Kastamut
Kastamuts are a type of inevitable charged with protecting the traditions of cultures spread across the Great Beyond.1
Appearance
Kastamuts resemble short, stout humanoids like dwarves, crafted in flowing curves and planes from dark bronze or gold-tinged steel. They make no effort to disguise their identities when dealing with mortals. An old kastamut might have dents and cracks: evidence of past battles. A typical kastamut stands about five feet tall and weighs approximately 250 pounds.1
Some scholars speculate that the kastamut's appearance reflects the level of importance of tradition within dwarven society. This might be more than coincidence: in Axis, coincidences are rare and almost everything has a logical explanation behind it.1
Ecology
Kastamuts represent tradition and custom; they work to protect them and oppose sudden, radical changes. Some carry out this task by protecting heritage sites, while most work directly against agents of change.1
Kastamuts do not concern themselves with small infractions against traditions, or even fundamental cultural shifts, so long as they progress along the lines of a normal development. What they do work against are immediate, substantial changes. Changing slowly to new ways can be part of the natural order, but violent rebellions against traditions in favour of untested systems give rise to chaos and cannot be tolerated.1
Society
All kastamuts are equal in rank and answer only to the Godmind of Axis. The mortal race with the most dealings with kastamuts are dwarves, who take traditions much more seriously than most others. Their long lifespans mean that cultural changes are very slow, but they are more prone to upheavals than elves, increasing the chances of a kastamut intervention to prevent things from changing too quickly.1
Kastamuts are vexed by humans, whose comparatively short lifespans and tendency toward individualism create countless cultural and traditional varieties, and introduce the high probability of radical change. The Godmind only pay attention to human civilisations that manage to survive at least 20 generations.1
Kastamuts spend most of their time in the Universe around centres of civilisation.1
On Golarion
Aside from dwarven settlements like Highhelm, Janderhoff, and Kalsgard, kastamuts have been known to be active in Taldor, Osirion, Vudra, Geb, and Tian Xia. Since many of the most-endangered cultures are found in the wilds, a few kastamuts operate in the Mwangi Expanse, working against Chelaxian imperialists seeking to assimilate the indigenous peoples. At least one kastamut works in the border area of Irrisen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, protecting the local Ulfen tribes from the minions of the white witches. They have also appeared in Irrisen and Nidal to oppose rebels seeking to undermine the cultural status quo.1
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