Gnomes

The race of gnomes includes at least two varieties. The first are the forest gnomes, woodland-dwelling folk on friendly terms with elves, but shy and rarely seen. The second variety are the rock gnomes, often interactive with humans and dwarves, skilled miners and metalsmiths.

Forest Gnomes

The race of forest gnomes, unlike their larger cousins the rock gnomes, seek mostly to live in harmony with nature and tend to growing things. They are rarely over 2 feet tall but a fair folk with pleasant features and bright eyes. Forest gnomes may speak freely with any creatures of the wood, but they are especially drawn to birds. They detest goblins, but their peaceful nature prompts them to mislead and trick those goblins who come too near rather than killing them. They are preyed upon by giant weasels, giant owls, and green dragons.

Forest gnomes are especially shy, and are likely to avoid an encounter if at all possible. They are even reluctant to mingle with other gnomes, although they are greatly valued by their larger brethren, especially since they are cunning woodworkers. They often make their homes in massive oak trees, out of which they carve their rooms in so intricate and careful a way that the tree not only suffers no harm but actually prospers under the care of their small lodgers.

Rock Gnomes

Similar to their smaller cousins, the Forest Gnomes, Rock Gnomes are a kind and jovial people, preferring lives of leisure and learning to fighting and struggling for power. Nonetheless, they are considerably more like their dwarves than their forest-dwelling brethren. For one thing, they are fair metal workers, capable of making leather armor protected by rings or studded with metal plates, and crafting short swords that are much deadlier than their size would suggest. For another, they are excellent miners, delving deep underground in search of metal ore and precious gems. Like dwarves, they bear a great enmity toward goblins and kobolds, and are greatly skilled in fighting opponents 7-feet tall or more.
Rock gnomes typically stand at about 3-feet tall, with hair in a variety of colors ranging from reddish and greenish brown to pure white. Male gnomes invariably wear beard and moustache. They typically wear conically-shaped caps which, contrary to popular belief, are not always red. Most carry the simplest of weapons, like cudgel, sling, and bow (occasionally spear), but they are not a warlike folk. Their homes are frequently earthen burrows lined with stone; the secret of their building these elaborate burrows is unknown even to the dwarves, who tend to expand already existing cave systems.

Lairs of the Forest Gnomes

Forest gnomes often make their homes in massive oak trees, relying on carefully cultivated vines and brush to disguise their domiciles and keep their private lives from prying eyes. A single family may live within a spacious oak, but sometimes their skills lead them to construct even more elaborate structures, using entire groves and occasionally rock formations-for although the forest gnomes are said to prefer connection to living and growing things, they nevertheless possess enviable skills in rock carving.

Mines of the Rock Gnomes

Like their smaller cousins, rock gnomes dwell in earthen burrows. The main difference is that the earthen burrows of the rock gnomes make their way into the rock itself, for these folk are skilled miners.