Gnome (Hayle)

Gnome Racial Statistics
Strength: 5 Intelligence: 9 Agility: 6 Average Height (Male): 3'-3'3" Average Height (Female): 2'8"-3'1" Average Weight (Male): 80 lbs Average Weight (Female): 75 blbs

History
The Gnome race evolved about fifty years after the Rahyn War, and began to form into a civilzed society one hundred-or-so years later. In 437 A.R.W., Güria Arjen founded the Kingdom of Gäsfayögen and proclaimed herself Queen. Her reign lasted about fourty years, to be succeeded by her eldest son, Koröss. It was he who first discovered the cosmic force known as Magic. With it, he won numerous civil wars in the coming decades (the amount of time has never been specified), all of which were fought between those who embraced Magic, and those who thought it untrustworthy and dangerous. With the rebels crushed and his life growing short, Koröss handed over his crown to Øgran, who, after fifty years of practicing Magic, died of a myterious malady. No doctor could find a cause of the ailment. What he had died of was an allergy to Magic that lies within all Gnomes. (See "Physical Aspects" below for details on the allergic reaction). After this, little detail is recorded on rulers, events, and wars, although it seems evident that some massive conflict broke out after the king's death. The most recent reliable source of history is a report (dated 720 A.R.W.) from a mining official who discovered a blue metal in great abundance. The metal is soon named adrinium. Magic use at this time was a somewhat contentious issue, and the current, unnamed King or Queen was looking for other ways to advance their race's society and military strategies. It was decided that experiments were to run on adrinium. It was discovered that when fire came into contact, it vibrated, the speed at which it did this depending on the temperature. Intrigued, Gnomish scientists made a primitoive machine using the enigmatic metal. This machine was simply called "The Rotator", because it caused a wheel to spin slowly. (To be continued).

Mental Quirks
All modern Gnomes are clinically insane, obsessed with machinery and change. This condition (known as technomania) came into being at about 900 A.R.W., when invention had become the basis of Gnomish society and culture.