Bit of help on Gnomish culture [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bit of help on Gnomish culture [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sidious
02-06-04, 09:53 PM I've managed to get my PC's stranded in a Gnomish/Dwarfish city, (primarily gnomish), and I'm working for a new adventure. Would something based in crypts work? Do gnomes even USE crypts?
arcady
02-07-04, 03:30 AM There's a terrilble lack of information on gnomes.

What we know is that they have a good sense of humor, talk to burrowing mammals, themselves burrow into hills (like hobbits), and look kind of mid way between halflings and dwarves.

You could fill just about anything into that...

Myself, I recently ordered the Quintessential Guide to Gnomes in the hopes that it will give me something useful to work with, but it's still in the mail. :p

I wouldn't myself expect crypts from them, but I'm not exactly sure how they would deal with their dead. Whatever the method, it ought to have something to do with the earth.
fruits and vegetables
02-07-04, 04:07 AM remember these three things.

step one: steal everyone's underwear.
step two: ..........
step three: take over the world.
MinusInnocence
02-07-04, 04:17 AM Entombment doesn't strike me as a very gnomish notion at all. I would probably say gnomes are much more likely to either build a cairn for their fallen, or simply burn them and scatter the ashes in the soil. Earth is, indeed, very important to gnomish culture - it provides safety as well as safety to the creatures they cherish as kindred spirits. But sealing the body away in a sarcophagus doesn't really have anything to do with the soil, and you might as well place the tomb on a cloud for all the good it does for decomposition.

Gnomes are very jovial, and I would suspect they use instruments such as the tambourine, small hand-held drums and wargongs (shields taken from goblins and kobolds, beaten on with small wooden mallets). The acoustics in a subterranean environment are beautiful, and the sound could probably carry for miles in a Dwarven citadel (much to the chagrin of the Stout Folk!).

As far as humor goes, pranks play a great part in gnomish society. There are several theories about this - one is that laughter is simply very good for the soul, and Garl Glittergold is one of the staunchest believers in that. Consistently "pulling a fast one" on loved ones also keeps everyone on their toes, which is never a bad thing. Gnomes probably have spectacular reflexes and are very capable at thinking on their feet, simply because they have to be able to react to buckets of water falling on their head on a near-daily basis.

Various sources have described the tradition of the Gnomish Sheriff. Other societies have different names for these individuals, but the keepers of the peace in gnomish culture are simply Paladins. The mental image of a stalwart warrior riding a massive dog, armed with lance and sword and spear is probably laughable to some, but gnomes obviously don't fight the same way the Big Folk do.

Darts, shortbows, javelins and slings are the order of the day, as well as spears that can utilize a larger enemy's momentum or ferocity against them. Sherrifs are very well respected, typically being some of the most "down-to-earth" members of the community (thanks to a high Wisdom score) as well as particularly well-spoken and witty (Charisma is the Paladin's key ability).

Gnomes are viewed as a curiosity by some of the other civilized races... and that's just fine by them. It's perfectly appropriate for people to be amused by their ridiculously long names as long as no one comes calling when the gnomes don't want them around - that also brings up the interesting issue of privacy in gnomish communities. If they don't want to be disturbed by outsiders, you simply won't come across any sign of the burrow village. They look like normal hills in a typical meadow to the untrained eye (read: the uninvited). Scouts sound the silent alarms before intruders get within a quarter mile of the place, and the countless combat drills the community practices pay off.

Stealth, secrecy and xenophobia seem to be the traits most emphasized by the cousins from the Underdark, the gnomes called Svirfneblin. This is generally assumed to have something to do with all the numerous people who live in the Underdark that enjoy tormenting, enslaving, butchering and subsequently devouring the deep gnomes. They are genetically predisposed to paranoia - everything about their culture and even biological capabilities lends itself to remaining out of sight, and out of mind.

Gnomes are often construed as misfit inventors - this is because gnomes enjoy to send the message to others that they are silly and harmless folk, and should always be underestimated. In truth, they are no more or less likely to blow a hole in the laboratory with a failed experiment than halflings, elves or dwarves. Visitors to a gnomish workshop are much more likely to see huge vats of superglue, potentially lethal attempts at the combustion engine, and tricycles than anything truly respectable - the little folk probably wheel out the nuclear warheads for experimentation right after any outsiders leave the premises.

