Gnomes

Gnomes are one of the two races that can be called truly native to the Weald. They made their deep-villages and mining camps in the region's caverns and caves before the Dwarves had even discovered the low roads. Gnomes are frequently pale and wiry due to their subterranean lifestyle, with large elaborately styled hair and beards, allowing individuals to be recognised even in poor light. They are inquisitive and experimentative, often eschewing authority in order to pursue what they are interested in.

The largest gnomish settlement is the deep-village of Gloomhollow Deep, which represents the nexus of gnomish culture. Gnomes tend not to care much about wealth, making them poor merchants, and the sizeable Dwarven community in Gloomhollow Deep allows the isolated gnomish mining communities to off-load their spoil in exchange for goods they require.

When humans first came to the Weald they fascinated the gnomish natives, who had thus far done little to explore beyond the Weald's borders. This began a diaspora, with gnomes leaving their ancestral deep-villages to travel to human towns to gain knowledge and experience. The majority of this diaspora settled within what is now the Phoebian League, finding great success due to their naturally inquisitive demeanor.

Weald Gnomes

Though they would refer to themselves simply as "Gnomes", seeing themselves as the baseline from which others deviate, Weald Gnomes are actually substantially different to their forefathers. Their deep-villages are increasingly shallow as opportunities for surface trade and interaction become more abundant, and an increasing number are living among the surface races. Weald Gnomes are pale and short, rarely reaching 3'6", and still

That said, Weald Gnomes still have a substantial link to their cavern homes. They are able to speak to the creatures that they share the caves with, using them as guards and scouts, as well as pets. They also have a natural knack for illusions, using the gloom to mask their magics and confuse potential interlopers.

Weald Gnomes are pale and short, rarely reaching 3'6", and still style their hair in as unique a way as they can imagine.

Phoebian Gnomes

When the gnomish diaspora spread to the lands now bound by the Phoebian League, they were quickly adopted as skilled smiths, tinkers, and engineers. Many Phoebian cities developed Gnomish Quarters, where customers would know that the most skilled hands were at work. This cultural shift away from their homeland made Phoebian gnomes rather more mercantile than their deep-dwelling cousins, as well as rather more religious. While Phoebian gnomes rarely join the church of Aramon, they are keen to be seen as religious, and would not be seen without an exquisitely made set of silver scales to represent their deity.

Years of toil in the workshops and smiths of the Phoebian cities have left Phoebian Gnomes hardier than their ancestors, showing a solidity that few Weald gnomes can match. Similarly, their surface-dwelling lifestyle has allowed them to grow taller, with many reaching over four feet tall. They tend to wear their hair slicked back away from their faces and dress in Every Phoebian Gnome is a capable artisan, and many can make things that few other craftsmen would attempt.

Dark Gnomes

Some gnomes rejected their people's ascent to the surface, heading deeper into the caverns below the Weald. Dark rumours abound about the Dark Gnomes, with no two storytellers agreeing on their fate. Some say they were enslaved by a powerful mistress in the darkness, forced to toil their lives away in her service. Others tell of a portal to the faewild deep below the ground through which they reached a new home filled with joy and laughter. The Orcs of the Darktooth Children insist that they have seen Dark Gnomes, though their stories describe grim creatures, twisted far from the image of their shallower cousins.