Gnomish History - Revision history

Tao alexis: /* Changing Trade Patterns */

2026-03-26T03:36:35Z

Changing Trade Patterns

Tao alexis at 03:36, 26 March 2026

2026-03-26T03:36:24Z

Tao alexis: /* Vepsian Culture */

2026-03-26T03:35:40Z

Vepsian Culture

Tao alexis: /* Changing Trade Patterns */

2026-03-26T03:35:23Z

Changing Trade Patterns

Tao alexis: /* Changing Trade Patterns */

2026-03-25T22:51:42Z

Changing Trade Patterns

Tao alexis: /* Changing Trade Patterns */

2026-03-25T22:51:32Z

Changing Trade Patterns

Tao alexis at 22:50, 25 March 2026

2026-03-25T22:50:50Z

Tao alexis at 21:45, 25 March 2026

2026-03-25T21:45:00Z

Tao alexis at 22:40, 21 March 2026

2026-03-21T22:40:55Z

Tao alexis: Created page with "'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of svirfneblin, who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early Mesolithic Period|M..."

2026-03-21T22:27:49Z

Created page with "'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of svirfneblin, who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early Mesolithic Period|M..."

New page

'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early [[Mesolithic Period|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface and the effect that sunlight had upon their offspring for a period of two thousand years, it is estimated, produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller offshoot whose first surface habitations occurred in the region of the Kjolen mountains within present day Finnemar, in Ulthua. Encounters between these small groupings and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors, passed knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving a in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and comprehension of the fundamental principles of magic.

Circa 10,000 years ago, during the mid-to-late Mesolithic, gnomish populations increased as they began to migrate south into the mountainous ranges of Scandinavia, particularly in the Dovrefjell, establishing villages along the higher mountain slopes. Exposure to sunlight and a shift in diet brought rapid changes to their physiology, as they became slighter in build and less rough-hewn in appearance. Gnomish habitations appeared around the mouths of the Vistula, Nemunas, Daugava and Bug rivers, supported by frozen routes across the Baltic Sea (safe for them, dangerous for larger folk) that permitted constant communication the year round. Well established thousands of years before the coming of the Balt Peoples, gnomes built small boats and explored into the interior, leading to outposts far from the sea, which in turn led to trade some 6,000 years before the time of Christ.

Associations with human cultures that the gnomes described as "Maglemosian," a cultural exchange again influenced both groups. Adopting clan and tribal associations, the gnomes experimented with the human practice of aggression, particularly against goblins and hobgoblins as these scattered peoples were confronted in lands that stretched from the Tatra Mountains to the [[Volga River|Volga basin]]. This created a '''pre-Vepsian''' culture that inspired gnomish migrations into goblinish lands, south into the Central Highlands of the [[Sarmatic Plain]] (Scythian lands) and as far east as the [[Zhiguli Mountains]]. Much of this spread also encouraged a search for natural placer deposits, which became important in Gnomish art and religious belief. Despite this spread, gnomish culture would remain remarkably homogeneous in nature, suggesting that gnomes are fundamentally less individualistic as a people than humans.

Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north (gnollish people) prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga; nonetheless, with trade routes reaching thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across even such vast distances and a rapid population growth, by the Chalcolithic period an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres was inevitable — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 The Vepsian compact had always depended upon continuity of movement: winter crossings, river routes, upland passes, seasonal trade and rare interactions with its wider representatives. In the centuries after 1500, these became less and less reliable. A broad movement of warlike Aryan peoples pressing north and west out of the trans-Ural regions and into the steppe compressed the gnomish societies of the east, imposing a more defensive, martial response; the education and practice of "[[Harn]]" culture, as it came to be known, transformed from a trading culture into something that more closely resembled the militaristic dwarven entities [[Hoth]] and [[Altslok]] — led, in fact by dwarven military advisors and artisans.
-[[File:Present-day Gnomish influence.jpg|right|420px|thumb|'''Present-day Gnomish influence''']]
+[[File:Present-day Gnomish influence.jpg|right|420px|thumb|'''Present-day Gnomish Influence''']]
 The appearance of halflings in Scandinavia following the collapse of [[Doggerland]] increased the complex fragmentation of that region; [[Lenglin]] and [[Nanbrun]] were slowly and steadily wrested apart by the peaceful intervention of the Nordic Bronze Age, as increasingly humans began to adapt themselves and compete more effectively along the old gnomish trade routes. The outlying realm of [[Vasterland]] turned inward, increasingly investing that local gnomish culture back to the subterranean routes of the ancient svirfneblin kin. Population growth among gnomish peoples slowed in comparison with that of humans, further affecting the importance of gnomish intellectual influence and wares.

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north, a gnollish people, prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga. Nonetheless, with trade routes extending for thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across these distances, and a rapid growth in population, an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres became inevitable by the Chalcolithic period — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].
-[[File:Extent of the Vepsian Culture.jpg|right|420px|thumb]]
+[[File:Extent of the Vepsian Culture.jpg|right|420px|thumb|'''Extent of the Vepsian Culture''']]
 == Vepsian Culture ==
 Often wrongly described as the Vepsian Empire, a more accurate appelation for this joint compact between various gnome peoples would be a "heritage," in which a long-enduring economic sphere bound together widely scattered gnomish populations across northern Europe between 2700 and 1500 BCE. Similar to the present-day Elector College of the Holy Roman Empire, an alliance of "hearths and lineages" permitted occasions where each recognised sphere of gnomish culture would send a ceremonial representative to negotiate on matters of custom, trade, river access, ritual law and mutual defense... but since such moments occurred once in a generation, it was rare that a single individual retained the office long enough to serve twice. These representatives, known in the Vepsian tongue as '''stonevoices''', did not stand as rulers in the human sense, but as acknowledged speakers for the ancestral rights and memory of the communities that sent them. Their authority rested upon the right of each given region to speak it's need within the Vepsian order. In this way, the Vepsian culture maintained a continuity of law, exchange and religious observance across immense distances without requiring any fixed capital, monarch or permanent administrative centre.
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 The Vepsian compact had always depended upon continuity of movement: winter crossings, river routes, upland passes, seasonal trade and rare interactions with its wider representatives. In the centuries after 1500, these became less and less reliable. A broad movement of warlike Aryan peoples pressing north and west out of the trans-Ural regions and into the steppe compressed the gnomish societies of the east, imposing a more defensive, martial response; the education and practice of "[[Harn]]" culture, as it came to be known, transformed from a trading culture into something that more closely resembled the militaristic dwarven entities [[Hoth]] and [[Altslok]] — led, in fact by dwarven military advisors and artisans.
-[[File:Present-day Gnomish influence.jpg|right|420px|thumb]]
+[[File:Present-day Gnomish influence.jpg|right|420px|thumb|'''Present-day Gnomish influence''']]
 The appearance of halflings in Scandinavia following the collapse of [[Doggerland]] increased the complex fragmentation of that region; [[Lenglin]] and [[Nanbrun]] were slowly and steadily wrested apart by the peaceful intervention of the Nordic Bronze Age, as increasingly humans began to adapt themselves and compete more effectively along the old gnomish trade routes. The outlying realm of [[Vasterland]] turned inward, increasingly investing that local gnomish culture back to the subterranean routes of the ancient svirfneblin kin. Population growth among gnomish peoples slowed in comparison with that of humans, further affecting the importance of gnomish intellectual influence and wares.

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north, a gnollish people, prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga. Nonetheless, with trade routes extending for thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across these distances, and a rapid growth in population, an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres became inevitable by the Chalcolithic period — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].
 == Vepsian Culture ==
 Often wrongly described as the Vepsian Empire, a more accurate appelation for this joint compact between various gnome peoples would be a "heritage," in which a long-enduring economic sphere bound together widely scattered gnomish populations across northern Europe between 2700 and 1500 BCE. Similar to the present-day Elector College of the Holy Roman Empire, an alliance of "hearths and lineages" permitted occasions where each recognised sphere of gnomish culture would send a ceremonial representative to negotiate on matters of custom, trade, river access, ritual law and mutual defense... but since such moments occurred once in a generation, it was rare that a single individual retained the office long enough to serve twice. These representatives, known in the Vepsian tongue as '''stonevoices''', did not stand as rulers in the human sense, but as acknowledged speakers for the ancestral rights and memory of the communities that sent them. Their authority rested upon the right of each given region to speak it's need within the Vepsian order. In this way, the Vepsian culture maintained a continuity of law, exchange and religious observance across immense distances without requiring any fixed capital, monarch or permanent administrative centre.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:35, 26 March 2026
Line 22:		Line 22:
	The Vepsian compact had always depended upon continuity of movement: winter crossings, river routes, upland passes, seasonal trade and rare interactions with its wider representatives. In the centuries after 1500, these became less and less reliable. A broad movement of warlike Aryan peoples pressing north and west out of the trans-Ural regions and into the steppe compressed the gnomish societies of the east, imposing a more defensive, martial response; the education and practice of "[[Harn]]" culture, as it came to be known, transformed from a trading culture into something that more closely resembled the militaristic dwarven entities [[Hoth]] and [[Altslok]] — led, in fact by dwarven military advisors and artisans.		The Vepsian compact had always depended upon continuity of movement: winter crossings, river routes, upland passes, seasonal trade and rare interactions with its wider representatives. In the centuries after 1500, these became less and less reliable. A broad movement of warlike Aryan peoples pressing north and west out of the trans-Ural regions and into the steppe compressed the gnomish societies of the east, imposing a more defensive, martial response; the education and practice of "[[Harn]]" culture, as it came to be known, transformed from a trading culture into something that more closely resembled the militaristic dwarven entities [[Hoth]] and [[Altslok]] — led, in fact by dwarven military advisors and artisans.

