Gnome
Gnomes, or the Forgotten Folk as they were sometimes known, were small humanoids known for their eccentric sense of humor, inquisitiveness, and engineering prowess. Having had few overt influences on the world's history but many small and unseen ones, gnomes are often overlooked by the powers that be, despite their craftiness and affinity for illusion magic. Gnomes were present in nearly every human city and most caravan-stop villages where other cultures and non-human races were at least tolerated.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Gnomes were a very intelligent and innately curious race and had a strong affinity for all things magical, particularly the arcane. Gnomes might have lacked the drive and ambition of other races, particularly humans, but their creativity gave them a strong ability for ingenuity. Most gnomes were content to live simple lives, acquiring knowledge merely as a hobby but others explored lost ruins, delved deep into the heart of the world, and conducted dangerous research in their unquenchable thirst for knowledge, leading more than a few to an untimely demise.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Gnomes love names, and most have half a dozen or so. A gnome’s mother, father, clan elder, aunts, and uncles each give the gnome a name, and various nicknames from just about everyone else might or might not stick over time. Gnome names are typically variants on the names of ancestors or distant relatives, though some are purely new inventions. When dealing with humans and others who are “stuffy” about names, a gnome learns to use no more than three names: a personal name, a clan name, and a nickname, choosing the one in each category that’s the most fun to say.
Male Names: Alston, Alvyn, Boddynock, Brocc, Burgell, Dimble, Eldon, Erky, Fonkin, Frug, Gerbo, Gimble, Glim, Jebeddo, Kellen, Namfoodle, Orryn, Roondar, Seebo, Sindri, Warryn, Wrenn, Zook
Female Names: Bimpnottin, Breena, Caramip, Carlin, Donella, Duvamil, Ella, Ellyjobell, Ellywick, Lilli, Loopmottin, Lorilla, Mardnab, Nissa, Nyx, Oda, Orla, Roywyn, Shamil, Tana, Waywocket, Zanna
Clan Names: Beren, Daergel, Folkor, Garrick, Nackle, Murnig, Ningel, Raulnor, Scheppen, Timbers, Turen
Nicknames: Aleslosh, Ashhearth, Badger, Cloak, Doublelock, Filchbatter, Fnipper, Ku, Nim, Oneshoe, Pock, Sparklegem, Stumbleduck
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Like other races, gnomish culture varied based on region and ethnicity, but a few characteristics were common to most gnomes. Among virtually all gnomes, great value was placed on one's ability to avoid trouble and stay out of the way of others. Children's games often involved elements of stealth and, among adults, drawing attention to one's self was considered a breach of etiquette. Most gnomes tried to remain inconspicuous and quietly left the scene of a fight. The few legends of gnomish heroes were not of powerful warriors but of subtle tricksters, who sneaked past or tricked their opponents rather than vanquishing them in combat. This in part came from the long-standing issue gnomes had faced, namely their miniscule size compared to larger predators or enemies such as the fomorians of the Feywild, whom few gnomes could hope to stand toe to toe with in a fair fight
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Gnome burial rites were very similar to cremation: they destroyed the body (preventing desecration), released the spirit to find its own way, were not land-intensive, they were fairly quick to pull off if wood was abundant, and they could be used to send objects to the afterlife as well. Different gnome deities had conflicting rules for burials; such as Baervan Wildwanderer and Urdlen.
History
The Treatise Historical of the Dragon Tyrants held that gnomes were created in approximately −24,500 BC from gems hidden in caverns beneath a mountain in the land later known as Netheril. Kobolds enslaved the first gnomes and stole the gems that contained yet-unborn gnomish souls. This prompted Garl Glittergold to collapse the mountain, killing most of the kobolds (including their leader Kurtulmak) and creating the depression known as the Hidden Lake, later as the Shoal of Thirst.
Gnomish myths held that the gods of the gnome pantheon originated as gems deep within the bowels of the earth that were then exposed to open air. Likewise, these myths held that the gnomes were created when Garl Glittergold discovered similar gems and breathed life into them, which he followed up with a joke, inspiring the race to craftiness and mischief. This story also related that gnomes born of diamonds became the rock gnomes, while those forged of emeralds became forest gnomes and those made of rubies were the ancestors of the deep gnomes.
Early in their history, many gnomes were held captive by the nations of Netheril and Calimshan as slaves, though most escaped this cruel fate.
Other than these early tales, little is known about the formative history of the gnomes. While humans, dwarves, eladrin, and elves all forged empires and waged terrible wars that devastated the land, the gnomes did nothing of the sort. Nor did gnomes have a known, original homeland like the halflings. Throughout history, they were known as a scattered race of hidden villages, clans, and holds, rarely caught up in grand events. The gnomes were sometimes referred to as the Forgotten Folk and this title is perhaps apt, and few of their race ever graced or troubled the mighty, instead remaining characters who faded, for the most part, into the background while others went on to forge mighty legends.
For a time, there was an exception to this on the isle of Lantan, a nation dominated by gnomish engineers. Here the gnomes, as an exception to the rule, were dominant and it was their culture that dictated the laws of the land. However, the gnomish isle was overwhelmed by great tsunamis resulting from the shifting of continents that occurred during the Spellplague, destroying this small bastion of gnomish ingenuity and culture.
As the number of humans grew and gnomes became further marginalized, younger generations began to question the wisdom of their forebears in taking a deliberately passive role in world events.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Gnomes, in general, were a reclusive people who'd rather stay out of others' affairs. Though some races interpreted this as cowardice, it's more the case that gnomes simply had nothing at stake in the conflicts between most other races and after centuries of being ignored or stomped on, were not particularly eager to fight someone else's fight. In fact, generally speaking, gnomes were a very courageous and good-hearted race, who frequently used their neutrality as a way to negotiate disputes. Of all the races in Aestria, it's fair to say that gnomes had the fewest enemies, although they had very few friends as well.
Gnomes rarely intentionally invoked ire in any group, but at times circumstances made conflict with other races unavoidable. In the Feywild, gnomes were particularly wary of the fomorians that sometimes enslaved them, regarding them with fear and caution. In the Prime Material Plane, gnomes were most often at odds with goblins and kobolds, who shared their underground homes and often war with them for territory or wealth. In these cases, gnomes were rarely the aggressors, owing to their tendency to avoid trouble rather than cause it.
Gnomes were on fairly good terms with other fey, being particularly fond of eladrin, though they also shared good relations with elves. Gnomes also had sympathy for the fey commonly enslaved by fomorians, feeling empathy for creatures that shared the fate many of their forbears had suffered. Gnomes also got along well enough with halflings.
Among those gnomes who lived in the caverns of the Prime, dwarves were often counted as friends, due in part to the two races' physical and cultural similarities. Additionally, dwarves and gnomes both counted goblins and giants as enemies and could often be found working together against them. Gnomes were generally suspicious of other races, however.
Lifespan
Usually up to 300 years, but 500 not unheard of; physically show aging but do not become infirm
Average Height
3'0"–3'6" (0.9–1.1 meters)
Average Weight
40–45 lbs (18–20 kg)
Related Organizations
