Gummiens

Gummiens are a fictional ethnic group depicted as inhabitants of the archipelago of Gummia, created for use in speculative fiction, tabletop role-playing games, and multimedia narratives. The term is a compound of 'gum' and the suffix '-ien', reflecting their association with gum, resin, and adhesive crafts that feature in many depictions. They are usually shown as humanoid beings whose cultures emphasize craftsmanship, trade, and community networks.

The Gummian world is dominated by coastal city-states and riverine communities across the archipelago, with diverse dialects. Governance in many stories centers on guild councils representing crafts such as resin carving, shipbuilding, and confectionery production. There is no single universal polity; instead, the Gummians are described as a loose federation or confederation that coordinates through secular and ceremonial assemblies.

The Gummian languages comprise several related tongues, with common trade lingua franca across port cities. Writing uses symbolic glyphs carved in resin or stone. Cultural life often features guild festivals, craft fairs, and storytelling that emphasizes resilience, cooperation, and environmental stewardship, reflecting a maritime and forested homeland.

The economy centers on resin-based crafts, adhesives, and edible gums, along with saltwater trade and light industry. Modern depictions may include digital currencies, mining of bioresin, and solar-powered vessels. Technology ranges from traditional shipbuilding to steampunk-inspired machinery, depending on the work.

Gummiens appear across novels, games, and art as a population with unique artistic traditions and social structures. Scholars in-universe analyze their trade networks, governance models, and intercultural relations as a lens on guild-centered economies and diasporic coastal communities.