Gnomes

Like the Elves, they share a strange connection to the Good Neighbors, as they sometimes seem to change in mood rather quickly, but, even when they find uses in the Embers of Magic, the feel no satisfaction from it, it's as if they tried to remove themselves from Magic, at least in the way the Old Wizards and Warlocks do... Ebenezer Constance, except from his book 'The peoples of Karash'.
A constant hum of busy activity pervades the warrens and neighborhoods where gnomes form their close- knit communities. Louder sounds punctuate the hum: a crunch of grinding gears here, a minor explosion there, a yelp of surprise or triumph, and especially bursts of laughter. And, in the woods or streams, gnomes take great care to accommodate themselves into that place, rather than the other way around: Their homes might be connected to the trees or under hills, their farmlands blend themselves with the grass, and their cities may sometimes disappear if you blink twice.
Gnomes take delight in life, enjoying every moment of invention, exploration, investigation, creation, and play; this plays heavily in contrast with how gnomes came to be in the world, as they -alongside kobolds- are not natives to the world of Karash.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gnomes are slightly smaller than Halflings, and even a bit pudgier than they are, but even then, gnomes can be just as lithe and dextrous as the smallfolk. Men and Women tend to have long, curly hair, which changes in color slightly, depending on the season, or the weather in which they live in: From coppery red in autumn, to dark brown in winter, lively blood red in spring and summer, but the changes of color depend from gnome to gnome.
Gnomes tend to be full of energy, even when a gnome is still, or in meditation, their muscles twitch, their eyes seem to shift from side to side, and when they speak their tongue, it seem more like a mix of chittering weasels or any other creatures.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Most Gnomes live in The River Kingdom, living their lives according to the Code of Blindersoot, a gnome hero that unified the Gnomes and the Kobolds in the kingdom, but many still strike out on their own as explorers in Axalan, or even towards The Northlands.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Gnomes have a knack to seeing things in the dark, and even more, their senses are well focused to react to magic, especially when it comes to illusions or enchantments.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Gnomes (especially Tinker gnomes) are masters of clockwork and mechanical engineering, and many of the great Schools of Mechanical Studies are found alongside the Grandiath River; Forest Gnomes, on the other hand, prefer a much more simpler approach to make things easier; sure, they know how to make a trap or two, but their attunement to the woods, and The Great Turtle, helps them with anything they can get.
Whichever of the two, however, both appreciate the mastery of Thaumaturge-Steam that the Artificer possesses, and try to use their services more frequently instead of those of a wizard, or a warlock, as most gnomes and kobolds in the River Kingdom have a mistrust of arcane magic.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Gnomes have a culture of problem-solving and of exploration: Riddles, puzzles and games of chance are of major significance to them, because they feel these sharpen their minds and their wit. Additionally, as they grow, many gnomes find the inner workings of clockwork, the intricacies of engineering, and the tending of nature to be just as intriguing as the riddles in childhood.
Many gnomes -especially in the River Kingdom- are taught that All things are fickle, ephemeral, and maybe even false, but only when you study, analyze and dedicate your life to that thing, do those things become real... To the observer, that is.

History

According to their history, Gnomes used to be slaves of the Far in their realm, the Feywild; their existence was to simply be slaves to sensation and exploitation by their Fae Masters, but one day, they revolted agains them, and with the help of a spirit known only as The Turtle, they constructed a massive ship that carried them out of the stars, with the Turtle spirit inhabiting the ship's body.
This ship was unlike anything anyone had ever seen, even today. According to the stories, the ship was shaped like that of a Turtle, and the shell was made of fae-glass; its body was made of mithril and reinforced with adamantine; and great elemental spirits were bound to it, so that they could provide wind, water, warmth and soil to grow crops, woods, even a lake.
Eventually, they sailed through the winds of Aether, following the stars and divinations that their mages gave them, and they eventually crash-landed into a world seemingly lifeless, but within its devastation, life was blooming, and strange creatures similar to the gnomes, only larger inhabited it... This world was Karash.
According to this story as well, gnomes had to fight against Kobolds, whom they had hidden in the ship, hoping to escape the captivity of the Fae, and even in Karash they fought bitterly over territory, until the Gnome hero Blindersoot united them both, and helped them sign peace, which has lasted ever since (though a few times it has wavered).

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Gnomes have recently gotten along with Kobolds, and while that relation has been rocky or even downright hostile in the past, nowadays both races work hard to make the River Kingdom safe for both. Elves (especially the Highborn) see them as little more than amusing cousins, though the Greenborn are especially hostile, and reports of gnome and kobold rangers denote their ruthlessness of their raids in the borders of the River Kingdom. Dwarves tend to see them as awkward cousins, while Halflings and humans tend to see them as too hyperactive and too unfocused.
Dragonborn and Tabaxi, however, seeing as they are not natives form Karash, view them with care, but maintain close relations, mostly because they want to keep a close eye on them.

Lifespan

Around 500, or 600 years

Average Height

3 and 4 feet tall

Average Weight

About 40-45lbs