Korad: Lus Defined, Nomir Up For Grabs

Through a mistake in my poll selection, respondents were limited to only a single favorite choice each when choosing the salient cultural features of the mostly rural, variably vegetated region of Lus. A depopulated poll for a depopulated region! Any idea garnering 4 or more votes made the final cut, leaving us with the following passage for the Korad setting bible:

The pacifistic and friendly Lus follow no social structure larger than the village. Most humans are nomadic tribesmen, highly prized as wilderness scouts. They stole the secrets of fire from a God, as revenge each human settlement can only ever have one fire.

The seacoast is home to the empire's finest oysters, and oyster farming is a growth industry.

The city of Apewood is ruled by apes, whose will is discerned through examination of things dropped from trees. who rule the city of Apewood manufacture optical devices, mostly to correct their universal nearsightedess. A secret and sinister ape cult, bent on domination, derives occult power from the ritual consumption of human flesh.


Now it's time to propose ideas for Nomir, the region to Lus' south.



Partly swampy and home to the cities of Chalkhaven and Stonebane, it is one of the two most populous regions of Korad. It is the only such province inhabited chiefly by humans. Ulthon, to the south, is the homeland of the carrion-eating Veytikka.

Chalkhaven
An exiled potential leader on the outs with the imperial leadership gathers supporters here. Chalkhaven houses the Invisible College, though nobody can tell you where it is. It receives an influx of refugees from the seemingly nonexistent coastal city of Seadelve.

Stonebane
Magic, including waterstones and the like, doesn't work here, making it an ideal venue for diplomatic and trade negotiations. Two opposed religions both claim it as their mecca. Under the city is a bejeweled cavern containing something its leaders won't talk about.

For Lus we strayed a bit from the main point of this exercise, which is defining the national cultures of this distinct regions. So let's focus on mores, customs, social organization, and the like as we discover the traits that make a Nomirian a Nomirian.

As always: keep your idea brief, so I can fit it into next week's poll—12 words or less. One idea per commenter. Pitch standalone ideas rather than building on someone else's proposal. Get them in before early Monday evening (eastern time.)