Races - Gnomes

**A traditional gnome folk song.**

Ask most people what a gnome is and you’ll get a wide variety of answers.

*“They’re like dwarves, but not as grumpy.”*

*“They’re like elves, but not quite as self-seriouys.”*

*“They’re like halflings, but they were funny hats.”*

Of course a gnome would never answer this question like that. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to get a gnome to answer that question with a straight face; ask a gnome and you’re more likely to get a knowing grin and a coy shrug. If they say anything at all they might add, “we’re just like you, only smart and good looking!”

## Overview

Gnomes are a race of strange, energetic creatures who supposedly hail from another plane of existence that they don’t seem to remember. They posses a super-charged metabolism, which causes them to function at a higher speed than other races while requiring less rest. Additionally, they have an exceptional capacity for observation, experimentation, invention, and research.

Gnomes are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests most commonly as an aptitude for research, invention, or espionage. They are constantly taking in information, and it is generally accepted that a gnome knows more than they let on.

Even while paying the strictest attention to those around then, gnomes often think and react far differently form other mortal beings. Despite a thousand years on this world, gnomes’ minds often seem disjointed and chaotic, more akin to the flighty and mischievous intellect of certain capricious fey than the plodding through processes of a human.

### Hyperactive Metabolism

The speed as which a gnome metabolizes is a marvel. The race only requires three hours of sleep a night, and still have more energy and alertness than other races. Everything a gnome does seems to be faster; they talk fast, think fast, move fast, eat fast, and even sleep fast. The large amount of energy they have has enhanced their observational and retentive capabilities. However, they need constant stimulation for their fidgety, active bodies.

This has also resulted in a much shorter lifespan among their kind, especially when compared to races like elves or dwarves. A gnome older than 40 years old is a rarity. This short life span is just another reason for gnomes to never stop moving, and to learn and experience as much as they can as fast as they can.

A gnome’s mind is constantly racing, and without proper stimulation a gnome becomes bored. Tinkering and experimenting are natural solutions to a restless mind. The ability to plow through ideas, situations, and possibilities makes them natural inventors and alchemists. Gnomes have perhaps the most advanced technology in Tyrind, especially in regards to engineering, but a gnome can become an expert at whatever they put their mind to—as long as their attention span holds out.

### Knowledge is Power

Invention isn’t the only outlet a gnome has. Just as many prefer to gather information and knowledge. Observation, research, study, and espionage are other areas at which gnomes tend to excel. A near-photographic memory with a high capacity for information makes gnomes who dabble in information trading very skilled and valuable.

## Physical Traits

Gnomes are among the smallest of the civilized races, with a slightly stockier build than halflings, but slightly taller. Gnomes are often confused for halflings or human children by the unobservant.

Gnomes vary wildly in skin color and hair tone; even gnome twins can have wildly different hair and skin and eye colors, and yet be identical in every other way. Genetics have little to do with it, and the concept of such things are utterly confusing to a gnome. The truth lies somewhere in a mixture of the season in which the gnome was born, the emotions felt by the mother during pregnancy, and even the time of day in which they were born.

Skin goes through an odd metamorphosis throughout their life. When they are born, their skin is a light green, orange, pink, or purple. As they mature, their skin begins to shift and mute until their skin resembles the common tones of human by the time they come of age.

Hair can be virtually any color—green, auburn, pink, gold, black, teal, purple, and deep red are the most common. During the summer, their hair is vivid and grows quickly. It mutes slightly in the autumn and sometimes even changes color, becoming a bit duller or darker. Winter sees their hair faded. It grows extremely slowly, if at all, and it tends to be droopier. But in the spring, their hair once more brightens up and flushes with color and body, growing back quicker before it reaches the vibrancy of summer again.

A gnome’s eyes are always large and expressive, and the color tends to be metallic or like a gem stone, and they describe it as such. The colors range from silver, gold, copper, tin, iron, emerald, ruby, sapphire, azure, amethyst, pearl, or diamond. Diamond is truly rare and gnomes believe that those born with such a shade of color (which often changes color and sparkles in the light) are “Glitterkin”; gnomes born with a great purpose, either for good or ill.

Male gnomes often have thick sideburns and greatly enjoy large, elaborately styled mustaches or goatees, rarely wearing full beards.

### Senses

A gnome’s expanded senses hint that their brains and sensory organs are as lithe as their musculature. A gnome’s receptivity to sensory input has led to several beneficial adaptations. The most obvious advantage they have are their eyes. Larger proportionately than a human’s eyes, gnome eyes are extremely sensitive, taking in more light from a slightly expanded spectrum, allowing gnomes to see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor lighting. Additionally, their eye’s larger range of movement allows gnomes to see more out of the literal corners of their eyes than a human might from the same position.

Likewise, their ears are unique; they are also proportionately large relative to the side of their head and they can move independently of their head to a limited degree, allowing them a large range of auditory perception. Curiously, gnomes have two distinct ear shapes—long and pointed, or round. Forest gnomes tend to have pointed ears, while rock gnomes have the rounded ears. This isn’t a universal rule, as different ear shapes can and do crop up on occasion.

Sight and hearing, however, are only two senses. Much of the lauded gnome perception is based on the fact that they customarily use as many senses as possible to experience the world. Whereas a human is often tempted to rely on sight and sound alone; a gnome wants to touch, smell, and even taste whenever doing so would be prudent…and often when it’s not.

The gnomish sensory prowess also manifests in what they choose to do as a craft or trade. Melding their perceptions together helps a gnome to design the color, fit, texture, and degree of warmth for clothing, the heft and balance of a weapon, and the taste, smell, and visual presentation of food. The easiest and most natural professions for gnomes are tailoring, cooking, and brewing.

## Society

### Birth and Childhood

Childbirth is a private time for gnome families. For the majority of a mother’s pregnancy, she enjoys the company of friends and neighbors, who often visit with baked goods and stories, or some trinket they made for the child. The community assures that a pregnant gnome’s time is filled with fun and entertainment—a bored mother can lead to a bored baby, and a bored baby usually leads to a boring adult, and that’s no fun for anybody.

This all changes in the final month of pregnancy (the fifth month). At this time, the mother retires to her home where she is tended and cared for, usually either by the father (if the identity is known) or their own mother (if she is alive). During childbirth, nobody is allowed to see the mother or the newborn for a week after birth as the mother and child bond. At the end of the week, the mother presents the baby to the community and shouts the name they chose for the baby—usually something short and cute. This name is the first of many the gnome will wear through their lives.

Gnomes don’t think of names as unique or personal identifiers, a fact that many non-gnomes find endlessly frustrating. A gnome receives their first name by their mothers, but by the end of the first day with the community, they have likely racked up at least a half dozen more. By the time they reach adulthood, a gnome has likely collected an impressive list of names. A gnomes’ natural linguistic skill allows them to easily keep track of numerous names, but it can wreak havoc on non-gnome friends.

At one month old, it is traditional that gnomes are introduced to a birth pet; a small animal such as a ferret, or a mouse, or a rabbit, or a squirrel. Gnomes are quite fond of such animals, particularly burrowing animals, due in no small part to the fact that they are traditionally linked with an equally newborn animal.

Babies are quick to pick up on language skills, and by the time they reach 3 months they are usually forming their first words. For the first year of their life, the gnome does their best to mimic words and sentences they hear. It’s a commonly held gnome belief that the first word a gnome baby utters is an indicator of future interests or hobbies. Gnomes feel it is unlucky to encourage specific interests in a baby, and many feel such prodding leads to pensive, brooding (and thus boring) children.

### Rites of passage

For the first few years of life, the young gnome is kept close to their parents and birth pet. By the time they are a year old, they have learned to walk and talk, and their parents become less protective and less involved, allowing the children free reign throughout the community. Gnome children make early contact with each other, usually forming strong friendships and friend groups that can last their lifetime.

A common game is for young gnomes to pretend they are animals, possibly the brother or sister of their pet. They spend hours digging in the dirty with their companions, running beneath the sun, and admiring the natural beauty of the world. Gnomes encourage interacting nature and the world, even if such interaction can be dangerous for the child. Curiosity is a virtue and a gnome should learn the hard lessons for themselves. Non-gnomes find this method of raising children to be irresponsible, but gnomes believe that experience is the best teacher.

It is around three years old that gnomes begin to develop their first obsessions and hobbies. They are often simple—taking apart a small object to understand how it’s built, endlessly watching ducks in a pond, producing music with whatever objects happen to be lying around. Forest elves often first start expressing their magic at this young age. They have little control over these magical abilities; they often manifest as short-lived motes of multi-hued lights, silly noises, and unseen forces that move small, unattended objects in weird, simple patterns.  Within the year, they will have more focused control over these abilities.

