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Those who got a close look at it all agreed on the basic points. It was gray, apparently featherless, as large—or larger—than a big man, had a wingspread of about ten feet, took off straight up like a helicopter, and did not flap its wings in flight. Its face was a puzzle. No one could describe it. The two red eyes dominated it.The Mothman Prophecies

Mothmen are a species of mutant insect found in Appalachia. Named for the 20th century folkloric figure (or "cryptid,") these furtive creatures are worshipped by the Cult of the Mothman, who still inhabit the pre-War museum at Point Pleasant dedicated to its mythology.

The basic mothman NPC appears as part of a random encounter. If approached or attacked, "mothman" will fly off and disappear. In actuality, the mothman is not a singular entity, and there are many mothmen with various eye colors and characteristics. Hostile mothmen can be encountered quite regularly by visiting cultist locations at night, though they occasionally spawn elsewhere and observe humans from a distance.

Most of these creatures are believed to be interchangeable animals--even by their worshippers, who consider them divine heralds of a higher power. However, a sect calling themselves the Enlightened exclusively revere the purple-eyed Wise Mothman, which they believe to be a unique, sentient, mortal creature who somehow existed before the Great War.[1]

Background[]

Main article: Cult of the Mothman

Pre-War context[]

FO76 Mothman Museum logo

Prior to the Great War, the "Mothman" was a mythical creature in local Appalachian folklore that was described as a terrifying half-man, half-moth creature that stalked the area around the town of Point Pleasant.[2] It was considered a harbinger of great danger, due to its historic tendency to appear before deadly disasters in the area.

The story of the Mothman was sensational enough to create a wide following, ranging from cryptid hobbyists to aggressive conspiracy theorists hellbent on uncovering the deeper mystery of the creature. The Mothman's legend led to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. Stories featuring the Mothman and other popular fiction were sold here as books and novelty holotapes.

The Mothman was seen as unworthy of study by the scientific community, but enjoyed enduring popularity as local folklore.[3] At some point, a clandestine church of devotees formed in Point Pleasant, the mysterious Cult of the Mothman. Its followers were fervent in their worship of the Mothman as a divine being. They organized rituals in secret at the chapel beneath the Mothman Museum.

Fringe cryptid enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists unaffiliated with the cult also took serious interest in the legend.[4][5][6]

Mothman appears to Brother Charles[]

As the nuclear holocaust loomed on the horizon, the cult attempted to summon the creature to benefit from its cosmic wisdom and earn protection from the nuclear fire soon to rain from the skies.[7] The summoning was successful on October 22, 2077. Just one of their number, Brother Charles, claimed to have seen the Mothman in a glimpse, who warned of a flood to come on the following day. The faithful took it as a signal to gather on the rooftops to avoid the deluge and prove their faith to the Mothman.[8]

The flood[]

The deluge came, in the form of nuclear fallout. The cultists ultimately survived through the apocalypse by traveling to the Lucky Hole Mine, across the state, nestled into the cliffs overlooking Watoga.

As the cult remained in the safety of the mine, the Charleston Emergency Government formed to the north, where people were disturbed by frequent sightings of the Mothman.[9] The creature was also documented by the Appalachian Enclave at some point.[10]

MTG 0004 crop

The cult ultimately split into two groups. The Enlightened emerged from the Mine early (with the prophet who would come to be known as Wise Charles the Forewarned) and fled the state. They came to serve the unique purple-eyed Wise Mothman, a mortal creature, to whom they attribute Charles' vision on the eve of the War.[1][11] The Followers of the Winged One continued to dwell in the Lucky Hole Mine, until they eventually spread out in a series of crusades, establishing footholds in surrounding territories. On the surface, they directly worshipped the numerous red-eyed mutant moths collectively as manifestations of the "Holy" Mothman, a god of Light.

76 Glowing Mothman stalk

Current history[]

Like all other humans on the surface, the cultists had all fled or died by 2102. In the aftermath of the plague, feral Mothmen stalked the ruins in silence. When the Vault Dwellers emerged on Reclamation Day, evidence of unspeakable occultic sacrifice littered Appalachia.

In 2103, the Followers of the Winged One returned to their former settlements and built new ones. To this day, they can be seen communing with Mothman in the woods at night. These violent cultists have even been known to protect the creatures' nests and care for their young. In 2105, the cultists abandoned Ingram Mansion, and large mothman nests were cleared from the area.

