Deep gnome

Deep gnomes, called svirfneblin in their own language, were a 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.

History
Although gnomes in general lacked any kind of cohesive history, deep gnomes brought this cultural idiosyncrasy to its greatest extremes. Deep gnomes lacked not only a tradition of keeping records or writing biographies, but they also never developed a calendar or a method by which to track the passing of time as the drow did. To a deep gnome, the very concept of day or night was foreign, having never seen the light of the sun or the stars of a night sky.

In fact, so deep-rooted was this cultural lack of time-keeping, either of the past, present, or future, that among outsiders the history of the deep gnomes amounted to little more than the story of Blingdenstone, the only deep gnome settlement well known among non-svirfneblin. Blingdenstone, founded in -690 DR by clans fleeing the phaerimms beneath Netheril, grew to prominence in large part thanks to its proximity to the infamous drow city of Menzoberranzan and the less infamous but equally strong, duergar fortress of Gracklstugh. In spite of the presence of these two mighty cities, Blingdenstone survived for over two millennia, supported by the rich mining industry that thrived on Blingdenstone's rich veins of arandur and other exotic minerals.

However, Blingdenstone, like so many deep gnome cities, came to ruin in the end, albeit in a peculiar way. In the Year of the Wanderer, the ruler of Blingdenston, King Schnicktick welcomed into his city Drizzt Do'Urden, a fugitive of Menzoberranzan's harsh justice. Drizzt stayed for only a short while but his route would later be tracked twenty years later by a vengeful army from Menzoberranzan during their invasion of Mithral Hall in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR. Realizing the danger to themselves, the deep gnomes abandoned their homes and sought refuge in the darkness. After the drow passed their city, leaving it largely unharmed, a group of deep gnome wardens led by Belwar Dissengulp convinced King Schnicktick to lend his aid to Mithral Hall's defense.

The resulting victory at the Battle of Keeper's Dale saved Mithral Hall but it cost the deep gnomes their home. Twelve years later, in Marpenoth of 1370 DR, the matron mothers of Menzoberranzan launched a full-scale assault on Blingdenstone. The deep gnomes' defenses were no match for a drow army aided and supported by demons summoned from the Abyss. Thousands perished in the siege and thousands more were enslaved by the vengeful drow. Those that escaped made their way to Mithral Hall and Silverymoon where they were welcomed, eventually settling throughout the neighboring area.

Physical Description
Deep gnomes were wiry and lean with a body as hard as a slab of rock. Males were completely bald and beardless, while the females sported hair. Ranging from 3' to 3'6" (90–107 cm) in height and weighing between 40 and 45 lb (18–20 kg), the deep gnomes were small enough to give them a size advantage when battling larger opponents. Deep gnome complexions were sometimes described as "gnarled" and, like drow and duergar, were commonly dark in hue, with most deep gnomes demonstrating brown or gray skin with dark gray eyes. Females typically had gray hair. Deep gnomes did not live quite as long as their kin, with a life expectancy just under two centuries. Due to this and a number of cultural affectations, deep gnome children were considered adults at roughly twenty years of age.

Abilities
Deep gnome were better adapted for underground living than either rock gnomes or forest gnomes, with darkvision to help them see in total darkness. Similarly, deep gnomes had a dwarven-like affinity for stone and innately understood it on a level few other races could appreciate. Deep gnomes also lacked most gnomes' predilection for cantrip-like abilities, but could instead blind other beings, obscure their own presence, or shapeshift. Deep gnomes also had a great deal of resistance to magic of any kind, and could go undetected as if they were using the nondetection spell, alongside their natural affinity for avoiding danger or hiding.

Psychology
Deep gnomes were a surly and cynical people, who fatalistically expected little more from life than what they had. While they treated their own kind with respect and even goodwill, trust was not easily given to anyone from outside their village, or even outside their family. They kept to themselves, were extremely cautious when contacting other races, and eyed all strangers with suspicion.

Sullen and hard-working, deep gnomes were wholly dedicated to any task to which they set themselves, typically mining for males and housekeeping for females. Although outsiders found deep gnomes' overly serious attitude made for sour company, those qualities made the svirfneblin tireless pursuers of excellence in their metalworking and weapon forging. These attitudes were also justified in part by the harsh environs the deep gnomes inhabited, which required a degree of stoicism and quiet suffering in order to serve the greater good. Any sounds or raised voices could attract danger to deep gnome homes and fire was used sparingly for cooking and warmth. Their seriousness and pessimism only faded when admiring the gems which fascinated them so much.

