"Everyone in the bazaar smiled at the little gnome with the big eyes and the bigger questions. By sundown she owned two of their stalls, and not one of them could tell you how." — from a Gemcradle merchant's complaint to the Gilded Conclave
Gnomes are skilled arcanists, shrewd merchants and crafty in every sense, and they know exactly how harmless they look. Many let their small size and friendly charm lull others into a false sense of security, and only once the deal is signed or the spell is cast does anyone realise who was in control. It's no accident that so much of Aurumhold's wealth and power rests in gnomish hands.
Names
Gnomes have short given names, such as Lirien, Korrak and Tivri, and a family name joined from two words for what the family is known for, such as Gemheart, Tinkerforge or Sparkwhisper.
Gnomes by Homeland
Aurumhold
The court and guild gnomes of Aurumhold hold the throne and the Gilded Conclave, and many are skilled arcanists. A select few serve in the Dawnblades, though it isn't encouraged. They are the sharpest dealmakers in the desert, from Sultana Lirien Gemheart to High Guild-Lord Korrak Tinkerforge. Some put that same cunning to work in the city's back alleys instead.
Sylvaris
Woodland gnomes of Sylvaris are quieter but no less sly. They work plant and river magic among the elves and halflings of places like Starbloom Hollow and Nantwich.
Glacithar
Deep gnomes are the exception. They live in the glacial caves of Glacithar as miners and craftsmen, where the cold and the dark leave no room for games, and they're known as some of the kindest, most honest people in the north. A deep gnome's word is as good as a signed contract, and travellers who've met the other kind of gnome are often caught off guard by it.