By the time a gnome reaches four years old, they often form small bands of like-minded children who spend long hours playing together. Favorite pastimes including playing the popular gnome game called “The Glittering Path” or “Splatball”, or engaging in prank wars or joke contests. Other invent and build toys and sometimes even miniature villages and buildings.

### Friends, and Pets

A gnome makes friends easily, even with non-gnomes. This is due to a gnome’s naturally cheerful and energetic demeanor, and their ability to just adapt and go with the flow. Despite being highly social creatures, gnomes also highly prize time spent alone. They use this time to study, to tinker, to practice and learn new skills. They find such alone time necessary to their progress and happiness.

With the notable exception of kobolds and goblins, gnomes tend to get along famously with other races. Dwarves in particular seem to have great respect for a gnome’s skill and cunning, and many dwarven miners will admit that gnomes have a particularly keen eye when finding veins of ore or gems. The Elves approve of their respect for the natural world and their natural talent for illusions. Halflings get a kick out of their sense of humor, and humans often find gnomes adorable, quirky, and endearing.

Most gnomes are fond of animals. A typical gnome has almost as many pets as they do names, but they do not approach such relationships as Master/Servant, like humans and other races. They instead view them as friendships. Pets are free to wander about as they please; gnomes find the practice of keeping pets in cages or on a leash to be barbaric. If you have to keep it in a cage, then it isn’t really a pet, is it? It’s a prisoner! Gnomes also don’t understand the practice of using animals as beasts of burden. How is that different from slavery?

For gnomes, pets are more like guests and friends who have chosen to stay in a gnome’s home; often, such animals provide valuable help to the gnome in return for shelter and companionship; a badger might help a gnome dig out a new room for a house, or a bird might function like a doorbell.

### Education

Gnome education is anything but traditional or structured. They have little patience for staying in one place and listening to a teacher drone on about whatever. Even when they’re interested in a subject, gnomes rarely have the attention span to simply sit and take notes. But that does not mean they have eschewed the idea of passing on what they know to the next generation.

The primary ways a young gnome learns are two part—Seeing and Being. The Seeing is used to describe a gnome experiencing the world first hand, or learning a skill by watching a more experienced elder perform that task. Often, a gnome will narrate what they are doing to small groups of young gnomes watching them. Being refers to imparting knowledge through simply…well, through being. Interacting, talking, singing, and simply being a part of their society and living its culture.

Stories and riddles are highly valued in gnome society. They inform a gnome of the world that was, of life lessons, parables, warnings. They help young gnomes develop keen and cunning minds, and they encourage asking questions. A good storyteller or musician is prized in gnome communities, and this may be part of the reason so many gnome adventurers seem to be drawn toward becoming Bards.

### Jokes and Pranks

In much the same way, pranks are encouraged throughout all levels of gnome society. The propensity for practical jokes is seen as a novelty by outsiders, but for gnomes a good joke can be as important as a wedding or funeral. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for practical jokes to end with weddings or funerals—or for weddings or funerals to end with a big practical joke!

For young gnomes, it teaches cause and effect. To understand HOW and WHY a prank functions is pivotal to helping them understand how other things function—even such complicated ideas as magic or clockwork technology. It also teaches them to understand the person they are pranking. Random pranks have little value. Pranks and jokes should be suited to the one you wish to prank, after all.

Practical jokes are traditionally perpetrated by one gnome on another, single gnome. Other gnomes may be called upon for assistance or to play a specific role in carrying out the joke, but there is one mastermind and one target. Depending on its success, the perpetrator is usually showered with praise or ridicule. The target is expected to some day return the favor, usually in the form of a bigger and more elaborate prank of their own design. Where non-gnomes are concerned, this tradition is relaxed somewhat. Non-gnomes generally don’t understand the hard work and skill needed to pull off a good zinger, resulting in wasted effort. Plus they generally tend to be poor sports.

Such jokes can be as simple as drilling a tiny hole in a bottle of ink, or hiding a piece of rotten food in another gnome’s house and watching as they tear the place apart to find it, or they can be incredibly complex, such as building a booby trapped house for a friend, or convincing them that everyone in town has turned into teapots.

