The Wildwander's

Hundreds of years ago, a group of gnomes came over the wall and purchased land outside of the hamlet of Streamside. There, they built a series of buildings where the gnomes taught all forms of magic and crafts. Streamside grew in support of the school which came to be known as the Gnomish University and so, Streamside became the town of University Park. The gnomes were happy there for centuries, experimenting in a large range of topics and recreating the inventions that had been in common use in their original home, beyond the mountains to the west.   There were those, however, that opposed the idea of gnomes teaching humans. The Gods of the civilized world surely didn't want these wee folk to stain the land with their heretical views and their Trickster pantheon. So, they must be removed. Knights were sent to University Park to deliver the message that the gnomes were to pack their things and go back over the western wall, back to the place from which they came.   The Headmaster, Delebean Cobblelob, told the knights that there was nothing left to go back to. They had made Streamside their home for several centuries and never were there any complaints. Why now this insistence that they leave? Captain Seelig of the knights did not know, as they were only instructed to bring a message. Their mission accomplished, and being sympathetic to the gnomes, the knights left. There was no further word about the situation for many years. Twenty years ago, there was a great graduation ceremony in the hills east of University Park. Laughter and merriment were all around. At about three bells after noon a professor noticed a great plume of smoke rising from the direction of University Park. All of the professors immediately teleported away, leaving the graduates and research fellows to follow on foot. An hour later the gnomes arrived at the scorched and flaming town of University Park and the burning University beyond. No humanoid was left alive and there was no sign of the attackers. After searching for hours they found a scroll in the dead hands of a professor. In his other hand was a quill. The scroll contained a brief and alarming message. "Run for Ilphelkirton, run, run----"The startled and grieving gnomes gathered what they could and fled. The gnomes found, along the way, their skills were much sought for and they began to turn a profit. The gnomes changed their name to Wildwander and formed a traveling troop of craftsman. Some returned to Streamside and built the hamlet anew though naught but gnomes will stay there very long, figuring the place is cursed.   This is the Caravan as it is today: