Gnomes are generally similar to their regular D&D counterparts as found in the Player's Handbook.
Descended from Dwarves, Gnomes are small humanoids known for their eccentric sense of humor, inquisitiveness, and engineering prowess. Having had few overt influences on the world's history but many small and unseen ones, gnomes were often overlooked by the powers that be, despite their craftiness and affinity for illusion magic. Gnomes were present in nearly every human city and most caravan-stop villages where other cultures and non-human races were at least tolerated.
In the modern day as technology continues to improve and Abmarah steadily industrializes, Gnomes have found a greater purpose and recognition for their engineering culture.
Gnomes typically stand just a bit taller than halflings, typically ranging from three to four feet tall, and weighing just about forty or fifty pounds. Gnomes have somewhat exaggerated features compared to humans, such as pointed ears, or large eyes or noses. They have the same range of skin and hair tones as humans, though their hair tends to be wild and seemingly unkempt. Deep gnomes are the exception, having gray skin that resembles stone, and seemingly no hair to speak of.
Gnomes are known for their cleverness, and have remarkable fortitude when it comes to resisting magic that affects the mind. Due to often living in underbrush and in burrows, gnomes are capable of seeing within dim light and even darkness.
While halflings were commonly said to resemble short humans, gnomes were more comparable with elves, with whom they shared pointed ears and high cheekbones, or even their related dwarves, due to their tendency to grow beards and live underground. Many gnomes had a more feral appearance than either, however, with hair that often sprouted from their heads in odd directions.
Gnomes were naturally witty and jovial, and they preferred to overcome obstacles through cunning and innovation rather than the obvious way. Ever curious, gnomes were drawn to adventure more often by a desire to see the world than out of greed or the hope of fame. It was this curiosity, along with their cunning and witty repartee, that made gnomes both entertaining friends and adept arcane spellcasters or scholars.
Gnomes who left home to seek an adventurer's life were rare, given the race's famed shyness and lack of ambition. Those that did were motivated by a number of factors, but the impulsive race was often driven by curiosity more than anything else. Many gnomes felt no more rationale for adventuring than simply to explore the world that surrounded them. A few, the more orderly ones that is, sought out adventure for more innately noble purposes, such as to help others, but these gnomes were rare. Other gnomes were driven to become adventurers by little more than simple avarice, as adventuring was often seen as a quick, if unsafe, avenue for wealth. Adventuring was not necessarily a welcomed lifestyle among gnomes, despite the curiosity that filled the whole race, and sometimes was, in fact, seen as a betrayal of sorts to a gnome's clan.
While Gnomes have always existed and furthered society, they have come to the forefront during the third era and especially the age of steam. Their engineering is sought after in the modern day all across the world, and they are especially revered in the heartland of the industrial revolution, Lunaria.
Many gnomes believe that they were not related to dwarves at all, but instead born from gems deep beneath the ground which became gnomes when exposed to open air. Similar myths talk of the goddess Eurion breathing life into gems that then became gnomes. Their general fondness of gems as well as these origin stories gave them their name 'Gemborn'.
They have many subraces seen across the world of Abmarah:
Rock Gnomes. The most common type of gnomes, Rock Gnomes are the most hardy and inventive of gnomes. They are often childlike and master tinkerers, and many make hobbies of crafting small clockwork devices. They are known to choose their long lives by filling each day with as much fun and enjoyment as possible. They use the Gnome (Rock) statistics as presented in the Player's Handbook.
Forest Gnomes. Forest gnomes are believed to have come from the Feywild like the elves, or are at least planetouched by the fey in some form. Forest gnomes are the most nimble of gnomes, and have mastered creating minor illusions to keep themselves hidden and are capable of making rudimentary conversation with small beasts. They use the Gnome (Forest) statistics as presented in the Player's Handbook.
Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin). Deep Gnomes are a dark-skinned gnome subrace that lived in the Underdark. While their surface cousins were known for their boundless optimism and cheerful mischief, the "Svirfneblin" were serious and suspicious creatures. They survived in the Underdark by maintaining wariness of others and working hard to keep their underground society secret. They use the Deep Gnome statistics as presented in Monsters of the Multiverse.