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The life of a gnome is fraught with danger. On first inspection one would think that they live a solitary life in their quiet little village along the eastern road. Behind that peaceful image is the dreadful reality. Every day wayward travelers make their way to this quiet little village and mercilessly slaughter every gnome in sight. Too weak to defend themselves, the gnomes die in droves. While this is unfortunate for many, this consistent gnomocide drives their evolution. It is a rare gnome that escapes the blade of prowling raiders, but those that survive pass on their traits to their young. With each generation of survivors the gnomes become a little bit faster, smaller, and most importantly of all, more cowardly. The rare gnome who dares to leave the village and seek adventure, fame, or fortune is often either marvelled at by the village or called insane and foolhardy. Be that as it may, it is only the smartest, wisest, most skilled, or stupid gnomes that dare wander outside the village. These adventurers usually die before they reach Seringale but the odd one actually manages to survive the harsh land of Thera and some even make a name for themselves. Gnobwinkle, like many gnomes, was born into a family of tinkerers and spell-casters. He discovered his affinity for the Art at a very young age. For most mages it takes weeks, months, or even years to learn new spells but he was able to pick it up much faster than his friends. By his seventeenth birthday he had already grown able enough that his professors had little left to teach him. Unfortunately, what Gnobwinkle had learned so far wasn't enough to deter marauders and protect the village so he decided to travel the world in search of a new Tutor. He knew little of what he should expect to find in the world outside the village but what he found was much, much worse than he could have ever imagined. People were bloodthirsty, selfish, and cruel. Nearly everyone he met plundered the land, slaying creatures for their weapons or armor and giving no thanks to Thera for providing them with sustenance. The world seemed to be a place of utter disorder and chaos. What began as a search for a mentor became a quest for restoration. The chaos of the world needed to be controlled. People needed to give back to Thera what has been taken and give thanks for what is given freely. This would not be accomplished through inaction. For many months Gnobwinkle sought out like-minded individuals, and eventually came to think that he was the only person in this mad world that cared about Thera. One evening though, sitting in a tavern in Seringale he heard a great ruckus out on the street. Just outside, there was a man clad in unremarkable attire standing over the corpse of an individual garbed in the most brilliant, shining, spiked gear that G nobwinkle had ever seen. The unremarkable man was slowly removing each piece of gear from his slain foe and sacrificing it to the Gods, returning it to the lifeforce of Thera. After each powerful item had been returned to the lands Gnobwinkle approached this mysterious traveler and asked him who he was. The man replied simply 'I am a protector of Thera'. He shared with Gnobwinkle his story and explained the cause of the Keepers. Since that day Gnobwinkle has devoted every waking moment toward bettering himself, so that one day he might become a Keeper and protect the land that he loves.