Ovalapi
Ovalapi, or Gnome Shell are gems that are produced by gnomes when they reproduce. The Ovalapi serves as an "egg" for the gnome to mature inside and they are usually kept by the community of their parent in a special and protected room until they crack, or "hatch." This tradition have help foster the belief that gnomes hoard treasures in their dwellings.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
It is not known how gnomes grow inside the ovalapi. If the gem is broken before a gnome emerges from it, it becomes murky and its color fades into a brownish hue. Even gem that were cracked before breaking showed no signs of any biological compound. When a gnome emerges, it is because the gem was broken from the inside by the lamignome that forms inside. The gems are not magical and do not react to divination magic or to any identifying spell.
Significance
Ovalapi are a vital part of a gnome community, without them the community will simply go extinct. The gems are usually protected in a central chamber inside the gnomes' settlement, surrounded by traps and guards. Each gem can take centuries to crack, and once they do, a new gnome is born out of it. To a non-gnome, the ovalapi appears as any other gem. This, coupled with the fact that ovalapi can also be used for various banned magical rituals, makes gnome settlements prone to raids.
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