Gnomes
Tireless Watchers
There is a deep, sprawling jungle in the west of the continent called Adhera. Besides the beasts that roam it, only one race has ever learned its pathways: the Gnomes. Adhera has been called ‘unconquerable’ but the gnomes who’ve made it their home have learned that the secret to its habitation lies in controlling the waters; And this they’ve done masterfully. Their dominion over water with great aqueducts, dams, and canals is unprecedented and all architects of the continent travel to Adhera at least once in their lifetime to learn.
The vivid environment has also made the gnomes keen watchers of their surroundings and it’s turned them into experts on flora and medicine. This exploration of the wilds has pit them against the ‘Wild Ones’ of the region. There are small misunderstandings between the Bullywugs, who live simpler lives and don’t so much interrupt the Gnomes’ whims. But the proud Apelong have viciously resisted them and the Gnomes and the Apelong live in a constant state of Guerilla warfare that seems to have no foreseeable end. This state of conflict harkens back to the time of The Settlement Wars, when the Gnomes had first began to settle in the jungles of Adhera. The Apelong, in an overwhelming assault, destroyed their great city of Khogaya, resulting in many gnome casualties. The Gnomes of today know the event as the The Weeping Ruby and it still stands as one of the main drives to strike at the Apelong.
Gnomes believe in the Takusan; the flow of the universe that moves spirits and controls the flow of rebirth, which they believe every soul does countless times. Due to this, their society is reigned by a strict caste-like system, ruled over by the Maharaja, also known as the Delta Lord. He acts as a high lord, delegating smaller-scale administrative roles to Meanders, or a kind of Warden of a province. These Meanders are not like other provincial lords, however. The difficulty of the jungle makes it so that, besides the rivers and canals that the Gnomes use to navigate, the areas between settlements are wild, untamed, and dangerous. Therefore, Meanders hold great power, only subject to the Maharaja because of the Delta's great economic gains and international renown.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Basanti, Charu, Minda, Rani, Samta, Tanu
Masculine names
Atul, Devarsi, Inder, Kabir, Talor, Varun
Family names
Ahuja, Bakshi, Chadna, Mangal, Kaur, Parekh
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These names are derived from Hindu first and last names.
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