Gnome

Culture

Gnomes are born with a fascination for learning fueled by an irrepressible curiosity. Most individuals settle on a specialized area of study such as an aspect of the natural world, a particular method of invention, or the patterns that underlie the multiverse.   Though this pursuit of knowledge might compel a gnome to spend long periods in the workshop or the laboratory, the activity is never seen as drudgery — quite the opposite. Gnomes enjoy making an unexciting aspect of life more enjoyable, such as inventing a shovel that whistles a tune to lighten the toil of digging, or creating a telescoping fork that can reach across the table to enliven mealtime.   Their fun-loving attitude also comes through in the form of jokes that gnomes tell to, or about, their companions, and in the good-spirited pranks that they play on each other — and on other folk (who might not always appreciate being the target of their humor).   Gnomes aren’t overly goal-oriented as they pursue their interests. To them, the journey and the destination are one and the same, and an achievement at the end of one journey is merely the first step toward the next accomplishment.   Even though failure, disappointment, and dead ends are recurring obstacles on the path to discovery, gnomes revel in the search. They savor the acquisition of new knowledge, realizing it might come at a cost, and even a series of bad results in experiments doesn’t dissuade a gnome from following their chosen path.  

Last rites

Gnomes have a tradition as the Last Ritual for the deceased among their kind. When a gnome passes away, their body is buried in a location of lush vegetation, such as a grove, a mushroom field underground, or an oasis in a desert. Before burial, a seed is placed in the gnome's mouth. As the seed grows, it gives rise to new vegetation, whether it be a tree, a bush, or a mushroom, depending on the environment.   Gnomes believe that the growth of this vegetation facilitates the deceased's soul journey to the afterlife. It is considered a grave offense to neglect offering this final ritual to a deceased gnome.  

Belief

Because of their origin, gnomes tend to worship the heirs of the Draconic Pantheon.  

Characteristics

Physical features

Gnomes average slightly over 3 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their tan or brown faces are usually adorned with bright eyes. Gnome are similar looking to halfling, if not for the added energy and the long pointy ears.  

Biology

Gnomes do not give birth to their children in the traditional sense. Instead, they create them through a deeply spiritual and artistic process. In specially consecrated birthing rooms, gnomes carve their children into gemstones. As part of this sacred ritual, they inscribe intricate contracts onto the gem’s surface. These contracts are more than words—they are heartfelt declarations of love, promises of guidance, and aspirations for the child to come.   Once the gem is complete, infused with the creator’s intent and devotion, it transforms into a baby gnome, marking the beginning of a new life.  

Mental traits

As far as gnomes are concerned, being alive is a wonderful thing, and they squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of their three to five centuries of life. Humans might wonder about getting bored over the course of such a long life, and elves take plenty of time to savor the beauties of the world in their long years, but gnomes seem to worry that even with all that time, they can’t get in enough of the things they want to do and see.   Gnomes speak as if they can’t get the thoughts out of their heads fast enough. Even as they offer ideas and opinions on a range of subjects, they still manage to listen carefully to others, adding the appropriate exclamations of surprise and appreciation along the way.   Though gnomes love jokes of all kinds, particularly puns and pranks, they’re just as dedicated to the more serious tasks they undertake. Many gnomes are skilled engineers, alchemists, tinkers, and inventors. They’re willing to make mistakes and laugh at themselves in the process of perfecting what they do, taking bold (sometimes foolhardy) risks and dreaming large.  

