Geniok

Dwarves, as a rule, are not very interested in agriculture. As a result, the dwarves of Gol Algor were only too happy to leave the whole business to the gnomes - who founded the agricultural center of Geniok with typically gnomish twists.

Much of the city is covered by gigantic greenhouses kept hot by a ventilation system using a nearby volcano. The various gnomish families who built them try to outdo each other with the most outlandish plant hybrids, using seeds from distant lands (for which they are willing to pay high prices). But unlike distant Grüngarten, the focus is not merely on providing food and other useful substances - the gnomes have mastered the art of turning plants into entertainment as well. Friendly competitions using the oddest criteria abound, ranging from bardic contests using music instruments carved out of vegetables to creating fruits that explode spectacularly when ripe (the current record holder in the latter category had a splash radius of 13 yards). There are also rumors of a darker side to this, however - for example, it is reputed that a certain type of root which can be grown in the likeness of people (by using a drop of blood from that person to water them, among other ingredients) can also be used for casting ritual curses from a distance on the person they resemble…