The History of Gnomes

n perfect unison with the history of Avalon, The Lost City, so too has the history of the Gnomish race ebbed and flowed.
History
These curious inventors were the first of the many communities of Daënfel to split from the Kingdom of Eá-galwen millenia ago, choosing to settle their own part of the world. The gnomes chose to explore - they set out in every direction to uncover and understand everything they could about the world, and collect a colourful array of memories to bring back to their home-communities.
Their grasp of the arcane, mathematics and crafting quickly eclipsed the other communities of this world. For hundreds of years, Gnomish 'clans' or families would travel between the cities at this time - predominantly Carrag Nuine, Trinity and Helias - in great convoys, selling all sorts of magical wares and oddities. It is said that these great families of yore made all sorts of bargains, pacts and deals with the creatures of this world, such as Dragons, Giants or even the Gods, to accrue this magical talent in which they put all their focus.
This wealth and treasure drew the attention of many, and for a time the gnomes were ostracized, with rumours sowed against them or even attacks to their convoys. The Gnomish families came together to decide what to do with their seemingly boundless knowledge and skill, and a decision was made to create a home for their people; a place where those interested in their learnings and marvels would travel to them, and their people would be protected by their own laws.
And such, Avalon was born. 'The City of Progress' it was once called, and within mere decades the gnomes had established themselves as one of the most prolific communities on the continent. Diplomats from all across Daënfel came to treat with the great Gnomish families, purchasing their magical wares in exchange for goods and favours. The township of Crater Cove was built by the Kings of Eá-galwen, simply to source and trade the materials requested of the gnomes to build their great spires and towers that rose above the marble city. Indeed, many of the items of magic that still exist today were created during this time, as if the Astronomer himself guided the hands of the Gnomish crafters.
For centuries Avalon prospered, and each year would supercede the last in technological advancements - a feat many view as the most prosperous time in Daënfel's history - and yet the gnomes grew restless. This growing metropolis required an immense amount of administration; diplomats, service workers, taxes, levies, laws - all things that the Gnomish heart has no interest in. They are creators. Inventors. And when the people of this world started to expect the marvellous wonders which they created, the Bleaching reared its ugly head.
The colour started to drain from these people - their hair turning to the same white marble which decked their halls - and a profound lag was felt in the progress in which they had revelled for so long. Orders stopped being met, demands were made, and more and more gnomes chose to leave Trinity to go and seek the colour in which their purpose was built. The Great Families kept a semblance of order for some time, but eventually administration of the city passed on, primarily to the wealthy, enterprising nobles from Eá-galwen who had settled in the city in years past. The Gnomes were still present in the political environment to some degree, but their focus was now on finding their purpose again, and in staving off the disease that rocked their people.
It was in the decades that followed that Avlar, The God-King, ascended to the throne of Avalon and the legacy of the gnomes was destroyed, along with much of their people.
In the wake of that tragedy, the gnomes returned to their roots. Many gnomish families away from Avalon at the time of its fall chose to stay on the roads, soaking in the rich experiences of life which their people had come to value so highly again. For the gnomes closer to home, The Prelates of Trinity, The Pearl of the Empire, who had successfuly revolted against the nobles that led the city prior to Avlar's conquest, resented the gnomish artisans for eclipsing the glory of their great city, but could not deny their brilliance. The Power Works was formed within the city, where smiths and tinker gathered to preserve as much as they could of the ways of gunpowder that had been invented in Avalon.
Today, caravans of Gnomish families can be found travelling across Daënfel peddling magical wares in every corner of the world, while the region of Avlar's Folly is full of enterprising tradesmen and bright-eyed youngsters looking to reinvent the marvellous creations of The Lost City.