Gnome

Summary

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            Gnomes are a small race of mountain and nature dwelling beings.

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Physical Attributes

 

General

           Gnomes are essentially very small Humans.

 

Skin

           Gnomes have the same skin color possibilities as Humans.

 

Ears

          Gnomes have rounded, very large ears (similar to that of a mouse’s or a jerboa’s ears) that are as big as or sometimes bigger than their heads, and that are extremely sensitive to noise. This extreme sensitivity is often painful for Gnomes if they are in noisy areas, so they typically wear large pointed hats in which they tuck the ears to block some of the noise.

 

Eyes

           Gnomes have the same eye color possibilities as Humans.

 

Hair

           Gnomes can have any hair color, but white is the most common.

 

Body

           Male Gnomes have bulbous noses that get larger as they age; it is often said that you can tell how old a Gnome is by the size of his nose. All Gnomes have very large feet for their size, ranging from 9 – 15 inches.

Gnomes have an average height of 1’0”-2’0”.

 

Age

           Gnomes have a maximum lifespan of 200 years.

 

History/Information

 

           It is speculated that Gnomes evolved from Dwarves or Mouse-like Tsusei, but in truth no one has any idea where they came from. This is because Gnomes, while they value innovation, care very little about their past, and never made any effort to keep record of their ancestral origins. Even if they had made records, though, it is unlikely that anyone would have been able to understand them; as Gnomes have the most complicated system of writing in all of Annwn. Due to this, no known person, other than someone of Gnomish blood, has been able to learn the Gnomish writing system. Of course, this may just be because Gnomes tend to keep to themselves. They typically avoid largely populated areas except around the holidays.

           Gnomes are known for being very jolly and easy to get along with, but they do not have their own established cities. Instead Gnomes typically live alone with small family groups, or with other races in small villages. Though, one known exception to this is a large group of Gnomes that live inside the Dwarven city of Groorbeginn; no one really knows how they got there, or where exactly they live inside the city, but sure enough, they are there.

 

Culture

 

Religion

            Gnomes typically worship either The Goddess of the Earth, who they (like the Dwarves) know as Terra, or The God of Life, who they know as Nevma.

 

Family 

           Gnomes have an average family unit of 6 people, as twins and triplets are more common for Gnomes than they are for any other race.

 

Traditions 

            Gnomes typically have traditions dependent upon their individual households, but in general, Gnomes tend to value innovation, intelligence, going above and beyond to help others, maintaining a light-hearted mood, and loyalty to family. They also have a tradition of taking their dead loved ones, who have turned to stone, up to the mountains to become one with the earth. Due to this, it can sometimes be found that there are mountain caves full of stone Gnomes.

 

Fighting 

 

Powers 

            Gnomes turn to stone as a defense mechanism when they are scared, helpless, or when they die (this includes anything they are wearing, holding, touching, and a small portion of ground under their feet – this does not apply to people/a gnome can’t turn someone else to stone). While in this state, they are indestructible, but they can’t move and will only unfreeze when they feel they are safe (unless they are dead in which case they are permanently stone). Gnomes are not able to control this ability and it acts as an involuntary defense mechanism. Gnomes that turn to stone out of self-defense, will be made of grey stone, while Gnomes that have died will be made of white stone.

            Due to their small size and large feet, it is almost impossible to hear an approaching Gnome, especially if they are trying to be quiet. Their large feet also allow them to move with much more agility and dexterity than their size may suggest.

            All Gnomes have small amounts of innate life magic which they can use for healing. Other than this, only 10% of Gnomes have magical abilities.

 

Preferred Fighting Style

            Gnomes typically prefer long distance fighting, typically with spears, blow darts, or nets.

 

Weaknesses

            Gnomes are weak to bludgeoning damage.

 

Names

            Gnomes have Gnomish or Dutch names. References to use: http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/gnome-names.php http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/dutch_names.php

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