### Silly Hats

Gnomes love hats. They just do. The bigger and the sillier, the better! While this fact is a universally accepted truth about gnomes, what many non-gnomes don’t realizer is that within a gnome community, hats actually have a lot to say about the individual. The size and style of a hat indicate a gnome’s personality. Almost all gnomes have at least one or two hats, and a hat is ALWAYS worn on special occasions.

Notably, pointy hats of varying colors and styles are worn by soldiers and those who are in leadership positions of some kind. The longer the hat, the more important the individual. The color, as well, is an indicator of their role in society. Soldiers tend to have bright red hats. Yappers usually wear blue hats, and so on. Of course, gnomes being gnomes, even these standards aren’t universal; color and style might vary from town to town. But somehow, gnomes can almost always understand a hat’s meaning.

### Government

Gnome government is, as might be expected, a complicated affair. Gnomes prize novelty and few gnomes enjoy being held down with responsibilities, so they often make unusual choices when deciding who should lead. A gnome will often give speeches as to why you should NOT ask them to be in charge of anything, rather than the opposite.

Government in a gnome community matriarchal and only females may have an active role in governing. Settlements are usually led by a small council called the Circle of Talky Folk, which consists of anywhere between three to a dozen members, depending on the size of the community and the interest those in the community have in participating. Members of the Circle of Talky Folk are called Yappers. The leader of the circle is The Big Hat—who always wears a very large, yellow hat.

The Big Hat isn’t a mayor or baron or considered nobility. They simply conduct meetings and serve as a tie-breaking vote if need be. They are also an overseer, making sure things are running smoothly and that nothing is currently on fire. They serve as judges for most trials, mediate arguments between citizens, and greet visitors. The Big Hat keeps the title as long as they and the community want them to. When she is done being the Big Hat, all she has to do is to take off their yellow hat and place it on someone else’s head. That gnome is then considered the Chief of Hat Placing and is in charge of conducting a search for a new Big Hat. The methods of selection differ greatly between communities and individuals.

### Courtship & Family

Gnomes hold love as the great universal mystery—a source of inspiration and an intrinsic truth of the universe. The pursuit of love is a popular pastime. Gnomes recognize a multitude of love; the love between parents, between friends, between lovers. They are all different but they are still love, and each is important and celebrated. Gnomes have a very casual view of physical expression; sex outside of marriage is expected and encouraged, though it’s still considered irresponsible to deliberately pursue an action destined to pain another.

Young gnomes often become involved in romantic relationships around the age of 7 or 8 years old. Gnomes are creatures of impulse, and more often than not even the most passionate trysts end as quickly as they began. Gnomes of both genders express interest in a potential partner not by giving gifts or writing poetry, but by playing an elaborate prank on them. The more intricate and unique the joke, the better the gnome’s chance of being noticed. This is for multiple reasons, but mainly it shows that a gnome not only is cunning and resourceful enough to prank you, but that they know you well enough and care enough to plan such an elaborate ruse. Once a pair of gnomes has joined forces, they often turn their impish nature on friends and family—one gnome alone can concoct devilish practical jokes, but the heart of passion experienced by young gnome couples seems to push their imaginations into overdrive.

It is not common for gnomes to wed, not in the sense humans might understand. Gnomes enter into and leave relationships easily enough, and it is not uncommon for gnomes to have siblings from different parents. Gnomes are flighty creatures, after all. But that does not mean a formalizing of relationships is unheard of.

Gnomes refer to such a joint union as Handfasting. Only the two lovers and three witnesses need to be present to complete the ritual. The lovers’ hands are usually bound together with a red ribbon. These are removed, knotted together, and presented to the couple at the end of the ceremony. The lovers speak their own vows, which almost always rhyme, and promise to look after each others’ welfare and to bring one another laughter and joy, and to remain faithful for as long as love lasts. Handfasted couples are entitled to their own houses. If neither already owns one, then one is built by the community at the earliest opportunity.

Handfasted couples are expected to live and work together for as long as they feel affection for one another. While some handfastings can last for decades, or even for life, this is not the standard. Gnomes are intensely curious and constantly crave new experiences. One partner may become interested in someone else, or perhaps one may wish to leave their community for an extended period of time (perhaps to go adventuring). Sometimes arguments simply poison their love. Whatever the case, a handfasting can be ended with a brief ceremony in which the knotted cords they received are untied before three witnesses and presented to the now separated individuals. Children will live with whichever parent wants them. If both of them do, the child can choose if they are able to speak. Infant offspring remain with the mother, unless she refuses them.

