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Noom is not in itself worthy of followers. It is not an idol to be worshipped, a relic to venerated, or a god to be feared. For nearly every Higher Spirit of the world it is an unspeakable force, one that enmeshes everything that we say, do, see, remember, hear or taste. It is destiny, memory, the mind and greatness embodied. The Noom is the Noom. This is all it has ever been.

This rather nebulous description is the best that can be attempted; few races have a concrete definition of what the Noom is. The word “Noom” is a Gnomish one, one of the few that is known by those who are not of the Uunage. The rakshasa call it “Wrrq”, and the mannish of Tintag see it as “That Which Others Must Do”. Broadly, it refers to rightness, to friendship, to the destiny of every living thing, and how those destinies interconnect. Many books have been written on the subject, and many more will appear. What most Higher Spirits can agree on is that Noom should be aspired to by everyone, no matter their origins. The great heroes of the past were thought to be embodiments of Noom, and many religions see it as their central virtue.

Some believe that certain areas of the Hearthlands promote and enhance one’s Noom, and seek to harness some of that potential by visiting these places. One such place is at the source of the Nentir river, where the city of Nenoom was founded as a centre of learning, quiet contemplation, and good deeds.