# Mote

Mote hovers off Seven's shoulder, scouts ahead, and lights the way after dark. The glowing Island V4 companion gained twin ducted fans in FIELDWORK, then travelled with Seven to Lumen Reach and Shoreline Limited.

Character · Fictional · Established

Stable ID: `mote` · Revision 2 · Updated 2026-10-30

Context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/), [FlyBrain Soccer](/field-guide/collections/flybrain-soccer/)

[Web page](/field-guide/entities/mote/) · [JSON record](/field-guide/entities/mote/record.json)

## At a glance

- Small flying companion who points out the next job and scans what needs attention.

- FIELDWORK design: cream teardrop hull, cyan keel, magenta band, twin ducted fans, and an amber iris optic.

- Projects a net of light under Seven's jumps and folds onto Seven's back to recharge.

- In Island V4, moves closer when worried and joins the robot's celebrations and drone waltz.

## Visual notes

- Use the FIELDWORK tilt-fan model for the later Seven-and-Mote pair. Keep its charging spine, folding legs, holo fins, and petal nozzle.

- Island V4 and V4.1 use the earlier blue shell, orange fins, amber optic, and cyan ring. The V3 helper is a design precursor; its identity is unconfirmed.

## Variants

### Island V3: unnamed helper precursor (mote-v3-precursor)

A blue helper drone follows the hover robot and shines a scanner beam. It is a design precursor. No source establishes it as the named V4 companion.

Context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/)

### Island V4 / V4.1: the glowing companion (mote-island-v4)

Mote has a blue shell, orange fins, an amber optic, and a cyan ring. V4.1 retains the V4 model. This design also referees the Connectome Cup.

Context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/)

### FIELDWORK: the tilt-fan redesign (mote-fieldwork)

The October 2 v0.5 changelog calls this a new design: twin ducted fans, an iris optic, holo fins, landing legs, and a petal nozzle. Mote scouts, catches jumps in a net of light, and charges on Seven's back.

### Lumen Reach, FIELDWORK pinball, and Shoreline Limited (mote-fieldwork-travels)

Later projects reuse the FIELDWORK model. Lumen Reach gives Mote a dark grotto to light. The pinball machine turns its beam and net into rescues. Shoreline Limited brings the shoulder hover, scouting, nightlight, and back charging to the railway.

## Appearances

- [IslandLab world guide](/islandlab/field-guide/): The Island V4 world guide names the companion beside the Explorer Robot. (context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/))

- [CityLab: Cities You Arrive In by Train](/citylab/): The CityLab hub introduces Seven and Mote on the railway.

- [Shoreline Limited](/citylab/shoreline-limited/): Mote travels beside Seven in the railway world.

- [Shoreline Limited: About the Line](/citylab/shoreline-limited/about.html): October 19, 2026. Explicitly identifies Mote as Seven's drone from FIELDWORK, with shoulder hover, scouting, landing net, nightlight, and back charging.

- [Fly Brain Soccer](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/): The Island companion referees the matches.

- [Four clubs. One orchard. Forty years of arguing about plums.](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/clubs/): The fictional club histories include Mote in the soccer setting.

- [Sporting Larva](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/clubs/sporting-larva/): Mote appears in the fictional club history.

- [Flylab: The Connectome Cup](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/flylab-the-connectome-cup.html): September 29, 2026. The build story calls Mote the Island companion and describes its referee work.

- [A painted horizon at the bottom of every page](/horizon/): Mote inspects Seven's fish in the shared footer scene.

- [Choose how to draw the islands](/island-v4-1/): V4.1 keeps the V4 companion model.

- [Lumen Reach](/island-v5/): Lumen Reach reuses FIELDWORK Seven and Mote.

- [IslandLab: From Terrain to a Living Archipelago](/islandlab/): The IslandLab hub follows the companion across the island releases.

- [Five IslandLab releases and one preview are waiting.](/islandlab/expeditions/): The release index links the island journeys with Mote.

- [Canopy Crown](/islandlab/field-guide/canopy-crown.html): Five landmarks invite the companion to inspect them.

