Udekka

The Udekka or Henge-Folk are a species which lives in the forests of the south-east central continent. Little-known to the other sentient races, their society is particularly primitive and they are reliant upon nature. Colloquially they are referred to as "Henge-Folk" due to popular association between them and the various prehistoric monuments which litter their forest home. In truth the Udekka were not responsible for their creation, but they certainly revere the structures.

Socially, the Udekka are particularly simple; they have no monarchy or ruling class or indeed any cohesive form of government. Neither do they have a written language. Instead, their culture is maintained orally and musically- indeed, they are famed for the skill and intimacy with which their various instruments are created. The very tradition of the Bard is one which originates with these people, in ancient times.

Due to their lack of a defined leadership, the Udekka instead live bound by an unwritten social code. This code promotes importance of the self, and it is the individuality afforded by this which binds together the Udekka in maintaining social order. In other words, all Henge-Folk are equal, yet none are alike.

Racial Attributes
The Udekka are a strange race in that their physical appearance cannot accurately be described as an absolute. They have a seemingly limitless number of forms, but whether these are permanent and specific to the individual or whether they are shape-shifters is unknown. A few things do remain factual, however. For instance, their maximum height is always smaller than that of an average human male, and they are never known to possess a particularly muscular frame. They typically wear clothing with the intention of obscuring their entire body from sight. These clothes are immediately recognisable in design and decor, boasting intricate patterns.

Udekka live considerably longer than the average human being, and folklore holds that the oldest Udekka can become excessively powerful, though in what way is never agreed upon.

Religion
The Udekka have no institutionalised religion; instead, they revere a loosely-defined pantheon of deities, spirits and other various other ethereal entities. At the centre of this pantheon is Fibceann (pronounced "Fihv-Cane"), who is said to have assembled the planet Opia, trapping himself at the centre upon its completion. The henges and various other megalithic sites are, according to this perspective, placed upon the seams of the planet, and they act as the "bolts" which hold the world together. This accounts for their significance in Udekka culture, and their reverence as sacred ground.

Culture
Due to the lack of written text, much of the vast history of the Udekka is almost indistinguishable from their myths and legends, which are all preserved through music or spoken stories. Because of this, facts become exaggerated and twisted throughout the centuries. Indeed, the most reliable source of much Udekka history comes from the accounts of the humans with whom they share a territorial boundary.

Udekka musical tradition is easily one of the most illustrious of institutions in their society, boasting various different disciplines and hundreds of types of instrument. Interestingly, due to the scarcity of metals within their forest home, all of their instruments are constructed using organic materials.

Having very little contact with the other species of the region, the Udekka quite freely practice those schools of magic which are considered to be taboo outside of their own society. For this reason, many of the most powerful Auspex are Udekka.