### Gnomes at War

Gnomes are not a warlike people, and as a general rule they try to make their settlements hard to find, either through camouflage or inconvenience. A gnome settlement won’t usually have an organized militia, but the residents are so at ease and familiar with their homes that they can spring to its defense at a moments’ notice.

Gnomes see information gathering and even spying as a matter of course when dealing with other races. To them, this is not underhanded: they are simply embracing the dictum of “knowledge is power”. Various intelligence organizations across Dharrenal are constantly uncovering evidence of gnomish agents, but there is little they can do to stop them.

Being smaller and weaker than most, gnomes rely on cunning to win the day. Rather than meet the foe with steel, many choose to fight on their own terms, using alchemy, technology, trickery, traps, and magic. Given enough time, an enemy must navigate a literal minefield of traps and bombs and hidden dangers. Tanglefoot bags and alchemist’s fire are particular favorites of gnome warriors.

What really differentiates a gnomish war band, however, is not their equipment or doctrine, but their intelligence services and rules of engagement. Gnomes believe a battle should be won before it begins. The unquestioned superiority of their intelligence gathering allows them to use their small numbers to maximum effectiveness. Well before weapons are drawn, they possess complete knowledge of their enemy’s positions, intentions, and timetable.

In every war that gnomes have fought in, they strike first and without warning. For the gnomes, to know an enemy plans to attack and let it happen is foolishness, and to announce their own intentions is just stupid. They find the moral concepts valued by humans, dwarves, and elves—don’t draw steel or loose arrows unless attacked or to declare a ware before prosecuting it to be dangerously naïve. In defensive wars, gnomes execute devastating preemptive strikes hours before an enemy’s own attacks. On the offense, they have never issued a declaration of war before attacking.

In Alfine, most notably the city of Zhivago, the gnomes have developed specialized weapons of war. Not just cannons and firearms, which they use to great effect. They have what they refer to as The Clockwork Legion—a unit of mechanized suits of powered armor standing roughly twelve feet tall and operated by a single gnome inside. These suits of armor are slow but sturdy and powerful, and are only being improved with time.

### Language

Lanni is the language spoken by gnomes. Despite allegedly being fey in origin, their language is actually related to Terran (earth-based languages), rather than Sylvan. Characteristics of Lanni are vowel harmony and an agglutinative morphology—owing to their extensive use of the latter, lanni words can be quite long.

Lanni does not have a written form, and gnomes instead simply use common to write out how the words sound phonetically. Due to this, how a word is spelled can vary drastically from one individual to another; while no word has a universally accept spelling—since the language is not a written one—but if a gnome can read common, they can almost always understand what a written word is supposed to be. Most gnomes don’t bother trying to write down their language, however, preferring to write either in common or dwarven, depending on the society. I mean, they all speak it anyway.

### Cuisine

Gnomes need nourishment to survive, just like any other race, but they need it a little less often. It’s a rare occasion when a gnome doesn’t eat something they’re given; they love trying and tasting new foods, especially from different cultures. They adore spices and sauces, and fish, soups & stews are among the favorite foods for a gnome.

### Religion

Gnomes are not considered a particularly spiritual people. They claim to have been created by a being known as The Lord of Fools, the Glittering One, or Carl (all different names used to describe said being) at some point in the First World (the world of faeries and the fey). No records of such a god exist in any church. The gnomes are also unsure of why they came to the Material Plane, but general consensus states that they were banished or exiled there. Again, nobody’s sure why.

In modern times, gnomes do acknowledge that the gods are out there doing goddish things and that’s very fine. But their curious natures have caused their viewpoints to expand, and most today have taken up a philosophy of cheerful agnosticism. Non-gnomes refer to this as Gnome Philosophy.

While not a religion, it is a way of life that many gnomes adhere to. The teachings state that the gods do not exist as mortals think of them—there ARE divine beings, sure, but the personification of those unknowable concepts is something mortals need to do in order to make sense of the concept of powers beyond their understanding. There are too many illogical inconsistencies otherwise for gnomes to accept.