- [Mote](/islandlab/field-guide/mote.html): August 9, 2026. The named companion guide separates Mote from the unnamed V3 helper and the Field League trainer.

- [Fix three islands. Make some friends.](/islandlab/island-v4.html): August 9, 2026. Mote guides the Explorer Robot between repairs.

- [Lumen Reach hands you the sun.](/islandlab/island-v5.html): October 13, 2026. Explicitly imports Seven and Mote from FIELDWORK and gives Mote the dark Grotto to light.

- [TiltLab](/tiltlab/): The pinball hub lists the FIELDWORK machine and its returning drone.

- [FIELD WORK](/tiltlab/machines/fieldwork/): Mote assists the FIELDWORK pinball machine with beam, net, and rescues.

- [FIELDWORK: About the Machine](/tiltlab/machines/fieldwork/about.html): October 17, 2026. The machine guide describes Mote as the FIELDWORK drone and explains its beam, landing net, and rescues.

- [Island V4 Experiment: Robot Lab](/islandlab/archives/island-v4-experiment-robot-lab.html): August 12, 2026. The pair appears on the animation test stage beside its debugger controls. (context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/))

- [Island V4.1](/islandlab/island-v4-1.html): August 21, 2026. The V4 model carries forward into V4.1. (context: [IslandLab](/field-guide/collections/islandlab/))

- [FIELDWORK](/gamelab/fieldwork.html): Seven and Mote bring the valley back to life. The October 2 v0.5 changelog records the tilt-fan redesign.

## Relationships

- [Seven](/field-guide/entities/seven/): Seven's companion drone. Scouts ahead, catches jumps, lights the way, and docks on Seven's back to recharge. (Established; source: mote-fieldwork)

## Dated changes

- 2026-07-31: The Island V3 build story shows an unnamed helper drone beside the hover robot. This is a design precursor, with no confirmed Mote identity.

- 2026-08-09: The Island V4 guide names the bright companion Mote and describes scanning, guiding, landing help, and shared reactions.

- 2026-08-12: Robot Lab puts the pair on a test stage. The build story describes failed animation attempts, a debugger, and the holonet landing idea.

- 2026-08-21: Island V4.1 retains the V4 companion model while the islands gain more places to explore.

- 2026-09-29: The Connectome Cup gives the Island companion a referee job: following the ball, scanning kick-offs, dropping balls, and celebrating.

- 2026-10-02: FIELDWORK v0.5 introduces a new design with twin ducted fans, an iris optic, holo fins, legs, and a petal nozzle. Mote returns on a dying battery to wake Seven, then scouts, catches jumps, lights the night, and charges on Seven's back.

- 2026-10-03: FIELDWORK adds automatic truck righting after the October 2 hold-to-rescue feature. Mote can lift Seven or the occupied truck onto safe ground.

- 2026-10-13: Lumen Reach explicitly brings Seven and Mote over from FIELDWORK, with their animation clips. Mote becomes the light inside the Grotto.

- 2026-10-17: FIELDWORK pinball brings the drone's tractor beam, landing net, and rescues to the table.

- 2026-10-19: Shoreline Limited names Mote as the drone from FIELDWORK, hovering by Seven's shoulder and charging on Seven's back.

## Open questions

- The V3 helper drone is a design precursor. Unit Mote is a separate Field League trainer name. No published source establishes either as the named V4 companion.

## Sources

- [Mote: IslandLab character guide](/islandlab/field-guide/mote.html)

- [Island V3: Storm Signal \(July 31, 2026\)](/islandlab/island-lab-series-4-of-5-island-v3-storm-signal.html)

- [Island V4 Experiment: Robot Lab \(August 12, 2026\)](/islandlab/archives/island-v4-experiment-robot-lab.html)

- [Island V4.1 \(August 21, 2026\)](/islandlab/island-v4-1.html)

- [The Connectome Cup \(September 29, 2026\)](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/flylab-the-connectome-cup.html)

- [FIELDWORK: Seven and Mote repair the valley](/gamelab/fieldwork.html)

- [FIELDWORK character model: Seven and Mote](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/fieldwork-characters.glb)

- [Lumen Reach \(October 13, 2026\)](/islandlab/island-v5.html)

