Gnome

Gnomes are a short race from Jaranar and Arkhera who prefer to live underground and enrich their lives with magical technology (magitech for short).
Their natural geomantic inclinations allow them to easily detect reserves of the magically imbued rock, redstone, and use it as power sources. Like all magically capable races, even if their natural magic is limited to geomancy, they can, with difficulty, learn spellwork as well as supplement their abilities with magitech.
Though their eyes are light sensitive and their gait is small and awkward, gnomes have a natural engineering mindset, and using their tiny hands can take apart and put together devices with unusual ease.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Gnomish faces tend to be chubby, and their eyes are small, myopic and sensitive to light. As such, gnomes regularly in above ground locales tend to prefer to wear dark lensed goggles or glasses.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Gnomes largely reside in Arkhera these days, though they had their evolutionary origins in Jaranar, a stormy archipelago which favoured subterranean life. These Jaranese gnomes came into conflict with the immigrant Na'liman humans that would become the predominant Jaranese population, and were eventually driven from their homes to Arkhera.
Though most emigrated, a few select Jaranese gnome populations remain, usually within rural cave networks.

Average Intelligence

Gnomes are not only sapient, but exceedingly good at engineering, problem solving, reverse engineering and innovation. They aren't always the most focused on the here and now, preferring to instead be lost in conceptual thought.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Gnomish naming conventions in both Arkhera and Jaranar are mostly the same, in voting short, single or two syllable names, though Jaranar occasionally relies on repetition that isn't common in Arkheran gnomes.
Male name examples: Dobb, Zigg, Mottlar, Matt, Jed, Patch.
Female name examples: Natt, Norma, Klink, Jan, Fey, Kira.

Major Organizations

House of Gatley (Arkhera)
House of Bracken (Arkhera)
House of Stagg (Arkhera)
House of Pittson (Arkhera)
House of Burdock (Arkhera)
Red Division of the Order of the Shade (Arkhera)

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Gnomes in Jaranar are still hunted down and persecuted by the human population, and therefore mostly stay in their underground caves, seldom resurfacing.
In Arkhera, gnomes are generally valued members of society, albeit looked down upon for their height. High class gnomes are generally expected to become engineers and academics.

Scientific Name

Homo subterra sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

Kakajuan Humanoid

Lifespan

50-80 years

Average Height

3'0''-4'0''

Average Physique

Gnomes tend to be short and on the chubbier side, with their puppy fat in the face persisting well beyond childhood.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

As they're a subterranean species, gnomes tend not to have much melanin, and thus have sun-sensitive, pale skin. Their eyes and hair colours tend to be light, with albinism being semi-common.

Geographic Distribution

• Arkheran Isles
• Jaranar

Related Ethnicities

• Arkheran
• Jaranese