To them, divine magic comes from all living things. Magic is magic, and calling arcane or divine is simplifying it; it’s all too big and too complicated for mortals to really ever actually understand. And that’s okay! There are some things that we just can’t know or understand. Instead of trying to explain the unexplainable, gnomes go with the flow and focus on improving themselves; their bodies, their minds, and even their spirit through the use of meditation and communing with nature.

Gnome philosophy makes great use astrology; the gnomes believe there is great power in the stars.

### Alchemy and Technology

Gnomes excel at tinkering and alchemy and invention, and prefer to use cutting-edge technology rather than settle for anything less. Due to their need to experiment and understand things, they tend to be constantly trying to improve things—even if the technology isn’t theirs to begin with. More than one person has come across a gnome who has dismantled an expensive mechanical clock with the intention of “making it more efficient”.

By their very nature, gnomes are inquisitive, curious and crafty--what better way for them to understand the world and its rules than to experiment with the material of the world itself? Thus, they work with stone, gears, wood, fire, water and steam, shaping it and themselves in the process.

Gnomes are often happy to be jacks-of-all-trades until they find something that captures their attention wholly, at which point they become monomaniacal in their attempts to master a given skill set. Because they are always seeking engagement, they carry small projects with them as they travel and work on them whenever possible.

Many of these creations serve unique purposes, or provide better or alternative ways to accomplish others. Gnomes love to work with springs, gears, pulleys and steam. Automation is also keenly intriguing to gnomes and many seek to not only understand the complexities of clockwork devices, but to improve upon them. Gnome craftsman and engineers are highly prized and sought after, especially since no two gnomes will build the same device.

### Death and Burial

Gnomes learn to deal with death the hard way. The most difficult period for a gnome’s childhood is the death of their birth pet. Sometimes this occurs as the result of a tragic accident, but just as often happens due to old age. This is often the child’s first experience with death, and while their parents do little to prepare them for this event, they step in to offer explanations and support. Gnomes believe that dealing with death in a practical and straightforward manner is the best way to prepare the child for the often brutal realities of life—especially for a race with such a short lifespan.

The death of a gnome is a solemn event. If possible, the body of the deceased is returned to the community in which they were born for a proper funeral. Gnomes prefer to bury their dead, rather than burning them or the like. A standard gnome funeral, called a Going Away, consists of a short eulogy given over the body of the deceased by a close friend or relative. The gnome’s body is dressed in bright, color attire with acorns places over their eyes. Damage to the body is usually repaired with alchemical glue and specialized resins.

After the eulogy, the deceased is carried from their home on the shoulders of their loved ones, letting the sun wash over their face one last time. The Goodbye March sing the deceased’s favorite songs as they carry them away and somewhere into nature—always somewhere secluded that the gnome loved in life. The body is interred into the ground without a coffin or funeral wrap and buried by the same loved ones who carried them there. A final goodbye is said and sung, and the family and friends then leave without leaving behind a marker. A week after the Going Away, the Big Hat will ensure the last wishes the deceased are carried out, such as the reading of the will.

Gnomes have strong taboos about bringing back the dead. Death is an important part of existence and violating that is seen as irresponsible and gross. Of course there are some exceptions and this view is not universal. But the common belief among gnomes is that as sad as it may be, what’s dead should stay dead.

### Gnome Settlements

The vast majority of gnomes do not have their own empires of kingdoms, and actual gnome settlements are rare. For the most part, they tend to live in small multi-family neighborhoods or on the outskirts of larger cities.

That’s not to say gnome settlements don’t exist. Dozens of small villages exist in out of the way places, well camouflaged and easily overlooked. However, there are three “major” gnome settlements in Dharrenal, as described below:

* **Zhivago:** The largest gnome city by far, this city is located high in the mountains of Alfine. It is a wonder of cutting edge engineering. No roads lead into the city; it is only accessible by airship or through a complicated series of ingeniously designed elevators and cable-drawn gondolas.  There is even a rail system powered by bound lightning elements. It is a city of industry and gears and invention. While visitors are welcomed, the vast majority of the population is gnomish—and the size of the buildings and width of the streets make that clear.
* **Sandytoes:** This bustling port town is found in the Lucain Coast. It was not built by gnomes, but was instead rebuilt and repurposed on the ruins of an older human settlement. The gnomes have turned the port into a surprisingly busy port; there is a market, a branch of the Iron Bank, and room for more than two dozen ships in their docks. The warehouses are mostly used by gnome artists and alchemists. Strange smells fill the air from the sheer number of odd experiments being performed at any given time. The shipwrights of Sandytoes are working on constructing a ship made of metal, but it’s early in the process.
* **Duckburg:** A forest gnome community, in the forests of Vanar. It is a rural community of farmers for the most part, and in recent years a growing community for artists of any race. The town is named after the large number of ducks that live in the lake that the town is built beside. One large snow white duck is the local Big Hat, mostly because nobody else wants the job.
* **Wherever:** This town is a haven for gnome fugitives, criminals, racketeers, and mad scientists. Those gnomes who are too curious, malevolently creative, and mischievous rarely find a home even among their own kind. Such individuals are gladly accepted to Wherever, which sits in the shadows of the northern stretches of the Katol Mountains, near-ish to Nyavka.

