Air Gnomes

Gnomes are not native to The Civilized Lands. The location of the gnomish homeland, “Gnomeland” is a tightly guarded secret by the air gnomes who only come to visit in giant airships to trade. There are no permanent communities of air gnomes in The Civilized Lands.

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A People of Secrets

The air gnomes are the most enigmatic of The Natural races. They keep their origins and the location of their homeland as a tightly guarded secret, even from their earthbound brethren and cistern. Tinkerers and engineers by nature, air gnomes are known for their strange and wonderful machines. The grandest of these are their giant airships, which with every fourth cycle of The Moons will roll over the horizon of The Ocean Sea and dock themselves over the ports of Jeet Siti, Vaticus , and Cestrium  to trade, casting their enormous shadows over whole districts of these cities.
The launch point of these airships, the gnomish homeland, sometimes called “"Gnomeland" ”, is completely unknown to anyone but the crew of these airships. None have ever divulged any information about it. No scrying magic, naval vessel, or flying creature has been able to follow these airships back to their launch point. And when air gnomes are asked about their homeland, the questioner only gets a blank, expressionless face in return. All that is known is that Gnomeland must be somewhere to the west of The Civilized Lands, in The Ocean Sea.

No Magic, No Sir

Many think that the air gnomes are using some sort of powerful concealing magic on their airships and their homeland, but considering the air gnomes’ unique relationship with magic, this is unlikely. Air gnomes have no magic users among them (no mages, sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, druids, or clerics) and no air gnome has ever been observed using magic of any kind. In fact, in areas were air gnomes gather in mass (on their airships or their ground based trading houses) all types of magic become ineffective. No spells can be cast, no innate magical abilities can be used, nor any magical items. The exact size and shape of this “magic free zone” has never been fully determined, but it seems to depend on the number of air gnomes gathered and the population of the city they are visiting. No one knows the source of this effect and the air gnomes will not say.

Builders & Engineers

What air gnomes lack in magic they make up for with their engineering. Their airships are as long as the eldest dragons and manned by crews of hundreds. Inside, visitors will find all sorts of marvelous contraptions. There are machines to plot the ship’s course and drive the craft. There are machines that make water. There are devices to see objects at great distances and mechanisms to tell time without using the sun’s shadow. There are powerful weapons that blast the enemy with cracks of thunder. Their are lanterns that burn cool, without fuel or magic. There are machines to make bread and others to make soup... and many other creations of unknown usage.
Items of gnomish build have special properties and advantages, some of which mimic magical effects. However and the sword is treated as a normal sword in all other respects. Other effects are unique to gnomish built items, such as plate armor with half the weight of the standard version or compound short bows with double the range. These can be purchased from air gnomes directly, but as stated earlier they typically do not accept payment in gold or silver. They can also be purchased second hand, but at greatly increased prices.

A People of Secrets

While air gnomes are happy to take visitors aboard their vessels and explain the purpose of their machines, they do not explain how they work nor how to construct them. And they do not trade them away to outsiders, no matter the price. Those who are greedy or curious enough to learn the air gnomes’ secrets by thievery, soon find that to be a pointless endeavor, because much as magic will not work in the presence of air gnomes, their devices will not work without the presence of the air gnomes. Once an air gnome device is out of the presence of the air gnomes it will stop working or malfunction (sometimes with explosive results).

Where to Find Air Gnomes and What They Want

Air gnomes can only be found on their airships or manning ground-based trading houses in the port cities of Vaticus  and Jeet Siti . They have no permanent settlements anywhere else and rarely venture out into the cities in which they dock. They hire rock & forest gnomes  as their agents for any business outside the trading houses. When in port, they will conduct vigorous trade with all comers. They are most interested in acquiring raw materials; metal ores or smelted metals, raw cotton and silk thread, high quality timber, food stuffs, and the like.
One curiosity is that they seem uninterested in payment in gold or silver, or even gems. They are uninterested in jewelry, coins, or artifacts crafted from these materials. In return, they offer the finest finished goods; fine silk and cotton fabrics dyed in vibrant patterns and colors, complex bows with pulley systems to multiply the archer’s strength, highly durable smithing tools, tasty brews of all sorts, well balanced weapons with the sharpest blades, armor and shields made of the strongest, yet lightest alloys, and other finally crafted goods.

Religion

Air gnomes are a remarkably secular people. They have no clergy or clerics and practice no religion. Air gnomes acknowledge that the gods may exist, but treat them as they would any other being on. If a sister of Chantrel would try to engage an air gnome in a discussion of The Holy Lady, a gnome might respond with, “If Chantrel wants to come and trade for some fine silks, she is more than welcome to.”

Relations with Other Races

Air gnomes are willing to deal with all members of all races even Dragonborn . They have no prejudices and have no enemies. They do hold a special relationship with some forest and rock gnomes, who they hire as their agents and representatives.

Homelands

No air gnome has ever divulged any information about their homeland; not even that it exists. It is referred to by others as "Gnomeland". Most surmise that it must be somewhere to the west of The Trackless Sea.

Parent ethnicities

• Gnome

Diverged ethnicities

• Tinker Gnomes

Related Myths

• Erathis - The Great Engineer

Related Locations

• "Gnomeland"
• Cestrium
• Jeet Siti
• Vaticus

Ability Score Increase: Intelligence +3.
Lifespan: 70-100 years
Size: Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed: Base walking speed is 25 feet.
Darkvision: You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gnome Cunning: You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Imperial and Gnomish. The Gnomish language is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge about the natural world.
Weapon Proficiency: All firearm arms and crossbows
Mind of Metal & Gears: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to alchemical objects or technological devices you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally appIy.
Magical Befuddlement:

• Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) or Intelligence (Arcana) check related to magic, magical items, or magical creatures you do so at disadvantage.
• You may not take Arcana as a proficiency.

Magical Immunity:

• You make all saving throws against magical attacks and effects at advantage.
• If any spell or magical effect could affect you (no matter the source) and no saving throw is to be made, you must make an Intelligence saving throw at DC 10 at advantage. If you succeed the spell or effect does not affect you.
• You may not take any spellcasting class.
• You are unable to cast any spells or use any magical items.
• In your hands, magical items behave as if the have no magical abilities or properties.

Master Tinkerer: You have proficiency with artisan's tools (tinker's tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time. After a device is used make a Intelligence check 10. If failed the device ceases to function as described above. When you create a device, choose one of the following options:

• Magic Maker- You can build a device that (nonmagically) mimics the effects of a cantrip. To build the device, you must either have the design or blueprints for it. You can find the design, be taught by someone else, or research the design yourself. To research the design you need to successfully complete three research sessions. During a research session you permanently consume 10 gp of materials and spend three uninterrupted hours building and tinkering. Each session ends with an Intelligence check DC 15. If the check is passed, the research session is successful.
  
• Clockwork Toy - This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
  
• Fire Starter - The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
  
• Music Box - When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song's end or when it is closed.