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<blockquote data-quote="QuietBrowser" data-source="post: 7290205" data-attributes="member: 6855057"><p>Alright, let's talk Gnomes. Below are listed my major questions about the race(s) at this time, and what facts I have established, cliff-notes style.</p><p></p><p>Current Questions:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gnome appearance; what should I make them look like? Personally, I like both the "miniature elf" aspect of 4e's Feywild Gnomes and the animesque aesthetics of PF's Golarion Gnomes. Maybe meld the two aspects?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In the Wicked Fantasy setting, gnomes have thrived because of the sheer fecundity of the race - staying healthy and fertile up until the final year of their lifespan, female gnomes average 30 to 50 children. I plan on stealing this aspect for Wild Gnomes, but does it make sense to have it for the Cog/Tek Gnomes too?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Just what regional variants should I give the Wild Gnome race? I don't want to make subspecies that're too niche, because I remember how pathetic the Wavecrest Gnomes were in comparison to River Gnomes: both were water-dwelling gnome subraces, but only River Gnomes had a swim speed and enhanced breathholding! Wavecrests could just talk to seabirds and cast Know Direction 1/day. My current, tentative list is Mountain, Water, Forest, Grasslands and Swamp, based on the terrains of the Known World - I'm worried I'm missing some "native" terrain types, and I do want to leave room for more "exotic" Wild Gnomes, such as Jungle, Desert, Arctic, maybe even Sea if that can be made different to a regular Water Gnome.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Just what should I call the "sciencey" gnome race? Cog Gnome or Tek Gnome - which sounds better?</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p>Universal Gnome Facts:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">All Gnomes are descended from the Ur-Elf Empire, which conquered much of the Quietum in a distant age.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It's unknown if gnomes were willing allies or slaves of the elves during these ancient days.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When the Netherstorm erupted, the trauma of breaking their spiritual link to the Feywild and the birthing pangs of rebinding themselves to the Quietum effectively erased all gnomish history of their ancestry; no gnome culture today has anything more than, at most, vague stories of life in the Feywild. Truly, their origins can be said to begin with the Netherstorm.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Great Sundering refers to how the gnomes as a whole found salvation through one of two different routes. Those who focused on the intricacy of wizardly magic (in comparison to their original sorcerous magic) bound themselves to the estoricism and scholastic nature of arcane magic, becoming the first Tek Gnomes. Those who sought solace from the spiritual energies of the wilderness became the first Wild Gnomes.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Relationships between the two branches of the gnome tree are... strained. Each regards the other with a certain level of condescension.</li> </ul><p></p><p>Cog/Tek Gnome Facts:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Science" is the driving focus of Cog Gnome ideology and society. Every Cog Gnome does at least a little tinkering and studying, and invention is seen as a worthwhile goal in its own right.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cog Gnome philosophy about inventions boils down to a single aporphism: "Function honors the soul, Form honors the heart". The driving goal with technology is to improve upon that which came before; and "improvement" is defined as "functions more efficiently and simply than before". There's none of that "small, simple machines are made by small, simple minds" rubbish here. However, once the core of the machine is functioning properly and reliably, its exterior is always decorated as ornately as possible, to honor the spirit of the machine within. Baroque designs come natural to Cog Gnomes; barrels shaped like flowers or faces, intricate calligraphy etchings, polished metal and stained wood... their works may not have all of the unnecessary bells and whistles of Tinker Gnome devices, but it's still as artistic as possible. Sometimes to the point of impeding function, though that is frowned upon.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Officially, Cog Gnome society can be described as a "luminocracy"; a meritocracy where "merit" is synonymous with education and inventive talent. The smartest are expected to lead.