Race: Gnome
-----------
Gnomes by nature are forever curious, always searching for something new. They are the smaller cousins of dwarves, with less rough features and lacking the famous Dwarven beards. They make their homes in the mountains and they are also near sighted like their Dwarven cousins but have a very refined sense of smell in addition. More tinkerers than true craftsman, Gnomes create many wonderful inventions. They are very skillful with their small, dexterous hands and their small stature often allows them to get into places that other races cannot. Many Gnomes find magic to be the most interesting mystery of them all and their highly magical attunement allows them to become powerful magi as long as their interest holds.
from Frederic's "Bestiary"
Gnome
Gnomes are a race of small people who are found both in cities and towns, and in communities of their own in the rolling hills of this land. They are generally friendly, if on occasion a bit absent minded.
Gnomes are physically unimpressive. They are larger than the fuzzies, but smaller than halflings, who they resemble somewhat. They are humanoids, whose major feature is that they all have the most tremendous noses that you are ever likely to encounter. While a member of another race might be embarrassed about a feature such as this, gnomes revel in the fact. Almost every gnome that I have met has been proud of their distinctive nose, one even to the point where he combed his nose hair.
Gnomes tend to be tinkerers, and are, by and large, a very curious lot. They have a talent for working with magic, and a large percentage of them become mages. While their small stature makes gnomes poorly suited for combat magic, they do make excellent healers. In addition, quite a few of those mages become artificers, preferring to tinker with objects rather than abstractions. Unfortunately, this is where the gnomish tendency for absentmindedness comes into play. When most gnomes begin a task, there are very few things, short of physical violence, which can distract them. While this single minded dedication to their work can be an asset, it can also be a detriment, especially when you need them to hurry. While gnomes work quickly, they feel a need to explore every possible avenue that their object of study can present, before saying anything about it.
There really are no racial allies or enemies to the gnomes, as there really is very little racial cohesiveness to the gnomes. They feel no need to be around others of their own kind, or in many cases around others at all. In fact, if they are given a task, they often do not realize that there are others around at all. When they do associate with people, they prefer to do so with professional peers, rather than choosing their friends by race.
While I have made gnomes sound antisocial, they really are not. They are a kind, charming people, among whom I have many friends. When they are not absorbed in their work, they are wonderful conversationalists and can be witty and intelligent. As in all races there are a spectrum of gnomes, but due to the nature of this book, I am afraid that I have only the space to paint their picture in broad brushstrokes.