## Folklore

Gnomes love telling stories, and while far more gnomish stories and songs exist than could possibly be represented, here are a few of the more notable stories among the gnomish people.

### Silly Jilly Giant Killer

Jillybean Tillsplitter Waddleduck Cushion Fireheart Musskit, usually simply called Jilly, was a gnome well known among her village for her quick fingers, mischievous smile, and fiery red hair. She had a ready wit, a twinkling eye, and a springing step. She could make a stone laugh and a sunbeam cry. She could pluck the coin right out of your pocket with nothing more than a smile and she'd send you off with a song in your heart for the favor.

Jilly's one flaw--well, her main flaw--was her laziness, a terrible trait for a gnome. Although she had been successful at whatever she tried, she had little urge to try anything more. She flitted from day to day, never settling down to do any one thing. Her parents called her Lazybones, and the Big Hat called her Ficklefinger, but Jilly just laughed at them all and did whatever she pleased. Finally, after Jilly had spent the dawdling with a cute boy in the fields instead of delivering a message, the Big Hat threw a fit.

"Jilly!" she shouted, "You cannot stay here any longer if you aren't willing to work at least a little! You must make a choice--either learn to contribute or go out into the world of big folk and see if it is more to your liking!"

Of course, Jilly gave this a lot of thought and decided that she should, in fact, start pulling her weight as a functioning member of--sorry! Sorry, I couldn't say that with a straight face. What kind of story would this be if that was what good ol' Jilly did? No sir, the Big Hat had barely finished speaking before Jilly had her bag ready to go. She hugged her mother good bye, kissed a gentleman or three, and set off into the wide world to see if she'd end up liking it better after all.

She wandered for some time, carrying a bag and armed only with a sharp knife. She whistled as she walked, and wandered here and there, but found not much to her liking. She felt a bit frustrated at this, but resolved to wander further. Her sack of provisions grew light, however, and she was far too lazy to work for long enough to refill it. She began to grow just a little worried, but refused to return home a beggar.

It was not long after that Jilly came to the crest of a hill, at the base of a broad oak tree. The sun was setting, plunging the land into the dark of night. She had no place to sleep, and so she climbed into the boughs of the tree. From her perch, however, she could see lights flickering below her, and beyond that was a large castle, all lit and merry. Deciding it was better than sleeping in a tree, Jilly quickly shimmied back to the ground and ran for the door.

As she grew closer to the castle, she realized that it was much, much bigger than she imagined a castle should be. The plants were dead and an unpleasant odor clung to the ground. What looked like bones littered the dirt near the door. She thought to herself that she should run and not look back, and she very well may have. But then she saw the door, open juuuuuuust a crack. Curiosity got the better of her and she crept forward and slipped between the crack of the massive, ajar doors. Surrounded by massive pillars and candles bigger than herself, Jilly realized that the castle must have belonged to a giant--a nasty, smelly brute with arms like tree trunks and breath that smelled like a rotting skunk. From where she stood, she could hear the booming sound of laughter and heavy footsteps coming from a nearby room. Driven by her curiosity, she followed the noise until she could see the giant sitting at a table, sharpening a long knife and singing to himself. His voice was like a booming thunder and it echoed around the stone walls of the castle.

"**A MAGIC SONG TO BAKE THE BREAD, TO SPLIT DWARF BONES AND ROLL THEIR HEADS! WITH HUMAN CRIES AND HALFLING CLOTHES, AND ELF BLOOD SQUISHING 'TWEEN ME TOES!"**

The young gnome frowned at that. "Is that how it is?" she thought to herself, "We'll see about thay."

