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.
History
The distant past of the Utwig is not well known, due to the Utwig's few mentions of it. 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 the Chimt. After their rising, the Utwig did as all young species do and merely lived their lives as they came; the Utwig's early societies and activities, whether they were hunters or cultivators, are unknown. Eventually, the Chimt's tendrils reached up to what the Utwig refer to as the "sky canopies of Fahz," causing "the 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 existence itself at face value. From this, they drew the conclusion that the face is a constant reminder of a being's grotesque, primitive urges that hold back true sentience, showing negative qualities such as greed, rage and lust. Consequently, they decided to hide their faces 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 even living creatures. Over time, this developed into a complex set of social conventions called Mask Etiquette, which involves wearing different masks depending on their current mood, task, or circumstances and which became a foundation of their culture.
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 and was apparently a tragedy 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 substantial 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 received a steadfast ally. The Utwig also established HyperWave contact with the Burvixese with whom they exchanged information on various topics. At some point in their exploration of the nearby space, the Utwig also discovered a Precursor device in an abandoned Precursor supply base; after futher analysis, they discovered that the device was in fact an incredibly powerful antimatter bomb capable of reducing an entire planet to dust. However, the Druuge race had also learned of the bomb's existence through the Burvixese, and eventually contacted the Utwig intending to obtain it.
As the Druuge do, they used their primary skill of trade in an attempt to acquire the bomb. The Druuge offered an ancient device known as Ultron, a seemingly worthless piece of junk they 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 the device would grant them powers beyond belief, and the Utwig believed them. Before finalizing the transaction, the Utwig High Proctor asked if she could hold the Ultron, just for a moment. The Druuge allowed her to, not wanting to appear rude and potentially ruin the trade.
The moment the 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 the Druuge captain was after an artifact.
The Druuge were incapable of saying anything, lest they spoil 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 breaking of the Ultron was devastating to the Utwig culture and collective psyche. The Utwig sank into a collective, even suicidal depression, destroying all masks except mask of Ultimate Embarrassment and Shame. They contemplated ending the existence of their entire species using the gigantic 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 in Arcturus. The Kohr-Ah almost found the Utwig homeworld, but encountered the Kzer-Za first and threw their entire fleet into the Doctrinal Conflict, confusing the Utwig to no end.
Culture and society
Utwig culture appears to be dominated by two ideas: an emphasis on ceremony, and the concept of destiny. The emphasis on ceremony manifests itself in the Utwig's many rituals and celebrations, such as the Chinz-Rahl and the Exultant Caper of Revelation. It is also apparent in their preoccupation with etiquette and procedures. "Mask-Etiquette" is the most visible effect of this preoccupation and 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 past, when they finally came to the strange conclusion that a face, that expresses primal emotions, creates all their wars and violence. Therefore the face must be hidden for all time in order for a culture to progress peacefully.
Utwig have been in the possesion of a mystical device called the Ultron, which they bought from the Druuge not more than fifty years ago. The Ultron is their source of happiness and enlightment, much like a portable God, and is the key to their destiny. Through the Ultron, the Utwig imply that they can subtly influence the actions of others and also claim to achieve a state of oneness with the universe and obtain a perfect knowledge of things, which they termed "the Universal." Often the Utwig use the Ultron to determine not only their own destiny, but also the destiny of other races and individuals. They also explain that because of the power and knowledge granted to them by the Ultron, they are the destined agents for effecting an essential service for the universe. When the Ultron is lost or broken, all Utwig fall into a state of collective Despair.
Few details are known about the social structure that supports and enforces the intricate Utwig culture. That which seems to function as the governing body of Utwig society is referred to as the Utwig Proctorate. The Proctorate is made of several Proctors apparently headed by a High or Grand Proctor, which seems to imply some kind of hierarchal relationship between Proctors. Another office in the Utwig social structure is the Chief Groo, though nothing else is known about this office beyond its existence.
The 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, to whom 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, and the Utwig in turn rely on the Supox for emotional support and occasionally wise counsel advice.
List of known masks
The Utwig Mask Etiquette includes roughly eighteen hundred standard "facial appliances." This is a list of the known masks used within the Utwig culture.
- 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."