Deep Gnome

Deep Gnomes are a specific Gnomish halfbreed thought to descend from Goblins, with a wiry, lean body as hard as a slab of rock. Males are completely bald and beardless, though females may sport hair. Ranging from 3' to 3'6" (90–107 cm) in height and weighing between 40 and 45 lb (18–20 kg), they are small enough to give them a size advantage when battling larger opponents. Deep gnome complexions are sometimes described as "gnarled" and, like duergr, are commonly dark in hue: brown or gray skin with dark gray eyes.

Deep Gnomes do not live quite as long as their pure-Gnome kin, with a life expectancy just under two centuries. Due to this, deep gnome children are considered adults at roughly twenty years of age.

Deep Gnomes are a surly and cynical people, who fatalistically expect little more from life than what they had. While they treat their own kind with respect and even goodwill, trust was not easily given to anyone from outside their village, or even outside their family. They keep to themselves, are extremely cautious when contacting other races, and eye all strangers with suspicion. They hold a special enmity for the duergr, whose violent ways often interfere with their desire for isolation.

Sullen and hard-working, Deep Gnomes are wholly dedicated to any task to which they set themselves, typically mining for males and housekeeping for females. Although outsiders find deep gnomes' overly serious attitude will make for sour company, those qualities make them tireless pursuers of excellence in their metalworking and weapon forging. These attitudes are also justified in part by the harsh environs the deep gnomes inhabited, which require a degree of stoicism and quiet suffering in order to serve the greater good. Any sounds or raised voices could attract danger to deep gnome homes and fire was used sparingly for cooking and warmth. Their seriousness and pessimism only faded when admiring the gems which fascinate them so much.

Deep gnome culture is largely defined by the environment in which they live. Deep gnome settlements were usually centered in a single large cavern, surrounded by an interlocking set of tunnels and other caverns into which the city spread. These settlements are often large villages or small towns, with a population of around a thousand gnomes. Typically cut off from all outside contact, even from other deep gnome settlements, many inhabitants never venture out of their havens, instead crowding together for protection.

Deep gnomes rarely wandered far beyond their hidden cities, but when they did, it was usually as bold prospectors, youthful illusionists, or exploring warriors. These bold souls shared a deep curiosity that allowed them to overcome their hard-bred caution and shyness, although other motives such as economic drive or a desire to seek aid to fight a threat the deep gnomes could not conquer on their own might also play into their departure.

As a whole, deep gnomes were a hard-working and joyless people, but even the crustiest deep gnome required time to relax and let off steam. Deep gnomes' intense dedication and ability to survive under harsh conditions often showed up in such activities. Deep gnome architecture, for instance, was shaped largely by the conditions they lived in, with the oldest homes often carved directly out of the surrounding rock. The highest-ranking members of any one clan usually inhabited large stalagmites while the lower-class lodged in the surrounding cavern floors or walls.

Artistically, deep gnomes preferred to use lots of gemstones, which were relatively common in their communities, mined out of the veins along which their cities were built. Deep gnomes are considered some of the best jewelers. Deep gnomes also turned their cultivation of mushrooms for food into a wider industry, developing fungi not only for food but for textiles and wood as well. Deep gnomes also used specialized weapons, such as acid darts, caltrops made from crystals, and flash grenades.