Gnomes

Gnomes

Unique amongst the galactic races, the star Gnomes give the galaxy a glimpse of what can be achieved without the crutch of magic. While fundamentally the same as terrestrial Gnomes, star gnomes evolved on a world deep within a Dead Magic Zone; as such, they propelled themselves to both space and to galactic significance using technology alone, a testament to gnomish intellect and their boundless curiosity.
Indeed, most star gnomes today tend to be skeptical of magic and standoffish with magical races, or at worst, hostile towards its practitioners. Few Gnomes have come to accept magic as a part of daily life, even with generations of experience, and most prefer to continue enhancing and refining their technology.

The Silver Disc

Remarkably, nearly two decades before the gnomes first launched into space, they discovered that they had not been the first intelligent life on their homeworld. Embedded deep below the surface of Nebellion, gnomish explorers discovered what appeared to be a city-sized disc made of unknown metals, filled not with scientific marvels, but nonfunctional arcane devices. They also discovered the burnt-out remnants of a Dark Matter engine, and from there proceeded to reverse-engineer their way into the stars. Despite the fact that most of the enchanted objects (including those which seem to be recordings or record keepers) located on the vessel were intact, years of testing yielded no results; no form of gnomish power could cause them to spring to life, and even re-introduction to magic outside the Dead Magic Zone proved fruitless. To this day, it remains a mystery as to who landed on Nebellion, how long ago they landed, and how they traversed the Zone with such a vessel.
What isn't a mystery is the effect the disc’s discovery had on gnomish society. Within fifteen years, the Traversal Guild had managed to create a functioning, low-class Dark Matter engine powered by fuel sources known to them. Five years later, they perfected the new technology and achieved spaceflight. Within fifty years, the Gnomes had breached the edges of the Zone, reached the maw nearest to Nebellion, and discovered their place in the ‘verse. The whole of Gnomish society refocused their efforts, and in another 50 years’ time, the beginnings of the Great Gnomish Flotilla launched from the Nebellion shipyards, carrying seventy-five percent of their population with it.

Thinkers and Tinkers

The Gnomish Flotilla is almost a million ships strong and houses almost half a trillion inhabitants. Due to small Gnomish stature, this suits most of the Flotilla’s inhabitants just fine. Indeed, despite their massive numbers, the Flotilla could support a population twice its current size. The gnomes live in an essentially postscarcity society, and most devote their time and energy to invention, exploration, artistic endeavors, or learning. Surprisingly few true adventurers come out of either the Flotilla or of Nebellion proper, as gnomes tend to be risk-averse if they can afford to be. Still, star gnomes are highly sought-after as ship’s engineers, pilots, and technologists, and their tech is highly valued for its ability to function perfectly in Dead Magic Zones.
The governing body of the star gnomes is split between the Council of Six on Nebellion and the Admiralty of the Flotilla. The Council of Six rules as a democratically elected council comprised of members from each of the six guilds which have governed the planet’s year-to-year workings for centuries: The Craftsman’s Guild (Mechanical and Technological works), The Mason’s Guild (Large Scale Construction works), the Baker’s Guild (Agriculture and Sustainability works), The Traversal Guild (Exploration and Expansion projects), The Windmill Guild (Power Efficiency and Generation projects), and The Artisan’s Guild (Cultural projects and Artworks). Conversely, the Admiralty is governed by the Flotilla’s current Admiral and his subordinate officers. Each ship in the flotilla is like an independent state: free to do as its needs dictate, but still required to report to the Admiral when called
While not fully granted citizenship in either the Flotilla or on the Homeworld, most terrestrial gnomes are viewed as star-crossed brethren by the star gnomes. Their natural inclination towards spellcasting (particularly illusion magic) causes some star gnomes to view them with a modicum of suspicion, but most realize that they too would have gravitated towards such pursuits had their world been accommodating.

“It took thousands of years of magical study and refinement to develop the Dark Matter engine, and they have the gall to learn how to jump without one?!” — Yathanae Olahorn, exasperated Elven shipwright

A World Without Magic

While by no means a new race, the gnomes of Nebellion are one of the younger starfaring races. As their world is isolated within a Dead Magic Zone, the gnomes came to rely on their own ingenuity, instead of magical tricks, to cultivate their world. With time, gnomes developed an adept discipline founded on logical reasoning and manipulating nonmagical forces, which they call science. This science is the foundation of all gnomish technology, which is wholly independent from magic and can function without hindrance in Dead Magic Zones
Naturally drawn to the underground, the gnomes transformed the caves and mountains of Nebellion into grand, glittering cities, packed with mechanical marvels of every variety. Eventually, the great spires of the undercities burst forth from the ground, and continued to grow like blades of grass wrought from steel and glass; now, there is little of Nebellion’s surface that isn’t covered by cityscape. While Nebellion’s environment hasn't suffered with the gnome’s expansion (freedom from reliance on burnable fuels being an early accomplishment of gnome tinkers), living space has become a premium. It was a search for this resource that led to their expansion into the stars.