pipe cleaners. rumor says things or may not come alive when night falls. the webworm's whim-wham submitted by @nazzari — an antiques & oddities shop that is allegedly as old as the town itself, though no one can really confirm or deny. passed down through several generations of perpetually sweaty men, all named harmony korine, it has always been staffed by tall women with pleasant demeanors, impossibly smooth skin, seemingly endless capacities for information, and no understanding of human emotions. the wares sold within were all previously owned by moth's church residents, but their origin stories are seemingly always "unavailable at this time."*

*reportedly, if you ask dominique during harmony's 33 1/3 minute daily lunch break, she will be able to offer you background information on one (1) item currently for sale- or previously sold- at the www. choose wisely!
mcdonald's submitted by @rainie — it's mcdonald's, duh! ever heard of it? anyone who has access to the town hall records will know that rainie is actually the mcdonald's franchise owner but you'd never know it, because she'd never step foot near a mcdonald's. who manages the mcdonald's? ever heard of ronald mcdonald? don't be silly, ronald mcdonald's just a myth made up to scare children! the mcdonald's practically runs itself. don't worry about it. as far as everyone knows, this mcdonald's has always been in moth's church, the interior has been empty and it's always served everything in turquoise exclusively via drive-through. there's also the fact that the facade changes every week but it's the only mcdonald's in town so shut up about it already... anyway... let us know if you'd like to work at mcdonald's! ba da ba ba ba-aaah, you're loving it!! the chemist submitted by @ccalvetti — this shop has an actual name, but it's written in an unreadable language on a sign that's faded so everyone just calls it "the chemist" it is NOT a pharmacy, so if you need your lexapro and ativan refilled, try walgreens (i hear they have a special on cotton balls!). if you're looking for a cure to a problem that's a little harder to describe, you'll need to speak with luna. she is not a witch, she is not a wise woman, she is an ageless being who has no origin and no end and finds human life pathetic. so she has devoted exactly 1000 "years" as a gift to the town, out of pity. when she is finally done, she and her shop will simply disappear! someday! hope you're not inside when it happens! you will show her respect or you will be turned into a formless goo and trapped inside a vintage nickelodeon gak™ container for the next month.

casey calvetti is the in-house herbalist specializing in "rare" botanicals and plant base remedies. he also sells floral and sometimes edible arrangements (and stickers, duh) in their gift shop.
the gift shop submitted by @teophile — located in cherry rock, near the limit of town, it's a store that seems to have a pointless existence. who needs a gift? who's going to buy a memory from moth church? the shop seem to be plagued with dust, filled with tacky, campy and frightening souvenirs on shelves. the walls are covered in maps from moth's church, surrounded by just emptiness because what is outside town? no one knows and no one seems to care.

téo seems to be the only employee, the manager of the shop, possibly owner but no one really knows who could have come up with such a place. don't ask téo, he wouldn't be able to answer. he can always be found behind his counter, making maps day after day and will only give you the price of an item when asked about some information.
TOWNSPEOPLE (NPCS) —
moth's church has a cast of unique and eccentric characters who provide the spice that helps residents slog through daily life. If you have any npc ideas you'd like added to the list, please comment the dropbox!

our nebulous Radio Host details to be revealed... Mayor Elon Musk it's no secret that the mayor literally buys his votes. ever since enacting legislation that allowed glow worms to vote, there's been a drastic increase in mayoral approval rating. with a yearly mayoral election, it's a wonder nobody's been able to unseat mayor musk! claire boucher / grimes the owner and proprietor of trap house x speakeasy rococo's basilisk. she's a performer, albeit infrequently, and townspeople refer to her performances as federal holidays, all citizens get the day off! hooray! X Æ A-Xii the president of the prep academy, everyone has met X Æ A-Xii but no one can remember exactly what he's like. the most frequent comment you'll hear about him is that he's "a chip off the old hard drive." great grand-aunt ethel great grand-aunt ethel is not related to you or anyone else in moth's church but everyone calls her great grand-aunt ethel because, like, manners. the betty white of moth's church and owner and operator of the early bird 24/7 because she - quite literally - does not sleep! mr. rochester submitted by @bentz — a rather cultish figure, MR. ROCHESTER is the museum director of MOUH and is rarely seen outside of his home somewhere near the museum but unable to be pinned down on a map. MR. ROCHESTER refuses to answer any questions about the mausoleum of unnatural history, especially when it concerns the centerpiece of his deceased wife, who looks suspiciously similar to MAYOR ELON MUSK'S mother, MAYE MUSK, critically acclaimed dietician.
TOWNSPEOPLE (members) —
every town needs its cast of characters, and moth's church has no shortage of unique individuals! here is a well kept and not at all conspicuous list of the citizens of moth's church! comment our roll call here to be added!

andrew fiske —fiske neighborhood: milky meadows

occupation: jack of all available trades @ meadowland inn. front desk, bartender, upkeep, maintenance, frazzled performance night booker, you name it. while andrew himself doesn't know the true history behind this inn, he does know that a strange uncle once knocked on his door on his 21st birthday and handed him the keys to the inn and then disappeared, only reappearing every few years. the inn has been known to consistently change... walking into your bathroom could lead you into the dining room. walking into the laundry room might actually be the storage room. come for the thrill, stay for the strange characters who work & play there! fancy a drink, get a cheap beer in a wink. wanna play? got games all day (in the entertainment hall where there are theme nights for all, beware what looms after 2 am booms) certain doors lead to other locked doors, rumored to belong to ghostly guests from past centuries who have spooked a few visitors every now and then.

etc: z the snake absolutely talks, this is the MOST important thing clearly!
Ava Tenney —amullahy neighborhood: milky meadows

occupation: she walks out towards the mountains when it calls her and disappears in a shimmer somewhere just past the foothills. she returns in a similar fashion when she's done. if you ask where she's been or what she's done, she can't tell you. No, really, she can't. Earth being's can't comprehend the sounds she's making so try as she might, it seems as though she's just blinked at you silently.

etc: an alien from a galaxy that is both far, far away and in a parallel pocket universe that exists in the same space as moth's church; her species doesn't comprehend linear time well.
bastian "bazzi" bentz —bentz neighborhood: cherry rock, with his parents (hendrik and eva) and his older brother (august).

occupation: a curator at the mausoleum of unnatural history

etc: the bentz family are known as ominously devoted members of the church of moth's church. his brother august is a dropout at mothwing community college looking to work at the tesla gigafactory, but no one seems to actually work there. as the rebellious one, he spends most of his time aimlessly hanging around at the early bird to the protests of his moth puritan parents. bazzi, his quieter younger brother, works at the mausoleum of unnatural history, where his job is to give tours that change every 24.2 minute cycle and care for the definitely-not-real-cocoon display in the evenings. he deeply despises CHILDREN'S DAY, where, you guessed it, children come to spend time at the mausoleum. most peculiarly, every month he finds himself shuffling off this mortal coil (dead to the nines), only to wake up the next morning in the bentz family garden, buried in soil.
casey calvetti —ccalvetti neighborhood: hidden side

occupation: works for the local apothecary as a herbalist

etc: casey is the son of a malevolent spirit and an benevolent one and has no idea that he is a conduit for spirits of both leanings. he is often, at random, possessed by one or the other for good deeds, bad deeds, and sometimes just celestial trolling and petty crimes! his home is full of plants, some of them are deadly and some of them release a small amount opium into the air and people don't really know why they just feel fucking awesome when they hang out there. he's been cursed to think he needs glasses but his vision is actually just fine, don't worry. is his hair long, curly and voluminous to hide one small horn growing out of his crown? maybe! is there sometimes a weird golden hour trick of the light that looks like a halo over his head? possibly! but staring is rude!
cassius tenney —castenne neighborhood: milky meadows
occupation: teaches yoga at the community college with an attempted emphasis on self control and mindfulness, otherwise spends his time trying to look after his space cadet wife, who really worries him when she disappears into the aether but he would never admit.
etc: he's a werewolf! so for a couple of days every month he tries to lock himself in the basement (which never works) and he goes out to fuck up everyone's landscaping and terrorize the neighborhood cats. if you make fun of his wife's moonhead (or anything else) he will threaten to bite you with his teeth. he is working on being one with himself and that includes all the sharp bits.
dominique nazzari —nazzari neighborhood: milky meadows

occupation: sales clerk at the webworm's whim-wham, an antiques & oddities shop known for its vast collection of previously-loved jewelry. many of the items may look familiar, as they all once belonged to moth's church residents- come to think of it, what ever happened to the woman who used to own that necklace...? huh! oh well!