Lineages

Diamond gnome (Rock gnome)

A visitor’s first steps into a rock gnome warren are accompanied by the sounds of industry — hammers rapping on metal, chisels chewing wood, cauldrons bubbling, and a host of assorted squeaks, pings, and whistles. Against this backdrop, the halls echo with the voices of rock gnome inventors jabbering at near unintelligible speed about their latest ideas, and the hubbub is occasionally punctuated by a big bang or the abrupt collapse of some unstable contraption.   To rock gnomes, life is a combination of scavenger hunts and periods of bold experimentation. First they get materials from within the earth (usually thanks to deep gnomes), and then they figure out what they can create or invent using those resources. The discovery of a new vein of metal — whether tin, copper, silver, or gold — makes rock gnomes clap their hands with glee, but they are happiest of all when they find a cache of gems, particularly diamonds.   Individual rock gnomes have different ideas about what sorts of inventions are the most satisfying to create, with some favoring practicality and others more interested in artistic expression. In each group, there are those who prefer to practice the alchemical arts and those whose talents lean toward the creation of mechanical devices. Every warren has members of each persuasion, and they are all bound by mutual respect for what they do despite their different perspectives.   Rock gnomes who take a more scientific approach to inventing are the ones responsible for creating technological devices that make life easier. Even an invention as simple as a new kind of rake is celebrated, and that advance might later be superseded by someone who modifies it in a way that makes it more efficient or more enjoyable to use.   These inventors are rarely reluctant to try making devices of exceptional power, even if one might not work at first the way it was intended to. The gnomes know that it’s always possible for someone else to learn from an inventor’s mistakes, so even a failed experiment is a success in some way. Every minor explosion or other incident of turmoil in a gnome city serves as a clue about what not to do next time — unless, of course, the goal was to make something explode.   Imagination runs wild in the mind of a gnome. Any fresh idea can be the starting point for a new journey of experimentation and discovery. Even though rock gnomes appreciate the practical aspects of their endeavors, they also find satisfaction in creating items that have no true usefulness. Many an invention is celebrated just for being beautiful to behold or for being complex and intricate in its construction, and the artists who create such things are as esteemed as those who specialize in designing tools.   Exploration is a part of invention, as the gnomes see it, so there’s nothing wrong with creating machines and artifacts that seem to have no purpose. The gnomes who produce these works of art are using new ideas and new approaches, breaking through old boundaries and advancing the frontier of knowledge. For instance, an artist might create a beautiful articulated sculpture whose pieces can be manipulated in a unique way. Another artisan might take that idea and apply it to a new form of invention — but no one forgets that it was the artist’s idea that blazed the trail for that journey.  

Emerald gnome (Forest gnome)

As the companions of nature and its animals, forest gnomes learn from their surroundings as if from a master teacher. They create lovely gardens, organic sculptures, and wondrous emerald jewelry — that precious green stone being their favorite of all gems.   Forest gnome are the closest to their fey origin, and still share many of their power with their fey cousin. Forest gnomes can communicate with many of the small animals of the woods. Squirrels, raccoons, foxes, weasels, owls, rabbits, robins, hummingbirds, and more are their allies and friends. Outsiders often think of these creatures as the gnomes’ pets, but the gnomes treat them more like trusted neighbors.   When strangers approach a woodland inhabited by forest gnomes, the gnomes often know about it while such visitors are still miles away. Speedy squirrels run through the treetops, each trying to be the first to warn the gnomes and earn a sweet treat. Birds trill a special call that alerts the gnomes to danger. At night, nocturnal animals such as owls and bats carry word to the gnomes during times when they should be on their guard.   Forest gnomes have innate magical ability, letting them create simple illusions. They practice the use of illusion magic from an early age.   Gnomes use illusions for practically any reason — as a game, for defense, or for communication — and sometimes for no reason other than artistic considerations. A simple illusion can often express a complex idea, such as when the memory of a location is triggered by the illusory sound of a babbling brook that runs through the place. A storytelling session conducted by a group of forest gnomes is a riot of sounds and images that helps give meaning and intensity to the tale being told. It is a kind of entertainment unfathomable by most other races, whose stories and performances are limited by whatever materials are on hand.   The forest gnomes’ playful nature shows through in the illusions they create, even those that have a serious purpose. Forest gnomes spend their spare time experimenting with the creation of never-before-seen illusions, or embellishing the images and sounds they already know how to produce.   The number of ways in which forest gnomes use illusions to have fun is nearly limitless. A few examples: visual enhancements to a mythic tale told by an elder, new and interesting sounds, and false doors and hallways to fool intruders and lead them into traps. (Goblins just can’t pass by a door that calls them names.)   Gnomes make excellent librarians and curators. Give a gnome something to catalog and organize, and you’ll have a happy gnome on your hands.  

