Gnomes are usually found in the mountains, which offer security and solitude, as well as opportunity to mine for gems. They tend to settle deep below the surface in order to protect their homes, mines and secrets from unwanted visitors. For this purpose they build maze-like defenses of tunnels, populated with traps and magical wards. For sustenance they keep underground pig farms, mushroom fields and fishing ponds. If they settle in terrains other than mountains, they usually work hard to shape the environment to suit their needs. The Hirmfel gnomes on the Whispering Plains have carefully fortified and tunneled their plateau settlement for centuries to make the living conditions as close to their original habitat as possible.