		+	[[File:Present-day Gnomish influence.jpg\|right\|420px\|thumb]]
	The appearance of halflings in Scandinavia following the collapse of [[Doggerland]] increased the complex fragmentation of that region; [[Lenglin]] and [[Nanbrun]] were slowly and steadily wrested apart by the peaceful intervention of the Nordic Bronze Age, as increasingly humans began to adapt themselves and compete more effectively along the old gnomish trade routes. The outlying realm of [[Vasterland]] turned inward, increasingly investing that local gnomish culture back to the subterranean routes of the ancient svirfneblin kin. Population growth among gnomish peoples slowed in comparison with that of humans, further affecting the importance of gnomish intellectual influence and wares.		The appearance of halflings in Scandinavia following the collapse of [[Doggerland]] increased the complex fragmentation of that region; [[Lenglin]] and [[Nanbrun]] were slowly and steadily wrested apart by the peaceful intervention of the Nordic Bronze Age, as increasingly humans began to adapt themselves and compete more effectively along the old gnomish trade routes. The outlying realm of [[Vasterland]] turned inward, increasingly investing that local gnomish culture back to the subterranean routes of the ancient svirfneblin kin. Population growth among gnomish peoples slowed in comparison with that of humans, further affecting the importance of gnomish intellectual influence and wares.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:51, 25 March 2026
Line 25:		Line 25:

	The remaining enduring gnomish civilisation, adopting [[Vepses]] as its descriptor, would also continue as an entity into the present. However, while once it occupied a realm reaching from the Nemauna to the Volodga rivers, portions have been steadily parcelled since the 2nd century BCE. For a time it became a client-state of Novgorod; escaping the depredation of the Mongols, Vepses renewed its independence in the 1200s. Gnomish warriors participated against the German Teutons at Tannenberg in 1410. Today, a minor buffer state between Sweden, Ulthua and Moskva, it supports an important Illusionist's academy and seminary, as well as the most sacred temple, the Emberhall, within the gnomish culture.		The remaining enduring gnomish civilisation, adopting [[Vepses]] as its descriptor, would also continue as an entity into the present. However, while once it occupied a realm reaching from the Nemauna to the Volodga rivers, portions have been steadily parcelled since the 2nd century BCE. For a time it became a client-state of Novgorod; escaping the depredation of the Mongols, Vepses renewed its independence in the 1200s. Gnomish warriors participated against the German Teutons at Tannenberg in 1410. Today, a minor buffer state between Sweden, Ulthua and Moskva, it supports an important Illusionist's academy and seminary, as well as the most sacred temple, the Emberhall, within the gnomish culture.
		+

	See [[World History]]		See [[World History]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Gnomish History.jpg|right|560px|thumb]]
 '''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which emerged in the early [[Mesolithic Period|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the ultimate origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface, together with the effect of sunlight upon their offspring over a period estimated at two thousand years, appear to have produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller, offshoot. Their first surface habitations arose in the region of the Kjolen mountains, within present-day Finnemar in Ulthua. Encounters between these small communities and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors — passed on knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and an understanding of the fundamental principles of magic.
@@ Line 7: / Line 8: @@
 Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north, a gnollish people, prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga. Nonetheless, with trade routes extending for thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across these distances, and a rapid growth in population, an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres became inevitable by the Chalcolithic period — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Gnomish History.jpg|right|560px|thumb]]
-'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early [[Mesolithic Period|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface and the effect that sunlight had upon their offspring for a period of two thousand years, it is estimated, produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller offshoot whose first surface habitations occurred in the region of the Kjolen mountains within present day Finnemar, in Ulthua. Encounters between these small groupings and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors, passed knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving a in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and comprehension of the fundamental principles of magic.
+'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which emerged in the early [[Mesolithic Period|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the ultimate origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface, together with the effect of sunlight upon their offspring over a period estimated at two thousand years, appear to have produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller, offshoot. Their first surface habitations arose in the region of the Kjolen mountains, within present-day Finnemar in Ulthua. Encounters between these small communities and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors — passed on knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and an understanding of the fundamental principles of magic.
-Circa 10,000 years ago, during the mid-to-late Mesolithic, gnomish populations increased as they began to migrate south into the mountainous ranges of Scandinavia, particularly in the Dovrefjell, establishing villages along the higher mountain slopes. Exposure to sunlight and a shift in diet brought rapid changes to their physiology, as they became slighter in build and less rough-hewn in appearance. Gnomish habitations appeared around the mouths of the Vistula, Nemunas, Daugava and Bug rivers, supported by frozen routes across the Baltic Sea (safe for them, dangerous for larger folk) that permitted constant communication the year round. Well established thousands of years before the coming of the Balt Peoples, gnomes built small boats and explored into the interior, leading to outposts far from the sea, which in turn led to trade some 6,000 years before the time of Christ.
+Circa 10,000 years ago, during the mid-to-late Mesolithic, gnomish populations increased as they began to migrate south into the mountainous ranges of Scandinavia, particularly the Dovrefjell, where they established villages along the higher slopes. Exposure to sunlight, together with a change in diet, brought rapid changes to their physiology, and they became slighter in build and less rough-hewn in appearance. Gnomish habitations arose around the mouths of the Vistula, Nemunas, Daugava and Bug rivers, supported by frozen routes across the Baltic Sea which, though safe for them, remained dangerous to larger folk and permitted constant communication throughout the year. Already well established thousands of years before the coming of the Balt peoples, gnomes built small boats and explored into the interior, leading to the founding of outposts far from the sea and, in turn, to trade as early as 6,000 years before the time of Christ.
-Associations with human cultures that the gnomes described as "Maglemosian," a cultural exchange again influenced both groups. Adopting clan and tribal associations, the gnomes experimented with the human practice of aggression, particularly against goblins and hobgoblins as these scattered peoples were confronted in lands that stretched from the Tatra Mountains to the [[Volga River|Volga basin]]. This created a '''pre-Vepsian''' culture that inspired gnomish migrations into goblinish lands, south into the Central Highlands of the [[Sarmatic Plain]] (Scythian lands) and as far east as the [[Zhiguli Mountains]]. Much of this spread also encouraged a search for natural placer deposits, which became important in Gnomish art and religious belief. Despite this spread, gnomish culture would remain remarkably homogeneous in nature, suggesting that gnomes are fundamentally less individualistic as a people than humans.
+Associations with human cultures that the gnomes described as "Maglemosian" again brought about a cultural exchange that influenced both peoples. Adopting clan and tribal associations, the gnomes also experimented with the human practice of organised aggression, particularly against goblins and hobgoblins, as these scattered peoples were encountered in lands stretching from the Tatra Mountains to the [[Volga River|Volga basin]]. From this emerged a '''pre-Vepsian''' culture, which in turn inspired gnomish migrations into goblinish lands, south into the Central Highlands of the [[Sarmatic Plain]] (Scythian lands) and as far east as the [[Zhiguli Mountains]]. Much of this expansion also encouraged a search for natural placer deposits, which became important to gnomish art and religious belief. Despite this wide dispersal, gnomish culture remained remarkably homogeneous in character, suggesting that gnomes are, by nature, a less individualistic people than humans.
-Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north (gnollish people) prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga; nonetheless, with trade routes reaching thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across even such vast distances and a rapid population growth, by the Chalcolithic period an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres was inevitable — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].
+Conflict with the Gunda-Gaa culture of the north, a gnollish people, prevented the gnomes from occupying lands beyond the Volga. Nonetheless, with trade routes extending for thousands of miles, a relative alikeness in gnomish perspectives across these distances, and a rapid growth in population, an amalgamation of disparate gnomish centres became inevitable by the Chalcolithic period — the result being the [[Vepsian Culture]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:40, 21 March 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	[[File:Gnomish History.jpg\|right\|560px\|thumb]]
	'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early [[Mesolithic Period\|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface and the effect that sunlight had upon their offspring for a period of two thousand years, it is estimated, produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller offshoot whose first surface habitations occurred in the region of the Kjolen mountains within present day Finnemar, in Ulthua. Encounters between these small groupings and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors, passed knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving a in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and comprehension of the fundamental principles of magic.		'''Gnomish history''' begins with the race of [[svirfneblin]], who are the subterranean forebears of the surface gnomish race, which spawned in the early [[Mesolithic Period\|Mesolithic Period]]. Whatever the origin of the svirf, their incursions to the surface and the effect that sunlight had upon their offspring for a period of two thousand years, it is estimated, produced adaptations that resulted in a keener, though smaller offshoot whose first surface habitations occurred in the region of the Kjolen mountains within present day Finnemar, in Ulthua. Encounters between these small groupings and the winter elves of Ulthua were friendly and mutually beneficial, as the "gnomes" — no longer identifying themselves with their subterranean svirf ancestors, passed knowledge of mining and the smelting of mithril to the elves, while receiving a in kind a surpassing knowledge of woodcraft, sleds, animal husbandry and comprehension of the fundamental principles of magic.