[Day 05] The Gnomes
The Gnomes
In Wästland they call them kabouter, in Galgenbeck gnomes. In the following we shall use the latter.
Gnomes are possibly maggots in the flesh of a pre-creation giant, or a failed attempt hidden underground, in favor of humanity. They do not age or change. They are barren.
A gnome is about the size of a baby. When seen above ground their skin has the bruised quality of a newborn. Their hands are webbed and clawed and clotted with dirt. Gnomes seem ill-formed and twisted, like something stillborn. Their teeth are sharp and uneven like those of a pike. Their beardsare like porcupine quills. Their eyes shine.
Gnomes hate us like neglected children hate a favored sibling. They hate us for the Sun, which they cannot endure. They hate us for the children they cannot themselves conceive.
Gnomes steal infants and toddlers to raiseas their own. In the child’s place they leave a cunning automaton, created in their subterranean workshops. The automaton, or changeling fools the eye, but it does not eat or grow. It seems precocious in certain areas, such as language and motor skills. The changelings responses are exaggerated and off.its cooing is cloying, its tantrums gruesome.The changeling will soon learn that it is wrong,and become embittered.
There are stories about callous folk selling infants to the gnomes in return for marvelous inventions. Always in the next town over.
A gnome can stand direct sunlight for about an hour. After this they will explode in a discharge of rotten meat and iron bones.
It is said that in their underground lairs everything is upside down. Here the gnomes a lithe and nimble. Sweating sparks and creating wonders unseen in the upper world.
HP 7, unnatural flesh -d6, claws 1d4
Special: A gnome can dig through earth as fast as it can walk.
Here follows some sample miraculous inventions made by gnomes.
1: Lazybones’ plow. A wonderous plow which does the work on its own! It will sometimes be loathe to quit though. Being plowed under does 1d8 damage.
2: Glutton’s table: A magic table, on which food and drink aplenty will appear when the magic phrase is said. When finished eating, rolling up all the dirty plates, cutlery, and crumbs into the tablecloth and they magically disappear.
You can always eat more though, and increasingly vexing and aggressive vermin will start following the user in ever-increasing numbers.
3: Panacea: An ointment, seemingly made from iron filings, crushed beetles and oil. It cures all diseases, even if it is unpleasant and stinks of toil and offal. With each use there is a 1-in-6 chance of turning into a gnome (over the span of 1-3 days).
4: Brazen head: This head is shaped like a tusked, leering demon. It will answer any question put to it by its owner. Sometimes the answer will be monosyllabic. Other times it will tell you more than you might want to hear. There’sa 1-in-10 chance it lies for its own amusement.
5: The Wonderhelm
: The gnomes consider this helmet their masterpiece. It enables the wearer to change shape. Roll 2d4 to see how many uses it has. The last one is permanent, and the helmet returns to its makers.
6: Songbird automaton: A bejeweled songbird which sings beautifully and melancholy songs in an ancient tongue. Some say the one we all spoke in the beginning. It inspires hope and reflection in the owner, but sadly jealousy and covetousness in others. It is a gift that cannot be safely shared.
Changeling
HP 5, unnatural flesh -d6, hands 1d4
Special: A changeling looks like asmall child, and some people will want to defend it.
In Wästland they call them kabouter, in Galgenbeck gnomes. In the following we shall use the latter.
Gnomes are possibly maggots in the flesh of a pre-creation giant, or a failed attempt hidden underground, in favor of humanity. They do not age or change. They are barren.
A gnome is about the size of a baby. When seen above ground their skin has the bruised quality of a newborn. Their hands are webbed and clawed and clotted with dirt. Gnomes seem ill-formed and twisted, like something stillborn. Their teeth are sharp and uneven like those of a pike. Their beardsare like porcupine quills. Their eyes shine.
Gnomes hate us like neglected children hate a favored sibling. They hate us for the Sun, which they cannot endure. They hate us for the children they cannot themselves conceive.
 |
| Gnomes in effigy |
Gnomes steal infants and toddlers to raiseas their own. In the child’s place they leave a cunning automaton, created in their subterranean workshops. The automaton, or changeling fools the eye, but it does not eat or grow. It seems precocious in certain areas, such as language and motor skills. The changelings responses are exaggerated and off.its cooing is cloying, its tantrums gruesome.The changeling will soon learn that it is wrong,and become embittered.
There are stories about callous folk selling infants to the gnomes in return for marvelous inventions. Always in the next town over.
A gnome can stand direct sunlight for about an hour. After this they will explode in a discharge of rotten meat and iron bones.
It is said that in their underground lairs everything is upside down. Here the gnomes a lithe and nimble. Sweating sparks and creating wonders unseen in the upper world.
HP 7, unnatural flesh -d6, claws 1d4
Special: A gnome can dig through earth as fast as it can walk.
Here follows some sample miraculous inventions made by gnomes.
1: Lazybones’ plow. A wonderous plow which does the work on its own! It will sometimes be loathe to quit though. Being plowed under does 1d8 damage.
2: Glutton’s table: A magic table, on which food and drink aplenty will appear when the magic phrase is said. When finished eating, rolling up all the dirty plates, cutlery, and crumbs into the tablecloth and they magically disappear.
You can always eat more though, and increasingly vexing and aggressive vermin will start following the user in ever-increasing numbers.
3: Panacea: An ointment, seemingly made from iron filings, crushed beetles and oil. It cures all diseases, even if it is unpleasant and stinks of toil and offal. With each use there is a 1-in-6 chance of turning into a gnome (over the span of 1-3 days).
4: Brazen head: This head is shaped like a tusked, leering demon. It will answer any question put to it by its owner. Sometimes the answer will be monosyllabic. Other times it will tell you more than you might want to hear. There’sa 1-in-10 chance it lies for its own amusement.
5: The Wonderhelm
: The gnomes consider this helmet their masterpiece. It enables the wearer to change shape. Roll 2d4 to see how many uses it has. The last one is permanent, and the helmet returns to its makers.
6: Songbird automaton: A bejeweled songbird which sings beautifully and melancholy songs in an ancient tongue. Some say the one we all spoke in the beginning. It inspires hope and reflection in the owner, but sadly jealousy and covetousness in others. It is a gift that cannot be safely shared.
Changeling
HP 5, unnatural flesh -d6, hands 1d4
Special: A changeling looks like asmall child, and some people will want to defend it.
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