Rituals to summon the Wise Mothman are still held at Landview Lighthouse and Point Pleasant.

MTG Landview art crop

Biology and behavior[]

Physical characteristics[]

These rare creatures like to stalk humans, only to flee or defend themselves when confronted. They may also stand on a perch in the ruins or wilderness, watching over a specific area. However, they do not attack opportunistically, and must be threatened or startled into combat. If approached from a distance, they generally acknowledge and warn enemies before resorting to violence.

When idle and alone, they tend to sit with their wings wrapped around themselves like a shroud. At a glance, they could be mistaken for a huddled, cloaked figure, were it not for their piercing eyes. Their silhouette is also distinguished by segmented antenna, evoking small antlers or furrowed brows.

76 Scorched Mothman unfurl

Their leathery wings are usually drawn back in the presence of people. They pull themselves forwards on four undulating legs, with a pair of forelegs held close to the face. As they amble over land, their wings drag behind them like overlong coattails. This reduces stress on the abdomen, their center of gravity, which must be dragged across the ground. The top and back of the body is protected by a heavy brown mane, somewhat resembling the mantle of a fur cloak. Glowing and scorched mothmen have many glowing spots around the thorax.

Though they may chaotically slam around the environment when defending themselves, they are not known to bite, scratch, sting, wrestle, or otherwise attempt to physically strike their foes.

Sounds[]

MTG Inspiring Call crop

Mothmen can defend themselves sonically by chittering intensely while hovering. They are also capable of releasing a very large blue shockwave to repulse their foes, but the specific nature of this ability is unspecified by the text.

They make subtle chirping noises typical of giant insects. Their voices are softer than those of giant ants, and slightly rattled or distorted by comparison.

Shadows[]

76 Glowing mothman

Shadowy clouds seem to pour from their bodies at most times. Additionally, small black specks rise from their bodies and fade away. This phenomenon may be related to the powdery neurotoxin which dusts their wings.

When startled, mothmen vanish in an abrupt liftoff, apparently dissolving into a wisp of smoke. Aggressive mothmen will reappear in a similar manner, slamming onto the ground disruptively. When visiting cultist locations at sunset, the creatures appear to their worshippers in this dramatic faction.

Nests, eggs, and hatchlings[]

Mothmen and cultists are friendly to each other. Mothmen generally lay their eggs at cultist settlements. In late 2104, the creatures began making their nests in the CAMPs of the Vault 76 Dwellers, when permitted. Holy Mothmen accompany their cultists in attacking the heretic Equinox festival, and the hatchlings are deployed by cultists in smaller skirmishes.[12]

WW Moth Cult crop

A few shrines or outposts are fecund with vast clutches of mothman eggs. It seems hatchlings emerge from mothman eggs as tiny fully-formed mothmen, or grow to physical maturity very quickly. Mothman eggs can be cooked into mothman egg omelettes. Perfect mothman eggs are only found in cultist high priest packs. In a blast zone, mothman eggs mutate into ionized cackleberry, yielding raw crimson flux.

Most cultist architecture features some sort of central perch, where mothmen may land at night. The Followers offer handcuffed or caged human victims to the Holy Mothman.[13] It is unclear if the creatures ever actually consume people. They are believed to be attracted to albino radstag blood. Cultists of both sects fill troughs with stag blood for this reason. The Cradle of the Pretenders behind the historic Mothman statue is a blood trough full of mothman eggs.

Remains[]

Upon death, mothmen almost always begin thrashing and disintegrating. It is very rare, but not unheard of, for a mothman's body to remain intact after death. Torn mothman wings may be broken down for acid and ballistic fiber. Neurotoxic dust, a powerful hallucinogenic compound, may be harvested from their remains for ritual use.

Neurotoxic dust[]

FO76 NOTM Successful summoning

The neurotoxic dust gathered from a mothman's body can produce sensory hallucinations and unusual thought patterns.[14] The Enlightened seek to experience this altered state of consciousness as deeply as possible,[15][14] though the voices tell them this may be harmful.[16]

During the Equinox festival, the Enlightened disperse massive amounts of this substance into the air with industrial fans.[17] This causes the sky to appear purple and sunless, shortly before the high priests arrive with deathclaws under their command.[18] Brother Scarberry casts doubt on the events of the Equinox due to the excess of ambient moth dust.[19]

Due to this dust, mothmen may be chemically hallucinogenic by proximity.

