Gnomoi
Gnomoi
The Gnomoi are one of the types of Gnomes that live in the Spire Mountains surrounding Hitehkel. The gnomoi are the leaders and master builders of the gnomes, whose logical minds carry the gnomes to ever great heights. They are fewer in number than their cousins, the Minoi, however they rule over the kingdom. The gnomoi are believed to have been the first creations of the god Reorx, created at the same time as the other primary races, during the latter part of the Age of Starbirth.
Gnomoi are the builders, engineers, judges, administrators, strategists and tacticians of the realm, who control the judicial system, as well as set taxes and allocate funds to various projects. They also design all public works, and even go so far as to supervise the testing of all minoi devices in a safe and controlled manner. Every young gnomoi is put through schooling in the engineering arts to fully develop their skills. It is rare that a gnomoi will ever have a relationship with a minoi, with extremely few ever marrying one another. The gnomoi tend to have few prejudices against the minoi, preferring to take a parental role with their cousins, but being careful to never offend them.
Characteristics
Gnomoi are around three to three and a half feet tall, with rotund bodies, round cheeks, recessed eyes and long and large noses. Male gnomoi tend to get wrinkles early, and grow both beards and mustaches in a length designated by their occupation. Warriors often have braided beards, whilst craftsmen have short trimmed beards, leaders have long beards, and apprentices are beardless. The males often wear pullover shirts with thick breeches and hard reinforced steel boots. Some gnomes also wear leather aprons, leather skullcaps or masks, depending on their occupation. Administrators wear flowing robes and tasselled stoles, as well as brimless caps on occasion. Female gnomoi are often more plump than the males, are completely beardless, with ash-blond to straw colored hair. They often get white hair by 150 years of age, and wear practical clothes of blouses and linen skirts.
