Mote

Mote is a small microglial neighbour who collects odd details. Mote keeps marks of pulse rhythms in Mote Pocket and notices changes that a single snapshot misses. The plan stresses that small does not mean a child.

Appearance#

Mote has a low, wide body with a rounded head end and a pale nucleus. The plan forbids a detective hat, gloves, clipboard or pen-writing gestures. Mote's habit is a deliberate branch adjustment and a pause to look at the gap between two pulses.

Personality#

Mote is exact about small observations, sociable off duty and sometimes funny about everyday inconveniences. Mote's mistake is treating an interesting correlation as an explanation. Mote's fear is not danger. It is that small things stay invisible until somebody important decides they matter.

Role in the story#

Mote and Pip are the central pair. In Act II Mote takes a real east-line watch at Hearth (II7). In Act III Mote wants to check a Vessel Margins report in person, which starts the invitation scene. If Mote's hypothesis was right, Mote is right; if not, Mote revises it.

Recruitment#

Mote is the first possible companion. Mote becomes eligible at II7, is invited at III6 through step mote:M5, and can join the optional first joint outing at III7. The player must first show who covers Mote's watch. If Mote is the first recruit, the Coordinator unlocks. In Act II, one supervised order to Mote (II3) previews the Coordinator but grants nothing lasting. See Recruitment.

Abilities#

As a field companion, Mote is an observer: short-range cue checking with travel and attention costs. Mote is never a universal inflammation detector.

Development#

• Story: plan v0.5 §7 and §19; dossier Part IV. The user approved Mote's placement on 31 October.
• Art: identity B was accepted on 2 November. Blind reviewers flagged Mote's silhouette three times; the user said "Keep Mote", so it is settled. The generic Mote sprite keeps its original size and colours.
• In the alpha In the Placeholder alpha, Mote stands in Mote Pocket and moves to Hearth's east watch after scene II7 (not reachable there). The P2 chapter asks the player to talk with Mote.

Gallery#

See also#

• The Uninteresting Ones
• Pip
• Mote Pocket

Sources#

1. .GAME_PLAN/ARBORWAKE_THE_LONG_WAKE_COMPLETE_GAME_PLAN_v0.5.md (working copy, not in Git)
2. .GAME_PLAN/ARBORWAKE_COMPANIONS_NARRATIVE_AND_SYSTEMS_DOSSIER_v0.5.md (working copy, not in Git)
3. 16c9aab43:art/characters/named-cast/CANONICAL.jsoncopy
4. b89f778c2:src/main-game/game/residents.jscopy