Eye colors[]

  • Hatchlings have orange eyes, which may represent the species in its basic, uninfluenced form.[Non-game 1] All orange-eyed mothmen are hostile to Vault dwellers.
    • Some orange-eyed adults have light grey wings, also resembling hatchlings.
    • Orange eyes are not known to be of spiritual significance to either sect.[Non-game 1]
    • However, the Followers still kneel when these "vengeful mothmen" visit their camps.
  • The same is true of green-eyed glowing mothmen, produced by exposure to radiation.
    • Mothmen affected by the Scorched plague also have green eyes, but are not known to peacefully engage with cultists.
  • Whatever might 'influence' so-called Holy Mothmen to develop red eyes is not understood.[Non-game 1] All skittish mothmen have red eyes, but Holy Mothmen are otherwise functionally identical to vengeful and glowing mothmen.
    • In pre-War pulp iconography, the Mothman of urban legend is overwhelmingly depicted with red eyes.
    • The Holy Mothman as worshipped by the Followers of the Winged One is always depicted with red or fiery eyes. They hold this variant to be the most sacred.
    • Prophets of the Winged One wear red glowing mothman goggles.[20]
    • The Enlightened abhor these creatures, and believe pre-War cultists were mistaken for serving a Mothman with red eyes.[1] They also use the term "holy Mothman" in reference to this "false idol," but more commonly dismiss it as the "Red-Eyed Pretender."[21][22]
  • The Enlightened claim the magenta-eyed Wise Mothman is a unique pre-War being. They revere it, but do not worship it. They believe it communicates with them through nonverbal means and grants them visions.[23][24][25]
    • This is the only variant non-hostile to Vault dwellers.
    • The Followers dismiss the Wise One as a "purple liar" and "butterfly," and condemn its students as apostates.[26][27]
    • Some Enlightened attempt to sacrifice humans to the Wise Mothman.[24][28] However, the creature is not known to react positively to this gesture.[28][29]

Gameplay attributes[]

Mothmen encountered in the wild may only spawn during the evening at specific random encounter locations, and never appear during the day. They may also appear at any "Travel" type random encounter location. Mothmen have a large detection radius, and will typically observe players until they get too close. They may remain still even as their name turns red, indicating they have become hostile to the player. If the player continues to advance, or startles the mothman, it will flee or attack.

Highly evasive by nature, a mothman that feels directly threatened will chaotically reposition by vanishing every several seconds for as long as it senses danger. Skittish mothmen may be turned into the aggressive Scorched or glowing variants by a scorchbeast or nuke. If a mothman is skittish, or if a player successfully enters stealth after provoking it, it will flee by abruptly bolting upwards and simply vanishing, leaving behind only a shadowy wisp which is quickly dispersed by the wind. The scorched mothman at Enclave Research Site J is an exception; once alerted, it will ruthlessly hunt the player character.

76 Glowing Mothman sonic burst

They attack by aggressive vocalizations, releasing directional sonic waves that cause physical damage. Mothmen also wrap themselves in their wings before unleashing a powerful shockwave against targets too close to them, which causes staggering and blurred vision.

In the event of a mothman successfully killing a player character, it will not always disappear. Instead, it may walk back to its chosen perch, where it can be challenged again. Mothmen tend not to engage in combat with most creatures other than player characters, and may stare indifferently as their cultists fend off an attack.

Upon death, they disintegrate into a pile of ash similar to the ash piles resulting from laser weaponry kills. Because of this, challenges that involve taking a photograph of a mothman should be completed when they are still alive, as the ash pile that's left after its death cannot be photographed for challenge credit.

Variants[]

Mothman[]

FO76 Mothman

A timid mothman that permanently vanishes when approached or attacked. It is invulnerable.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Mothman
0000DAE1
Level
LVL 20-50
Perception
PER 100
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional
76 Stalking Mothman

Stalking mothman[]

The stalking mothman will follow any player in proximity. It isn't aggressive, but will defend itself if attacked. They only appear as the red-eyed variant.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Stalking mothman
004EC627
Level
LVL 35
Perception
PER 15
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Radiation Resistance
Rad.R Immune
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional

Vengeful mothman[]

FO76 Mothman Spread

The vengeful mothman may spawn with one of 3 textures. The black variant ranges between levels 20-50, the gray between levels 25-50 and the red between levels 30-75. Most have orange eyes, but they may occasionally spawn with red eyes. This mothman is aggressive and will always be hostile.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Vengeful mothma
004EC626 (black)
00490770 (gray)
00490771 (red)
Level
LVL 20-50 (black)
25-50 (gray)
30-75 (red)
Perception
PER 15
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Radiation Resistance
Rad.R Immune
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional

Glowing mothman[]

Glowing mothman

The glowing mothman has been highly irradiated, and as a result, now glows. It has a mostly black body with glowing green features.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Glowing mothman
00490772
Level
LVL 65
Perception
PER 15
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Radiation Resistance
Rad.R Immune
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional

Scorched mothman[]

FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 01

The Scorched mothman has been infected by the Scorched Plague. It is one of the rarest creatures in the game, only encountered after a mothman has been Scorched by a scorchbeast. Alternatively, one may be found in Enclave research facility.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Scorched mothman
0049077B
Level
LVL 35
Perception
PER 100
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional
Attack
Melee (0 Damage)
Attack
empty
Mothmanupclose

Wise Mothman[]

Mothmanupclose
Main article: Wise Mothman

A non-hostile, magenta-eyed mothman seen after completing The Path to Enlightenment event quest at the Landview Lighthouse. Interacting with the Wise Mothman will grant Wisdom of the Mothman, a +5% Experience Point boost, for the next hour.[30] The creature also appears in Point Pleasant during The Mothman Equinox, a seasonal festival held by the Enlightened to bask in the presence of the Wise One, and help him absorb celestial energy.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Wise Mothman
0038799E
006275BF
Perception
PER 15
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Unaggressive: Will not initiate combat.Icon optionalIcon optionalIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional

Mothman hatchling[]

Mothman Hatchling

A tiny mothman encountered only during Daily Ops, or during the Mothman Equinox if a perfect mothman egg is placed in the Cradle of the Pretenders during the ceremony.

Name (Form ID)Base StatisticsBehaviorAbilitiesItems
Mothman hatchling
Daily Ops

005F87AF
Level
LVL 30-75
Perception
PER 15
Hit Points
HP ?
Energy Resistance
En.R ?
Experience Points
XP ?
With modsStats scale up to match player level
Gamebryo AI attributes#Aggression
Aggr. Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon optional
Gamebryo AI attributes#Confidence
Conf. Foolhardy: Will never flee or avoid anyone.Icon requiredIcon requiredIcon requiredIcon required
Gamebryo AI attributes#Assistance
Assis. Helps nobody: Will not help anyone.Icon optionalIcon optional

Locations[]

Guaranteed spawns[]

Random spawns[]

Notes[]

Spawning[]

Random encounters[]

  • Although extremely rare (0.06%), it is possible to trigger adjacent spawns of the mothman and the Flatwoods monster, the latter of which may control the former if it strays too close.
76 crashed satellite cultist event
  • It's possible for the crashed satellite random encounter to occur near the bonfires south of Watoga. In this event, the cultists will abandon the bonfires to patrol near the satellite. If it is approached at night, there may be a mothman inspecting it. Like the cultists, the mothman will pace back and forth next to the satellite, periodically stopping to stare at it. The cultists may walk alongside the mothman as it paces.
    • If mothman appears here without the satellite, it will stand between the cultists and the bonfire. The cultists will be kneeling in their usual spots.
  • FO76 Smiling Man disappears
    If the Smiling Man is attacked, he will disappear in the same eruption of shadow as fleeing mothmen. His identity is implied to be Indrid Cold, a mysterious historical figure associated with the 1966-1967 Mothman sightings.

