Pilots inhabit a world traversing an ice age, they live on one of the 12 moons orbiting a gas giant. Pilots share the same solar system as maanuls and kyhuines, and both orbit the same gas giant but live on different moons. Who are not in contact with each other or even aware of life on happening in neighboring moons (to varying degrees of unawareness).
Maanuls and kyhuines live on the moon "altuyur", and pilots on "sat'tchuckthuck" (kyhuine given name in their study of astronomy on altuyur).
The name "pilot" isn't what they use to refer to each other, the language they use is touch-based, and also via changing the color of their soft crests for words and concepts. Not knowing how i can translate that through text I just use earth words for the sat'tchuckthuck world. "Pilot" referring how they use heavy machines for tasks constantly, some being literal mechas and Powered exoskeletons for various physical jobs.
in comparison maanuls and kyhuines speak in layered vocal languages, using their vocal slits to articulate complex sounds and the whistling of their nostrils at the same time. While it sounds odd, its easier to transcript it to text if i just take apart the vocal slit vocalization.
you can view the evolution of pilot's design in this post
program used: fire alpaca and airbrush tool only