I just threw this together while tring to consider more background for my character. Maybe the GM's will see it and like it, and consider it a useful addition to a culture the wiki doesn't seem to have a page for. Please don't take this as a criticism of the game, take it as a testament to how enthusiastic it inspires a player (at least this one) to be about the potential the culture has.
So without further fuss..
Cultural Personality
Industrious and level-headed by nature, when curses, diseases, and the other fallout of the great plague destroyed most of the west the Grum erected what would be dubbed "The Quarantine Wall". This act in itself and their lack of expansion beyond this wall can be considered testament to their personality as a culture. They are rational, if not calculating, and methodical to a fault.
The Grum place a high value on both logic and process, with efficiency as a redeeming virtue of even mistaken logic or efforts. It stands to reason then that the lack of quantifiable order within the weaves of magic are inherently distasteful to the Grum as a cultural entity, not something they can reliably refine and improve upon with visual marks of improvement as with their clockwork machines or steam-powered creations.
The Grum have minimal interest in other cultures for the sake of learning of their pasttimes and histories beyond what can be extrapolated of technologies or resources. Their refined, often detached, manner tends to be frequently misconstrued as aloof or disengenuine when in truth it is merely rooted in the almost hauntingly stark way in which their clockwork society ticks about day-to-day in their cobblestoned streets.
Fashion
Grum fashion is often broken up into several distinct categories. The simple and functional garb worn in the course of the work day, the stylish and refined attire worn in the majority of casual social interactions, and lastly the often outlandish attire worn on rare trips abroad. At least in part, all three of these styles favor heavy or resilient materials. Typically work attire is reinforced with leather along the palms and joints, with materials naturally resistant to steam, sparks, and heat. Leather aprons and gloves are not uncommon, typically of a make far more indicative of function over fashion.
In the more refined garb of social situations the materials do not differ greatly, a considerable amount of leather accents joined with elaborate metal-work in the form of buckles and trim, and durable materials such as heavy rough linen bleached stark white and pinned beneath vests and corsets. Metal boning is not uncommon in femenine style and while a great deal of the style lends itself to an uncomfortable blend of metal, the overtones of art prevalent seem to redeem the shallow nature of these creations with an air of lingering depth in the form of an appreciation for the arts.
Lastly, the rare Grum to travel abroad is likely to adorn themselves in apt preparation for their trips, garbe dnot only for style and function but often transforming themselves into a curious mix showcasing Grum fashion while reinforcing the Grum against the potential "taint" of the outside plague-ridden world. Masks are common, their mouthes lined with filters and heavy goggles strapped down over their eyes.
Magic
The magical skill of the Grum is meager and of little interest to the people beyond raw and simplistic function. At all times preferring the clang and boom of industry to the flicker and hum of magic, they prefer their creations and the measured reliability which accompanies it to the "living" nature of magic. While sorcery never has much appeal or utility amongst the Grum, elemancy has managed to hold a very minor interest amongst the newer generations. Pyromancy in particular has shown signs of increased usage in recent years, the utility of the flames difficult to ignore even with the ease at which flames are created and tended amongst the numerous forges prevalent in Grum society.
Spoken of less often the art of alchemy, which while more closely embodying the scientific pursuits and approaches of the Grum has too often led to the practice of magic to augment the approaches and theories leading to much discredit garnered amongst official circles.
Religion
The Grum are a people of distinct measure and make. Amongst their efforts and their values, religion has never found a steady place in open society. While many Grum still respect or revere the immortals in private it is rare when one does so in earnest and not simply out of a sense of desperation. A man needs a breakthrough to validate his theories, a young woman wishes to join the folds of an exclusive social circle. When rational thought fails, religion is there to fill the void, and this is the mentality that many Grummers hold fast to.
Societal Structure
(To be added)
Education
(To be added)
Interesting Facts
(To be added)
Beyond the Quarantine Wall (The Grum)
No, you really don't want me doing clothes:
"The Grum like wearing clothes, typically warm clothes in the winter and cooler clothes in the summer. They make their clothes from a variety of different materials, most of which aren't see-through."
"The Grum like wearing clothes, typically warm clothes in the winter and cooler clothes in the summer. They make their clothes from a variety of different materials, most of which aren't see-through."
A cheerful jingle intones, "Rithenschmirtz Evil Incorporateeeed!"
[OOC - Candy Mountain, Spearhead]: usually when they're snarky, it's Rithiel
[OOC - Candy Mountain, Spearhead]: usually when they're snarky, it's Rithiel