Although far more serious than most gnomes, deep gnomes nonetheless exhibited the same insatiable curiosity and craftiness when put in the right circumstances. It was this trait, more than any other, which led some deep gnomes to abandon their cautious upbringing and explore the world around them. Some of these wandering deep gnomes turned upwards and investigated the surface world from which their ancestors came, particularly deep gnome illusionists who hoped to find advanced instruction in the Art beyond what could be obtained in their isolated homes. Others become prospectors, searching the Underdark for new veins of gems and ore to mine.

Culture
Deep gnome culture was largely defined by the environment in which they lived. Deep gnome settlements were usually centered in a single large cavern, surrounded by an interlocking set of tunnels and other caverns into which the city spread. These settlements were often large villages or small towns, with a population of around a thousand gnomes. Typically cut off from all outside contact, even from other deep gnome settlements, many inhabitants never ventured out of their havens, instead crowding together for protection. Population density was extremely high as most families shared a single, small room for their living space, with children living with their parents until they themselves married and had children.

Deep gnomes rarely wandered far beyond their hidden cities, but when they did, it was usually as bold prospectors, youthful illusionists, or exploring warriors. These bold souls shared a deep curiosity that allowed them to overcome their hard-bred caution and shyness, although other motives such as economic drive or a desire to seek aid to fight a threat the deep gnomes coul not conquer on their own might also play into their departure. Deep gnomes who became adventurers most frequently were fighters, rangers, rogues, or wizards (particularly illusionists). Although deep gnomes were well suited to the arcane arts like other gnomes, they were also fit to becoming rangers or rogues, adapted as they were to hiding and navigating the labyrinthine caverns of the Underdark. Deep gnomes of the martial persuasion who survived their adventures and came back with knowledge and experience sometimes became breachgnomes, elite warriors trained to defend a position against superior numbers.

Art & Leisure
As a whole, deep gnomes were a hard-working and joyless people, but even the crustiest deep gnome required time to relax and let off steam. Deep gnomes' intense dedication and ability to survive under harsh conditions often showed up in such activities. Deep gnome architecture, for instance, was shaped largely by the conditions they lived in, with the oldest homes often carved directly out of the surrounding rock. The highest-ranking members of any one clan usually inhabited large stalagmites while the lower-class lodged in the surrounding cavern floors or walls.

Deep gnome cuisine was also a reflection of their livelihood, with the common staples made up of a variety of exotic fungi found only in the Underdark. Other common foods included blind fish and occasionally a roast made of rothé, goat, or mutton. Because fire produced unwanted light and smoke, deep gnomes generally prefered to salt their food instead of cook it, which made most svirfneblin food practically inedible to outsiders. For drink, most deep gnomes drank a salty spirit fermented fish, which, like svirfneblin food, was an acquired taste. On occasion, deep gnomes might drink a more potent beverage called Gogondy, said to contained powdered ruby and grant powerful visions to those who drank it.

Artistically, deep gnomes prefered to use lots of gemstones, which were relatively common in svirfneblin communities, mined out of the veins along which their cities are built. Deep gnomes were some of the best jewelers in the Underdark. Deep gnomes also turned their cultivation of mushrooms for food into a wider industry, developing fungi not only for food but for textiles and wood as well. For their defense, deep gnomes most often designed weapons that could be used as non-violent tools as well, largely favoring the use of light picks, darts, or crossbows. Deep gnomes also used specialized weapons, such as acid darts, caltrops made from crystals, or flash grenades.

Deep gnomes did not generally keep pets, though a few kept small blind fish in a bowl. However, deep gnomes had no particular aversion to animals and often cultivated herds of rothé, goats, or sheep on the outskirts of their towns, doing their best to keep the herds quiet and uninteresting to potential attackers. Deep gnomes were known to grow fond of small animals such as moles, shrews, bats, dire rats, or cavvekans, although these could be more accurately called animal acquaintances than actual pets.

Magic & Religion
Like other gnomes, deep gnomes prefered the use of illusion to other schools of magic. However, while this was simply a cultural preference among rock gnomes, it was a method of survival for deep gnomes. In addition to knowing the relatively simple invisibility spell, most gnome illusionists were familiar with a great wealth of ancient and forgotten lore recovered from the ruins scattered about the Underdark. Deep gnomes rarely understood this knowledge fully, but that hardly mattered, and they were willing to use it in anyway they could. Deep gnome wizards who wern't illusionists were frequently diviners, using their spells to locate and find materials essential to survival. Most magic items forged by deep gnomes were disguised as jewelry, which was relatively common among the svirfneblin.