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In practice, society mostly revolves around the efforts of the Great Guilds; advanced scientific colleges that each focus on a particular field of scientific study. The eight Guilds are the Guild of Discovery (Apokalypsi), the Guild of Independence (Automata), the Guild of Control (Epikrato), the Guild of Restoration (Exelixi), the Guild of Destruction (Katastrofi), the Guild of Transformation (Metaptropi), the Guild of Protection (Prostasia) and the Guild of Travel (Skafoi). Each Great Guild is an independent field, but the leaders of the guilds work together as a democratic council for the greater good of the Cog Gnome race. In theory. Yes, these are named after and inspired by the Axioms of Genius: The Transgression.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">All Cog Gnomes belong to at least one of the Great Guilds, simply because they're synonymous with certain fields of employment - Exelixi gnomes are involved in agricultural and medical fields, Automata gnomes in physical creation, Katastrofi in the military, etc. It is, however, possible to belong to multiple guilds by joining the so-called "Dabbler's Guild". Such Cog Gnomes cannot advance to the highest of the internal ranks of the Great Guilds - issues of loyalty. However, only a Dabbler gnome can hold the position of "The Outcast King", a democratically elected Dabbler who holds tie-breaking power over the Council of Guilds, and often greater power than that.</li> </ul><p></p><p>Wild Gnome Facts:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wild Gnome culture and even physiology are heavily shaped by their territory of choice.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Though their bond to nature is similar to that seen in dryads and their kin, gnomes are not as intensely bound; they can leave their native territories just fine and, in fact, there are many wild gnome adventurers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wild gnome subspecies are actually not an inherent property of their being; a wild gnome becomes a regional gnome based on which region it spends its formative years living in.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In fact, this adaptability is still inherent to Tek Gnomes as well; a Tek Gnome baby reared by Wild Gnomes will grow up to be a Wild Gnome, and vice versa.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This breeds a certain level of kinship that helps keep all Wild Gnomes communicating with each other; clan lines can and often do sprawl across multiple territories.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Though their closeness to nature breeds a natural protectiveness of it, wild gnomes are neither vegetarians nor pacifists; nature red in tooth and claw is their underlying philosophy.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Whilst wild gnomes do not forge metal on their own, instead working with wood, stone and bone, they do recognize its potential and readily trade for metal goods. Some wild gnomes will even trade for guns, although that is a more contentious subject on a clan-based level.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wild gnome society revolves around extended family groups - clans - and tribes based on multiple clans united by marriage and lineage.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="QuietBrowser, post: 7290205, member: 6855057"] Alright, let's talk Gnomes. Below are listed my major questions about the race(s) at this time, and what facts I have established, cliff-notes style. Current Questions: [LIST] [*]Gnome appearance; what should I make them look like? Personally, I like both the "miniature elf" aspect of 4e's Feywild Gnomes and the animesque aesthetics of PF's Golarion Gnomes. Maybe meld the two aspects? [*]In the Wicked Fantasy setting, gnomes have thrived because of the sheer fecundity of the race - staying healthy and fertile up until the final year of their lifespan, female gnomes average 30 to 50 children. I plan on stealing this aspect for Wild Gnomes, but does it make sense to have it for the Cog/Tek Gnomes too? [*]Just what regional variants should I give the Wild Gnome race? I don't want to make subspecies that're too niche, because I remember how pathetic the Wavecrest Gnomes were in comparison to River Gnomes: both were water-dwelling gnome subraces, but only River Gnomes had a swim speed and enhanced breathholding! Wavecrests could just talk to seabirds and cast Know Direction 1/day. My current, tentative list is Mountain, Water, Forest, Grasslands and Swamp, based on the terrains of the Known World - I'm worried I'm missing some "native" terrain types, and I do want to leave room for more "exotic" Wild Gnomes, such as Jungle, Desert, Arctic, maybe even Sea if that can be made different to a regular Water Gnome. [*]Just what should I call the "sciencey" gnome race? Cog Gnome or Tek Gnome - which sounds better? [/LIST] Universal Gnome Facts: [LIST] [*]All Gnomes are descended from the Ur-Elf Empire, which conquered much of the Quietum in a distant age. [*]It's unknown if gnomes were willing allies or slaves of the elves during these ancient days. [*]When the Netherstorm erupted, the trauma of breaking their spiritual link to the Feywild and the birthing pangs of rebinding