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Gnomes
- Average height 150cm (5 foot)
The Gnomes have eight corporations that take the modern definition of corporations to its extreme, being eight almost godlike (but non-sentient) entities that exist and have rights entirely separate from the gnomes that work for them. Hence, no matter what happens (even everyone leaving the corporation), all eight corporations continue to exist and an individual can make the decision to serve any one of them (or none, acting as a freelancer). Each corporation is centered around a greatship - an enormous wooden vessel in which the executive board of the corporation has met in since the corporations' inception. Occupying this ship is synonymous with controlling its corporation, so they have great monetary as well as cultural value and are the target of the most daring of pirate raids. Each corporation was originally specialised in one specific craft, from which they take their name:
However, over time they have acquired subsidiaries that expand upon their core business.
The gnomes democratic (libertarian?)
The Gnomish economy revolves around two independent currencies, with independent values and purposes. The Blacksmiths produce coins, which represent static wealth, whilst the Printers produce notes which were originally subscriptions to their newspaper, but over time have taken on a more abstract meaning as representing a flow of wealth, such as ongoing payment for services. The Gnomes believe that money has an intrinsic value and grants luck to its bearer, particularly money in the form of notes. Thus whilst hoarders of notes may be required to perform a lot of services (or spend a lot of coins) without receiving much else in return, the luck this grants will tend to offset and sometimes even surpass this.
Inflation is a huge issue in Gnomish society, as there are no systems in place to prevent the minting corporations from taking advantage of their positions. The Blacksmiths and the Printers are constantly coming up with new denominations to keep their currencies relevant. There is also a lot of counterfeiting which the minters try to crack down on but the other corporations unofficially work together to undermine their investigations, as the counterfeiting is the only thing keeping the minters from having a monopoly over their respective currencies.
- Pistol
- Cutlass
- Rocket
- Bombs
The Gnomes are philosophically aligned with freedom, rationalism and civilisation, and opposed to tradition and spiritualism.
The primary belief of the Gnomes is that technology and inventiveness can solve any problem. They also believe that possession of money brings luck.