Deep gnome

Deep gnomes, called svirfneblin in their own language, are a gnome subrace that live in the Underdark. While their surface cousins are known for their boundless optimism and cheerful mischief, the svirfneblin are serious and suspicious creatures. They survive in the Underdark by maintaining wariness of others and working hard to keep their underground society secret.

Physical characteristics
Deep gnomes are wiry and lean with a body as hard as a slab of rock. Males are usually completely bald, while the females sport hair. Ranging from 3' to 3'6" (107 cm) in height and weighing between 40 and 45 lbs (20.4 kg), the deep gnomes are small enough to give them a size advantage when battling larger opponents.

Deep gnome complexions are sometimes described as "gnarled" and, like drow and duergar, are commonly dark in hue, with most deep gnomes demonstrating brown or gray skin, with gray eyes and gray hair if female.

Deep gnome are better adapted for underground living than either rock gnomes or forest gnomes, with darkvision to help them see where there is no light. Similarly, deep gnomes have a dwarven-like affinity for stone and innately understand it on a level few other races can appreciate. Deep gnomes also lack most gnomes' predilection for cantrip like abilities but can instead blind other beings, obscure their own presence, or shapeshift. Deep gnomes also have a great deal of resistance to magic of any kind, and can go undetected as if they were using the nondetection spell, alongside their natural affinity for avoiding danger or hiding.

Psychology
Keeping themselves to themselves, being cautious when contacting other races and eying strangers with suspicion, it is hard to befriend a deep gnome, but when taking considerable effort to befriend a svirfneblin, one can find a loyal friend who will not easily misplace one's trust.

Although outsiders find deep gnomes' overly serious attitude to make for sour company, those qualities make them tireless pursuers of excellence in their metalworkings and weapon forging. Their seriousness and pessimism fades when admiring the gems which fascinate them so much.

Culture
Like their surface cousins, deep gnomes worship the gnome pantheon. Their special patron is Callarduran Smoothhands, the Master of Stone.

Deep gnomes are mostly neutrally aligned, since dealing safely with other races calls for political neutrality.

Relations with other races
Deep gnomes are deeply suspicious of all other races, particularly the drow and the kuo-toa. They depend on avoidance for survival. Deep gnomes are most accepting of gloamings and slyths, since these folks rarely threaten them. They deal very cautiously with grimlocks and orogs since they have proven too willing to plunder weaker races like the deep gnomes.

While making a living by selling the gems, weapons and metalwork they so masterly produce, they have to rely on dealing with only trusted merchants in neutral caves, trying to avoid danger altogether.

Homelands
Svirfneblin live in harmony with the rocks they carve and their natural environment. They are skillful artisans and have created magnificent homes without destroying the natural beauty of their habitat. Their crafts in mining, gem-cutting and artificing have not gone unnoticed, and their handiwork is well sought after by neutral merchants throughout the whole Underdark. They are also excellent guides, scouts and foragers because they know of underground portals, tunnels and passages long forgotten by the other races. Having to rely on stealth and cunning, they have truly mastered traveling their environment, resulting in some of the finest subterranean deep gnome rangers.

One of the largest deep gnome cities in Faerûn was the city of Blingdenstone, until the drow of Menzoberranzan summoned bebeliths inside the city in the Year of the Tankard. The survivors fled to the surface and settled in hundreds within the lands of the North, particularly in Luruar.

Svirfneblin also aid in the mining of bloodstones out of Bloodstone Mine in Damara as they know where all of the most valuable deposits are to be found. More recently, the svirfneblin of this region have opened a college of illusion magic.

Most other svirfneblin live isolated in small communities in the Underdark, hidden away from the drow and other Underdark races who terrorize and subjugate them.