Misc[]

  • In certain regions of Appalachia, Beckett may complain of strange dreams or visions of the Mothman.[32] Scarberry also suffers from nightmares related to his faith.[33]
  • Brother Scarberry believes that the imperceptible "glow" of an irradiated person may attract Mothman, especially if that person were to climb a tall structure and "jump around."[34]
    • He also implies he can see ambient radiation as a glow, and describes Mothman as emitting a "warm glow" which seems incongruous with in-game visuals.[35]
  • FO76 Visitor particles
    The remains of the Visitor emit the same smoky black particles as mothmen.
    • These particles are also emitted by a flayed corpse hidden in the tunnel directly in front of the Visitor. The flayed body asset is elsewise only found at sites of confirmed cultist activity.
  • During the Equinox, the Holy Mothmen who attack Point Pleasant do not have the red moth aura of a high priest's influence, but the deathclaws do.
  • Observer Errol casually refers to red-eyed mothmen as "the pretenders."[36] The blood trough behind the Mothman statue in Point Pleasant is called the Cradle of the Pretenders. Both sects also call their enemy's icon "the Pretender." [37][38]
  • Allegedly, an Enlightened European-American named Jelle attempted to clone the Wise Mothman, and was eaten by the hatchlings.[39]
  • Red Death is a mirelurk in Fallout 4: Far Harbor with searing red eyes that cut through fog, resembling a Holy Mothman in its distinctive silhouette.
  • Funky Mothman.
    AtomThe first activation of Fallout 1st unlocks the "Funky Mothman" dance emote, which is accompanied by a musical motif reprised in the "Cultist" emote and the cultist cuckoo clock CAMP item. The emote can be unlocked for free during Fallout 1st trial events.
    • The song produced by the emote ends with a motif associated with Mothman. See Vats of Goo for more information on motifs in the series.

Apparent bugs[]

  • 76 Mothman within Towering Might

    Hiding within a random encounter totem

    Mothmen may spawn within a Towering Might world object present in a random encounter. They do not visually clip with the large totem, and will reposition as normal when alerted.
  • A spawned mothmen may be ostensibly marked as a ghost NPC, intangible and unable to interact with anything. This bug is seen in other creatures in Fallout 76, but it is especially common among mothmen at cultist settlements. Similarly, the Wise Mothman is always invulnerable and cannot be provoked or pushed.
  • Very rarely, mothmen may fail to disintegrate upon death. The model has ragdoll physics, which would not be seen under normal circumstances.
  • The Mothman Equinox event uses the default wing texture for the Wise Mothman, rather than the unique texture seen at the Lighthouse. As a result, the Wise One has a different appearance depending on where it is summoned. In reruns of the annual festival, other minor bugs and oversights were corrected, but this discrepancy has not been adjusted.

Appearances[]

Mothmen appear in Fallout 76, Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, as well as the Magic: The Gathering crossover event.

Behind the scenes[]

In the Fallout series[]

  • In the documentary The Making of Fallout 76, the Mothman is described as being a "winged beast with piercing red eyes that prey on those in the Point Pleasant area."[Non-game 2]
  • A Fallout-brand Funko Pop for the Mothman was released in 2019. A similar Mothman Funko Pop figurine also exists separate from Fallout branding.
  • The Wise Mothman is featured prominently in the upcoming Magic: The Gathering crossover card series.

Cultural context[]

[...] the figure of a man with "wings like a bat," dressed in tight-fitting black clothes and surrounded by an eerie glow startled three people in Houston, Texas, on June 18, 1953. "I could see him plain and could see he had big wings folded at his shoulders," Mrs. Hilda Walker said. “He was about six and a half feet tall and was perched on the limb of a pecan tree. His halo of light slowly faded out and he vanished. Immediately afterward [...] we heard a loud swoosh over the housetops across the street. It was like the white flash of a torpedo-shaped object."