That begs the question - what if intruders don't want to leave? What security measures are in place to ensure the safety of the gnomes? I would imagine that their devious and clever nature lends itself well to construction of particularly nasty traps. Also, burrowing animals such as dire badgers or wolverines lend their aid to their stewards' defense. We've already discussed the Sherrifs - rangers also play a big role in gnomish culture, sort of a preemptive strike against the foe before the battle even begins. Bards, of course, have a place in protecting their people - what's worse than a "buffbot" with seemingly endless Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace and healing spells? A three foot tall version, twice as hard to hit.

In closing, I believe gnomes to be consumed with one passion - the pursuit of happiness. To this end, they appear almost stand-offish to the casual observor as they try to barricade themselves from the outside world. This is not because they fear or hate others: it is so they are afforded as much privacy as they wish to pursue the things that please them.
PSchirf
02-07-04, 07:58 AM You can decide if gnomes use crypts... I like the idea of gnomish cultures using cremation to return the body to the soil. But don't give up hope! You mention that it's a Gnomish/Dwarven city that is primarily Gnomish. There is a lot of support for dwarven sarcophagi in fantasy literature.
Bluebrush
02-07-04, 08:40 AM Well, in the Forge of Fury Adventure, there are Dwarvern crypts.

I imagine Dwarves are pretty keen on having a well crafted resting place, and probably on being buried with their treasure.
Perhaps they have an attitude similar to the ancient Egyptians, where what you're buried in and with is taken to the afterlife

Of course Dwarven Pragmatism might keep them from hoarding their useful goods after they die. But still, a well crafted monument to their life is probably a must for a normal Dwarf.
Morka
02-07-04, 11:23 AM Urdlen, the gnomish god of death, is an ugly giant mole. So I guess that the death has something to do with the earth.
krichaiushii
02-07-04, 08:34 PM There are a few books and Dragon articles that cover gnomes and their culture:

Bad Axe Games has a book on gnomes due out ... sometime. http://www.badaxegames.com/html/products.html

Mongoose has a Quintessential book currently available:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/index.php

Scroll down a bit to the gnomes section to find the articles that may help:
http://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html#g

Gnomes using crypts in your world depends a lot on your culture for them.

As they are associated with earth, I imagine that they bury their dead. Perhaps the tombs/crypts are packed with illusionary murals depicting the fallen gnome's life or some such.

