| Gnome | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital Statistics | |
| Creator | Unknown |
| Average Height | 2'8"-3'0" |
| Average Weight | 30-40 lbs. |
| Skin Color | Ruddy tan to woody brown to rocky gray; grays to white with age |
| Hair Color | Any |
| Eye Color | Glittering opaque orbs of black or blue |
| Vision | Normal |
| Distinctions | Odd, small, bright personality, magically gifted |
| Maturity | 20 years |
| Life Span | 150 years |
| Homelands | Nobmottin |
| Languages | Common, Gnommish, regional languages |
Gnomes are modified versions of humans, created by a deity that will not take credit for their existence, either because they do not find it important, or more likely, they are ashamed of them. They are the shortest of the races, rarely exceeding 3 feet in height. Despite this, gnomes have been reported to have been seen in battlefields wielding enormous two handed battleaxes and other weapons that do not befit their size. This is just one of many things about Gnomes that perplexes people of other races. Some gnomes with severe mental problems have come to master the intricacies of arcane magic, and some that are nearly blind become master archers - a fact that elves in particular find alarming.
Gnomes are considered by many on Etan to be the strangest race derived from humans. Gnomes live in cities in the plains or mountains, and love to build things that have never been built before. They are exceptionally curious creatures, and have a great love of learning, however they seem to "forget" that they know how to do certain things, which frustrates and confuses other races. Gnomes do not care for specialization in their skills - they seem to have a desire to know everything in the world, but they cannot focus on a single thing for too long without being distracted toward something "more interesting".
Most races avoid gnomes, as they are notorious for their eccentric and sometimes destructive behavior. Because of this, Gnomes rarely have good trade relations with other peoples. In the past, there have been crusades by human kingdoms to wipe out the gnomish race, but when attacked in force, gnomes have a knack for evacuating their homeland and cropping up somewhere else. Gnomes rarely put much value on land or other material possessions that they already own. They are generally more interested in those things that they do not yet possess, but once they have them they find them boring and they lose their value to the Gnomes, who move on to more exciting pursuits.
There has never been a reported incident of organized fighting between groups of Gnomes, possibly because organizing a real fighting force is not something the Gnomes are capable of. However, small scale squabbles and violence are commonplace. How they keep their cobbled-together towns organized boggles the minds of other races.
Gnomish names tend to be a hashing together of random words or phrases - some real and some imaginary. Some gnomes have only one name, and others have been reported as having up to 100 names, which even they cannot consistently remember. Ridiculous names such as "Buzzgleromp Fannin Sprocket Flexihat Omnascruble Crow-foot Bibblehibbletibble" are not entirely uncommon, but neither is "Steve".
Gnomes are not typically religious, but when they are, they generally dedicate themselves to a single god of their choice. They are not any more likely to favor one deity over another. Sometimes, gnomes will make up a deity that does not exist, and worship them. There have been reported cases where gnomish priests of made up deities somehow received divine magic powers from their non-existent gods, which further confounds and infuriates other races.
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