(Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron)
Gnomes possess a love of knowledge that many would describe as lust. Most gnomes hate physical violence and prefer to solve problems with words--be that a wizard's word of power or a rogue's careful threat. The common view of the gnome is that of a friendly busybody, always ready to lend a hand or share a story. But in fact, that cheerful gnome is often gathering information that could one day be useful.
It would be an exaggeration to say that the Gnomes of Zilargo are all ruthless schemers, but intrigue is a favorite pastime in the Gnomish kingdom of Zil. Almost by their very nature, Zil gnomes are taught to manipulate and deceive, even before they learn to talk. Childhood and beyond sees them involved in dozens of schemes and feuds, and even if they're generally good hearted, holding onto noble goals and ideals, many still prefer to use trickery and cunning instead of honesty or brute force.
Outside of Zilargo, Gnomes are found across the Five Nations, and most are well-integrated into the local culture. Gnomes are often encountered as merchants, magewrights, chroniclers, scholars, and scoundrels. While the gnomes of the Five Nations aren't as inherently devious as their Zil cousins, family is usually very important to them. This lends them to having a network of old favors and connections to the community they grew up in.
(Chronicles of Eberron)
Lorghalan gnomes share some traits with their Zil cousins: they love clever oratory and prefer to solve their problems with words instead of swords. But where the gnomes of Zilargo dive deep into intrigue, Lorghalan bases its society on freedom and honesty. The founders of Cornerstone swore there would be no secrets on their island: all knowledge would be shared and all problems drawn into the light, not eliminated in the shadows. Though the Lorghali dissolved their ties to Zilargo, local family units remain important to them. Each family maintains an estate—a farming village based around a central communal building. Every estate specializes in different crops and skills, and Cornerstone is where they all come together. The island economy is largely driven by barter and the exchanging of favors, though families do maintain funds for dealing with the world beyond Lorghalan. The Lorghali produce excellent mediators, apothecaries, and farmers, but what makes them truly remarkable is their tradition of stonesinging—a form of primal magic—and their relationship with the elementals of the region. Rather than binding elementals, as is common throughout Khorvaire, Lorghalan stonesingers influence elementals and natural forces by communing directly with each spirit and convincing it to help. A simple stonesinging effect, such as one produced by druidcraft, is hardly more complicated than singing a few words in Primordial.
(Eberron: Rising from the Last War)
Communication is the foundation of civilization.
—Baron Lysse Lyrriman d’Sivis
The Mark of Scribing deals with communication—both the written and spoken word. A gnome who bears the mark can feel words as though they are living creatures, struggling to make their meaning known. The mark provides a range of gifts. It translates languages, but it also allows its bearer to communicate with others at a distance.
House Sivis
Leader: Lysse Lyrriman d’Sivis
Headquarters: The Labyrinth (Korranberg, Zilargo)
Bearing the emblem of the cockatrice, the gnomes of House Sivis facilitate communication. This is seen most literally in speaking stones, magic items allowing a Sivis heir to send a short message to another speaking stone. House Sivis’s message stations employs these items as the backbone of their long-distance communication network. The house also trains and licenses scribes, notaries, interpreters, cartographers, barristers, heralds, bookbinders, and others who work with words. House Sivis has an especially close relationship with House Kundarak, as Kundarak letters of credit must be notarized with a Sivis arcane mark.
House Sivis takes great pains to maintain the trust of its clients and holds a position of absolute neutrality in all disputes, whether between houses or nations. Sivis gnomes are typically friendly, curious, and engaging, but that kindly exterior might conceal a scheming mind. Gnomes have a natural love of intrigue, and the different families within the house often engage in subtle schemes and feuds. Doyenne Lyssa Larriman, the leader of the house, takes pains to ensure that these intrigues never threaten the house or its reputation.
| Spell Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 1st | comprehend languages, illusory script |
| 2nd | animal messenger, silence |
| 3rd | sending, tongues |
| 4th | arcane eye, confusion |
| 5th | dream |