Gnomes
Long ago, after the creation of
The Great Saveri Forest, early gnome ancestors emigrated from the
First World Overflow. Gnomes are distant relatives of the fey, and their history tells of a time when they lived in the fey’s mysterious realm, a place where colors are brighter, the wildlands wilder, and emotions more primal. Despite living in our realm for generations, the gnomes have never completely abandoned their fey roots or adapted to mortal cultures. Though gnomes are no longer truly fey, their fey heritage can be seen in their innate magic powers, their oft-capricious natures, and their outlooks on life and the world. While it’s unclear why the first gnomes stayed on
Erodin, this lineage manifests in modern gnomes as bizarre reasoning, eccentricity, obsessive tendencies, and what some see as naivete. These qualities are further reflected in their physical characteristics, such as spindly limbs, brightly colored hair, and childlike and extremely expressive facial features that further reflect their otherworldly origins.
Gnomes can have the same concerns and motivations as members of other races, but just as often they are driven by passions and desires that non-gnomes see as eccentric at best, and nonsensical at worst. A gnome may risk his life to taste the food at a giant’s table, to reach the bottom of a pit just because it would be the lowest place he’s ever been, or to tell jokes to a demon. To the gnome, these goals are as worthy as researching a new spell, gaining vast wealth, or putting down a powerful evil force. While such apparently fickle and impulsive acts are not universal among gnomes, they are common enough for the race as a whole to have earned a reputation for being impetuous and at least a little mad. Gnomes also have a tendency to create for the sake of creating. Many of these Gnomish inventions seem strange or even useless to other races, however, Gnomes treat them with high regard.
Combined with their diminutive sizes, vibrant coloration, and lack of concern for the opinions of others, these attitudes have caused gnomes to be widely regarded by the other races as alien and strange. Gnomes, in turn, are often amazed how alike other common, civilized races are. It seems stranger to a gnome that humans and elves share so many similarities than that the gnomes do not. Indeed, gnomes often confound their allies by treating everyone who is not a gnome as part of a single, vast non-gnome collective race.
Always hungry for new experiences, gnomes constantly wander both mentally and physically.
Physical Description
Gnomes are one of the smallest of the common races, generally standing just over 3 feet in height. Despite their small frames, however, gnomes are extremely resilient, and not as weak as many of their foes assume. Though their diminutive stature reduces their ability to move quickly, gnomes often train to take advantage of their size, especially when fighting foes much larger than themselves.
The coloration of gnomes varies so wildly that many outsiders assume gnomes commonly use dyes and illusions to change their skin and hair tones. While gnomes are certainly not above cosmetic enhancement (and may wish to change their appearance just to see how outlandish they can look), their natural hues truly range over a rainbow of coloration. Their hair tends toward vibrant colors such as the fiery orange of autumn leaves, the verdant green of forests at springtime, or the deep reds and purples of wildflowers in bloom. Similarly, their flesh tones range from earthy browns to floral pinks, and gnomes with black, pastel blue, or even green skin are not unknown. Gnomes’ coloration has little regard for heredity, with the color of a gnome’s parents and other kin having no apparent bearing on the gnome’s appearance. Gnomes possess highly mutable facial characteristics, and their proportions often don’t match the norm of other humanoid races. Many have overly large mouths and eyes, an effect which can be both disturbing and stunning, depending on the individual. Others may have extremely small features spread over an otherwise blank expanse of face, or may mix shockingly large eyes with a tiny, pursed mouth and a pert button of a nose. Gnomes rarely take pride in or show embarrassment about their features, but members of other races often fixate on a gnome’s most prominent feature and attempt to use it as the focus of insults or endearments.
Playing a Gnome
If you want a character with boundless enthusiasm and an alien, fey outlook on morality and life, you should play a gnome.
You Might...
- Embrace learning and hop from one area of study to another without warning.
- Rush into action before fully taking stock of the entire situation.
- Speak, think, and move quickly, and lose patience with those who can’t keep up.
Others Probably...
- Struggle to understand your motivations or adapt to your rapid changes of direction.
- See you as unpredictable, flighty, unreliable, or even reckless.
- Perhaps appreciate your enthusiasm and the energy with which you approach new situations.
Human Mechanics
- Hit Points - 8
- Size - Small
- Speed - 25 Feet
- Ability Boost - Constitution, Charisma, Free
- Ability Flaw - Strength
- Languages - Common, Gnomish, Sylvan
- Low-Light Vision - You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.
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