Laxum

The Laxum originated on the island of Lazak, and went nearly extinct with the Deluge of Lazak, an ongoing disaster that turned their gentle island into an eternally roiling ocean.
Originally the Laxum encompassed many sub-races, including snail folk, fox folk, elephant folk, and finally, turtle folk (who would later come to be known as the Tortarians). The reason for this unique blend of fantastical humanoids is unknown, but perhaps the many Precursor ruins on the island hold some clue to the strange variety of beings on the island.
Blessed with an island not dissimilar to Plenty in its natural bounty and splendor, the Laxum lived together in peace for the better part of the first century, although their own fractured histories note nothing before the year 50 A.F.
In the year 108 A.F, the island was attacked by a hostile nation of early Akorans (one of the few races able to navigate the Skies before Sky Ships, due to their natural abilities to read and ride the wind), seeking to build an empire and spying the island from afar, they sought to capture its natural wealth for themselves and take its inhabitants as slaves. What followed was a messy war for the island, with few records kept (or surviving) little is known of the day to day of the conflict. But what is known, is that the Akorans refused to end their siege of the island (although it was becoming costly) and we know is how the conflict ended.
In an attempt to turn the island against its own people, the Akorans used unknown magic to draw forth the Source Dragon from the island's one earth attuned Source Crystals. In an unclear chain of events, somehow, they accidentally destroyed the Crystal, beginning the event that would be come to known as the Deluge of Lazak.
The Deluge of Lazak was at first, a few weeks of constant rains that quickly picked up pace. Before the end of the first month, the island had completely submerged in water, becoming a water island like Salt or Lovuda. The only people to survive the Deluge of Lazak were the Tortarians, due to a quirk of their biology (their ability to hold their breath for hours at a time).
Over the course of centuries, Lazak has been cut off from the rest of the Fractured Skies, isolated by the terrible storms which constantly smash against the island, preventing any Sky Ship from landing. Tragedy and the constant fight for survival has coloured the culture of the remaining Tortarians, for their gentle home has now, for 300 years, been harassed by terrible elemental beasts, and the grief driven rampage of the island's two remaining Source Dragons. As such, they have become as hardened as the shells on their backs, and distrustful of the outside world.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Laxum take a second name which is the name of the house that rules over them. In that way, the Laxum identify their communities as a larger family, even if they're not actually blood related.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Lazak once spoke Aquan, Terran, and Auran (the latter coming from their conflicts with the Akoran invaders of their past), but the Drowning changed things. With the island flooded, and Tortarians being unable to breathe under-water (just hold their breaths for extended periods of time), they were forced to create a new language that mainly used hand gestures. The language is known as Gar khel, and is unintelligible to someone who does not understand it.

Art & Architecture

In the distant past, Laxum had little need for architecture, and frequently slept out in the open, or converted the Precursor ruins found on their home island to serve their needs. Modern Laxum, however, create fortified structures resembling Tortarian shells out of rock in order to keep the various elemental horrors of Lazak at bay. Occasionally, they use ancient metal salvaged from Precursor ruins to fortify their structures. 
Modern Laxum art is split between carving (either stone, coral, or bone), tattooing, and music. Visual art is characterized by swirling lines and depictions of the various monsters the Tortarian fight on a daily basis. It is believed that channeling the beasts' likeness steals at least a small part of the beasts power. Musical art usually procession and string based (as wind instruments generally do not work underwater), and the compositions are intended to mimic the glory of nature.

Common Taboos

Murder is extremely frowned upon, due to the limited number of remaining Laxum in the world, they view it not just as a crime against an individual, but a crime against the community. Kin killers are considered especially heinous. The punishments for murder is death, but the Tortarians refuse to carry out the sentence themselves (lest they commit their own greatest sin). Instead, they partially break the offenders shell and then abandon them to the wilds with no food, tools, or weapons. The other communities of the island are instructed not to take in the offender, and their fate is left up to a rampaging elemental or murderous water Dragon. In this way, the Tortarian's justify their actions as "letting the offender die" rather than killing them themselves.
However, depending on the nature of the case, exceptions can made to this general rule. If the killing was deemed justified, either in the defense of oneself or the defense of another, the accused may be able to eventually rejoin society if they are able to survive out in the wild for a period of 10 years. The Tortarains see this as a spiritual cleansing, as if the harsh waters of the island have washed the sin from their souls, and rebirthed them, allowing for their reintegration into the community.

Common Myths and Legends

Laxum tradition holds that life and death are cyclical, like ever swirling waves, individuals die, spend a brief time working their way through nature, and then return to their people in a new body. They believe all beings, great and small, are engaged in this never ending dance of life and death, and that one day, their hardships will end so that they can begin a cycle of peace once more.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Laxum generally don't wear clothes on their shells, but they do wear ornamentation on other parts of their bodies. Bracelets, hats, helmets, headbands, and beaded necklaces are the most common form of attire, along with long capes and cloaks of treated sea-weed weave that hang off of the unarmored parts of their bodies. 
Induvial have also been known to hang banners from their shells, denoting their house identity, or displaying some notable achievement.

Gender Ideals

As survival on modern Lazak is all hands on deck, there is no need for gender segregated roles. All are expected to do their part in service to the whole, and so, all children are trained in combat or elemental magic from birth.

The strange creature approached, slowly swimming through the murky water, and emerging on the shore, at the prearranged time. The creature was shaped like a man, but wore a suit of armour. General Zao realized to his shock that the armour was a part of the creature, and that he was standing in the presence of a huge humanoid turtle. "General Zao, I guess." Said the turtle man, its words rough, slow, and unpracticed. "Do you intend to make war on us?"
"Creature, I know you not from a hole in the coral. All I know is that your island Conjoined with ours and I sent twenty of my best men to investigate. Do they yet live?"
"They do, they do." The creature wheezed, clearly unused to this much speaking. "For now, they do. In exchange for their lives-"
"You seek to ransom?!" Shouted Zao, unsheathing his huge odachi in a single motion. The blade sung as it slid from his back-scabbard. "I will give you no land, no slivers, no women, and no treasure, creature. You insult my-"
"Let me finish." The creature said, in a exasperated and raised tone. "In exchange for their lives, you will leave us be. We have no need for outsiders, nor war with you- soft-fish boy. Put away your glinting stick, it would crack against my shell, anyhow."