Stone Abbey

Deliberately carved into the least hospitable side of their mountain, the subterranean stronghold of Lam Kulet--also know as Stone Abbey--is a place of discipline, introspection, and supernatural stillness. Originally inhabited by dwarves and stone giants, the Stone Abbey now provides homes to genasi, goliaths, orcs, hobgoblins, minotaurs, humans and more.
Lam Kulet was named for its incredible stillness. Carved out by giants and dwarves, it was never a natural cavern and therefore has no waterflow or native denizens. Those who etched it from the stones valued privacy and tranquility, so each chamber is designed with acoustics in mind, preventing echoes and absorbing sound.
The Stone Abbey's living spaces are either underground, or carved into the side of the mountains in terraces. They raise hairy mountain goats on the hillsides for food, along with a few crops that grow in these harsh conditions, including mushrooms and other edible fungus deep underground. Originally designed with only a small populace in mind, they've had to get creative and branch out from their reclusive ways in order to accommodate all the population growth they've experienced over the years.
When the Demonic Imperium began, the people of Stone Abbey were clockwork makers and designers. The rise of Anachronous and the Designers corrupted their creations. Horrible atrocities were wrought by metal and flesh in the deep places of the earth. Everything in the Stone Abbey's culture since then has been shaped by fear and caution of Infernal influence. They keep their tools simple to prevent Anachronous from gaining sway. They dress plainly to keep Imago from getting a foothold. Warriors focus on discipline and maintaining a cool head, lest Uzhul overtake them. Decisions are made carefully and cautiously so Tillibec can't whip up a mob frenzy. Hope is placed in the community lest The Herald sow the seeds of despair in their hearts. Wisdom and learning are doled out carefully under the tutelage of wise teachers in public forums, so the jealous secrecy of Xethius cannot slither in.
This means that the Stone Abbey is full of deliberate choices, subdued expression, and constant calls for focus and discipline. A way of life intended for a small group of spiritual contemplatives has had to adapt to sustain a variety of cultures all fleeing the Designers and the Raveners. So the Stone Abbey prevails in the silence of the hills, a balance constantly in jeopardy.

Suggested Parentages

• Dwarven (Desert, Ember, Hill, Mountain, Snow, Wind)
• Elemental (Earth)
• Galeb Duhr
• Giant (Stone)
• Goblinoid
• Goliath
• Human
• Minotaur

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

• Common
• Dwarven
• Giant
• Terran

Culture and cultural heritage

Three primary cultural influences govern Lam Kulet:

• Stone Giants & Mountain Dwarves (the original founders)
• The trauma of the Machine Plague
• The influx of refugees seeking protection from the designers

You can see signs of the original, monastic life embodied by Lam Kulet's founders everywhere. There are many common living spaces and a great emphasis on community work and meals. The lifestyle of underground dwellers has adapted to include above-ground terraces and buildings to accomodate the non-subterranean species who moved there after the death of Erecura. And the slow pace of development and skepticism about change is the result of direct opposition to/fear of Infernal corruption.

Shared customary codes and values

• Discipline
• Community
• Contemplation
• Deliberateness

Common Etiquette rules

• Don't speak when you don't have to
• When someone speaks, listen
• When someone's working, help them
• Food is always shared

Common Dress code

• Simplicity: Undyed fabrics. Well-kept, clean hair, skin, clothing.
• Practicality is everything. Ostentatiousness is frowned upon.

Art & Architecture

Lam Kulet is beautiful. If the denizens of Stone Abbey dress simply, they build their homes beautifully. Natural beauty, acoustics, symmetry and natural/mathematical patterns are key. Making something that is multifunctional and beautiful is a great virtue.
As for their art, obviously stone carving, statuary and mosaic are all highly celebrated art forms, as are pottery and weaving, usually with the hides of the hairy goats they raise. Smithing is seen as a path to danger--make it too sophisticated and you're making machines, and the corruption of Anachronous traumatized these people long ago. Being able to make something simple but very high quality is the artistic ideal.

Common Taboos

• Strong drink, drugs, and mind-altering substances in general are frowned upon.
• Speaking aloud an Infernal's name is one of the biggest social taboos

Common Myths and Legends

Legend has it that Lam Kulet was sculpted by Stone Giants, the children of Erecura, when the Mortal World was still young. Dwarves helped shape the fine details. It was meant to be a place of solitude and refuge, where the children of the earth could contemplate and meditate. Protected by the driving desert winds to the north, Lam Kulet allowed a level of separation that lead to innovation.
Before the Demonic Imperium, Lam Kulet was highly mechanized, with forges and brilliant engines and machines designed to make life easier and better. But with the death of Erecura the Designers arose, and their magic corrupted the machines, turning them to their own will, crushing dwarves in metal gears and scorching them with fire. The Designers meant to turn Lam Kulet into a vast engine of calculation, trapping the dwarves and giants within to serve the Eschaton Clock.
It was only at great sacrifice and terrible losses that the denizens were able to throw off the corruption, and they had to destroy almost all of their works to accomplish it. Afterwards, they foreswore invention and turned to a life of measured simplicity. The horrors inflicted on their brethren fresh in their minds, they deliberately designed a new way of life that would eschew all Infernal temptations.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The people of Lam Kulet do not emphasize physical appearances. They treat ostentatious displays or any personal grooming outside of basic neatness as a sign of vanity. Plain, simple, practical clothes, practical hair. Long well-kept beards are well regarded. Simple hair ornamentations including polished, semi-precious stones. Rope figures heavily as an article of clothing--rope belts, rope sashes, and so forth.
While ostentatious displays are signs of Infernal influence (the work of imago!), good self-care is valued. The Stone Abbey has excellent skin-care routines, bathing, shaving, and exercise. As long as a body is healthy and well-cared-for, it is seen as beautiful.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship in the Stone Abbey is simple and formal at the same time. While casual flings are expected and a normal part of life, there is a major cultural difference between fooling around and actually forming a relationship.
Courtship consists of asking to work with the other person, learning crafts from each other, praying and meditating together. When a new relationship seeks public recognition, those involved invite their community to a meal that will be prepared by the partners. The most important part of this shared meal is showing that the partners can work together well, without excess strife or toxicity, and the way they feed a small village shows everyone whether the bond is healthy or not. There's a lot of societal expectation around this meal.

Relationship Ideals

Loyalty and dedication are paramount for the Stone Abbey. Partners are expected to support each other, work together, build a life together, keep each other focused, and help each other avoid temptation or Infernal influence. Relationships are seen as alliances of growth and mutual aid. Romance is correlated with creating things together, praying or meditating together, and deep conversation. Honestly, vulnerability, sincerity and spending time together.