Gnome Yokai

**Gnome Yokai** are humanoid beings who are known for living underground and living in gardens.

## Physical Appearance

Gnome Yokai are described as being small humanoid beings with at least somewhat execrated facial features and/or coloration. Some wear the typical red pointy hats like garden gnome statues would have. Older gnomes' exact form tend to be highly variable and sometimes only vaguely humanoid. This is due to them being earth-spirits who can be made from earthen materials. Some Gnome Yokai have pointy ears like Elf Yokai. But others have normal human ears.

## Description

Gnome Yokai have access to varying combinations of magic (often illusions), alchemy and technology combined with tendency to experiment with them. They're skilled in these fields and can be seen living in Witch Towns with other magical beings such as the Witch Yokai. These yokai usually lives underground but some can live in gardens pretending to be typical garden gnomes. They're so good at staying still for a long time that many humans won't even know that the garden gnome is actually alive.

## Abilities

Here are the abilities that Gnome Yokai can have in their arsenal:

* Decelerated Aging/Semi-Immortality
* Subterranean Adaptation

### Variations

* Alchemy
* Enhanced Crafting
* Escape Artistry
* Illusion Awareness
* Illusion Manipulation
* Mechanical Intuition
* Night Vision
* Potion Creation
* Technology Manipulation
* Technomancy

**Earth Spirit**

* Burrowing
* Earth Manipulation
* Earth Mimicry

### Associations

* Coblynau Physiology
* Dwarf Physiology
* Elemental Spirit Physiology
* Leprechaun Physiology

## Pop Culture

* Creatures called *gnomes* have been used in the fantasy genre of fiction and later gaming since the mid-nineteenth century, typically in a cunning role, e.g. as an inventor.
* In L. Frank Baum's Oz series (created 1900 to 1914), the Nomes (so spelled), especially their king, are the chief adversaries of the Oz people. They are ugly, hot-tempered, immortal, round-bodied with spindly legs and arms, have long beards and wild hair, live underground, and are the militant protectors/hoarders of jewels and precious metals. Baum does not depict any female gnomes. Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series (1972 to 1976) after Baum's death, reverted to the traditional spelling.
	+ L. Frank Baum also featured the classical gnomes in his book *The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus*. They are in charge of watching over the rocks and their king is part of the Council of Immortals. In addition, they also created the sleigh bells for Santa Claus' reindeer.
* J. R. R. Tolkien, in the legendarium (created 1914 to 1973) surrounding his Elves, uses "Gnomes" as the initial and later dropped name of the Noldor, the most gifted and technologically minded of his elvish races, in conscious exploitation of the similarity with the word *gnomic*. *Gnome* is thus Tolkien's English loan-translation of the Quenya word *Noldo* (plural *Noldor*), "those with knowledge". Tolkien's "Gnomes" are generally tall, beautiful, dark-haired, light-skinned, immortal, and typically wise but suffer from pride, tend towards violence, and have an overweening love of the works of their own hands, particularly gemstones. Many of them live in cities below ground (Nargothrond) or in secluded mountain fortresses (Gondolin). He uses "Gnomes" to refer to both males and females. In *The Father Christmas Letters* (between 1920 and 1942), which Tolkien wrote for his children, Red Gnomes are presented as helpful creatures who come from Norway to the North Pole to assist Father Christmas and his Elves in fighting the wicked Goblins.
* BB's *The Little Grey Men* (1942) is a story of the last gnomes in England, little wild men who live by hunting and fishing.
* In C. S. Lewis's *The Chronicles of Narnia* (created 1950 to 1956), the gnomes are sometimes called "Earthmen". live in the Underland, a series of caverns. Unlike the traditional, more human-like gnomes, they can have a wide variety of physical features and skin colours. They are used as slaves by the Lady of the Green Kirtle.
* The Dutch books *Gnomes* (1976) and *The Secret Book of Gnomes* (1984), written by Wil Huygen, deal with gnomes living together in harmony. These same books are the basis for a made-for-TV animated film and the Spanish-animated series *The World of David the Gnome* (as well as the spin-off *Wisdom of the Gnomes*). The word "gnome", in this case, is used in place of the Dutch kabouter.
* In the *Warcraft* franchise (1994 to present), particularly as featured in the MMORPG *World of Warcraft*, gnomes are a race of beings separate from but allied to dwarves and humans, with whom they share the lands of the Eastern Kingdoms. Crafty, intelligent, and smaller than their dwarven brethren, gnomes are one of two races in Azeroth regarded as technologically savvy. It is suggested in lore that the gnomes originally were mechanical creations that at some point became organic lifeforms. In *World of Warcraft*, gnomes are an exile race, having irradiated their home city of Gnomeregan in an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to drive out marauding foes.
* In J. K. Rowling's *Harry Potter* series (created 1997 to 2007), gnomes are pests that inhabit the gardens of witches and wizards. They are small creatures with heads that look like potatoes on small stubby bodies. Gnomes are generally considered harmless but mischievous and may bite with sharp teeth. In the books, it is stated that the Weasleys are lenient to gnomes, and tolerate their presence, preferring to throw them out of the garden rather than more extreme measures.
* In Terry Brooks' *Shannara* series (created 1977 to 2017), gnomes are an offshoot race created after the Great Wars. There are several distinctive classes of gnomes. Gnomes are the smallest race. In *The Sword of Shannara* they are considered to be tribal and warlike, the one race that can be the most easily subverted to an evil cause. This is evidenced by their allegiance to the Warlock Lord in *The Sword of Shannara* and to the Mord Wraiths in *The Wishsong of Shannara*.

### Music

* "The Laughing Gnome" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released as a single in 1967. It became a hit when reissued in 1973, in the wake of Bowie's commercial success.
* The 1970 album *All Things Must Pass* by English musician George Harrison has a cover image of the musician sitting among a group of garden gnomes.
* "The Gnome" is a song by Pink Floyd on their 1967 album *The Piper at the Gates of Dawn*. It is about a gnome named Grimble Gromble.

### Games

* In the *Dungeons & Dragons* fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters.

## Variations

### Dwarf Yokai

Like dwarves, gnomes are small humanoid beings who are skilled in craftsmanship.

### Spirit Yokai

Older gnomes are earth-spirits, able to glide through earth and stone, dwelling underground and sometimes being literally formed from earthen materials.

### Coblynau Yokai

Coblynau are a type of gnome (or sometimes a benevolent goblin) found in Welsh folklore, closely related to Knockers but of a helpful nature.

### Leprechaun Yokai

Gnomes are sometimes confused with the leprechaun due to their similar appearance.

## Life in the Hidden World

Gnome Yokai usually work as alchemists and technicians. They can create anything out of any materials depending on the field they work in. Gnomes are able to perform various types of magic. But they're most skilled at illusions. Using their knowledge in alchemy and technology, they can create realistic-looking illusions that can fool anyone easily. But it won't work on those who have illusion awareness and aren't easily fooled by illusions. Most Gnome Yokai are 7 times stronger than a man, can run at speeds of 35 miles per hour, and have better sight than a hawk. These abilities help the Gnome to do many things, such as find wounded, dying animals for which they feel they are responsible for. Because of their love for animals, all the animals of the forest are the Gnome's friends and are willing to help him at any time. Many humans say that gnomes have elevated practical jokes to an art form. But most especially they love gems and jewelry and are considered by many to be the best gem cutters and jewelers in existence.

## Symbolism

Gnomes are supposed to represent good luck and this is something that people want for their gardens and yards traditionally to protect things such as minerals and buried treasure and also to keep the various things that they have there, such as plants, trees and grass, healthy and vibrant.