Gnomes

The gnomes are a clever and resourceful race that shares ancestry with dwarven kind. This points to origins that may be elemental or fey in origin but the Dwarves are slow to acknowledge any true kinship with this highly adaptable and energetic race. Some believe that divine energies outpoured during the war of the gods was responsible for the creation of the gnomes. They believe that this energy shaped and remade select dwarves according to their hearts desires and inward personalities. Others believe that the Gnomes have always existed, side by side with the dwarves, sharing distant origin and distant fey ancestors. The Gnomes themselves tend to teach that they are the children of Tarien the Trickster and the Laughing God, also known as The Bard King in some societies. Their own variations on their creation myth tend to be legion and it is difficult finding any long lasting and solid proof as to where they precisely came from.

Their energy and adaptable nature characterize the gnomes. Their nimble society began in the foothills of the Khazad Duin Mountains during the later years of the First Era of the world. Here they often worked closely with the dwarves while also embracing and exploring their unique union with the arcane powers. A union that their dwarven cousins often shunned and ignored when not related to the crafting of legendary weapons and armor. The gnomes soon segmented themselves as magical beings and the love of illusions and trickery became a defining aspect of their race. Entire gnomish villages and cities would spring up in the foothills of the great mountains and passerby, would be raiders and attackers would pass through them without having any clue that a thriving gnomish settlement was all around them. Their protective magic's enabled them to weather the storms of the ages and to survive when other races were forced to scatter and flee. In times when their magic did fail them and they simply moved and adapted and reclaimed new territories and new lands.

The advent of the age of industry brought about a change in the gnomes as they took to alchemy and gunsmithing and clockwork technology quickly. Gnomish inventors working alongside dwarves helped perfect the creation of the Blunderbuss and other exotic forms of gunnery while Gnomish inventors aided the legendary human Artificers and Engineers that pioneered the use of the first airships. Their own inventions tended to often be overcomplicated and dangerous but paired with a more level headed race they were able to craft all manner of devices. The pinnacle of this achievement came with the founding of Clockwork Point, a gnomish controlled city deep in the Sky Curtain mountains. Together with local dwarves and humans, the Engineering Enclave was founded and today remains one of the prime guilds that help to organize and regulate the ongoing studies into techno-arcane theory and steamcraft.

Physical Description

Gnomes are one of the little people of the world. They are taller then halflings and goblins but tend to be shorter then dwarves. They typically stand around three feet tall, sometimes reaching four, and are small and cheerful with ruddy complexions and bright large eyes. Some can be stocky though the trait is not nearly as pronounced as dwarves. Their sensibilities could be defined as somewhat garish and over the top in terms of colors and habits related to accessorizing. Gnomish Inventors are covered in gears, wrenches, hammers, pouches and pockets and illusionists are often seen with potions, scrolls, goggles and familiars hanging off of every possible corner of their body.

Society and Lands

The gnomes are a divided people, caught between the arcane and the advance of technology but either extreme of Gnome culture tends to share common traits of organization into guild like enclaves focused around particular skill sets and callings while leaderships of communities are drawn from the wisest (and sometimes simply the most energetic) members of such groups. As many gnomish settlements branch off of, or exist within the confines of larger kingdoms and nations they are often content with deferring to the leadership style of that given land. Many Gnome enclaves exist as adopted sub groups of dwarven clans in Khazad Duin, or as large Gnomish families who have a history of work for famous human merchant guilds, trade unions and industrial city states. There are, however, a few famous and large Gnomish settlements run strictly by them. One such group are known as the Clockwork Gnomes of the Spiral Mountains, which exist in south eastern Khazad Duin. From the wondrous techno city of Clockwork Point they work tirelessly with their dwarves and humans who ally themselves beneath the Gnomish Banner to pursue the development of artifice and industry in its myriad forms. in the development of the industrial powers of the new age of wonders.

Relations

Gnomes get along well with other races but perhaps are the most involved with dwarves and halflings who they are somewhat kin with. The halflings and the gnomes share similar interests as well as patron deities in the form of Tarien. However the dwarves and the gnomes are truly distant brothers, if the legends are true. As a race native to the mountain regions of the world they deal much with hostile forces from giants, fel orcs and other creatures that call the peaks home. Eaglefolk find Gnomes hard to deal with for prolonged periods of time due to Gnomish fascination with the Eaglefolk physiology and the efforts of some gnomes to duplicate flying machines based upon that race.

Alignment and Religion

No matter what their calling is, be it illusion making or invention crafting, gnomes have a tendency towards over-complication. To say they lean towards chaos would be a grand understatement. They tend to tackle all problems and challenges before them with a type of childlike glee and exuberance that many others might find unsettling. A gnomish fighter might gleefully describe the sound of a snapping neck with the same sort of high pitched excitement as a gnomish child might play with a new toy. Gnomes also have heavy leanings towards Reos who is the wonder maker and the true god of engineering and industry. Reos’ daughter, Ceinara, the traditional goddess of artistic craft and passion as well as fire, also garners much worship.

Adventurers

Gnomish Adventurers can be found for practically any reason. Many gnomes have the capability to become excellent storytellers and their natural access to magic gives them an edge over other beings in this capacity. Gnomes from Clockwork Point tend to focus their efforts on gaining a mastery over all manner of skills and knowledge’s and often are Rogues or Artificers.

Gnomes in the Pathfinder Campaign

In the Emblem of Ea Pathfinder Campaign, Gnomes have earned a reputation as being the best crafter race on The Great Continent after the dwarves. Their obsessive behavior has caused them to develop into the developers of some of the more recent uses of magitech as weaponry and they lack the morale apprehensions of dwarven kind in terms of exploring dangerous forms of artifice. Gnomish Golemancers have recently appeared, demonstrating previous unknown mastery over the creation of specialized constructs and sharing this information with other races. Recent endeavors have involved them re-activating and leading the way in the rebuilding of the ancient Kulthian Gate Networks, powered centrally from Clockwork Point, which are scattered across Gaea and which include portals such as the Am’shere Gate in Alexandros. Mastery of these gates has earned gnomes a more neutral position in the recent wars where related to the other enlightened races as they have assisted in establishing new trade routes and allowed for safer passages over lands ravaged by the last set of upheavals.

Gnomish Racial Traits:

• +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength: Gnomes are physically weak but surprisingly hardy, and their attitude makes them naturally agreeable.
• Small: Gnomes are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Slow Speed: Gnomes have a base speed of 20 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Gnomes can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Defensive Training: Gnomes get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
• Gnome Magic: Gnomes add +1 to the DC of any saving throws against illusion spells that they cast. Gnomes with a Charisma of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, and speak with animals. The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome's level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the gnome's Charisma modifier.
• Hatred: Gnomes receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the reptilian and goblinoid subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.
• Illusion Resistance: Gnomes get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells or effects.
• Keen Senses: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
• Obsessive: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of their choice. Furthermore they receive a +2 bonus on all knowledge (Engineering) checks.
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat any weapon with the word “gnome” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Languages: Gnomes begin play speaking Common, Gnome, and Sylvan. Gnomes with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc.