The Musca

The Musca are the most structured of the Mysum clans and honor knowledge. Young Musca are taught by their elders and are expected to spend time studying with them each day.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

The Musca are poisonous if eaten, and have no natural predators, nor do they have to spend their valuable time fending them off.

Ecology and Habitats

The Musca are very interested in learning and as such will try to live anywhere. The diversity in what they can consume means that they are more widespread across Kelunbar forest than any other type of Mysum, even daring to travel farther up the mountains, where cold threatens them.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Musca eat any plant matter and occasionally will scavenge animals or insects too, though not particularly often.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Musca exist in tribes of 20-30, with the 3-4 oldest members instructing the other members of the tribe each day. Since Musca are unable to record things due to not having appendages, oral tradition is extremely important to them.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

The Musca do have some forms of fur pelts they create from scavenged dead animals specifically for exploring the mountains, but these are typically not much better than rotting carcasses. The Musca don't mind at all, but other creatures find it off-putting.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Oral Histories

The Musca believe that knowledge must be preserved, and preserved accurately. Their only means of doing so is oral, and so each night, for approximately three hours, the three or four oldest tribe members teach all of the younger Mysums, telling history in the form of story, identifying plants and animals, and telling them about the other species of the forest. The Musca have lots of memory cues in their stories. They use rhyme and meter to help ideas stick, and specific aspects of tales to make it clear which ones are just stories, and which ones are true history.

Tribal Gatherings

The Musca are the only Mysums that connect with other tribes of their species regularly. Once a year, at the peak of the Growth season, members from every Musca tribe in the forest gather near Lake Paho to change stories and review how Kelunbar as a whole seems to be faring.

History

The Atos and The Musca originated from the same tribe, called The Nitas. The Nitas ranged in color, shape, and personality more than other Mysum tribes, but instead of encouraging appreciation of differences, the two warred with each other so much over differing opinion that eventually they split into two: The Atos and the Musca. The Musca have long since decided these wars war petty, but the Atos have not, and so the Musca do have to be on their guard for these cousins.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Because of the Musca's surprisingly well-preserved and accurate stories, often other species will seek them out for information. Musca also, in a bard-like way, travel the forest and ask for stories from others so they can be added to their collections.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• The Mysums

Scientific Name

Based on: Amanita muscaria

Origin/Ancestry

Mykel, Being of Death

Lifespan

25 years

Average Height

5-8"

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Musca have bright red caps with white polka dots and white gills.