Gnome

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gnomes have incredible strength for their size, averaging the same as humans. The strong ones are more wiry than burly. In fact, they have the bodies of elves at just 3 to 4 feet tall, including the skeletal structure of the face and pointed ears. Their limbs and fingers are thin and look like they would be broken easily but their bones are incredibly dense. Their fingers are long and dextrous.

Ecology and Habitats

Gnomes are most comfortable underground. In cities, they will chose houses below ground level and many houses intended for multiple occupancy have basement-level flats for gnomes. Their smaller settlements are in the sides of hills or riverbanks, burrows commonly shared with wild animals which they have a symbiotic relationship with. They do not keep them as pets, more like roommates. Many gnomes have a basic magical empathy with burrowing animals.

Civilization and Culture

History

Gnomes were originally created from gemstones. The gnome god, Garl Glittergold, breathed life into them with a laugh and created the first gnomes. They are a relatively young race, made just before the gods left, so none had the same chance for a personal relationship with their gods that other races did. Their youth as a race gave them an unfortunate naivety. They were too trusting when they first met another race: the Kobolds. The entire race, still few at the time, were enslaved. When Dwarves eventually broke into the Kobold tunnels that housed the enslaved gnomes, they were enslaved again. Many gnomes still remember these days and harbour a resentment for both dwarves and Kobolds.
When the Heartfall ended, gnomes acclimatised better than most to the splitting of their soul between body and stone as first generation gnomes worked in the same way, part of their soul shared between their awakened gems and their bodies. This caused a schism in the Kalpurni church between those who believed the gnomes were chosen by the gods and those who thought they were heretics for trying to emulate them.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Many other races tend to think of gnomes as lazy or easily distracted. It would be more true to say that they hate boredom. A gnome will stick at a task it loves until it is finished but as soon as they grow even slightly bored they will find something else to do, often working on several projects at once. Gnomish artisans specialise in gemcutting, toymaking and engineering, but they take their time over such things.

Lifespan

350-500 years

Average Height

3' - 4'

Geographic Distribution

• Endar
• Kalpurn
• Reshkai Plains
• Trellian
• Vasser

Related Ethnicities

• Kalpurni
• Reshkai