Kovian Gnomes
The Kovian Gnomes are an subrace of gnomes native to the region of Kovia. Gnomes who hail from this region are sometimes referred to as "rock gnomes" or "tinker gnomes", due to their penchant for machinery (see below).
Because of their close proximity to Kovia's other native population, the Kovian dwarves, the two races have enjoyed an extended period of cultural exchange over several generations, leading to many of the gnomes of Kovia imitating their dwarven neighbors by becoming inventors, engineers, and craftsmen in their own right; unlike the brutalist and utilitarian creations of the dwarves, however, gnomish inventions tend to have a distinctly whimsical, toylike feel to their designs, owing to the gnomes' magical and capricious natures.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Most Kovian gnomes are raised in bilingual households, taught from an early age to speak both Gnomish and Dwarvish. Other languages, such as Common, are frequently employed when conducting trade with non-Kovians, though are seldom spoken outside of these scenarios; as a result, the Common spoken by gnomish merchants from Kovia is usually quite rusty, adding a stilted cadence to their dialect.
Shared customary codes and values
Much like their dwarven allies, the gnomes of Kovia put a great amount of pride in their craftsmanship, although they have a tendency to gravitate more towards creations that are experimental and often highly specialized in nature. Creativity is the most celebrated virtue of the gnomes, and each budding gnomish inventor is encouraged to pour their heart and soul into inventing new and wondrous devices the world has never seen before; the utility and practicality of said inventions is typically an afterthought.
Art & Architecture
In addition to their love of invention, the Kovian gnomes have a strong cultural inclination towards art, and often seek out new and exciting ways to combine the two, ranging from clockwork musical boxes to animate sculptures and statues to landscape paintings which produce an olfactory spray when interacted with. Because of their love of experimentation, nothing is considered off-limits to the gnomish artist; to those with a sufficient amount of imagination, anything can serve as a blank canvas.
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