Creature:Southwhistle Gnome

The Southwhistle Gnomes are a race of humanoids native to the Tropical Lands of. Speculated to be a distant offshot of either dwarves, fae or both, their early existence was marked by raids of preying upon their vulnerable kind. Following the interference of the Khargrim Dwarves, who pushed the raiders back and saved the Southwhistle Gnomes from destruciton, the race pledged itself to the, where they have since integrated themselves to pure dwarven society and culture.

An inherently magical race, the Southwhistle Gnomes possess affinity to the Source comparable to that of many races of elves, having a keen preference to the arts of geomancy. While they serve as a great contrast to their stubborn and conservative Khargrim brothers, the gnomes have long earned their place in the Greatholds thanks to their undying loyalty to them - for saving their kind of suffering to the Bharloron, the gnomes are willing to throw their lives away to help the Khargrim in whatever they need.

History
The origins of the Southwhistle race are not understood. Their early history, which only dates back to around 2,000 BNA, claims them to be children of earth elementals who traveled from the far west, settling at the Tropical Lands during the Old Age. The tale is considered to be mythology, but at the same time, there is no clear evidence of the Southwhistle being associated with the ancient Dweorg civilization, making their status as 'true' dwarves contested by some. Certain scholars have proposed the gnomes were born from Dweorg who were somehow transformed or cursed by fair folk, who made them smaller but more magical in the process.

Whatever their origins may be, the Southwhistle inhabited the Tropical Lands for as long as they can recall, with their kind being threatened by the somewhat early in their history - the gnomes, who were few in number and unfit for combat, were easy prey for the much stronger beastmen. Emissaries of their people would spread across the land looking for aid, and while most of them would die in the process, one reached the lands of the Khargrim Greatholds, where they pleaded the dwarves for help. As they knew what the Bharloron were like from their own experience, the Greatholds would provide aid to the gnomes, defeating the invaders and saving the Southwhistle from extinction.

With their land ruined, the surviving gnomes would pledge themselves to the Khargrim as gratitude, migrating to their own lands and integrating themselves into their society. While at first considered impulsive by the dwarves, the Southwhistle came to synergise well with them as time passed, adopting their culture and religion as their own while leaving their own mark in the empires.

Biology
The Southwhistle gnomes are a small race of humanoids. While agreed by most to be a type of dwarvenkin - they are too small to be anything else, and have no resemblance to goblinoids -, their body proportions are closer to that of humans than dwarves, save for their somewhat large heads and eyes. Another thing that sets them apart from their dwarven brethren is a general lack of body hair, save for the head; gnome males tend to grow great beards, females possess long hair, and both genders are known for their almost universally thick eyebrows. Few Southwhistle are much taller than a meter, with their matured individuals normally only reaching the torsos of adult Khargrim. Compared to other dwarves, the gnomes are quite short-lived, with few of them living longer than seventy years.

Personality
Southwhistle gnomes are characterized by their cheerful demeanor. Their race is eager to encounter new experiences and discover new innovations, being largely unconcerned for the risks as long as the results are positive - the end justifies the means. This sometimes puts them at odds with the conservative Khargrim, who would much rather only do what they are already comfortable with. The Southwhistle as a whole used to possess a great fear of the Bharloron, though the centuries of living under the Greatholds, where they learned how to fight, has turned the feeling into disdain instead. Most gnomes worship, though due to their nature, some have found themselves drawn to the more positive aspects of , much to the chagrin of the Simulacrum-opposing Greatholds.

Abilities
The Southwhistle are a physically weak race, and even the strongest of their kind cannot match the prowess of elite Khargrim warriors. However, unlike their dwarven brethren, the gnomes are attuned to the Source from birth, which allows them to become powerful casters with training. Many of their most known individuals are potent geomancers or electromancers, casting magic through the use of the runes used by the Khargrim Greatholds - something they do for cultural reasons, for they technically do not need runes to channel the Source. Gnomes who fight without magic are typically archers or assassins, using their small size and agility to attack their enemies where they are most vulnerable.

Quotes
"The first time I saw these creatures, I believed them to be some sort of strange talking chimp people. But then I realized chimps don't have eyebrows that big."

"Ah yes, one of me favorite games. "Punt da gnome". Whoeva punts it da farthast wins!"

Trivia

 * Both models and the name of the Southwhistle Gnomes were made by.