Gnomes

The Firstborn of Noc, called the Nightborn, are the gnomes. Similar in many ways to Elves, having a gracile build, light bones, large eyes with a reflecting layer behind the retina, and long, leaf-shaped ears, they are significantly smaller. Their heads and hands are proportionately larger, but their long, fine fingers are as dextrous. They are noted for their curiosity, and for their quiet steps and clever hands. They have a distinctly fragile appearance, but this is misleading. They can subsist on very limited food and water, thanks to an impressively efficient metabolism, and live almost as long as elves. Unlike elves, they are natural omnivores.   Originally residents in the Primeval Wilderness, many gnomes have left the forest to embrace life in Dwarf hold and elf city. Like many smaller lineages, they typically occupy halftowns, districts within a greater settlement given over to the smaller scale architecture which suits gnomes, Halflings and Goblins. Many gnomes, especially in the cities, have some halfling heritage, and a few have goblin ancestry.