etc: residents of moth's church have whispered among one another that dominique occasionally becomes unresponsive in the middle of their interactions, and one or two have even seen smoke coming out of her ears. luckily harmony korine, the www's perpetually sweaty owner, always seems to be on hand to assist, inexplicably touting a screwdriver, several lengths of cable, and a macbook. wouldn't it be so weird if she were a robot? hahaha, sooooo weird right???
flora sommer —floraso neighborhood: hidden side, in a log cabin right on the edge of the grove of quaking aspens that never seems to be in the same place twice.

occupation: animal rescue/control

etc: seems to have a preternatural ability to show up when there's an animal that needs rescuing/wrangling (i.e the moment someone says "we should call flora," she's pulling up in her truck), may actually be able to speak to glow worms as she can sometimes be found holding one sided conversations on roy's farm, can often be found walking barefoot in the woods.
leroy (luh-roy) sommer —roy neighborhood: cherry rock

occupation: glow worm farmer out on the edge of town

etc: leroy (luh-roy) sommer, colloquially referred to as "roy", is a worm farmer that lives on a glow worm farm out on the edge of town. despite farming being a very demanding job, leroy can often be found in places he shouldn't be. at the local diner, in the bleachers at the community college gym (whether there's a game or not), and has a knack for sliding into conversations as if he were always there. hey, is there a glow to his eyes, or was that just a trick of the light? best not to think about it...
nazanin esfahani —esfahani neighborhood: nonexistent → though homeless wouldn't be an accurate descriptor, nazanin has no permanent address and can oft be found drifting into cherry rock homes with unlocked doors, falling asleep in the middle of a mothwing community college class on how to build a doghouse out of peppermints, or climbing over the counter at the early bird to make a breakfast bowl of nougat and crushed vitamins.

occupation: a running joke of moth's church is "oh, it's that girl again!" - she works everywhere and oft disappears from her jobs for months at a time before reemerging as if no time has passed at all → she waits tables at the early bird, sometimes works as claire boucher's costumer - dealing primarily in the polishing of her 16th century armor, enjoys her employment at moth's church petrol reserve as a slurpee artist, and occasionally works the concession stand at the moth's church drive-in and rock museum.

etc: nazanin is predisposed to fugue states, with a primary facet of her existence being her near perpetual memory loss! have you met? no, you haven't.
rainie —rainie neighborhood: cherry rock

occupation: weather maker at rococo's basilisk, volunteer park ranger and "high priestess at the monastery in the far distance," much to the chagrin of some citizens who think she's "making it up for attention" and "showing off again."

etc: the town orphan as denoted by her monomyous title. doesn't blink, there's a rumor that if and when she does, something profoundly terrible will happen to moth's church. enters and exits rooms without being noticed. can make you feel like you're under a hypnotic trance "or, like, really sleepy." frequently asks you to sign her change.org petition, the most recent one being to demolish leroy sommer's glow worm farm "for highly suspicious activity and a criminally creepy demeanor." will judge you based on whether or not you sign her change.org petitions. sometimes, when rainie passes by, you might feel the brush of feathered wings or see flames licking at her heels out of the corner of your eye. that is totally normal, she gets that all the time!
téo —teophile neighborhood: cherry rock

occupation: manager (owner?) of the gift shop.

etc: he's a glitch. what is a glitch you may ask? seemingly living and your regular human being who can sometimes go through a translucent phase, for a second, as if there was a glitch in the system. the truth: he's dead, but doesn't seem to know it. he doesn't remember how he died, doesn't know when he died, and no one around town seems to know that he left the world of the living a long time time. he's just téo, one of the many odd characters who seem to walk around town. a lot of people seem to think he's deaf, or mute, since he doesn't really communicate with a lot of people and conversations never seem to make any much sense. he's also known to appear and disappear at random spots in town while always being present in the shop. but maybe it's just people confusing him with someone else. his one accessory is a pair of sunglasses he doesn't seem to take off, the younger crowd likes to say it's because he doesn't have eyes. he lives in a small apartment above the shop.
character —username neighborhood: here

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