Knome
"Close your eyes and cover your ears."
ATTENTION: The following information has been recovered from the private journal of "Darwin," the Eleventh. The contents within may or may not accurately reflect this species.
Greetings! My name has long been lost to time, though I am commonly referred to as "Eleven" or "Darwin," and either name is acceptable. I am a man of many interests: architecture, engineering, philosophy, psychology, but most importantly, zoology. I consider myself a "professional" (even if Ten won't acknowledge it).
Recently, I have happened upon a strange variety of gnomes that inhabit the wilderness of Paradoxus, though I suspect this is just one of many locations they live in. In this series of notes, I hope to uncover the mysteries of their physiology and culture no matter the cost or obstacle! Onward to the unknown!
Basic Information
Anatomy
Knomes, much like regular gnomes, are smaller than most races yet stouter than their cousins. Aside from pigmentation, they appear to be perfect copies of their real-world counterparts, resembling short humans and sporting pointed ears and high cheekbones. Their ears are floppier than their counterparts and notably more animated, twitching when their attention is stolen away and shooting upright when curious or wary.
Genetics and Reproduction
I have never seen any infant knomes, but I suspect that they undergo something similar to asexual reproduction. They’re peculiar in this regard, as in the moments I have spent observing them, they appear in larger numbers than my previous observation. This occurs without fail.
UPDATE: Something is prodding at my nerves, sitting just under the skin. I can feel my muscles slowly contracting and relaxing with every hour that goes by. None of this is painful, but the ash black “rash” is becoming more concerning as it spreads further down my arms. I have gained the ability to see in the dark as well as minor alterations to my hearing. Have I ever told you how irritating whistling can be? There’s no rhythm or rhyme to it—my feet shudder and my eyes could go blind from hearing such noise. I have locked myself in my room and padded the walls. The only thing I must hear is the sound of my quill. It’s calming. Stroke one, stroke two—five, seven, nine—seventy, eighty, ninety. Lovely.
Growth Rate & Stages
Assuming my theory on their reproduction is correct, knomes likely grow extremely quickly. If this is the case, it would make sense that they’d appear in such a numerous amount without warning.
UPDATE: I have begun shrinking down. This is perfectly fine. But it’s so cold in this room. It’s near soundless, but it’s positively freezing. Clothes. Clothes sound nice, yes, very nice. I could make some clothes, perhaps. A turtleneck could be good. Red? I’ve always liked the color red. My clothes are too loose for proper wear now. I’ll look like a fool if I show my face. Oh… someone’s at the door? A friendly face, yes, yes. A friend. A friend. A friend.
Ecology and Habitats
Knomes inhabit almost everywhere in Paradoxus. They’re quite adaptable beings, as they have the ability to peacefully coexist with almost anyone. They seem to be drawn to warm-blooded creatures (humanoids in particular) or large sources of heat (in a morbid example, a burning building). Other than these circumstances, they prefer dark areas. Sunlight is quite harsh to them and myself, so we I they prefer heavily-wooded locations or spots where the sunlight is unable to reach them during the daytime, such as underground or in alleyways.
Places that are inhabited by knomes are undisturbed for the most part. If the location has no source of shade from sunlight, it will become littered with small holes, just big enough for the knomes to fit inside. These holes are approximately 1 ½ feet in diameter and are just deep enough for knomes to settle comfortably into.
Dietary Needs and Habits
I have never seen a knome eat anything, but they seem to accept small things such as berries or acorns. I have tried offering them meat from the Gull’s Wing, but they appear hesitant to devour it. Just as well, it’s unappealing and overdone. I’m unsure of why exactly this is the case.
I’ve always loved apples. It’s a strange thing to speak about, but I feel as though they would enjoy apples. Being alone in this room has given me a lot of time to think about these strange things, so perhaps being in this room is a good thing. Though it would certainly benefit me to leave for some time. Outdoors is noisy.
UPDATE: I have found that I dislike cooked meat.
Additional Information
Social Structure
There is one knome “leader” in every thirty or so knomes, with the leader serving as the thirtieth. They have the largest physique, the most lovely canes, and are capable of speech, though they rarely say more than their followers. They exhibit psionic-like powers and have the ability to cast magic from multiple schools. The knomes follow their leaders without question and seem to instinctively know when the leader is in trouble or needs assistance.
Knomes are closely knit and respond to violence with ten times the amount. When one of their own is threatened, all nearby knomes and those within approximately a mile’s reach are alerted to the presence of the threat. What follows is a torrent of spells from their chosen schools focused on the threat itself. Knomes tend to continue assaulting the threat until it has ceased moving entirely, though the leaders may call for restraint in rare circumstances.
