Distressed by the failed attempt to create an Orcish Navy, the Empress exploited the largest weakness found in Gnomes: their greed.
By promising them gold, gems, and ore and tax exemption, the Empress convinced thousands of Commonwealth Gnomes to join the Empire and build war machines.
The result is a sky-navy. The Imperial Gnomes found that the ore under Imperial land contained a thick liquid they call brimmer, which is highly combustible and explosive. After many trials and enormous funding from the Empire’s deep coffers, the Imperial Gnomes have launched Airships which can host flying Iron Swarms that attack enemies. The Airships can also be loaded with Brimstone Bullets, which are miniature bombs made from ore and brimmer in a stable configuration which explodes upon impact.