Gnomes
"Gnomes are an oddity amongst the sapient species of Kandalas. They are not as versatile as humans, but are capable of most things given enough time. They are not as attuned to nature as the wood elves, though they live well enough with it throughout their cities and homes. They are not as light-hearted as the halflings, yet you would be hard pressed to find one who is overly bitter or maudlin. They are not as haughty or cruel as the aether, though there is pride and spite in their hearts. They do not possess the brute strength or warlike prowess of the orcs, but will call to arms and do it with valour. They are not as chaotically mischievous as goblins, though they do enjoy a good joke or prank at times. They are not as focused on labour as the dwarves, yet they are industrious in their own ways. In short, they do not possess extremes like the other races, but rather occupy a grounded medium that incorporates aspects presented by those others without giving all of themselves to stand out.
But this is not to say that gnomes are inherently dull or inferior in any way. Their social structure and cultural contributions to the world are certainly worthy of study and extolled virtue. My time here with them has been curiously enlightening, and well worth the time spent within their walls. They are affable, strange, and terrifying creatures."
-Extract from Gnomes by Cedric Talisker
-Extract from Gnomes by Cedric Talisker
Basic Information
Anatomy
A typical gnome stands at about half the height of a man. Their stature is generally quite slender, and even the most muscular or the fattest gnome varies little in overall substance. In truth, only gnomes tend to notice the differences in physique, even through bulky clothing. It was explained to me that there were subtle ways the hips moved, curves of the jawline, a fullness to the lips, though I could never tell.
Gnomish skin colouration varies from an ashen beige to a light brown, with hair tending towards the fairer colours, and eyes of warm greens, yellows, and browns. However, there are certain hereditary anomalies that present at times, with some gnomes developing hair and eyes with atypical hues.
Regarding the face, they tend to have an impish smile permanently etched into their countenance, a visage that seems both welcoming and potentially dangerous. The eyes are luminous and lend towards almond in shape. Their ears are curved and pointed at the tips, usually protruding outwards from the face to a length of “half a gash” (an expression I’ve been informed means ‘about three inches’). They appear quite youthful even into old age, with a few lines at the mouth and brow to indicate age. However, they will adorn make-up to make themselves appear older to be taken more seriously by other races. There are very few gnomes that are competent at applying said make-up, so they tend to look like caricatures of older people rather than actually looking old.
Gnomish skin colouration varies from an ashen beige to a light brown, with hair tending towards the fairer colours, and eyes of warm greens, yellows, and browns. However, there are certain hereditary anomalies that present at times, with some gnomes developing hair and eyes with atypical hues.
Regarding the face, they tend to have an impish smile permanently etched into their countenance, a visage that seems both welcoming and potentially dangerous. The eyes are luminous and lend towards almond in shape. Their ears are curved and pointed at the tips, usually protruding outwards from the face to a length of “half a gash” (an expression I’ve been informed means ‘about three inches’). They appear quite youthful even into old age, with a few lines at the mouth and brow to indicate age. However, they will adorn make-up to make themselves appear older to be taken more seriously by other races. There are very few gnomes that are competent at applying said make-up, so they tend to look like caricatures of older people rather than actually looking old.
Genetics and Reproduction
The gnomish people reproduce in the same manner as the other sapient species, although they possess a higher rate of twins and triplets. They are fertile from the age of approximately 30 onwards, although it is incredibly rare for anyone to produce offspring before the age of 50, and will always raise suspicion and official investigation. This is not a topic of conversation that is to be brought up by outsiders. Ever.
Growth Rate & Stages
Regarding newborns, they are generally mobile within a few days of being born, though completely blind and helpless beforehand, spending almost all their time within the arms of the mother. Within a week they are able to crawl, though shakily at first, and are capable of general ambulation within a month, and climbing within another month. During this phase they are quite curious and adventurous, and the parents often do not stop them from dangerous situations, figuring that the best teacher is pain.
Gnomes are considered “children” until the age 20, where they spend their time playing, socialising, and take on the responsibilities of an apprenticeship to one proficiency of the family/house, where they tend to remain at least until adulthood.
Adulthood for gnomes begins at about the age of 50, although they never truly lose the attitude and behaviour in their preceding years. To an outside observer they appear to act very much like young people all throughout their lives, though there are subtle differences in the way that they dress (a skirt a fraction of an inch shorter, necklines imperceptibly lower, fabrics faintly brighter) and the furnishings of their home (that is, more of them).
Gnomes are considered “children” until the age 20, where they spend their time playing, socialising, and take on the responsibilities of an apprenticeship to one proficiency of the family/house, where they tend to remain at least until adulthood.
Adulthood for gnomes begins at about the age of 50, although they never truly lose the attitude and behaviour in their preceding years. To an outside observer they appear to act very much like young people all throughout their lives, though there are subtle differences in the way that they dress (a skirt a fraction of an inch shorter, necklines imperceptibly lower, fabrics faintly brighter) and the furnishings of their home (that is, more of them).
Behaviour
Aptitudes
Gnomes tinker. With anything and everything, usually by pulling it to pieces and scattering them about before, as they say, improving it. Some specialise in various areas of this, but they possess an innate understanding of all things mechanical. Truly, this and their partnerships with members of the Iron Alliance have yielded some of the greatest technical advancements seen in millennia.