Average Intelligence
Though they rarely talk, I know the knomes to be quite the intelligent creatures. When in danger, they utilize swarm tactics in order to neutralize threats, and they make good use of their devastating magic. I fear what would happen should I find myself on the receiving end of an angry crowd of knomes. They won’t hurt me, not as long as I remain formal with them. They’re always so curious, watching me and waiting. I’ve never bothered to ask what to look for, but perhaps it’s worth knowing. Maybe it’s because they’ve never seen the likes of me before.
UPDATE: They’re definitely intelligent. I challenged one to several games of chess. Though I handily beat it in the first one, it did the same to me in the second. Interestingly, it seemed to adapt itself to my train of thought, as it always remained one step ahead of me under all circumstances. I had to wrestle two more wins from the knome before resting after the tenth game. It has since taken my chessboard as well as the pieces. I don’t feel angry over this. I probably should.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
By chance, I have discovered just what the floppy ears of these knomes are capable of. As you would expect, they grant the knomes very acute hearing, and I suspect their hearing can pick up two or three times as many frequencies as humans can and approximately five times further away. This is particularly important because of the knomes’ natural manners of communication, which is perhaps the most difficult and unique of species I have discovered.
Aside from this extraordinary hearing, knomes are proficient magic users, seemingly developing them from birth. Of the many schools magic can be classified into, knomes specialize in these schools much as studious wizards do. They appear to have strict “rules” on what magic can be practiced by which knome; some will only use enchantment spells while others will use solely evocation spells. I have observed magic from all schools utilized by knomes, but individual knomes will only use magic from one particular school.
It is unknown what determines a knome’s preferred school of magic. After further observation, I have taken note of the markings present on their pointed hats. There are eight unique ones, each for a particular school of magic. These symbols are sewn into hats with exceptional skill and attention to detail, always looking identical to one another. It is unknown who does the sewing, so the owner likely does it themselves. It is unknown whether this is instinct or a learned skill. A knome's preferred school of magic is likely developed at birth.
Though rarer, “leaders” of knomes sport powers similar to that of psionics. It is unknown if this is true psionic energy, but if I can confirm my findings, these creatures are more terrifying than I initially thought. I have, so far, witnessed invisibility (displayed by duergar), size-changing, becoming stone, levitation (and outright flight), short-distance teleportation, and translucent shields. The more leader knomes there are in a given location, the more powerful these abilities become.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Happy, happy... Happy, happy...
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Knomes have no surnames, and their given names tend to be of something drawn from the environment or those they interact with. There was a knome I met that quite liked my name, so it began calling itself “Eleven.” I have heard “Chimney,” “Rags,” “Peddler,” and even something like “Snitch.”
Speaking of names, they know my name. Why do they know my name?
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Knomes have their own language, an offshoot of “Paradox Speech” (already a tricky language to learn) that consists entirely of sensory triggers. Rather than words, they communicate through sounds (or music), colors, and touch. Their ears, depending on the positioning and whether they vibrate and how intensely they vibrate, add varying levels of intensity and depth. The combinations of senses range into the millions, so unless one grows up surrounded by knomes, it’s unlikely a foreigner will have the time to study their language and be fluent in it.
When speaking, knomes are short and sweet, preferring to get straight to the point and note whatever currently holds their interest. They don’t often speak, and they seem to only communicate through words when one of the speakers is a non-knome. Close friends seem to get longer responses.
Common Dress Code
The only identifiable sort of dress-code would be the hats that the knomes wear. They tend to be almost double the height of the knome and may end perfectly straight or jagged at the tip. These hats seem to contain something similar to a pocket dimension.
I have looked into one. It was quite colorful. Pretty, even.
Scientific Name
Ombromanie paradoxicus gnomae
Lifespan
unknown
Average Height
2'0" - 4'0" (0.61 - 1.2m)
Average Weight
50 - 75 lb (22.7 - 34 kg)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Knomes are always of ash black pigmentation to the point where it’s difficult to make out any defining features on their body. They appear as shadows, making them excellent at hiding in the darkness.
Discovered by
If they want to watch, let them.
If they ask to see something, show them.
If they wish to hear something, tell them.
Otherwise, don’t speak, don’t interact, don’t approach. Ignore them. They’ll leave you alone. They didn’t leave me alone. What do they want with me? Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy... Happy, happy...
A fascinating article, and deliciously creepy!
Creator of the Kaleidoscope System and the planet Miragia.