The exact derivation of this race cannot be decided exactly. Very often gnomes are compared with dwarves or even seen as a sub-species of the dwarven race, but indeed this assumption must be rejected. Gnomes in fact are smaller than dwarves, about a palmspan and a half less. They also don't have the stamina, nor the strength of the dwarven race, but exceed them in dexterity and agility (although they are no real match for a moderately trained elf). However, this, and the fact that many of gnomish kin do posses a love for material wealth, often is the cause that gnomes are connected with thievery and burglary. This reputation is definetely unfounded of the independent gnomes but it is unfortunately true of many gnomes living among humans.

Picture description. The various kinds of gnomes in the United Kingdom of Santharia. Pictures drawn by Eshoh and Bard Judith.

Gnomes are renowned for their skills at alchemy, glass production and medicine, due to their ability with chemicals and their use of their dextrous hands and good eyesight to measure minute quantities. As such they have made a large amount of money trading and producing these chemicals for other people as well as themselves and it is not uncommon to see incredibly wealthy gnomes walking around in the towns of Santharia.

Appearance. A Gnome's size is ranging from slightly less than a ped all the way through to one and a half peds. However, the bigger sizes are rare and are seen as freaks by some of their race. Gnomes have long fingers that virtually never tremble and as such are brilliant for their jobs as alchemists. They have normal sized eyes but their eyesight is in fact excellent and they can see very small things pretty well. Their skin tone is very pale and they are not very muscular (but as in every race there are some body-building exceptions). Gnomes tend not to be exceedingly fat, most young gnomes are relatively thin, but as they get older most of them do put on weight. Although they do start off with hair (the current fashion is to have it cut very short) by middle age they tend to be bald although many do maintain beards (again the current fashion is short). Hair is often black, although occassionly there will be a dark brown haired Gnome. Females never have beards but most lose their hair by middle age. They wear their hair longer than the men, although the loss of hair is not considered to detract too much from their looks (at least by other gnomes).

Mode of Living/Habits. Gnomes are all very curious and enjoy finding things out. In most cases this curiosity is channelled into chemistry as they view this as the ultimate science, the manipulation of the elements to form new things. The reason most believe that they channel themselves inward to chemistry rather than exploration is that they place great importance on quality of life and all aim to live in the greatest comfort possible.

Gnomes can easily live for 200 years. The lengthened life span does mean that they are less reluctant to die than humans but death still holds fear for them and they do not fade away easily like the elves do.

Family, Society and Culture. Gnomes have a very strong sense of community and live in small closed communities, in the case of the Gnorians their own small villages but the Gnomes living among humans also tend to congregate into small groups who live close together. The leader of a group of Gnomes is normally the one who is best at chemistry and not chosen for any other reason so they are often led by apathetic rulers. Although they are very community orientated they are normally willing if they can to help others who need and deserve it.

Diet. Gnomes are great farmers, their chemical skills allowing them to create fertilisers which means they grow vegetables in large abundance: carroots, onions, tuberroots, golden rain, gebl’s head, rroo-aoei and peasecods. Gnomes also grow kies, whose seeds were originally imported, icemilk, meddlarapple and other fruits as well as berries like maid’s ease, vinterberries and loriv. They eat these themselves all well cooked and they also grow grasses and golden rain to feed their animals like cows, pigs, taenish, cuuloo and garthook. They slaughter and eat all these animals as well as milking cows and collecting eggs from the taenish. The animals are normally cooked in their hardened clay ovens during the summer months and taste like the food from any human settlement although foridite and Pfepp (foridus and pfepper grass are other common crops) are often used for flavouring. Over winter however a lot of meet is stored salted (which is mainly produced by Gnomes) and so the meat is slightly on the salty side. The Gnomes do not hunt or fish so they do not have any of the meats except from the animals mentioned above.

Beliefs. No details known yet.

Picture description. The famous inventor of the svaq sobering drink, the Daran gnome Nolan Drinkbrewer. Picture drawn by Faugar.

Tribes. There are four Gnomish tribes currently known about:

• The Gnorians (Gnomes who live along the Eastern Santharian coast, representing the most numerous of the independent Gnomes)
• The Gremm (a reclusive tribe that lives with the Cyrathrim elves in the Calmarios Forest)
• The Black Gnomes (a Northern Sarvonian tribe)
• The Daran (the Gnomes who live among humans)

Origins. The Gnomes are one of the minor races, believed by the elves to have originated when the rain of life fell on mixtures of the elements. What mixture produced the Gnomes is unclear, although the Gnorians believe that they are a combination of all the elements although they do not agree with the standard elven interpretation of the Rain of Life and Gods.

Most gnomish tribes have their own interpretation of their origins. The most common one is the one held by the Gnorians and most Gnomes living in human cities which is that in the beginning all that existed was the four elements and these came together to form Caelereth and the races, the Gnomes being a mixture of all four elements.