They also tend towards some degree of magical ability, however minor, which they incorporate into their machines. How they do so is a closely guarded secret, and each gnome will provide a different response when queried. And the responses never make any sense, even to those who possess magical abilities themselves.
General weaknesses
The gnomish people possess few weaknesses, or so I’ve been informed. Their youthful demeanour often leads people to not take them seriously, and their own internal racial politics can cause difficulties during any form of negotiation with other gnomish families. If you have insulted a gnome, or directed some insult at their parental figures, you will find any social pathway that involves them completely blocked.
They are given to indulgence and are prone to vices, namely tobacco, which they smoke habitually from a young age. Given that this is one of their primary exports, it is not surprising.
Gnomes tinker. With anything and everything, usually by pulling it to pieces and scattering them about before, as they say, improving it. Some specialise in various areas of this, but they possess an innate understanding of all things mechanical. Truly, this and their partnerships with members of the Iron Alliance have yielded some of the greatest technical advancements seen in millennia.
They also tend towards some degree of magical ability, however minor, which they incorporate into their machines. How they do so is a closely guarded secret, and each gnome will provide a different response when queried. And the responses never make any sense, even to those who possess magical abilities themselves.
General weaknesses
The gnomish people possess few weaknesses, or so I’ve been informed. Their youthful demeanour often leads people to not take them seriously, and their own internal racial politics can cause difficulties during any form of negotiation with other gnomish families. If you have insulted a gnome, or directed some insult at their parental figures, you will find any social pathway that involves them completely blocked.
They are given to indulgence and are prone to vices, namely tobacco, which they smoke habitually from a young age. Given that this is one of their primary exports, it is not surprising.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Each family acts as its own political unit, with alliances and grievances going back generations. The reasons for any dispute is kept close to their chests, and while there have been some relationships that have mended or frayed, they largely stay the same.
A gnome’s family may be identified by the colours that they wear, along with an emblem denoting their house that is either embroidered onto an item of clothing, or as a pin or brooch. This emblem is usually kept hidden, and it is part of the game gnomes play to try and find it to determine their house. Mentioning which house another gnome is from is considered poor form, while exposing your own is an invitation.
Larger gnomish society is ruled by a cluster of larger, more powerful houses that form an oligarchy. The representatives of these houses are the lawmakers, the judges, and the executioners. At some point in their histories there were three ruling houses, though following that the number has expanded into the double-digits, always an odd number of houses.
The lesser houses are often the ones running the general business and day-to-day operation within society, owning businesses and presenting a respectable appearance and contribution to society. They are also the most numerous.
The unhoused are gnomes who, through criminal action or heredity, lack connection to an official house. They are often menial workers and labourers. The easiest way to determine whether a gnome is unhoused is by their voice: a deep gravelly sound from smoking the roughest cuts of tobacco and whatever else they can mix in.
A gnome’s family may be identified by the colours that they wear, along with an emblem denoting their house that is either embroidered onto an item of clothing, or as a pin or brooch. This emblem is usually kept hidden, and it is part of the game gnomes play to try and find it to determine their house. Mentioning which house another gnome is from is considered poor form, while exposing your own is an invitation.
Larger gnomish society is ruled by a cluster of larger, more powerful houses that form an oligarchy. The representatives of these houses are the lawmakers, the judges, and the executioners. At some point in their histories there were three ruling houses, though following that the number has expanded into the double-digits, always an odd number of houses.
The lesser houses are often the ones running the general business and day-to-day operation within society, owning businesses and presenting a respectable appearance and contribution to society. They are also the most numerous.
The unhoused are gnomes who, through criminal action or heredity, lack connection to an official house. They are often menial workers and labourers. The easiest way to determine whether a gnome is unhoused is by their voice: a deep gravelly sound from smoking the roughest cuts of tobacco and whatever else they can mix in.
Civilization and Culture
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Gnomish festivals and holy days generally revolve around two things: food (or a harvest), and pride. Often both at the same time. The following includes some of the festivals that were celebrated during my time in Vandary:
- Ch’ Twell (The Tobacco Harvest) – a three-day period where everyone gets involved with the harvest of tobacco and undertake the drying. This involves the preparation of the drying sheds and a lot of complicated mathematics involving angles of sunlight and windows.
- Fuff (or “Smoker’s Height”) – A one-week period that takes place two months after the tobacco harvest, where the now dried leaves are sorted into grades, mixed into combinations and tested before being sent to market. During this time gnomish settlements often look like they are ablaze from a distance.
- The ‘Show us what you’ve got’ Festival – This festival is part carnival, part exhibition lasting about a week. It takes place once every five years, and is the time when tinkers and inventors from across the nation show off and demonstrate their creations, usually as an attempt to gain funding and recognition from the ruling houses. It is also a time when artisans exhibit their wares in a grand market throughout the capital’s streets.
- Arc’du mien (Ancients’ Wisdom) – When the winter months turn to spring, the houses send a few representatives to the resting place of their ancestors, share a drink and a meal with the dead, and in the night they are said to receive dreams of prophecy or wisdom from the departed. The time is looked upon favourably by the lesser houses and the unhoused, but the upper houses are often incredibly apprehensive about it, yet they will not say why.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Comments