- [FIELDWORK pinball: About the Machine \(October 17, 2026\)](/tiltlab/machines/fieldwork/about.html)

- [Shoreline Limited: About the Line \(October 19, 2026\)](/citylab/shoreline-limited/about.html)

- [A painted horizon at the bottom of every page](/horizon/)

## Reference library

### Scene

![An unnamed blue drone scans the ground beside the Island V3 hover robot.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/v3-helper-precursor.jpg)

Island V3 \(July 31, 2026\): gameplay screenshot of the unnamed helper precursor. Its identity as Mote is unconfirmed.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/v3-helper-precursor.jpg) · [Storm Signal build story](/islandlab/island-lab-series-4-of-5-island-v3-storm-signal.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `0b6a7c90f9cd8da8c31eb014f83b343267af68f6e1e416d2ec9f7eea283dc122`

### Portrait / single view

![Island V4 Mote, front model view.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-front.webp)

Island V4 / V4.1: front view of the blue shell, orange fins, amber optic, and cyan ring. Isolated original model, unchanged geometry and materials.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-front.png) · [Island V4 authored DroneRoot model](/islandlab/field-guide/mote.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `ffbe6d91074e0cd871edbd81495f234b82f64af6a24bd48cdf359a560a4bfbe7`

### Portrait / single view

![Island V4 Mote, three-quarter model view.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-three-quarter.webp)

Island V4 / V4.1: three-quarter view of the blue shell, orange fins, amber optic, and cyan ring. Isolated original model, unchanged geometry and materials.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-three-quarter.png) · [Island V4 authored DroneRoot model](/islandlab/field-guide/mote.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `5b9d60a99fbcbe8ac44716dc3aac8b638219b4ba5fb347e30bec0644ef6c8ea2`

### Portrait / single view

![Island V4 Mote, rear model view.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-rear.webp)

Island V4 / V4.1: rear view of the blue shell, orange fins, amber optic, and cyan ring. Isolated original model, unchanged geometry and materials.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-v4-rear.png) · [Island V4 authored DroneRoot model](/islandlab/field-guide/mote.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `2399acd5f435ead1dd1a1945a3f528ff9936af34707a53064635d432ad887610`

### Scene

![Mote and the tracked robot on a dark test stage, beside animation and inspection controls.](/islandlab/archives/assets/island-v4-experiment-robot-lab/media-02.jpg)

Robot Lab \(August 12, 2026\): actual debugger screenshot, with Mote beside the robot and animation controls.

[Download original](/islandlab/archives/assets/island-v4-experiment-robot-lab/media-02.jpg) · [Robot Lab build story](/islandlab/archives/island-v4-experiment-robot-lab.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `3b76b41431ac404e20c008e211fd680fe27cc2c5721d1fc3d55d460efeaad36c`

### Scene

![The Explorer Robot and Mote in Island V4.1 at Canopy Crown.](/islandlab/assets/island-v4-1/canopy-crown.webp)

Island V4.1 \(August 21, 2026\): published Canopy Crown gameplay screenshot. The companion retains the V4 model.

[Download original](/islandlab/assets/island-v4-1/canopy-crown.webp) · [Island V4.1 project page](/islandlab/island-v4-1.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `f55403389c1d70b159909893499b4479c81bd6a9eb28dba550afd284c7091b86`

### Scene

![Robot soccer match with Mote serving as the airborne referee.](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/assets/flylab-the-connectome-cup/media-02.jpg)

Connectome Cup \(September 29, 2026\): published gameplay screenshot. The earlier Island companion design referees the match.

