Red Gnomes

Red Gnomes are a group of Gnomes. Tensions continued with the Red Dwarves for a century that followed, with the Red Gnomes being treated as a source of cheap labour. Eventually this all came to a head, and the Free Gnomish Republic stands on the verge of war with the [Red Mountain Halls] to liberate all Gnomekind from their overlords.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The Red Gnomes spent most of their existence as slaves to the Red Dwarves doing tasks they felt were beneath them. Usually, this would be in the refinement of basic materials, the smithing of common objects, and the basic chores. With the advent of the steam engine and the fall of the Magocratic Empires, the Gnomes managed to free themselves but millenia of being an underculture deeply affected the Gnomes going forward. Many of their social structures are based around shifts and work. Rather than meeting in the afternoon they would 'meet offshift'. Rather than going to bed, it is 'lights out'. Where other people have a bar, they have a break room. They are inclined to being structured and ordered. Used to strong arm leadership. They also tend to be poor and simple. Though there are exceptional Gnomes that buck the trend, many tend to find being a cog the most comfortable. Working together towards common goals as they had for millenia. This poverty and the communal nature of their society, as well as the failure of previous governments, made them ripe for turning Communist. The rise of the Gnomish People's Republic did not resolve many of their problems, and managed to isolate them from some of their traditional allies on the world stage. But these threats have managed to unify their society as they have turned inward. The Red Gnomes are not only highly industrialized, they also have a highly militarized culture due to the number of threats they are facing. All Gnomes are drafted to civil service for five years, which is usually military service though can be with other government services. This has all resulted in a poor, highly patriotic, deeply regimented society.

Average technological level

Modern Technology (rifles, computers, tanks, etc)

Art & Architecture

Before their freedom, Red Gnomes were banned from practising art. Since being freed from slavery, the Red Gnomes have had the chance to become creative. Older architecture shortly after their freedom is a reductive variance of the styles used by their former masters. Since the Communist revolution, there has been a conscious effort made to develop a uniquely Gnomish style. Where the Dwarves strived to create incredibly complex designs, the Gnomes focused on simplicity. Everything is utility, and geometric shapes. Their buildings tend to be blocky and modular, and their art is meant to be impressionistic rather than chasing any ideal of realism.