Utwig
| Utwig | ||||||||
| UtwigComm.png An Utwig captain, wearing the Mask of Ultimate Embarrassment and Shame | ||||||||
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The Utwig live in the Aquarii constellation. They are an emotionally pronounced race of thin, yellow-skinned humanoids with a somewhat mystic culture, involving masks and their dependancy on an artifact known as the Ultron.
24 years 2 months and 3 days - druuge change
History
The distant past of the Utwig is not well known, due to the Utwig's few mentionings of it to the Captain. The very beginning of the Utwig race on their home planet of Fahz (Beta Aquarii I), was their rising from the "Murky Bog" (either a primordial soup, or the Utwig evolved from swamp creatures), along with another race called the Chimt. After their rising, they did as all young species do, and merely live their lives as they came; the Utwig's early societies and activities, whether they were hunters or cultivators, are unknown. Eventually, the Chimt tendrils reached up to what the Utwig refer to as the "Sky-Canopies of Fahz", causing "veils" to fall. What exactly the Canopies or the Veils are is again unknown, due to lack of eludication on part of the Utwig.
This event caused the Utwig to collectivley reach an epiphany; that they were taking existance itself at face value. From this, they drew the conclusion that the face is a constant reminder of primitive qualities in a being which hold back true sentience, showing negative qualities such as greed, rage and lust. Consequently, they decided to hide their face at all times so as to reach prosperity, and did so by crafting and wearing masks and veils of all kinds. Their first primitive masks were made of such things as leaves, hides, shells, and the like. Over time, they developed this trait into a culture called Mask Etiquette, which involves wearing different masks depending on their current mood, task, or circumstances.
The Utwig refined this culture more and more as time went on. An event at an unknown point in their past called the Morality Riots was centered around Mask Etiquette somehow, and was apparently a tradgedy in terms of lives lost and damage caused, though exactly what the point of dissention was is not known. The Utwig believe to this day that Mask Etiquette displays the need to be flexible in all things, and gives them a good foundation to build their society upon. With the believed hindrance of their intellectual development covered, and their society secure and flexible, they made good progress in many fields (evidenced by their technologically advanced Jugger combat vessels).
Eventually, the Utwig established contact with the nearby Supox, and befriended them. The Supox were a symbiotic race, and began to learn how they should conduct themselves from the Utwig. In return, the Utwig recieved a steadfast ally. At some point, the Utwig discovered a precursor device on Delta Aquarii; after futher analysis, they discovered that the device was infact an incredibly powerful Utwig Bomb capable of reducing an entire planet to dust. However, the Druuge race had somehow also learned of the bomb's existance, and eventually showed up intending to claim it.
As the Druuge do, they used their primary skill of trade in an attempt to acquire the bomb. The Druuge offered the so-called Ultron, a worthless piece of junk the Druuge had found; The Utwig were overjoyed, seeing this as an excellent turn of fortune, since they had been searching for a higher purpose for themselves. The Druuge claimed that it would grant them powers beyond belief, and the Utwig believed them. Before finalising the transaction, the Utwig asked if they could hold the Ultron, just for a moment. The Druuge allowed them to, not wanting to appear rude and potentially ruin the trade.
The moment the Utwig's High Proctor took the device into her hands, she was wracked by a feeling of intense power - while the Druuge thought the Utwig were simply falling for their ruse with great enthusiasm, it was not so. When the High Proctor opened her eyes again after the spasm had subsided, the Druuge were thunderstruck - the High Proctor's eyes were glowing intensely with a light that frightened the Druuge. As it turned out, the Ultron actually HAD granted the Utwig powers of some description, contrary to what the Druuge believed the device was capable of. Not only this, but the High Proctor had become able to read the trader's thoughts to some extent - while not uncovering his ruse, she sensed that he was after an artifact.
The Druuge were incapable of saying anything, lest they spoiled what they had believed to be a clever scam. The Utwig provided the Druuge with several artifacts from a vault, which were later found to be useless. The traders left with these artifacts, leaving the Ultron to the Utwig. The Supox believed the Utwig had been scammed, but kept quiet about it since it had made the Utwig so happy. Unfortunatley, the Ultron was later broken during the Chinz-Rahl celebration, when it fell to the ground due to a mishandling, and was rendered inoperative.
The Utwig sank into a collective, even suicidal depression. They contemplated ending the existance of their entire species using the Utwig Bomb, but decided instead that they would prolong their suffering to atone for the "Great Sin" of breaking the Ultron. They eventually came into contact with the Kohr-ah, who had recently entered the sector after slaughtering the Burvixese on Artcturus. The Kohr-ah almost found their homeworld, but found the Kzer-za first and threw their entire fleet into the Doctrinal Conflict, confusing the Utwig to no end.
Society and Culture
"Mask-Etiquette" is the most interesting aspect of Utwig culture. Utwig can never show their faces, and are required to wear masks for as long as they live. There are thousands of these masks, designed for different activities, moods, festivals, ceremonies etc. This custom was born in their ancient violent past, when they finally came to the strange conclusion that a face, that expresses primal emotions, creates all their wars and violence. Therefore face must be hidden for all time in order for a culture to progress peacefully.
Utwig have long been in the possesion of a mystical device called the Ultron, which they bought from the Druuge. The Ultron is their source of happiness and enlightment, much like a portable God. When it is lost or broken, all Utwig fall into a state of collective Despair.
Utwig have a strong partnership with the Supox, their closest starfaring neighbours. When The Captain first encountered the Ultron it was in the custody of the Supox, who the Utwig had given the device when they could no longer bear the sight of it. The Supox have taken the Utwig culture as their model.
List of known masks
This is a list of the known masks used within the Utwig mask etiquette
- Countenance of Stellar Representation
- Domino of Unrivaled Merriment
- Expression of Ultimate Gratitude
- Facial Effigy of Remorse For Lost Comrades
- Lewd Monocle
- Mask of Confident and Lofty Posture
- Mask of Gruelling but Neccessary Activity
- Mask of Natural Bodily Excretions
- Mask of Rampant Jubilation and Jumping With Ecstatic Glee
- Mask of Ultimate Embarrassment and Shame
- Mask of Valor and Derring-Do
- Veil of Flirtatious Prancing
- Visage of Ceremonial Orations
The Utwig also are creating a Great Mask or Saintly Facade from a planetary body, to be used solely by The Captain to hide his "unsightly mug with distinction."