Gnomes came to be on Mernac no ones for sure how that got there or how they came about. Nevertheless, it is known that there are many classes of them. Each class a little different from the rest; all adapting to the region that they belong to, and all of them were having their own magic’s and Ga. They belong to the dark race, but they were also the most sympathetic to the races of light; this being due to their ability to sneak around in the dark and having tremendously good dexterous little hands and fingers. Gnomes all were and still are the best gatherers of information. It is also scribed that they do have a good sense of humour and they have a tendency to embellish on certain tales; especially if it was to relate to their own direct lives.
It is in the history of Gnomes that upon their arrival to Mernac, their numbers were low and they being the by their own very nature information gathers they sought out two of the Fathers, Quont and Gorb. Quont they sought for he was the Father of Lust and with his help, the Gnomes could ensure that their numbers increased.
Gorb, they sought, as he was the Father of Greed. But the Gnomes only wanted a small amount of greed added to their nature; thus enabling them to become even more enterprising and opportunistic.
The Gnomes did have contact with all the thirteen Fathers at varied times during their initial arrival on Mernac. However, it was Quont and Gorb they dealt with most. It was not long until their numbers were greater and they were able to spread out across the world of Mernac.
It is scribed in their histories that at this time, there was a Gnome known as Ugstore, who was an herbalist and a junk collector. Moreover, he was out on his travels when he came across a lake and by the lake, there were several women. All of whom were the most delicious pieces of eye candy that he ever had the opportune to visualize. At the time Ugstore did not realize that these women of varied races were the Mothers. Being the lustful little Fur ball that he was, and a information seeker. He wandered over to the ladies by the lake and took a seat upon a rock. He knew that these creatures observed him and that they meant him no ill. It was Canola that caught his eye first, her beauty knew no bounds, and the woman knew she could sing and the way she moved her lithe body, just had Ugstore’s eyes riveted. Standing in the middle of the circle and was singing the most effectual tune that Ugstore had ever heard. What Ugstore like the most though was the way she sang her voice blended with the world around them all; making everything calm and dance to a song within their own hearts.
It was the Mother Kala, who noticed Ugstore’s love and desire of Canola. She walked over to him and let it be known that it was ok, to feel love and desire for this Mother. Nevertheless, it was not the way of Mernac to have the races intermingle. Ugstore understood this and vowed that he would never act on his wishes. He would just continue to admire Canola for her beauty and most of all her voice. Then the Mother Teress came to his side, Ugstore knew that she too was a remarkable sight. Though her appearance was on of knowledge and by intuition, Ugstore knew that he was about to have his brains picked. Teress sat beside Ugstore and enquired about his race as she had not seen them before now. Being a gentle Gnome, he explained their story to her. Omitting and embellishing as he saw fit. But Teress was able to see into his heart and knew that his race had been low in numbers, and she could understand the need of the Gnomes to go the Fathers Quont and Gorb. As Ugstore spoke to Teress, the rest of the Mothers kept about their business. They were having a women’s group, discussing what was happening on Mernac. Not realizing that even though Ugstore was talking to Teress he was also listening and gathering information.
Teress did not even pick on this. As the information had not firmly settled within Ugstore’s mind; but it was through the information that Ugstore spoke and the information already firmly implanted within Ugstore’s brain. That Teress was able to for fill her thirst for knowledge and wisdom, she found out small things about the Fathers that Ugstore had met, that she thought might be of benefit to the Mothers at some point, and she firmly placed that information into her brain, under a lock and key.
After Teress had gathered her information from her chat with Ugstore, she went back to the circle. Sitting quietly she whispered to another woman. Whom Ugstore soon found out to be the Mother Dulan; she too came over. Nevertheless, this Mother brought food, a variety to which that Ugstore had not tasted. There were mushrooms and herbs, a collection of apcrabs, insects, and other assortments. All of which she encouraged Ugstore to try, as he did so she explained to him, what each of them was and how to identify them. The mushrooms could only be found under the apcrab bush and as the apcrab was a apple of sorts, there were many varieties. All this extra information appealed greatly to Ugstore and he reached into his satchel, made of leather tree, leaves and started to scribe on the back of a papyrus leaf. Dulan laughed and explained that papyrus, though good to use as a quick note keeper, it had a tendency to break down and become brittle if not cured correctly. It was Dulan who informed Ugstore that the best way to keep your notes in tact was by scribing them onto a tache, she also explained that tache was very hard to make and if he wanted the recipe. He would need to keep her informed of all the new herbs and medicinal plants within Mernac. Therefore, a deal was struck, between the dark Gnome and the Mother of light, Dulan.
Dulan would give Ugstore the recipe for tache and he would and his descendants provide her and the other Mothers information. Nevertheless, the ever-enterprising Ugstore saw that he was going to get the raw end of the deal. So he started bartering, which caught the attention of all the Mothers and even though they laughed. They saw that this Gnome was not as his appearances portrayed. He was clever, quick of wit and knew how to make the most of the opportunity that was being offered to him. They all decided that they liked the Gnome race and decided that even though they were of the Dark. They would come when and if called.
What the deal was that was struck with the Mothers, only the direct descendants of Ugstore know, as it is written on tache within the Secret One Book of Gnomes that was originally scribed by Ugstore.
To the Mothers the Gnome known as Ugstore became the Father of Gnomes and to Mercarsnel, he was the past, past and way past Father of Mercarsnel Customs and recycling.
So it became a part of Mercarsnels life that the barter that was struck with Dulan way back beside the lake, and to this day and with his father and his father’s, father past gone; the deal held firm. Mercarsnel, still provided information and a lot of that did not come cheap, he also housed items that were hard to get and expensive to trade for. But above all it was a secret that when the Mothers were needed, they would come to the direct descendants of Ugstore, without hesitation. Not that they were called very often! But it was also known throughout Mernac that if something was required and it was hard to get or even obscure. The Gnome that ran Mernac Custom and Recycling would either have it or know where it could be obtained. It was also common knowledge over the years, that not only Ugstore’s descendants knew how to collect information and secrets.
The most well known of these being the Gnomes of Wisp, who took up residence in the Northern Plains of Worst in the upper reaches of the continent of Malroo. They knew magic and had a great grasp of their Ga. They also developed a certain trait over the millennia that made them easily identifiable. That being they all had teal colored lips. It was also not so well known that Ugstore had been a rather lusty Gnome and as he had a strong sense of magic and Ga, he had sown his seed in many regions. To this day, even though the original seeds were past gone; in each class a couple of Gnome children would be born, with teal lips and they would be once identified, taken in their wrappings by the dragon, Unwind. He would take ensure they would be taken to the Wisp Gnomes, never to be seen or heard of again.
There were Gnomes all over Mernac, all of them enterprising, most Gnomes belonged to the Cungle Class of deceivers giving them exceptional skills in picking locks, sneaking around, and hiding, which made them good scouts as they were small and their physically weak stature kept them from being effective in battle. However, other classes evolved over the millennia as well. They all were good at their developed skills and they were like most of the Mernacians, pretty happy to take on a younger Gnome that showed certain attributes in the different classes. Often the classes would be broken up and live cohesively within Gnome Castles, villages and towns.
It was only the most knowledgeable that knew how to locate a Gnome, let alone a Gnome castle, village or town. However, on occasion some Mernacians would stumble on a habitation of the Gnomes and not all where made welcome. Gnomes in general were just as likely to turn on these Mernacians and stab them in the back. If they thought that, their homes or lives would be under threat or discovery from unwelcome forces.
©FI/ND/Botr 2006
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