[Howard Phillips, another witness, declared:] "I may be nuts, but I saw it, whatever it was [...]"
— [The Mothman Prophecies]
  • In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a winged creature notable for a wave of reported sightings in the mid-1960s. The national press sensationalized the story across the United States. The Mothman has since become a famous cryptid in pop culture. In the region of Point Pleasant, it is considered a harbinger of doom, associated with several tragic events which occurred there. Most who saw it were gripped with terror. Some were temporarily struck blind.
    • Similar sightings had been sporadically reported across the South and the East Coast since the late 1800s.
    • During its historic rash of appearances between November 1966 and December 1967, it was believed to cause strange dreams among the folk of the area. This coincided with a flap of UFO sightings in the same time and place. Mothman has come to be strongly associated with UFOs.
    • It was commonly suggested that witnesses may have seen a mutant moth, possibly spawned from TNT which had been disposed of in the river.
      • The Mothman is thusly associated with pollution, explosives, mining, and the wrath of nature.
      • Cryptozoological, speculative biology-based explanations for the events in Point Pleasant - as opposed to skeptical explanations based in normal zoology, or Fortean explanations based in philosophy, anthropology, or metaphysics - are unpopular in modern times.
    • The legend was immortalized in the 1975 non-fiction book The Mothman Prophecies by eyewitness and Fortean philosopher John Keel.
      • Keel extensively speculated that the Mothman may have been a radioactive creature (or energy-being). He also believed that anomalies of genuine note tend to glow red or purple because those wavelengths are, definitionally, the edges of human perception.
      • The book also codified the urban legends of Indrid Cold and the Men in Black, inspirations for the Smiling Man and the Emissary, respectively.
      • The Emissary carries a key to one of the small bunkers at Black Mountain Ordnance Works. Black Mountain appears to be based on the famous "TNT Area" where Keel and others witnessed lights in the sky. Both conceal several subterranean concrete domes, likened to igloos. The location's lore concerns UFOs and Zetans.
    • Reports of sightings and strange dreams abruptly ceased after the collapse of the Silver Bridge. It was in the wake of this event that the Mothman came to be seen as a herald of disaster.
      • At least one claimed survivor of the collapse stated that they felt the Mothman protected them on that day. The survivor identified himself as a truck driver named Starling Perry.[Ext 1]
  • Fallout 76 introduces the Somnus Initiative, which parallels MKUltra, a real-world program of criminal human experimentation conducted by the CIA between 1953 and 1973. Both endeavored to reprogram humans as intelligence agents using various methods of mind control. Although MKUltra is a historical fact, the shadowy program is infamous for being attached to many "gonzo" conspiracy theories due to its scope and unusual nature. Fallout 76 lore implies that pre-War conspiracy theorists believed in a connection between the Somnus Initiative and Mothman, satirizing real-world attempts by fringe conspiracy theorists to connect the legend of the Mothman to MKUltra.
    • In the January issue of Cryptid Hunter Monthly, editor Julia H. Park speculates that the government "may be working with the Mothman to hypnotize doctors." Her theory appears to be outrageous and comically contrived.
    • The Somnus Initiative was conducted at Sugar Grove, a government blacksite. A large Sugar Grove insignia can be found within a display case at the Mothman Museum, suggesting pre-War cryptid enthusiasts commonly postulated a direct connection between Sugar Grove and the legend of the Mothman.
      • Jeff Lane worked at the Mothman Museum, and an issue of C.H. Monthly, January can be found in his apartment.
      • This fiction does not reflect the content and views of the actual Mothman Museum.
    • See also: conspiracy theory.
  • In the real world, it may be considered somewhat impolite to ask about the Mothman in Appalachia, especially among older folk. This is due to its association with incidents of mass death in recent history, the trauma associated with many paranormal encounters, and its cultural association with the local legend of Cornstalk's Curse, as well as the general cultural context of stereotypes and stigmas pertaining to Appalachian people.

Gallery[]

Artwork and renders[]

In-game[]

Maps[]