themselves to the Quietum effectively erased all gnomish history of their ancestry; no gnome culture today has anything more than, at most, vague stories of life in the Feywild. Truly, their origins can be said to begin with the Netherstorm. [*]The Great Sundering refers to how the gnomes as a whole found salvation through one of two different routes. Those who focused on the intricacy of wizardly magic (in comparison to their original sorcerous magic) bound themselves to the estoricism and scholastic nature of arcane magic, becoming the first Tek Gnomes. Those who sought solace from the spiritual energies of the wilderness became the first Wild Gnomes. [*]Relationships between the two branches of the gnome tree are... strained. Each regards the other with a certain level of condescension. [/LIST] Cog/Tek Gnome Facts: [LIST] [*]"Science" is the driving focus of Cog Gnome ideology and society. Every Cog Gnome does at least a little tinkering and studying, and invention is seen as a worthwhile goal in its own right. [*]Cog Gnome philosophy about inventions boils down to a single aporphism: "Function honors the soul, Form honors the heart". The driving goal with technology is to improve upon that which came before; and "improvement" is defined as "functions more efficiently and simply than before". There's none of that "small, simple machines are made by small, simple minds" rubbish here. However, once the core of the machine is functioning properly and reliably, its exterior is always decorated as ornately as possible, to honor the spirit of the machine within. Baroque designs come natural to Cog Gnomes; barrels shaped like flowers or faces, intricate calligraphy etchings, polished metal and stained wood... their works may not have all of the unnecessary bells and whistles of Tinker Gnome devices, but it's still as artistic as possible. Sometimes to the point of impeding function, though that is frowned upon. [*]Officially, Cog Gnome society can be described as a "luminocracy"; a meritocracy where "merit" is synonymous with education and inventive talent. The smartest are expected to lead. [*]In practice, society mostly revolves around the efforts of the Great Guilds; advanced scientific colleges that each focus on a particular field of scientific study. The eight Guilds are the Guild of Discovery (Apokalypsi), the Guild of Independence (Automata), the Guild of Control (Epikrato), the Guild of Restoration (Exelixi), the Guild of Destruction (Katastrofi), the Guild of Transformation (Metaptropi), the Guild of Protection (Prostasia) and the Guild of Travel (Skafoi). Each Great Guild is an independent field, but the leaders of the guilds work together as a democratic council for the greater good of the Cog Gnome race. In theory. Yes, these are named after and inspired by the Axioms of Genius: The Transgression. [*]All Cog Gnomes belong to at least one of the Great Guilds, simply because they're synonymous with certain fields of employment - Exelixi gnomes are involved in agricultural and medical fields, Automata gnomes in physical creation, Katastrofi in the military, etc. It is, however, possible to belong to multiple guilds by joining the so-called "Dabbler's Guild". Such Cog Gnomes cannot advance to the highest of the internal ranks of the Great Guilds - issues of loyalty. However, only a Dabbler gnome can hold the position of "The Outcast King", a democratically elected Dabbler who holds tie-breaking power over the Council of Guilds, and often greater power than that. [/LIST] Wild Gnome Facts: [LIST] [*]Wild Gnome culture and even physiology are heavily shaped by their territory of choice. [*]Though their bond to nature is similar to that seen in dryads and their kin, gnomes are not as intensely bound; they can leave their native territories just fine and, in fact, there are many wild gnome adventurers. [*]Wild gnome subspecies are actually not an inherent property of their being; a wild gnome becomes a regional gnome based on which region it spends its formative years living in. [*]In fact, this adaptability is still inherent to Tek Gnomes as well; a Tek Gnome baby reared by Wild Gnomes will grow up to be a Wild Gnome, and vice versa. [*]This breeds a certain level of kinship that helps keep all Wild Gnomes communicating with each other; clan lines can and often do sprawl across multiple territories. [*]Though their closeness to nature breeds a natural protectiveness of it, wild gnomes are neither vegetarians nor pacifists; nature red in tooth and claw is their underlying philosophy. [*]Whilst wild gnomes do not forge metal on their own, instead working with wood, stone and bone, they do recognize its potential and readily trade for metal goods. Some wild gnomes will even trade for guns, although that is a more contentious subject on a clan-based level. [*]Wild gnome society revolves around extended family groups - clans - and tribes based on multiple clans united by marriage and lineage. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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