Gnome

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Gnomes love names, and most have half a dozen or so. A gnome's mother, father, clan elder, aunts, and uncles each give the gnome a name, and various nicknames from just about everyone else might or might not stick over time. Gnome names are typically variants on the names of ancestors or distant relatives, though some are purely new inventions. When dealing with humans and others who are “stuffy” about names, a gnome learns to use no more than three names: a personal name, a clan name, and a nickname, choosing the one in each category that’s the most fun to say.

Beauty Ideals

Big noses are considered a mark of prestige among the gnomes, and are involved in many of their contests and rivalries. Gnomish noses stick out more than 5 inches from their face in most instances. Gnomes are fastidious about their grooming. Males and females both wear their hair long, with women wearing it looser. Male gnomes are said to either shave their faces, or have a carefully-trimmed beard.

Gender Ideals

Men and women take the same jobs, and work along side each other equally.

Courtship Ideals

Love is considered an aspect of truth, so gnomes will marry for love, often after a long and patient courtship.

Relationship Ideals

Not every gnome gets married, and there is no particular pressure to be married in gnomish society.  When they occur, marriages are described as private affairs, simply attended by the immediate families of the newlyweds. They are also described as lavish, week-long celebrations, featuring plays and concerts, each morning representing a quality of a good spouse (healer, friend, lover, caretaker, beloved, partner, and opponent). Gnomish families are small, typically with less than three children. Births are rare, with one every five to ten years at most, making each child highly valued. At the age of 20, gnomish children are sent to school to begin their education, often in nearby towns to cement relationships with nearby villages. Gnomes reach maturity at 45

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The gnomish language is a variant of dwarvish, and is an exacting tongue that is difficult to master

Common Dress Code

Most gnomes make use of leather and natural tones in their clothing, using a pallette of browns, whites, yellows, greens, blues, and grays. Those who wish to make a statement with their clothing might dress in exotic colors such as red, purple, and orange.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

An average gnome community has about 12-15 big celebrations each year, for things like harvests, equinoxes, solstices, and anniversaries. Gnomes on holiday sing, dance, carouse, measure noses, and compete in eating, drinking, and snoring contests. Illusion displays are also a common element, and many are for pure entertainment and storytelling

Common Taboos

It is considered a fairly grave insult to belittle another gnome's nose -- it is seen as needlesly cruel and vindictive.

Common Myths and Legends

Gnomes also tell a tale of a giant-killer named Jack (or, Jackobean Tillsplitter Philonius Cashion Firehart Musskit), whose famous sharp, sharp knife has killed many giants. His is an edifying tale told to gnomish youths, as his flaw was that he was incredibly lazy, until he found the one thing he was good at -- killing giants.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dwarves are considered close kindred to the gnomes, though a bit overly serious, and the dwarves return the favor, viewing the gnomes as slightly foolish cousins. Gnomes appreciate the inventive spirit of Humans, but find them short-sighted and often unreliable.