Gnomes and Other Races

patron and work exclusively for that individual for a number of years. Some even leave and open their own workshops, becoming full-fl edged maesters themselves. Those lesser maesters who choose not to go out on their own often stay as subordinate instructors at the workshop in which they were trained. Oftentimes, these loyal artists inherit the workshop upon their maester’s death, if they are willing to wait that long.

Rebels

The rebels are an odd social class, for they see themselves not as a part of the system, but the antithesis of it. Rebels come from all walks of life and all manner of backgrounds.

Rich or poor, old or young, they have grown disillusioned with the social structure of the cities and towns, and they desire a new beginning. The greatest philosophers of gnome culture were rebels in their time, something the wisest gnomes have never forgotten. Rebels provide a means for checks and balances within gnome culture, with a critical eye for all they see and a desire to tear down and rebuild the crumbling social structure before them. They are a thorn in the side of the merchant lords and the middle class, but their position in the society they denigrate is assured by long years of tradition. Regardless of their message, they are not persecuted.

The rebels might be ignored more than they wish to be, but gnomes are a patient people who are well versed in the art of compromise. An inch today might well be a mile tomorrow. Rebels are usually willing to wait as long as needed to see their dreams become reality. Those rebels who grow too disenchanted with gnome society often become adventurers. Many fi nd that by broadening their experiences, they are able to look on the fl aws of their race with new eyes, developing new solutions to the problems they see.

Just as many gnomes seem born to create, so do others seem born to charm. Such charm as they possess is often put to use in the creative process, but more often, it is used to bridge the gap between the gnomes and the other races— and to acquire the raw materials the gnomes need for their creations at a reasonable price. Gnomes live upon the fat of the land, as it were. They prefer rolling hills for their cities, often near water and forest. Their preference for homes puts them in close proximity to both halfl ings and the “tall races,” as well as within easy distance of dwarf settlements for those cities that sit in the foothills of mountain chains. In a way, they are the bridge between the races of stone and the surface peoples, passing goods from one to another and profi ting from the experience. Dwarves: Gnomes regard dwarves as nearly their closest cousins. The two races have a history of amicable relations, though contact between a dwarf and a gnome is likely to

Illus. by F. Vohwinkel