Cavalcade
The Cavalcade is the heart of gnomish society, a massive traveling caravan containing thousands of wagons. Run by a council of high-ranking merchants and craftspeople, the Cavalcade sets rules and regulations on gnomish trading and crafts, maintaining trading routes that connect the continent.
History
Pre-Elven Era
Before the Conquest, gnomes lived along the Tralin River in central Khalon. A sedentary people, gnomes grew crops and created fine wood crafts. This way of life came to an end when Morenthyr demanded Gnomish submission in 396. For over thirty years, gnomes fought alongside pre-imperial Human nations to hold back Morenthyr, but eventually they were worn down. Expelled out of their land in 431, bands of surviving gnomes wandered in all directions, scrounging for survival. Their human allies fell soon after, being forced to live in servitude. Much of this early history, and that of the gnomish origins, have been lost to time.Elven Era
Formation
For a time, Morenthyr attempted to enslave or eliminate remaining gnomish populations, but most gnomes captured opted for suicide rather than enslavement. After a generation hiding far from civilization, gnomes began to emerge from their hiding. No longer considered a threat by Morenthyr, gnomes were left to their own devices, although many towns and cities had laws banning them from staying overnight. As gnomes began to congregate together again, they formed wagon trains, travelling from place to place, never welcomed to settle down. By the 570s, gnomes were widely regarded as merchants and traders. To ensure continued trade, a regulatory body formed, meeting tri-annually to discuss current quality requirements on crafted goods and suggesting best business practices, to maintain the Gnome brand. Over time, this body introduced laws and requirements for individuals who wanted to become official Gnomish traders or craftspeople. As this organization became more influential, it began to meet more often, being dubbed the Merchants' Council. Eventually, the Merchant Council remained together, travelling in a large wagon train. This wagon train became a moving capital, a center of gnomish culture. The Cavalcade continued to travel across the land, creating trade deals with elves, dwarves, and free humans.Great Revolt
While sympathetic to the plight of slaves, most gnomes turned a blind eye to slavery. A small but resolute minority continually pushed for a guerrilla war against the elves, although they were largely held in check by the Council. This faction of gnomes worked quietly to sabotage Thyrian forces. Initially non-violent, they focused on destroying or stealing supplies destined for Thyrian armies. The Merchants' Council worked to curtail these rebellious gnomes as they jeopardized gnomish standing among traders. Following the Orcish Migration, Morenthyr began to crack down on gnomish people, leading more of them to adopt more radical and violent tactics as a means of survival. At the start of the Great Revolt, the gnome operatives provided explosives and other weapons to slaves across Morenthyr. In 1348, gnomes were suspected of detonating explosive devices inside a temple dedicated to the Elven Pantheon in Allanar, triggering a massive slave revolt. With Morenthyr destabilized, the Cavalcade traveled to Calydon to meet Lysander and other leaders of the Great Revolt. For weeks, the Merchants' Council debated whether they should openly support the Revolt. Finally, Ariwin, an influential member of the Council, convinced enough of his colleagues to back the rebellion, cementing an alliance between Lysander and the Cavalcade. Gnomish caravans provided the backbone for supplying the fledgling rebellion. In the Battle of Thal'Narius, the Cavalcade provided commandos who inflicted major damage to Thyrian forces.Post-Elven Era
Following the Battle of Thal'Narius, Emperor-Regent Oluien Trismaris formally revoked Morenthyr's claims to all lands north of the Disputed Lands. The land surrounding the Tralin River remained underpopulated in the centuries since the gnomes were evicted. With only scattered farmlands, some influential gnomes, including Fenci the Unyielding, called for the gnomes to return to their ancestral homeland. This triggered a massive debate among both the Merchants' Council and the gnomish people. Those who opposed resettling the Tralin believed it would endanger the gnomish people and leave them open to being attacked and uprooted again in the future. Human-inhabited areas, now freed of Morenthyr, were in a state of flux, as powerful families, guilds, and organizations competed for power. In this power vacuum, Fenci the Unyielding, with backing from a few powerful council members, established a few settlements along the Tralin. This triggered a schism among gnomish society, with the majority of the Merchants' Council, and the gnomish people, retaining their nomadic lifestyle. For these nomadic gnomes, the Cavalcade remains the center of government. The settled gnomes eventually coalesced into the Duchy of Thorpes, splintering from the Cavalcade. As the modern nations of Khalon emerged, the Cavalcade reestablished old trade routes, becoming major players in international trade. Gnomish caravans continue to transport goods across Khalon, while also peddling their own crafts. The Cavalcade maintains good relations with Ilyria, Trelios, and Fayara, with gnomish traders being openly welcomed. Morenthyr and the Cavalcade continue to have frosty relations, with gnomish traders being tolerated at best.Demography and Population
At any one time, around 10,000 gnomes continually travel with the Cavalcade, inhabiting a wagon train that stretches for miles. Another 30,000 are affiliated with the Cavalcade, going off on expeditions and forming trading parties.
Territories
The Cavalcade does not have a physical territory it controls. Rather, the Cavalcade is continuously moving, traveling across foreign nations and only stopping briefly for trade.
Founding Date
570s
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Cavalcader
Government System
Plutocracy
Economic System
Market economy
Legislative Body
Merchants' Council
Related Ethnicities
Typical Gnomish Wagon
Comments