Spriggan

Spriggans were creatures descended from gnomes warped by Netherese magic.

Description
Spriggans were said to resemble ugly gnomes in their normal form, when they were only tall; when they took on their larger form they grew to  tall. They were thick-bodied and humanoid in form, and were variously said to have brown, black, or reddish-brown hair; some few had red hair, which they believed to be lucky. Spriggans had dull yellow skin and red eyes. They were generally unclean, with greasy hair and foul body odor. Moreover, they tended to grow out their hair to ridiculous lengths, often sporting bushy mustaches, sideburns, and ponytails.

Personality
These creatures had very dour demeanors.

Abilities
Spriggans had the unique ability to triple their size, becoming what would be considered giant for a gnome.

In addition, spriggans had an innate ability to cast the spells affect normal fires, scare, and shatter. Though they could not utilize other forms of magic while in their giant state.

Combat
Spriggans were often very skilled thieves.

History
Some believed that spriggans originated from enslaved gnomes that had been twisted by fomorian magic, but this was false. In truth, some Netherese were inspired by the god Urdlen in to warp their gnome slaves with magic, turning them into the species later known as spriggans. The first spriggans would not appear until much later, in the forest gnome community of the Forgotten Forest and the rock gnome community of the Trielta Hills. In later centuries, it would be said that these gnomes who became spriggans had succumbed to the evil taint of Urdlen.

Homelands
Spriggans were typically found near isolated communities or in uninhabited areas, lairing within either nearby burrows or ruins.

Relationships
Spriggans generally only associated with their own kind. They harbored a hatred towards humans, but hated gnomes more than any other creature. However, due to their limited numbers they were considered by others to be no more than a nuisance, rather than a major threat, though the priests of Baervan Wildwanderer actively worked to drive them off.

Religions
The patron deity of spriggans was Urdlen, the evil god of the Gnome pantheon, and most spriggans in the Realms counted themselves as members of his cult. They both venerated and feared him, seeking to cause mayhem in his name.

Usage
The heart of a spriggan could be used as an alternative ingredient for crafting a potion of growth.