"A common Horalki idiom is 'the head is empty.' This is not self-deprecating but an accurate description of their naturally short memory span."

Dr. Larisa khe-Mersace, Cardinal Archivist at the Confederation Institute of Peoples & Ecologies

The Horalki were subterranean scavengers and one of the last species to be recognized into The 44 Peoples. Horalki appeared similar to canid species, with a long muzzle, hair across the whole body, and curved nails. Having only recently gained sentience, the Horalki stood upright awkwardly and walked in a stiff and jittery manner. They also had very large heads and eyes, with the eyes being chronically watery when exposed to sunlight. Despite the size of their head, the Horalki had  remarkably small brains. 

The Horalki first gained recognition as a People when a Horalki named Zharkov, who lived in captivity under the supervision of zoologist Doctor Samvel khe-Oluwakemi. Zharkov was allowed to read books in his enclosure and developed enough language skills that Dr. Samvel brought him before the Royal Court to recognize the Horalki species as a People. There was some initial controversy, some members of the public believing that Dr. Samvel had taught Zharkov himself, but the doctor always insisted that he only helped develop the innate skills Zharkov already had. 

Horalki lived in underground tunnels in packs of three to ten. Due to their small brains, Horalki had a very short memory span. This resulted in almost every facet of their culture being incredibly simple and easy to remember. Their given names were two repeated syllables, such as Pakpak, Rubrub, and Zolzol (Zharkov was named by Dr. Samvel). Pack-bonding via scent was far more important as a form of identity. Horalki often referred to difficult to remember concepts as "shape-knowledge," such as how a person looked when they were younger or what the parts that made up a tool looked like before the final product.

Horalki were capable of making rudimentary tools with rocks and wood, even making spears by sharpening sticks with their teeth. Most Horalki did not wear clothing, however several packs were documented using molted insect wings as makeshift body coverings. These fragile but iridescent garments offered slight protection from abrasion and were worn more for comfort than for modesty. Any craft project that could not be completed quickly or simply was likely to be abandoned or entirely forgotten before it ever became tradition.

Average height: 0.9 meters (M) 1.3 meters (F)

Average weight: 60 kg

Average lifespan: 10-12 years