• The gnomes of the hill, organize themselves around huge cavern cities in the depths of the mountains, they have a light rail system, and maintain travel between the three major cities of hill gnomes.

• They are led primarily by a unknown shadow council who pick the Grand Ruler.

• The hill dwarves are oligarchic and often community leaders are wealthy barons descendants of gnomes who first settled the gnomish colonies.

• They look down on their plain dwelling brethren as superstitious and barbaric.

• The hill gnomes worship the same gods but often at a distance, it is seen as more of a token of history, than an actual religion.

• The plain gnomes are ruled by democratically elected philosopher kings who, once elected, rule for life. The elections are held as great religious ceremonies where tens of thousands of gnomes gather in Nilbeir to cast their votes.

• philosopher kings often have short lifespans due to rival Pater Familias infighting.

• Plains gnomes are often very religious and have a large pantheon of folk heroes under the great sun god, that they hold as the lord of the world.

• Outside of settled communities there are nomadic groups of herdsman, hunters, and migrant workers. These peoples often see themselves as beyond the domain of the philosopher kings rule, nevertheless they often pay tribute to a local big man who in turn pays tribute to the cities.

The pater familias is a figure of both the hill and plain gnome societies. Both are highly patriarchal with the pater familias often making decisions for the entire family. Arranged marriages are common.

All gnomish societies except for the nomadic plains peoples, are defined by patron-client relations. Often patrons will finance their clients artistic and business undertakings in exchange for political power. The nomadic plains people however are generally communal believing strongly in sharing resources between all members.

During the height of the elven empire of Shetal the gnomish kingdoms, were the breadbasket and jewelers of the Empire. As the gnomes forged their kingdoms under the watchful eye of the elven Tar-E'rain (king of kings) they expanded westward into the Morgseran mountain ranges. The first meetings between dwarves and gnomes was marred by conflict over land and resources, exacerbated by dwarven mining law and ancestral rights. The harsh tunnel fighting and style of guerilla warfare the gnomes traditionally used ground the conflict into a bloody stalemate. Until the first gnomish alchemists and artificers cleverly used poison gases and machines to decimate the first lines of dwarven fortresses guarding the northeast peaks of the Morgseran Mountains. At this point the local Tar (elven king) mediated the dispute giving gnomes colonization rights to the northeast parts of Morgsera, while making the first gnomish colonies pay tribute to the dwarven deep Krags. This treaty is still in place today and there is great economic ties between the dwarven communities of Morgsera and the hill gnomes.

The hill gnomes after the "War In The Dark" (as the conflict is known today) became known for their alchemy and machinery creating great automatons. They also taught the dwarves the art of clearing dangerous explosive gas pockets in the mines using aeromancy and clever devices. A Shabbaz of Zerakosian Dwarves traveled westward to help in the initial conflicts of The War In The Dark, and were brutally killed in the first use of poison gases. The Brazach Shabbaz has sworn eternal enmity between gnomes and dwarves since this event. The Brazach however have been involved in the many civil wars and grudges in Zerakos and are thought to have been killed to the last member.

Gnomes Believe in the great sun god Arque who watches over the world from his Gilded city in the sky. Beneath Arque are various folk heroes that have ascended into divinity becoming the many stars in the sky, or if famous enough living in Arques golden palace. Gnomes who followed Arque in life end up in the gilded city, the "better" they were during life the closer to the summit of the gilded city they live. Arque's one enemy is Qurn a malevolent being made of True Ice who resides in the center of the world.

A few of the more famous folk heroes: