A Treatise on the Lost Gnomish Empire

by: Marquis Rene' de la Dube' (aka Justin Baldwin)
(a history divined with ancient and mystical divining methods that are
guaranteed untainted by foul elven treachery.)

        In the far north, under the massive hardwood forests and across the ice swept tundra, was the forgotten homeland of the gnomish race. In this harsh land the gnomes were one of the first to throw off the skins of barbarism and establish an empire of such renown that its very existence was wiped from the annuls of history by lesser, jealous races.

        It is common knowledge now that the Gnomes worship Garl Glittergold. However, this was not how it originally was. In the beginning there was only shadowy darkness and from this inky pool the original gods were borne. 

       The first to emerge from this wash of raw death was Baron Semedi and reamtimated his brothers and sisters and the spent waste from this exertion of power fell to become the earth.

       The first to rise was Damballah-Wedo, the snake god, who filled the earth with gems and cast diamonds into the skys to become stars.

Then came Agwe, who created the seas. Then Ogu, who was borne with blood on his fist, hammered mountains into the earth. Next Ezili-Freda-Dahomey, the beautiful female who found the world was drab and cloaked it with greenery. Finally, emerged Legba, who knew all paths and charged this world with magic    

   The gods convened and created the first, perfect, creature the Gnome. Baron Semedi gave them life from death and offered his love of jokes, still crucial to gnomish thought. Then Dambellah-Wedo game them all the gems in the world and offered the help of all the creatures which scurried in it. Agwe filled their veins with salt from the sea and gave knowledge to build boats and other wondrous inventions. Ogu taught the arts of war and the fondness for strong drink and profanity. Ezili-Freda-Dahomey blessed the race with randiness and all creatures would fall under the Gnomes sensual whiles. Legba was last and she caused magic to infuse the Gnome blessed them with the curiosity to know all things.

The Dwarves were next to be made and in them the Gnome would find their greatest ally. Strong in spirit they would mine the earth and pull from it minerals in which to craft.

Next came Halflings. They possessed a passion for existence nearly equal to that of a Gnome and so were blessed by it.

The creation of Humans followed. While short lived they had a drive that was unequaled and showed much wit and a interest in the pursuit of technology.

For many years the races lived together in harmony that was only occasionally broken with a lighthearted war. However, the Gods grew bored with this tranquility and decided to experiment with new creatures. This is how the creatures known as monsters came into being because each was flawed in some way. The dragons were greedy and coveted Gnomish gems, goblins were ugly beyond measure and orcs had no sense of humor.

          The last experiment of the Gods was by far the most disastrous and after this they would no longer craft creatures. In an attempt to make a taller uglier halfling the Gods crafted the elves. This race was uppity from the beginning and so filled with guile and deceit their very existence would form a boil on the ass of the realm.

       While the elves were still living in mud huts and flinging shit at each other the great cities of the Gnome began to rise in the lands to the north. In the beginning there were seven city states, ranging in power from least to greatest, named Stolig,  Whitestone, Glitterdale, Uvrakk, Norcust, Nevelca, and Chanf. Each of these cities was build both above and below ground and controlled a vast section of land and resources. When monsters began to threaten the Gnomish borders the seven city states banded together the Emperor Dub to form the first empire of the realm, Ragnorras.

When the monster invaders were thrown back the Gnomes of Ragnorras turned their attention inward. Each city grew to epic proportions as inventions allowed for indoor water and waste disposal, ships plyed the seas and explored far off lands, and established universities for the free exchange of ideas. It was at this point that the elves discovered the spear.

          After many thousands of years the Gnomes had build fantastic airships and were on the verge of crossing into the veil of the stars. Education was in such high regard that each Gnome knew a few magic spells, which progresses to this day, and Gnomes produced scores of mages that have yet to be equaled.  

However, the elves were not idle. They had forever cast a jealous eye on the Gnome and conspired together to obtain what they had always wished, a degree of Gmonishness. In vile laboratories Elves toiled to bring about the destruction of an entire race and finally they succeeded. They had crafted a powerful magical disease, called Sslyslys, that would bring even the hardy Gnome down.

The attack had two pinchers, at the moment Sslyslys was released into the Gnomish populous the foul Elven gods led by Corellon Larethian did battle with the Gnomish pantheon so the Gods would be to distracted to fully help their children fight Sslyslys.

As the Gnomes fell by the thousands the power of the Gods began to weaken and the feared for the worst, their destruction and that of their chosen people. The Gods fractured a small portion of their power off to form Garl Glittergold and his siblings. While the Gods were taking refuge thousands of the greatest Mages in Ragnorras gathered in Chanf. Putting all of their life force into the mightiest spell ever cast they called forth great walls of ice to crush the Gnomish cities and all that they had created, lest it fall into the hands of the elves. Only a few hundred Gnomish children were able to escape the disease and the cataclysm that followed to take refuge in the underground halls of the Dwarves.

          When the Elves realized that they could not harness the technology and magic of the Gnomes they set about a extended campaign to wipe all knowledge of the great Empire of Ragnorras from recorded history. Elven Loremasters infected every facet of each race’s written history and they were largely successful.

What the Elves did not count on was the strong oral tradition of the Gnomish people. It was only through this medium that a small portion of Gnomes maintained their cultural identity and the faith in the old Gods, lest they be lost.

So cast off the shackles that the Elves have placed on us all. Ask them what they hide in their forests. What of the Sslyslys and the Drow? Why do they want to monopolies the power of knowledge? They succeeded in nearly destroying the Gnomes, where will they stop? They are a patient race and full of deceit. Hold these words close to your heart and ask yourself who denounces them most and why do they fear them if they are not the truth?

I'd like to point out that the Imperial Historians have found very little to support this Treatise, and that most the facts and ideas presented while have some basis of truth. It's mostly only with a liberal dose of self interpretation on the Marquis's part does it truly fit together.  Still some have come to believe his words, he is worth watching closely.

 - Imperial Historian Jacques Moray