Video[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Exodus
  2. Fallout 76 loading screens: "According to local folklore - as well as a statue and museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia - the Mothman is a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid. Pray you never encounter it and learn the truth."
  3. KMAX Transmission terminal entries; KMAX Talk Radio show notes, The Conspiracy
  4. Daily: Queen of the Hunt
  5. Van Lowe Taxidermy terminal entries
  6. Both issues of Cryptid Hunter Monthly mention Mothman; one mention is in a poem, the other is in a conspiratorial context.
  7. Sermon: Summoning the Mothman
  8. Sermon: Impending doom
  9. Speaker Poole interview
  10. At the Whitesprings Bunker, anatomical depictions of nearly every enemy in the game can be seen on a series of displays in a certain room. Mothman can be seen as part of a small miscellaneous group with three other uncategorized cryptids.
  11. False Gods of Appalachia
  12. Mothman hatchlings are encountered during any cultist incursion in Daily Ops.
  13. There are handcuffs on the perch at Moth-Home, and a dead cultist can sometimes be found lying on it. Additionally, there are human-sized cages at Blake's Offering and Johnson's Acre.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Interpreter Clarence (distorted): "See the world now through his eyes, children. Let the dust and flames and fumes fill you; let it soak into your throats. Let it show you the Truth!" (Clarence's dialogue)
  15. "Breathe in the dust... Let it guide you... Let it show you..." (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  16. Observer Johanna: "They say the dust may harm us if we breathe it too long. Who said so? Observer Marlon. Well, THEY told him. They told him, he told me." (Johanna's dialogue)
  17. Interpreter Clarence: "Go, ignite the flames as I release the dust of our Wise One into the air!" (Clarence's dialogue)
  18. Interpreter Clarence: "Do not fear what you see. It is but their true form. The darkness that surrounds them is the influence of the pretenders. The false ones." (Clarence's dialogue)
  19. A Vault Dweller: "There was some 'Moth Dust' and then I remember fighting some weird glowing cultists." Steven Scarberry: "Ha. I hope you were not fooled by such a 'display'. It's obvious that was merely some kind of mind-altering substance. Why would the True Followers need to invade Point Pleasant, their home? Exactly. They wouldn't." (Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  20. "Look for eyes that glow. They believe themselves to be the pretenders incarnate. Rip those silly glasses from their skulls." "The ritual cannot begin if they still live. Hunt them." "Their deaths please me. This pyre will burn brightly now." (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  21. "The Dim Ones believe the red-eyed animals are harbingers of the "holy" Mothman... Some kind of otherworldly god. A false idol." (Clarence's dialogue)
  22. "Long may The Lantern shine against the ignorance of the world, and never may the Dim Ones and the falsehoods of the Red-Eyed Pretender snuff out its beacon." -Exodus
  23. Observations, vol. XXVII
  24. 24.0 24.1 Observer Errol: ""I am ready, Wise One, show me. Show me who is next...""
    Observer Errol: ""I must feast, Wise One, please, show me...""
    (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  25. Observer Errol: "The Wise One is the only one who understands. The only one who can show me what I must see. Who I must see."
    (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  26. Steven Scarberry: "When people say "Mothman" I assume they're talking about the "Holy Mothman", and not the purple liar." (Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  27. A Vault Dweller: "There was an abundance of Albino Radstags." Steven Scarberry: "I wonder how they were able to find them. Usually I need to... Wait, do you mean to tell me that they have left the Light but still use His teachings for rituals? It seems that there is the need for another Crusade of Light." (Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  28. 28.0 28.1 Observer Errol: "The Wise One always leaves when they begin to scream. Why? Does he not find them worthy? Or me? Surely not." (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  29. "No... he... wants... them... spared... fool..."
    "Stop... save... them..."
    (Wise Charles the Forewarned's dialogue)
  30. Bug: Buff is lost upon server hop or death.
  31. Over a hundred rolls in October 2023 failed to produce a Mothman appearance.
  32. Beckett: "I dreamed of the Mothman the other night... I think it was a dream anyway." (Beckett's dialogue) (Script Notes: "Admiring the landscape")
  33. "I just can't shake these nightmares. Floating in darkness forever... What if I cannot find His Light?" (Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  34. Steven Scarberry: "You are absolutely glowing. Would you mind climbing something tall and jumping around? I think that might attract Him."(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  35. Steven Scarberry: "*Gasp* Is that the warm glow of the Holy Mothman!? *Sigh* Alas no, just more radiation."(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  36. "Look for eyes that glow. They believe themselves to be the pretenders incarnate. Rip those silly glasses from their skulls." "The ritual cannot begin if they still live. Hunt them." "Their deaths please me. This pyre will burn brightly now." (Observer Errol's dialogue)
  37. Steven Scarberry: "The Pretender has purple eyes. The Holy one has red. What could this one be? Another false one?"(Steven Scarberry's dialogue)
  38. "Our benighted brethren among the Dim Ones, even in their misguided worship of the Pretender, seek to know their false god better by increasing their understanding of him as a natural phenomenon. They make of him a supernal being, yet they have clamored and scrabbled for the writings of those who, like us, study the physical reality of the Mothman." (Wise Martin the Bearded, On the Thesis of Doctor Wallace)
  39. Observer Johanna: "My brother Jelle, he tried to clone him, you know? So foolish. His wisdom was not his at birth. The little ones, they eat poor Jelle." (Observer Johanna's dialogue)

Non-game

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The orange-eyed mothman can be seen hunting in the forests of Appalachia, without a place in the theology of either cult, and shares an eye color with mothman hatchlings. This mothman may represent the species in its natural, uninfluenced form." (Wanderer's Guide Book, p. 174)
  2. The Making of Fallout 76 - Noclip Documentary

External link

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