Taboos

"Did you hear about Kasselwort Biddlestumpf? He brought some of that dwarvish black brandy to the Acorn Festival--and after he drank it, it went straight to his tongue!

"First he insulted his old grandfather, Wigglefount Biddlestumpf, who tried to rebuke him for his behavior. Kassel was betting on all the contests, showing around these little bloodstones as if they were rubies!

"Then he got into a fight with Nucklereet Shtoomiss--he called old Nuck' a "Shortnose Blowhard," and of course the poor fellow couldn't let that pass (we all know Shtoomiss' nose leaves a little to be desired, but Kass' had no call to be making fun of it)!

"But that's not the worst of it! Finally, when they came down to the nut-eating contest, Kass' bet on Graybeard Friggleheit to win, but the old fellow choked on a husk and had to quit the contest. And when it came time to pay up--believe it or not!--Kasselwort Biddlestumpf refused to pay!

"It'll be a long time before he can show his nose in this village again!"

--Lillyllotta Glindlehome, gnomish matriarch (and self-admitted gossip)

Gnomes are a fun-loving society, with a great emphasis on personal freedom. However, a cornerstone of this freedom is a respect for the rights of others--and those who tromp on those rights are considered to have committed a grave breach of gnomish etiquette. This cornerstone of individual responsibility is the key to understanding the gnomish culture.

Some of the worst infractions of this personal code that a gnome can commit involve the performance of his or her work. It is, however, a rare circumstance for a gnome to shirk a duty or to perform it at anything less than his or her highest level of ability. Those few gnomes who refuse to work are generally, after many chances to reform, cast out from their communities. They don't usually live too long on their own.

It is a little more common for offending behavior to occur in social settings, often accompanied by the consumption of alcohol. Virtually all gnomes enjoy drinking, and ale and mead are important features of gnomish festivals and clan gatherings. In most cases, gnomes become quite jolly and carefree when they drink, singing, laughing, and joking--the "mean drunk" is not a familiar character in gnomish society.

However, strong liquor is not a customary drink among gnomes--their ales and fruit wines, while strong-tasting by human standards, are not the match of brandy or whiskey in potency (Svirfneblin fish beer and Gogondy excepted). When a gnome gets hold of something stronger, trouble has been known to result. When it does, the malefactor is subjected to stern criticism from the bulk of the community--usually when he or she is in the throes of the worst hangover of his or her life. One such experience is generally enough to bring about a lifelong reform.

The contests that are an integral part of every gnomish festival are another source of pride to these small demihumans, and the honor of the participants is accepted and, for the most part, taken for granted. Wagering is a common practice, but one is not expected to bet more than he or she is prepared to lose. Welching on a bet is a gross affront to a gnomish sense of right and wrong. Similarly, a trader who cheats gnomish clients by substituting inferior goods for those promised will be marked for life; no gnome will ever trade with that individual again.

Finally, while friendly insults are commonly and frequently exchanged among gnomes, one is expected never to criticize lack of nose size. Those gnomes who have been cursed with small noses (those that stick out less than, say, three or four inches from the face) are assumed to suffer the curse of their shame inwardly. It is nothing more than needless cruelty to ridicule this unfortunate lack of endowment.

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