River Gnomes

When the stout folk moved north across the
continent of Thyrin, their gnomish brethren decided to stop and settle at the
mouth of the Whispering River, fed from the Murmuring Forest. These gnomes were
spared the curse that affected the Rock Gnomes of Ceilar, and thus have
continued to exist in their current form since they arrived in their new home.

These
gnomes made their homes in small warrens built into the ground using the
plentiful wood of the forest's edge. Rather than form towns or communities,
their society formed along the entire length of the river from the delta to the
treeline. From there, they could easily walk down to the banks to fish and tend
crops in the fertile soil along the waterside.

Their
only government officials are community elders that settle disputes, advise the
heads of families, and maintain the records and histories of the community.
There is no real selection process for the position of elder; a River Gnome
must merely live a long enough life and garner enough respect in their
community to be recognized as such when the previous elder dies.

Unlike
their cousins on Ceilar, the River Gnomes are not a theoplutocracy. They still
love pretty stones, but they live far enough from the dwarven mines to the
north and east that they do not have the hunger for gems and precious metals
possessed of the Rock Gnomes of Ceilar, instead finding beauty in things like
brightly colored flowers and the smooth pebbles along the river banks. They
prefer a simpler life of living off of the land, and their religious practices
tend more towards druidism and veneration of the gods of nature.

River
Gnomes are shorter still than their eastern cousins, tending to range between
3' to 3' 5" in height. They have a slightly darker complexion than the Gnomes
of Ceilar but tend towards light to medium hair colors, usually blonde, red, or
light brown. They are very fond of bright colors, however, and often use floral
dyes on their hair, so pink, blue, and purple are not uncommon. They use the
same dyes in their clothing, and love wearing rich colors. River Gnome men tend
to grow short bears, often groomed to a point, but much shorter than those of
dwarves.

### Game Information

In addition to the traits common to all gnomes, River Gnomes gain the following racial abilities:

* Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score is increased by 1.
* Natural Swimmer: You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim or otherwise maneuver in water. If you are not proficient in Athletics, you still always add your Proficiency bonus to your Athletics when swimming. Additionally, you double the number of turns you can avoid suffocation when out of breath. Finally, when making Constitution saves to avoid exhaustion for extended periods of swimming, you have advantage on your Constitution saving throw after the first hour, though the bonus is limited to swimming past the first hour only.
* River Child: River Gnomes are famous for their ability to "speak to the river." They don't actually communicate with water, though they do often talk to it, but rather they have the ability to learn a lot about a region through its water supplies. You add double your proficiency bonus on all Wisdom (Survival) checks to locate water, and also when trying to learn things about an area of nature if water is present, such as the numbers and types of natural creatures in a region, location of nearby camps or settlements, and the best places to find edible vegetation. You can also attempt a Wisdom (Survival) check to determine is water is potable, dangerous to drink, or poisoned.
* Languages. You can speak, read, and write Tradespeak and Khazid.

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