The gnomes are a diminutive race of smallfolk that trace their origins back to the same jungles of western Ranalore that the wood elves do, and they are believed to have been exposed to faerie magic in ancient history from this location, invariably warping their appearance and blessing them with many abilities that are akin to those used by the faeries, though this isn't all there is to them, and they have a well-earned reputation for creativity and engineering, too.

Gnomes in many ways look like very small elves; they retain the pointed ears of elves but are otherwise distinguished by their very short height. In most ways, this is the only distinction they possess, but it is so significant that it is functionally impossible to mistake a gnome, even from a distance.

Gnomes have a natural predisposition to the nature magic that defines Nyssara and the faerie race, and even the System recognizes their prowess in it, with their racial class featuring significant focus on nature magic, and their unique perks being split between nature magic and artifice.

By all metrics, the gnomes trace their origins to the Nyssaran Planar Intersection, which is located in western Ranalore. This is the same location the wood elves originate from, which makes sense with their shared focus on nature magic. Nowadays, most gnomes remain in western Ranalore, but their penchant for creativity and artifice has also seen them migrate into dwarven and certain beastkin communities, where artifice and technological innovation are rife.

Gnomes are a highly intelligent and creative race, and this is very evident with their contributions to dwarven and beastkin artifice and engineering technologies; they're not known for being particularly scholarly, however, and are in many ways a more traditional foil to the crazed creativity of the goblin race.