Gnomes
Resembling pointy-eared halflings, gnomes are quite rare in Amalthea, and most of them can be traced back to the ancient fey city of Delverne, which became stranded in the Material Plane some time in the past few thousand years. Other gnomes made the trek from the Feywild independently, but Delverne became a refuge for the race, and so its culture came to be synonymous with the gnomish people. The dialect of Sylvan spoken in Delverne eventually developed into the Gnomish language. Gnome culture is mysterious to most other humanoids, as it follows strange rules, customs, and superstitions that can be immensely difficult for outsiders to understand. Despite having naturalized on the Material Plane, gnomes maintain close ties to their cousins in the Feywild, and their relationship is far better described as one of deep friendship than the label of "fey worship" that other races attribute to their beliefs system. Gnomes involve fey in all aspects of their lives, and see them as equals to mortals, rather than sacred spirits to be venerated or planar nuisances in the way of progress. Delverne is the only place in Amalthea where primal magic is fully integrated into the trappings of industry: a clockwork city that's equal parts greenhouse, where nature and machinery coexist in perfect harmony. Few non-gnomes have been allowed deep enough into the city to discern the inner workings of its wonders. To outsiders, gnomes have a penchant for obsessiveness, hyperactivity, and eccentricity. Gnomes value novelty and imagination above all, and consider achievements of creativity to be far more significant than the acquisition of wealth, power, or territory. It's not that gnomes lack ambition; rather, gnomes are driven to be the first to acquire, learn, experience, or invent something. A gnome would much rather be the best at a niche but unique skill, than second place at the world's most popular profession. Thus, gnomish art and fashion are outlandish, while gnomish magic and technology tend to incorporate creative flourishes that contribute little to their effectiveness. The gnomish desire for the new and interesting, however, means that gnomes are also quite prone to abandon what's old and familiar. Gnomes hold little value for history and make no long term promises. Civil law in Delverne, for instance, functions on complex short term contracts. Even marriage is no exception; gnomes marry for a few years at a time, and are considered to be automatically divorced when the marriage contract times out, unless they make the effort to renew their marriage. As the vast majority of gnomes are polyamorous and make separate contracts with different partners, gnome families can very quickly become extremely confusing to an outsider. Like many fey, gnomes are born sexless, only developing discernible sexual traits at puberty. Adult gnomes have similar sexual dimorphism to humans or halflings, although they can control their own fertility, and they only bear or sire children when they wish. Gnomes also retain some of the biological fluidity of fey. While not shapeshifters, gnomes can modify their physical appearance to a limited degree. This ability isn't usually enough for a gnome to change their sex or appear to be a different age, but most gnomes can alter the colors of their skin and hair, and subtly adjust their facial features or body types, by simply willing these changes to occur over a period of several months. As a result, most gnomes look exactly how they wish to look. Since the Scourge, Delverne has conjured a magical barrier and closed itself to the rest of the world, leaving many gnomes as refugees in other societies, unable to return home. Gnomish refugees are typically optimistic about the fate of their homeland, although as Delverne's prolonged silence continues, many are beginning to show doubt. Others fully devote themselves to fighting the Scourge, treating the defeat of otherworldly horrors as an obsession to distract themselves from their worries about their home.
