Took a couple days to get this and the lore together. While I do enjoy hugbox; nature is purely a neutralbox affair.
"While Mossyfluffs like most other feral fluffy breeds will hide or occasionally attempt to fight off predators (poorly) they have one unique self defense tactic found in no other breed.
When alerted to the approach of a much larger predator they will first attempt to hide. But when time starts to run short and those fluffies who believe they are not suffiently hidden (debatable) will first gather any foals that are close by, hide them under their bodies, do their best to quiet them*, and stand still in place.
This self defence tactic is what Mossyfluffs in their own words call The Stilly Game or The Stiwwy Game. In their mind if they stay as still and quiet as possible predators will not be able to see them. While this may sound completely delusional their practice of dirt-bathing and growing moss/fungi on their bodies actually provide a somewhat rudimentary form of camouflage. Whether the fluffies in question are aware of this fact or not they all for the most part still “play” The Stilly Game.**
Some carnivorous predators can be fooled by this camouflage but more often then not they will at least detect one fluffy. Even as their fellow fluffy is being consumed or dragged off they will continue to “play” ensuring that most of their herd will still survive. Those fluffies who lose the “game”: ones who lose their nerve, paniced foals who don’t know any better, those who skimped on their dirt-bathing, and overly confident smarties will quickly be added to the body count.***
Though this is usually a very short affair it becomes increasingly dangerous when a herbivorous predator appears.**** While a carnivore will attack, take their prey, and leave the herbivore will graze amongst the fluffies. The moss/fungi is a prime source of food for these predators and they will take their time to eat their fill. At best a fluffy will lose just the top layer of fungi/moss and worse lose chunks of their fur in the consumption, and worst be torn apart in the process. The bravest of Mossyfluffs will endure this process with the most minimal amount of movement or noise (while still releasing scaredy poopies) and those with less nerve will inch closer to losing the “game”.
Those who “win” the “game” are revered amongst the surviving herd and those who go through several cycles inevitably become leaders in their herds. Even the most brutal of smarties or a “monstah” alicorn can rise unquestioned to this position on their prowess alone. Those leaders will instill this practice to further generations ensuring their survival and the leader’s position in the herd.
Even across different countries Mossyfluffs isolated from any other of their kind still “play the game”. While their is no specific origin to this “game” it can be postulated that this was an observed behavior seen in other species or even human hunters who similarly camouflage themselves. Or it could of been an evolved manifestation of some instilled behavior during the development process not unlike instances of the Seeing-Eye Yehdoo line.***** This mysterious self defence tactic is a still hotly debated topic among researchers.
*This in some extremes lead to either intentionally smothering or crushing the foals.
**Some individual cases suggest so. A notable instance in where researchers found a fluffy’s corpse at the mouth of its burrow, presumably facing towards the predator. The grieving clutch inside were barely coherent but it’s mate kept babbling about “ow bwave” it’s special friend was.
***Occasionally some fluffies (usually those who have been through multiple “games” will go into an unique “wan die” loop where they are completely motionless as well as silent. Those fluffies will eventually be eaten by subsequent predators or slowly starve themselves to death.
**** Researchers have found some individual cases where normally timid herbivorous scavenger species can be found stalking Mossyfluffs.
***** See Sam Adams Guide Chapter 1