Jilly tiptoed away from the house and made a plan. Later, armed only with her wits and her sharp, sharp knife, Jilly walked back up to the door and knocked three times with her walking stick. The giant opened the door and grinned--a terrible, evil, gaping grin, with dark holes where teeth were missing. You get the idea.

"G'd evenin', sir. I need shelter for the night, for the night is cold and I am very small. May I stay here?" she asked, her freckled face the image of innocence. Of course, the giant began to nod in return.

"O'course! Come right in, little one." he said and showed Jilly inside. He led her to a small, dark room (well, small for the giant) containing a bed and piles of firewood stacked against the walls. "Once you've stayed the night under me roof, you'll never want fer a bed again." the giant chuckled, amused by his own joke. Jilly laughed right along as well, pretending not to know what the giant meant.

"Thank you ever so much, kind sir. I am in your debt." she said, bowing low.

"No, no. It's me pleasure. Good night, little gnome." the giant said, and he closed the door and left. Jilly immediately surveyed the room. The floor was dark and stained in places, as were the bedclothes. Though she couldn't tell what the stained were, she had a suspicion that they weren't just paint. She looked around the room for a likely piece of firewood about her own size, and she laid it in the bed in her place.

With a twist of Jilly's hand and a wrinkle of her nose, she laid a glamour on that wood. Suddenly, it looked just like her, sleeping sound as could be! The real Jilly climbing up to the top of the pile of firewood, pulled out her sharp, sharp knife and she waited for the giant to return. Sure enough, only an hour passed before the door slowly opened. A thin line of moonlight poured through the crack, widening as the giant eased the door open. When it was open far enough, the giant crept in, carrying with him a club the size of a tree trunk. He closed the door behind him and crept over to the bed about as well as you might think a giant could creep.

Without warning, the giant slammed his club down against the disguised piece of wood again and again and again. Jilly saw her chance and leapt from the woodpile, landing square on the giant's back. The giant was so confused that he stopped hitting the bed, but he didn't have time to try to swat the tiny girl off of his back. In a trice, Jilly grabbed the giant by the hair and whisked her sharp, sharp knife into the back of his head. Snicker snack! The giant fell dead, his throat cut from ear to ear.

Jilly leapt off the giant and with a please sort of smile, she walked through the castle. In a high tower, she found a handsome prince bound in chains! She freed the prince by cutting the lock with her sharp, sharp knife and the prince was so pleased to be freed that he kissed her on the cheek. As thanks, he filled Jilly's back with food and gave her a second sack, this one filled with gold. He asked her to stay with him and fight off any other giants that might come along, but Jilly politely refused. For all that it was a fine castle, Jilly liked it no better than her parent's house, and the prince was no better a fellow than the last boy she'd kissed back in town.

The prince sighed and bade her farewell and called her a very silly girl. She grinned, the title amusing her. Whistling, she adjusted her bag and again began to skip out into the wide, wide world to see if he could find a house that suited him better. When next she was asked her name by a traveling merchant, she was quick to tell him:

"I'm Silly Jilly Giant Killer."

### The Place of No Consequences

“Not so long ago, we lived in a Place of No Consequence. It was wide and beautiful and covered with trees and mountains, in more colors than you can imagine. It was a place where all gnomes could do whatever we wanted. We walked both in shadows and in light; we rejoiced in sun and sang with the moon. We lived in the land and of the land--we were a part of it and because we were a part of it, it didn't hurt us. How could it? It was our home.

Our only rule was that we should enjoy ourselves. We drank and danced and played practical jokes and none of the jokes ever hurt anyone--what we now call pain only meant we were the victim of the joke and nothing more. It never stuck with us. What we did was natural. One day that all changed. We had to leave and we came here, to the Third World. We discovered consequence: the world remembers what we do, and sometimes it wishes us ill.

We came from the Place of No Consequence, but we now live in the Land of the Real. Think on the things you do, child, and never forget about the lurking consequence."

*Sage's Notes - Most children understand this to mean that they should look before they leap. Others glean a deeper meaning: that they are responsible for their actions, and also the actions that others take because of them, the head of a chain of casualty that extends further than they will ever know. How gnomekind deal with this understanding is a major factor in determining why some gnomes live by the seat of their pants, others more thoughtful and pensive, and other still are devious masterminds with intricate plots to change the world.*