[Download original](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/assets/flylab-the-connectome-cup/media-02.jpg) · [Connectome Cup build story](/flylab/projects/flybrain-soccer/flylab-the-connectome-cup.html) · v1 · SHA-256: `42821c7131182389715d11a380e29c6d7b79f4a9b9fcaa84c6841bdae0af753d`

### Portrait / single view

![FIELDWORK Mote, three-quarter view of the original tilt-fan model.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-three-quarter.webp)

FIELDWORK \(October 2, 2026 redesign\): three-quarter view of the original model. Cream hull, paired ducted fans, cyan trim, magenta band, and amber optic. Neutral-stage render; runtime light effects are absent.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-three-quarter.png) · [FIELDWORK authored DroneRoot model](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/fieldwork-characters.glb) · v2 · SHA-256: `b6a6e2cd383de43983a9b2a4ac7b487850df11f4d71856b04b9f8475a40e505f`

### Portrait / single view

![FIELDWORK Mote, front view of the original tilt-fan model.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-front.webp)

FIELDWORK \(October 2, 2026 redesign\): front view of the original model. Cream hull, paired ducted fans, cyan trim, magenta band, and amber optic. Neutral-stage render; runtime light effects are absent.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-front.png) · [FIELDWORK authored DroneRoot model](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/fieldwork-characters.glb) · v2 · SHA-256: `b3a5e5c94fd4e37a5fe23fa6fcf58c8c928e77831f22cf7b5d721a9d713b2164`

### Portrait / single view

![FIELDWORK Mote, rear view of the original tilt-fan model.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-rear.webp)

FIELDWORK \(October 2, 2026 redesign\): rear view of the original model. Cream hull, paired ducted fans, cyan trim, magenta band, and amber optic. Neutral-stage render; runtime light effects are absent.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-rear.png) · [FIELDWORK authored DroneRoot model](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/fieldwork-characters.glb) · v2 · SHA-256: `d1322dfaa8cabaaa04ee8b570901c40c2460cf06a2621907ccc05e711c073fbe`

### Detail

![FIELDWORK Mote, top-detail view of the original tilt-fan model.](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-top-detail.webp)

FIELDWORK \(October 2, 2026 redesign\): top-detail view of the original model. Cream hull, paired ducted fans, cyan trim, magenta band, and amber optic. Neutral-stage render; runtime light effects are absent.

[Download original](/field-guide/assets/mote-evolution/mote-fieldwork-top-detail.png) · [FIELDWORK authored DroneRoot model](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/fieldwork-characters.glb) · v2 · SHA-256: `d3429ce49108cc330467f28364aa1e91c8c621250e73d9e32781def00f880055`

### Scene

![Mote hovers beside Seven on FIELDWORK's title screen.](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-02.jpg)

FIELDWORK: published title-screen screenshot, with the tilt-fan Mote hovering beside Seven. This is an in-game scene.

[Download original](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-02.jpg) · [FIELDWORK build story](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/gamelab-fieldwork.html) · v2 · SHA-256: `b7d2a169939fa568877f510b57435c80597d714ac0408b1490bfcd72cdb7d969`

### Scene

![Mote flies beside the gears of the Works during a FIELDWORK cinematic.](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-05.jpg)

FIELDWORK: published opening-cinematic screenshot. Mote is at the left of the gear wall; the subtitle pairs Mote with Seven.

[Download original](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-05.jpg) · [FIELDWORK build story](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/gamelab-fieldwork.html) · v2 · SHA-256: `852742f215b3163879ac608dc00060f497392cf9ea7a31267bbfa6536b2168f5`

### Scene

![Seven stands in the foreground with Mote just above and to its right.](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-06.jpg)

FIELDWORK: published gameplay screenshot, with Seven in the foreground and Mote above its right shoulder.

[Download original](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/assets/gamelab-fieldwork/media-06.jpg) · [FIELDWORK build story](/gamelab/projects/fieldwork/gamelab-fieldwork.html) · v2 · SHA-256: `02e7396d11dffb4826197337f56f783118e375d8280f261a11a2bafb4e488d11`

### Scene

![Historical Island V4 illustration of Mote and the Explorer Robot beside their ship.](/islandlab/assets/island-v4-guide/hero.webp)

Island V4: historical illustration of Mote beside the Explorer Robot and ship. Promotional scene, separate from the model plates and gameplay screenshots.

[Download original](/islandlab/assets/island-v4-guide/hero.webp) · [IslandLab world guide](/islandlab/field-guide/) · v1 · SHA-256: `efafda6a9d45ddce6915ad2f2e07e202f80f65bdec3eb3f5721d60edc75ef7f0`