Gnomes
Appearance
Gnomes stand about 3 feet tall, slighter and taller than halflings. Their ears resemble humans', but their highly mutable facial muscles allow for unsettling grins and oversized eyes that emphasize often disproportionate emotional expressions. With vibrant skin, hair, and eyes in various unusual colors, gnomes appear the most alien among Golarion's common races.
Origins and History
The gnomes of Golarion are a wounded race, originally inhabitants of a strange and alien realm known as the First World. This fantastical dimension exists "behind" the reality of Golarion, a realm of impossibilities from which gnomes migrated during ancient times. This traumatic exodus from their ancestral homeland left a permanent spiritual scar upon the gnome race. Historical records first note gnome trailblazers scouting Golarion during the Age of Anguish, yet even today, the reason for their departure remains a profound mystery, even to the gnomes themselves.
The First World
The First World was a realm of endless wonder and ageless delight, a place where gnomes lived immortal lives filled with perpetual pranks and joyous chaos. Torn from this world, gnomes never fully healed, giving rise to a tragic condition known as the Bleaching.
The Bleaching
When born, a gnome's skin, hair, and eyes are brilliantly vibrant. As they age, these vivid features change radically based on their experiences. Those who remain in static or unchanging environments see their colors fade and their sanity deteriorate. Conversely, those who continually seek novelty retain their vibrancy.
Older gnomes are increasingly susceptible to the Bleaching. As the condition progresses, the afflicted gnome slips into madness and dementia, typically culminating in death. In rare instances, a gnome survives this affliction, becoming a pale, enigmatic being known as a bleachling.
Mechanics of the Bleaching
Once the Bleaching begins, a gnome must actively seek out new experiences to combat boredom. Each year, they must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to either the amount of ability damage sustained from the Bleaching or 10 + their character level, whichever is greater). Failure reduces their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores by 1d6 points permanently. If an ability score reaches zero, the gnome must make another Will save at the same DC; failure results in death from old age, while success transforms them into a bleachling, removing all penalties incurred from the Bleaching. Bleachlings always treat druid as a favored class and can use the speak with animals spell-like ability at will.
Culture and Lifestyle
Gnomes pursue eccentric interests and cherish objects that anchor them to reality, delaying the onset of the Bleaching. They collect stories, friends, and peculiar artifacts such as mechanical gadgets, riddles, flamboyant clothing, nicknames, perfumes, and other unique curiosities.
Relationships and Families
Gnomes typically have numerous intimate relationships throughout their lifetimes, though rarely forming long-lasting commitments. Marriage or lifetime bonding is uncommon, and families are loosely structured, if at all. Children are primarily raised by the broader community until they become capable of learning through their own adventures and experiences.
Naming Conventions
Male gnome names tend to be excessively long, multisyllabic, and intentionally challenging to pronounce. Female names reverse this trend, being short and simple—though many female gnomes insist their names are merely abbreviations of longer, hidden names.
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