Like their surface cousins, deep gnomes worship the gnome pantheon. Although deep gnomes are not particularly devout, clerics and other religious figures serve an important role in svirfneblin society as guardians of the public morale, keeping spirits up in spite of hardships. Unlike other gnomes, deep gnomes do not feel a particularly strong bond to Garl Glittergold, who some svirfneblin feel as abandoned them for the more cheery rock gnomes and forest gnomes. Deep gnomes feel closer by far to Segojan Earthcaller, particularly by deep gnomes who keep pets, are rangers, or who otherwise work with domesticated animals. Deep gnomes fear Urdlen, however, who they believe attacks particularly greedy svirfneblin, luring them with precious jewels. These fears may reflect, as much any divine intervention, the very real unknown dangers that lurk in the Underdark and while deep gnomes fear Urdlen, they respect him for reminding them to stay alert.

Of all the Lords of the Golden Hills, deep gnomes feel the strong ties to Callarduran Smoothhands, the Master of Stone, who deep gnomes generally see as their protector and divine benefactor. According to svirfneblin myths, it was Callarduran who taught the deep gnomes to summon and befriend earth elementals and the deep gnomes honor him by carving his holy symbol into their art, with the exception of golden rings, which is seen as taboo. Only two holidays are commonly celebrated amongst deep gnomes, the rest created on a whim by local priests, and both are in honor of Callarduran. The first, the Festival of the Ruby, celebrates the myth that Callarduran hid the rubies of the world in the earth for the deep gnomes to find and is considered a day where searches rarely come up empty. The second holiday, the Festival of the Star, honors the Master of Stone as a continuing protector of the deep gnomes. As part of the festival rites, deep gnomes gather along the shores of subterranean lakes to watch small, phosphorescent fungi light up across the cavern ceilings in a visage similar to that of a night sky reflecting in the water. As much as this is in honor of Callarduran, whose symbol is a star, it is a constant reminder to the deep gnomes of their origins on the surface world and that they are not alone.

Social structure
The harsh conditions of life in the Underdark shape gnome society in a number of unusual ways. Children are an extremely important part of deep gnome society, in part due to low birthrates - relative to the dangers of the Underdark - among the deep gnomes, who usually have fewer than four children and rarely more than six. Deep gnome mothers dote on their children obsessively, but not in such a way that inhibits their growth, and when they reach adolescence deep gnome children are immediately apprenticed to masters in whatever trade they are expected to take on. Adulthood is less defined amongst deep gnomes than among their kin, with maturity commonly agreed upon to be the time at which a deep gnome starts working full-time. Most male gnomes are miners or gemcutters, while females are the masters of the home, birthing and raising children while keeping the house tidy and meals prepared.

It's important to note that male and female deep gnomes are not considered unequal - rather males are masters outside of the home and females are masters within. This concept of equal labor for either sex carries on all the way to the top of svirfneblin society, with each city governed by a king and queen who rule as co-equals. The king is often the head of the community's mining operations and defenses, while the queen is tasked with ensuring that the community has enough food and water to survive, while also handling the day in and day out bureaucracy. Significantly, the king and queen are rarely married to one another, but instead come into their positions independently, elected for life upon the death of their predecessor. Regardless of gender, there is no true conception of retirement among deep gnomes, who work until they can physically work no more.

Relations with other races
Deep gnome relations with other races are colored by the impression of most surface-dwelling races that deep gnomes, like the duergar or drow, are a cruel and vindictive relative of their surface cousins. This is, in fact, untrue, and while often suspicious and sullen, deep gnomes are a largely agreeable people. Deep gnomes, for their part, are not particularly eager to correct outsiders of their error and for the most part would rather be left alone. As a rule, deep gnomes are deeply suspicious of all other races, though they hold a special enmity for the drow and the duergar, whose violent ways often interfere with the svirfneblin wish for isolation. 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.

If forced to deal with surface-dwellers, a deep gnome is most likely to find forest gnomes agreeable, who, like the deep gnomes and unlike the rock gnomes, are a reclusive, withdrawn folk. If compelled to seek out companions who are not gnomes, deep gnomes are open, if not friendly, towards gold dwarves, shield dwarves, and some of the Tel-quessir. Beyond that, deep gnomes have few opinions other than a general distrust.

While making a living by selling the gems, weapons and metalwork they so masterfully 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.

Notable deep gnomes

 * Belwar Dissengulp
 * Firble
 * King Schnicktick

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * City of the Spider Queen
 * Harried in Hillsfar
 * It's All in the Blood
 * Reclaiming Blingdenstone
 * Computer Games:
 * Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
 * Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
 * Novels:
 * Archmage
 * Exile
 * Homeland
 * Siege of Darkness
 * Starless Night
 * Storm of the Dead
 * The Legacy

Connections
Svirfnebli