Gnomist

Worshipping Clans

This religion worships Gnome, the god of the underground and the act of living there. He also is in charge of digging tunnels and of the miner's profession, both of which are important for the Mole People's livelihood. Gnome looks just like the clan he is patron of, down to wearing dirty miner's clothes, except he is about the size of a normal Manillo or Creeping Clansman.
Because of his work in the mines, he often is forced to search for lost or injured miners. Sometimes, when there is an accident, people have reported seeing a large mole tunneling past them towards the outside light and then vanishing. That is how Gnome rescues those who are in trouble.


History

In the Prehistoric Era, Gnome tunneled underground to get away from the conflicts that raged on the surface of the planet. His people followed him because they were a peace loving race but they did have to deal with the occasional break in of Reptites into their tunnels. With no real fighting power, Gnome was forced to flee and lead the Moles to safety.
His tunnels were long and expansive through mountains as well as the underground. These later became the caves used by other clans to get away from the terrible Ice Age that raged on the planet. Gnome and the Moles, however, went deeper underground to get as warm as possible.
Their seclusion led to them missing when the Ice Age ended because they hid. It was eventually Natura who had to go down into their tunnels and tell them they'd missed the warming up by a full 500 years. The Moles returned to living in a shallow area of the underground but Gnome stayed deep within because he preferred being as secluded as possible.


Worship

Because Gnome is such a solitary deity, there aren't really any festivals or homages paid to him. Worship by the Mole People is done silently and in their own tunnels. Nobody goes to a large service on a particular day either, it's all in their own homes.
Sometimes, however, the leaders of the Mole People dig deep underground with an offering for Gnome. There is said to be a legendary entrance to his chambers but none of them have found it. They do note that if they leave the food deep enough, it disappears shortly afterwards. Thus, they believe that it is Gnome himself who takes it.