The Verdun Archipelago

The islands in the Feccian Sea to the south of Myrnia are called the Verdun Archipelago. They have been the home of the gnomes for as long as they have records. The islands are tropical, and often subjected to intense storms that batter the island.

As a result, the ancient gnomes created two kinds of structures. The first were long, low buildings made of rock or dug into the earth. These could endure the storms, and were where they stored key supplies or tools they did not want to lose. These were called fissos.

Other structures were built to provide temporary shelter from sun or rain showers. They might be used as tool sheds, or animal enclosures. These structures would be destroyed by the storms that came through two or three times a year, so they were built quickly and without fuss. These were called provvisos.

The gnomes in ancient times were tribal by island. The two biggest islands are Wrenza and Bresca, and they also had the biggest tribes. Three others of notable size are Kutz, Reccrint, and Toschi. There are countless smaller islands, sometimes so small they are washed away or created by the storms.

When one tribe raided another, it was common to destroy the provvisos of another tribe, but the destruction of a fisso was unforgivable. If, due to neglect or sabotage, a fisso was lost then members of the tribe could suffer or die. The distinction between the two types of structure was life and death for the gnomes.

Eventually the tribes came together and agreed to form an oligarchy from the most prominent members of each tribe. As they began to build cities and formed daily shipping and trade between the islands, more and larger fissos were built, but they maintained the distinction that was so important. Temporary markets or housing might be created for a specific event, but were dismantled as soon as they were unnecessary.

The Republic of Verdun, as it became known, flourished.