Ruby gnome (Deep Gnome)

Deep gnomes, or svirfneblin, are the pragmatic and often grumpy cousins of the gnome family, who live deep underground. The Underdark is full of danger, meaning that deep gnomes spend much of their time simply staying alive. They endure this life because the Underdark also holds incredible treasures: minerals and gemstones, gold, silver, and platinum. The svirfneblin mine these materials whenever they find a new deposit — especially rubies, which they prize above all other treasure. The svirfneblin do take pleasure from success in these mining operations. A thin smile emerges from the stone-like features of a deep gnome who finds a truly remarkable gem, and such a discovery lightens the mood in the enclave for a time.   Deep gnomes are the core of gnomish society in the Lightfoot Kingdom, they provide the ores and minerals that later serve the crazy invention of their surface cousin.   Although they are skilled stonemasons, svirfneblin appreciate the beauty of natural stone and prefer either to carve to accentuate its features or to leave it unchanged. Their architecture is marked by smooth, curving shapes rather than straight lines and hard edges.   Svirfneblin are intensely community-minded and have little concern about privacy among themselves. Thus, they don’t close off living spaces with doors or window coverings. Most of their homes are sparsely furnished dwellings of one or two rooms. Bed spaces, often carved into the cavern walls, are strung with hammocks for each inhabitant, but often are otherwise empty except for stone coffers holding a few personal effects.  

Names

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 two names: a personal 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   Nicknames: Aleslosh, Ashhearth, Badger, Cloak, Doublelock, Filchbatter, Fnipper, Ku, Nim, Oneshoe, Pock, Sparklegem, Stumbleduck  

History

Genesis

When Sardior was banished to the Void after his fight against Alexstrasza, Malygos, Neltharion, Nozdormu and Ysera, his tail was cast into the caverns of the Feywild, known as the Feydark instead. The ruby scales that once adorned his body scattered across the dark, twisting tunnels. Infused with elemental power and draconic might, these gemstones remained there for millennia, slowly transformed by the strange magic of the Feywild. Over time, the once-inanimate rubies became sentient, giving rise to the gnomes.   Later, rumors started to change the gnomes' origin, as they thought different gnomes were born from different gems: They say that diamonds became rock gnomes, rubies became deep gnomes, and emeralds became forest gnomes.  

Enslavement

Shortly after their creation, the gnomes faced adversity from the denizens of the Feydark. Among these creatures, goblins were particularly cruel, often capturing gnomes for their amusement. Within goblin society, gifting an entertaining gnome was seen as a sign of sophistication, and gnomes quickly became both slaves and prized commodities, traded between tribes.   This dark period continued until the goblins betrayed the Summer Court, an act that led to their banishment or transformation into the twisted Faevlin. This upheaval granted the gnomes an opportunity to escape and secure their freedom. Seeking refuge, the gnomes fled to the Winter Court, where they were offered sanctuary in the cold, enigmatic lands under its protection.  

Inventors

The origin of the gnomes as sentient gemstones always gave them an edge in the manipulation of the weave, allowing numerous gnomes to bring great change to spellcasting and magic through the years before the nexus overflow, forging their reputation as inventors and savants.  

Great Extinction

During the great extinction, gnome settlements were annihilated, similarly to the elves. The survivors gathered in the underground settlements, protected from the rampage of dragons and giants, managed to survive through the draco-giant war.   During that era, the gnomes were those discovering the Dragonite, and its fairly explosive use.   Since the union of halfling, gnome, and verdan under the common banner of the Lightfoot Land, they keep on creating new wanders, especially Arcanomagnetic inventions.  

Notable members