Smek (Smallfolk)
The Smek, or smallfolk, are the gnomes and halflings of Aradaea. Despite the shared name they come from two different lines. The gnomes descend from the mountain dwarves of the Dwek, while the halflings descend from Aradaea’s true humans. In both cases region and diet drove the divergence, over some 40,000 years.
Gnomes live around 250 years, as their dwarven forebears do, while halflings live around a century. The surface gnomes of Azura build city-states in the foothills, from semi-subterranean stone halls to defended strongholds of timber, and make the most of scarce snowmelt with advanced greenhouses and water reclamation. The halflings of Ashton enjoy more rain than much of the planet and keep a traditional farming life. The deep gnomes later broke away from the surface gnomes and settled in the Underdark.
The Smek Heritages
Section titled “The Smek Heritages”- Smek-Azura (Gnomes): a consortium of free states run by merit, which values magical and technological discovery.
- Smek-Haku (Halflings): scattered, cooperative settlements of farmers and craftspeople who prize family tradition and kinship.
- Smek-Smirfna (Deep Gnomes): close-knit Underdark enclaves led by spiritual leaders with strong ties to the occult.