If the gnomes fear undead, their dead may be cremated, resulting in crypts full of ash-filled urns. Or the dead may be laid in state, with lots of anti-undead traps (using positive energy, most likely) lacing the way.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sidious 02-06-04, 09:53 PM	I've managed to get my PC's stranded in a Gnomish/Dwarfish city, (primarily gnomish), and I'm working for a new adventure. Would something based in crypts work? Do gnomes even USE crypts?
arcady 02-07-04, 03:30 AM	There's a terrilble lack of information on gnomes. What we know is that they have a good sense of humor, talk to burrowing mammals, themselves burrow into hills (like hobbits), and look kind of mid way between halflings and dwarves. You could fill just about anything into that... Myself, I recently ordered the Quintessential Guide to Gnomes in the hopes that it will give me something useful to work with, but it's still in the mail. :p I wouldn't myself expect crypts from them, but I'm not exactly sure how they would deal with their dead. Whatever the method, it ought to have something to do with the earth.
fruits and vegetables 02-07-04, 04:07 AM	remember these three things. step one: steal everyone's underwear. step two: .......... step three: take over the world.
MinusInnocence 02-07-04, 04:17 AM	Entombment doesn't strike me as a very gnomish notion at all. I would probably say gnomes are much more likely to either build a cairn for their fallen, or simply burn them and scatter the ashes in the soil. Earth is, indeed, very important to gnomish culture - it provides safety as well as safety to the creatures they cherish as kindred spirits. But sealing the body away in a sarcophagus doesn't really have anything to do with the soil, and you might as well place the tomb on a cloud for all the good it does for decomposition. Gnomes are very jovial, and I would suspect they use instruments such as the tambourine, small hand-held drums and wargongs (shields taken from goblins and kobolds, beaten on with small wooden mallets). The acoustics in a subterranean environment are beautiful, and the sound could probably carry for miles in a Dwarven citadel (much to the chagrin of the Stout Folk!). As far as humor goes, pranks play a great part in gnomish society. There are several theories about this - one is that laughter is simply very good for the soul, and Garl Glittergold is one of the staunchest believers in that. Consistently "pulling a fast one" on loved ones also keeps everyone on their toes, which is never a bad thing. Gnomes probably have spectacular reflexes and are very capable at thinking on their feet, simply because they have to be able to react to buckets of water falling on their head on a near-daily basis. Various sources have described the tradition of the Gnomish Sheriff. Other societies have different names for these individuals, but the keepers of the peace in gnomish culture are simply Paladins. The mental image of a stalwart warrior riding a massive dog, armed with lance and sword and spear is probably laughable to some, but gnomes obviously don't fight the same way the Big Folk do. Darts, shortbows, javelins and slings are the order of the day, as well as spears that can utilize a larger enemy's momentum or ferocity against them. Sherrifs are very well respected, typically being some of the most "down-to-earth" members of the community (thanks to a high Wisdom score) as well as particularly well-spoken and witty (Charisma is the Paladin's key ability). Gnomes are viewed as a curiosity by some of the other civilized races... and that's just fine by them. It's perfectly appropriate for people to be amused by their ridiculously long names as long as no one comes calling when the gnomes don't want them around - that also brings up the interesting issue of privacy in gnomish communities. If they don't want to be disturbed by outsiders, you simply won't come across any sign of the burrow village. They look like normal hills in a typical meadow to the untrained eye (read: the uninvited). Scouts sound the silent alarms before intruders get within a quarter mile of the place, and the countless combat drills the community practices pay off. Stealth, secrecy and xenophobia seem to be the traits most emphasized by the cousins from the Underdark, the gnomes called Svirfneblin. This is generally assumed to have something to do with all the numerous people who live in the Underdark that enjoy tormenting, enslaving, butchering and subsequently devouring the deep gnomes. They are genetically predisposed to paranoia - everything about their culture and even biological capabilities lends itself to remaining out of sight, and out of mind. Gnomes are often construed as misfit inventors - this is because gnomes enjoy to send the message to others that they are silly and harmless folk, and should always be underestimated. In truth, they are no more or less likely to blow a hole in the laboratory with a failed experiment than halflings, elves or dwarves. Visitors to a gnomish workshop are much more likely to see huge vats of superglue, potentially lethal attempts at the combustion engine, and tricycles than anything truly respectable - the little folk probably wheel out the nuclear warheads for experimentation right after any outsiders leave the premises. That begs the question - what if intruders don't want to leave? What security measures are in place to ensure the safety of the gnomes? I would imagine that their devious and clever nature lends itself well to construction of particularly nasty traps. Also, burrowing animals such as dire badgers or wolverines lend their aid to their stewards' defense. We've already discussed the Sherrifs - rangers also play a big role in gnomish culture, sort of a preemptive strike against the foe before the battle even begins. Bards, of course, have a place in protecting their people - what's worse than a "buffbot" with seemingly endless Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace and healing spells? A three foot tall version, twice as hard to hit. In closing, I believe gnomes to be consumed with one passion - the pursuit of happiness. To this end, they appear almost stand-offish to the casual observor as they try to barricade themselves from the outside world. This is not because they fear or hate others: it is so they are afforded as much privacy as they wish to pursue the things that please them.
PSchirf 02-07-04, 07:58 AM	You can decide if gnomes use crypts... I like the idea of gnomish cultures using cremation to return the body to the soil. But don't give up hope! You mention that it's a Gnomish/Dwarven city that is primarily Gnomish. There is a lot of support for dwarven sarcophagi in fantasy literature.
Bluebrush 02-07-04, 08:40 AM	Well, in the Forge of Fury Adventure, there are Dwarvern crypts. I imagine Dwarves are pretty keen on having a well crafted resting place, and probably on being buried with their treasure. Perhaps they have an attitude similar to the ancient Egyptians, where what you're buried in and with is taken to the afterlife Of course Dwarven Pragmatism might keep them from hoarding their useful goods after they die. But still, a well crafted monument to their life is probably a must for a normal Dwarf.
Morka 02-07-04, 11:23 AM	Urdlen, the gnomish god of death, is an ugly giant mole. So I guess that the death has something to do with the earth.
krichaiushii 02-07-04, 08:34 PM	There are a few books and Dragon articles that cover gnomes and their culture: Bad Axe Games has a book on gnomes due out ... sometime. http://www.badaxegames.com/html/products.html Mongoose has a Quintessential book currently available: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/index.php Scroll down a bit to the gnomes section to find the articles that may help: http://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html#g Gnomes using crypts in your world depends a lot on your culture for them. As they are associated with earth, I imagine that they bury their dead. Perhaps the tombs/crypts are packed with illusionary murals depicting the fallen gnome's life or some such. If the gnomes fear undead, their dead may be cremated, resulting in crypts full of ash-filled urns. Or the dead may be laid in state, with lots of anti-undead traps (using positive energy, most likely) lacing the way.