Gnomes
The lands between gnome communities are generally left wild and unmonitored. These swaths of natural forest and wilderness are often home to various predators such as bears, wolves, and more dangerous monsters. Travel between the various gnome groups is thus somewhat dangerous. In some remote corners of Gaul territory where the land has rarely if ever felt the tread of the bigger races, there are gnomes of such an unusual temper and background that they can almost be considered a separate race from their more genteel cousins. These barbaric gnomes are truly a people of the land.
Their constructions are of wood and vine, and their music heeds the beat of the drum and the earthy tones of the woodwinds. These people live in close touch with all the spirits of nature, serving and protecting the unspoiled beauty that surrounds them. Yet those who have seen these gnomes whisper tales of shrunken heads, pits of bone, and strange tribal totems made from the ears of their enemies. No civilized person would give credence to any such fantastic story!
In times of great need, the barbaric gnome becomes as enraged as a thunderstorm, screaming defiance and of incredible feats of strength and endurance. When moving through the shadows of the trees, the barbaric gnome is fleet of foot and sure of every step. Able to pass through gaps and openings far too small for the larger races, the barbaric gnome seems to shift mysteriously from point to point, pausing only to sense the clues on the wind and watch for motion in the distance.
