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| - The Grey Gnomes lived in tunnels and burrows carved into large mountain ranges. Their underground complexes ran for many miles and housed thousands of people. Here they spent much of their time doing research into history or magic and dutifully noting all the knowledge gained in their huge libraries. Those who did not do research or practice the art of magic often practiced the trade of Armor making. Their many mines allowed them a good supply of the finest metals for the making of superior quality armor. With a reputation for quality that rivaled that of the Mountain Dwarves, the gnomes were very selective about whom they allowed to become armor smiths. Many of the Grey Gnomes spend years in apprenticeship but only the best become master armor smiths. The products of their forges were so finely made that it is almost always the armor of choice to imbue with any type of magical essence. However, the crafting process used was labor intensive and time consuming, taking as much as three times as long as standard. Grey Gnome armor could occasionally be found for purchase, but at prices 4 or 5 times that found from other smiths. Grey Gnomes were a high priority for the slavers of the land. Slavers sometimes raided the smaller communities, hoping to capture an armor smith for the slave market. Gnomes were very distrustful of strangers and had to increase the readiness of their defenses to ward against more slaver assaults. Raiding Gnome holds was doubly dangerous when the sentry on watch at the door may have been a high level mage serving his required community time. Mercenaries could sometimes find employment with the Grey Gnomes to hunt down slavers or more commonly to rescue family members carried off. The Gnome royal family name was Kalasdanmackner, the King was commonly referred to as King Kalas by those not used to the intricacies of gnomish linguistics. Most commonly, community leaders were required to be able to trace their heritage back to the Kalasdanmackner name. The King's power was fairly nominal, simply because Grey Gnomes were generally too busy or too focused on the tasks at hand to pay attention. Laws and decrees are handed down by the King's Royal Council, a very serious and deliberate bunch who placed high importance on their duties. As with any committee, nothing happened quickly, and average time for a law to make it through committee to its final form was about 19 years.
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