Gnome
Architects of the Impossible
Gnomes in Erenel are pioneers of invention, blending arcane theory with intricate craftsmanship to create devices that defy conventional understanding. Unlike the Dwarf, who prioritize durability, or Minotaur, who chase practicality, Gnomes approach invention with a boundless curiosity and a disregard for limits, often leading to brilliant breakthroughs or spectacular failures.
Their greatest works are not just mechanical but philosophical experiments, testing the boundaries of reality itself. They craft self-writing quills that transcribe dreams, lanterns that capture echoes of sound, and construct familiars that act as extensions of their own minds. Some even dabble in bio-arcana, experimenting with growing synthetic materials like spell-infused plants to create adaptive armor, regenerating tools, or sentient maps that guide their owners.
Despite their genius, Gnomes have a complicated relationship with their own creations. They do not seek permanence in their work and instead, they revel in iteration, always refining, modifying, and sometimes abandoning their projects in pursuit of something greater. The phrase "a true invention is never finished" is a core belief in Gnomish society, which is why their workshops are often chaotic labyrinths of half-completed devices, evolving blueprints, and machines that no longer function as intended. To outsiders, their creative process seems erratic, but to Gnomes, every failure is merely a step toward the next great discovery.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Gnomes are small humanoids, typically standing between 3 to 4 feet tall with lean yet surprisingly resilient builds. Gnomes have sharper facial structures, often with high cheekbones, elongated ears, and expressive eyes that shimmer with a magical glint, some say a side effect of their long exposure to time magic.
Their skin tones vary widely, ranging from earthy browns and deep coppers to pale silvers or even faintly iridescent hues in those who have spent too much time near Temporal Scars. Their fingertips are highly sensitive, allowing them to manipulate delicate machinery and arcane inscriptions with unparalleled precision, a trait that serves them well in their technological and magical pursuits.
Civilization and Culture
History
“Time is not a river, nor a wheel. It is a fire, flickering with every moment we take for granted. And long ago, one of our own tried to master its flame.”
The Timewright Hourglass
The Timewright Hourglass was not the work of gods, it was the life’s work of a single Gnome, Merrin Quillock, the Timewright. A genius artificer, Merrin was obsessed with understanding the nature of time. He theorized that time was not a linear force but a malleable essence, something that could be slowed, sped up, or even rewritten. In secret, he crafted the Timewright Hourglass, a device designed to regulate time’s flow, preventing paradoxes and ensuring the past, present, and future remained stable.
But something went wrong.
During its activation, the Timewright Hourglass shattered under its own power, sending fragments of time itself spiraling across Erenel. These fragments created Temporal Scars, places where time bent unnaturally, some trapping people in endless loops, others creating echoes of past and future events. Realizing the catastrophe he had unleashed, Merrin vanished, leaving behind only cryptic notes and the last, largest fragment of the hourglass, now hidden by the Chronoguard.
The Chronoguard
Formed in the wake of the hourglass disaster, the Chronoguard is an order of Gnomes dedicated to containing and understanding time’s broken remnants. Over centuries, they have worked in secrecy to ensure that the fractures do not spiral out of control, but are unfortunately divided in their methods:
The Stabilizers
Seek to contain the damage, ensuring that time remains as close to stable as possible. They build elaborate vaults and runic seals to prevent further time distortions.
The Restorers
Believe that the Timewright Hourglass must be rebuilt and time restored to its original, intended form. Some see this as the only way to undo the mistakes of the past.
The Timelost Seekers
A rogue faction that seeks to explore and manipulate time fractures for knowledge and power. Some wish to recover lost civilizations, while others seek to rewrite history to their own benefit.
While many reasoning species consider these time anomalies strange, rare, and mostly myth, the Chronoguard knows the truth. The fabric of time is unraveling, and sooner or later, all of Erenel will feel its effects.
Lifespan
About 350 years
Average Height
Small (about 3-4 feet tall)
by Horacio
Temporal Scars
The shattered hourglass created unstable rifts scattered across Erenel, known as Temporal Scars. These are places where time has fractured, creating paradoxes, loops, or echoes of things long past or yet to come. Examples of a Temporal Scar includes:Everdawn Bazaar
A bustling marketplace where it is always sunrise, and merchants unknowingly repeat the same conversations and transactions every day.Hollow of Neverborn Kings
A cavern where ghostly figures of rulers who never came to power walk the halls, whispering of empires that never were.Starlit Graves
A valley where those who have not yet died can sometimes see their future tombstones, etched with unknown dates and causes of death.The Forgotten War
A battlefield where soldiers from different eras of history continuously fight one another, never realizing they are centuries apart.Timewright Vault
The final resting place of the largest fragment of the Timewright Hourglass, guarded by mechanical constructs that have stood watch for centuries, awaiting a key only Merrin Quillock knew how to forge.
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