Editing Alia:Peoples (section)

==Gnomes==

Gnomes have two separate ancestries, Wood Gnomes
who come from the north west part of the Shadow Wood, 
and Rock Gnomes who come from the foothills near Estvald.  

For racial traits of gnomes see [[Alia:Player Races#Gnomes|Gnomes]].

===Rock Gnomes of Greenhill===

When the dwarven empire fell to the giants, the Rock Gnomes
fought along side the dwarves.  After the
dwarven halls fell, the Rock Gnomes decided to make peace with the
giants and to pay tribute to them.  The remaining dwarves, who had
nowhere to rally were forced to flee into human lands where they
settled at Silver Peak and Cragmore.  Although the Dwarves were incensed with the Gnomes after their betrayal, the years have softened their hearts and Dwarves have forgiven the Rock Gnomes surrender.

The Rock Gnomes have paid tribute to the giants since then and since it's fall, their kingdom has stagnated - no longer the great center of learning and magical research that it was.  Greenhill is now quite insular against outsiders and the Rock Gnomes of Greenhill have been integrated into the Giant's mountain kingdom.

===Wood Gnomes of Shadow Wood===

Some Gnomes have settled the western edge of the Shadow Wood south of Greenhill and east of the mountains of Estvald, fleeing the rule of the Giants.  The have brought their civilization into the Shadow Wood and have lived there for more than 200 years in harmony with nature and the Wood Elves who live there.
 
Recently the wood gnomes have lost thier communities near the edge of the Shadow Wood to the expansion of the southern empire.  Some were enslaved, some fled to the north, others fled deeper into the forests and joined with the wood elves, a few traveled to the kingdom of the Rock Gnomes.  More than half the Wood Gnome villages have been conquered.

===Gnomes of the Depths===

Given the choice between slavery by the Empire in the south or service to the giants in Greenhill, some Gnomes have chosed to joinen the Deep Dwarves in their colonization of the depths.  The Deep Gnomes, like the Grey Dwarves do not differ significantly from their surface brethren, with one exception.  They are adapting to the dark and have gained limited Darkvision.