Who are you?

Since we are short on time, my summarized name is Gnarillominishimsharignorississillominoriworen.. (10 minutes later)...ishimsh. So you can tell by that what I and my ancestors have done, although that name of course doesn't give you all the details. I am foreman of the GnomeWing project as authorised by the newly formed Aeronautical Guild.

Who are we?

We are gnomes, we are the masters of machines.

What makes us great?

We are the only race on Krynn that knows the secrets of clockwork, steam, gears and levers, of fluid dynamics and optics. We are the most inventive of all races, and there is not a problem in the world we cannot solve with our machines. Given time, of course. And a bit of modification here and there.

Where do we live?

We live in Mount Nevermind (so the humans call it. Rather a short and un-descriptive name if you ask me, but there you go. Apparently the Guild of Patents has authorised the usage, so I can't argue with the decision). We have made Mount...Nevermind the best place in the world to live. We have light, heat, water and food at our command, we have tamed nature and put it to work driving our machines. Millions of us live here, and everyone has the space they need.

How do we live?

The outside of the mountain has been terraced and planted. The Guild of Agriculture has invented machines that plant and harvest the food for us. Sometimes the machines throw it all into the sea, but only rarely. We do not eat meat. The Guild of Medicine is working on artificial food, but they haven't quite mastered it yet. The great ManyWeave machines make our clothes, and they invest each garment with individuality. I'm rather fond of the way the left arm is twice as long as the right on my tunic.

What is important to us?

To build! When Reorx made the world, he made it as an intricate machine, so complex that even we couldn't understand it. We must strive to understand how the world works so that we can fix it. One day, it will be perfect.

Who rules us?

Each Guild is governed by a council of Master Craftsgnomes who are advisors to the GuildMaster. The Council of Guildmasters sometimes get together to discuss how various projects are going.

What makes a person great?

All gnomes are great, because we are the mechanics of the world. But some are greater than others. These are ones who have finished their life quest. They have built machines that do what they are supposed to, and never go wrong. Of course, they are only legend!

What is evil?

This screwdriver is evil - it always chews up the heads on screws. Don't use it. Seriously though, killing people is evil - there's no need for it. Stealing another gnomes' tools is also very bad, and will send you to a bad afterlife.

What is my lot in life?

You will help me on this project, but once you have learnt more of the ways of machines, you will find your own Life Quest. This is the one great invention that you will have, and it will consume your every waking thought, and your dreams, with how to build it and make it work.

How do we deal with others?

Outsiders are probably best avoided. Some of them seem to delight in wrecking our machines and killing innocent gnomes, but fortunately there are none on the Island of Sancrist. We share the island with some humans who call themselves Solamnic Knights. They are friendly enough to us when we meet, which is seldom, but they keep asking us to make machines that knock down castles, or blow them up. That's no way to use Reorx's gift!

Who are our enemies?

Better to say what are our enemies. Untidinesss, bad workmanship, laziness, carelessness and a blunt cutting tool can all bring disaster. As for who, well, there's no one on the island who would want to hurt us, or even could if they tried. The Explorer's Guild has a list of inderdicted species who they claim are especially hostile. You might do well to have a look at that.

Who are our gods?

Reorx is the only god we need. He created the world and then created gnomes to keep the machinery of the world running. He gave us clever minds and nimble fingers to make us the finest of craftsmen in the world. Because we are the beloved of Reorx, he kept us safe even when the Great Glitch caused a lot of damage to the other races.