Gnomes

Gnomes of Belthuran are not that different from how they have evolved in other realms, with a love for tinkering and innovation a core of their being they are renowned Alchemists and Wizards, but they also have a nearly unrivaled skill jewel crafting both magical and mundane. They are a cousin species to the dwarves but rather than being very strict and tradition based the gnomes are far more interested in the freedom of innovation and living life as you want. Far too chaotic for their kin they moved away into Arcessa before the Falsoree split from the Anrasha but not long before.
When the gnomes arrived, they began building Tinley first only to find themselves on one of the weak points between the elemental plane of earth providing high quality stone and gemstones in high abundance making them able to develop their jewel crafting skills while also building their future capital. Gnomes suffer from the same size problems as kobolds and so began to develop them magics to help lift, clean, carry and do many tasks for them so they could still work on other ventures while still building and maintaining their homes.
Those unable to become wizards or seeking another path often become alchemists and have created a great many potions, alchemical engines, and weapons based around this science. There are even rumors of an alchemical reliant airship being developed. While some think such a thing would be folly the gnomes were the ones who animated an entire castle to try and use against the Anrasha near the end of the Dark Age.
Gnome cuisine is world renowned as being wholly unappetizing to nearly every other sentient race, they will eat nearly anything. Mixing chili and oatmeal is a good breakfast, a mix of various animal gizzards into a paste then stuffed into plant wraps. Only those with a strong stomach should consider eating gnomish food, even being near it being cooked can be nauseating.
Alchemical and clockwork weapons are their bread and butter, as well as a favoring towards magical things like golems and other animated objects. Gnomes make excellent Artificers given their love of tinkering and magic, even the nonmagical equipment they use is very complex and jury rigged at times. They are prone to using crossbows with clockwork devices installed to pull back the string for them, or on the lower end a crank with a series of gears to pull it back easier.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Innovation is a very important aspect to the Gnomes, that and the pursuit of the perfect crafts. They are a very materialistic society and always wish to show off what they have when they can. They build large and ostentatiously to impress and pull focus from their short size. Their society treats safety as a secondary thought in the wake of innovation not out of a general malice towards other, but negligence on their part when they become too wrapped up in the success of their current project. This is part of the reason why their capitol city has such a low population, it is the site of many displays of new innovations or practices, combined with the near constant encroaching of the elemental caverns it makes it a bad place to raise a family. As to each other friendly rivalries are what they would call it, seeking to always outdo the other and make more and better things than others. These rivalries can sometimes turn hostile and lead to conflict, but they are rare. The gnomes operate with their own senate with a chancellor that often serves only to guide the topics at hand but if needed can call for emergency votes or in rare cases be given power to place deciding votes as they feel necessary.

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Having once been under the Dwarves much like the Halflings the Gnomes demonstrated a willful disregard for tradition in their ever reaching toward the future, as well as their willingness to engage in magic without the use of runes, then further delving into illusion magic which the Dwarves see as a cowards way. This led to the eventual division of the two they do maintain at least friendly relations but leave their relationship mainly a trade one. Humans are up and coming inventors with a curious mind that reminds them of their own, however, they are rather troubled by the short life spans, yet impressed by the work they can get done in that time. Elves, Falsoree are considered friends as they form the second part of their nation. Woldari are rarely encountered so never really thought of so have and have no strong opinion either way. The Anrasha are considered vile and evil but have a very cunning mind they are respected for; the Gnomes take it as a challenge to try and create something that such an implacable foe cannot overcome.

Religion: The one god the Gnomes truly worship would be the Architect, and there is a large temple dedicated to the god in all their cities and workshops often are blessed by the clergy and have their own shrines. The other gods can find worship in Tinley, but in far less numbers.
Adventurers: Gnomes are innovators and love to find new ways to improve their crafts this plus their natural curiosity makes them good if perhaps a bit reckless as adventurers as they are quite willing to go figure out how a mechanism works, perhaps too much so. Gnome Artificers and Wizards are common examples of adventuring gnomes.