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The Svirfneblin, also known as Deep Gnomes, or Dark Gnomes, are an artificially created servitor race by the minions of elknor-the-wretched in order to serve his ranks.
Although they later gained free will and freedom from their dark impulses, they are despised by other gnomes.
History
A group of gnomes not wishing to live in the sky left the city lead by the sorcerer Fásach and began to wander the land. Known later as the Caillte or the Lost, a large group of these gnomes were captured by Elknor the Wretched the Wretched and subjected to horrible experiments. The svirfneblin were created and served Elknor and his evil ways.
Origins in the Dark Empire
The dark gnomes were put to task under ogre slavers who gave them their missions and took over every aspect of their lives. These gnomes lost their heritage and their language, speaking the giant language of their ogre masters.
After the fall of the empire
Many svirfneblin found a home in a city located in the underdark of Riven called Lahkeama. In their stone city, most wish to be left to themselves and not face the prejudices found on the surface. They survive in the Underdark by maintaining wariness of others and working hard to keep their underground society secret. There, they fight troglodyte foes and derro.
Elemental Evil
Physical description
Deep gnomes are wiry and lean with a body as hard as a slab of rock. Males are completely bald and beardless, 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). 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 dark gray eyes, as well as gray hair if female. Deep gnomes do 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 are considered adults at roughly twenty years of age.
Culture
Frequently cut off from all outside contact, even from other deep gnome cities, the inhabitants of these communities may never venture out of their havens, instead crowding together for protection.
Names
Male Names: Aappo, Herkko, Jalmari, Jyri, Keijo, Okko, Pyry, Sulevi, Tahvo, Uljas, Vesa, Ylermi
Female Names: Aila, Erkka, Impi, Kanerva, Lahja, Marjut, Osma, Rauha, Saana, Suvi, Tuula, Ulpu, Vanamo
Paragons
Ahto
Male
Neutral Good
Cleric (Studious) or Druid
Animal, Good, Protection, Water
Hiisi
Male
Chaotic Evil
Cleric (Studious)
Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Trickery
Ilmarinen
Male
Louhi
Female
Neutral Evil
Cleric (Studious) or Druid
Death, Evil, Luck, Magic, Trickery
Loviatar
Female
Lawful Evil
Cleric (Studious)
Charm, Death, Destruction, Evil
Nyyrikki
Male
Neutral Good
Druid
Tapio
Male
Neutral*
Cleric (Martial) or Druid
Animal, Battle, Hunt, Plant, Protection
Ukko
Male
Lawful Good
Cleric (Studious) or Druid
Animal, Air, Good, Law, Protection, War, Water
- Ahto (NG) God of the seas and water his symbol is a rippling water wave.
- Hiisi (CE) The god of evil has the lightning bolt in the night sky as a symbol.
- Putytto (CE) Also known as the “Mother of the Plague”, Putytto is the goddess of sickness. Her symbol is a battered metal bowl over a flame.
- Loviatar (LE) Also known as the “Maiden of Pain”, Loviatar is the goddess of pain. Her symbol is a white dagger.
- Mielikki (NG) The “Mistress of the Forest” is the patron of rangers and guardian of all the creatures in the forest. She is very protective of her charge and it is said that those who try to destroy her forests will face her wrath. For this reason woodcutters often plant 2 trees for every one they cut down. Her symbol is an evergreen.
- Tuoni (CN) Priests of Tuoni spend a great deal of their time aiding those near death on their journey to the underworld, and have been known to attend this duty with considerable enthusiasm. After administering these rites they take the valuables of the dead as compensation for their assistance. Tuoni has a personal interest in those souls who attempt to escape the underworld by being raised, a vision of him will appear when any being that worships the Finnish gods is raised from the dead and he may actually come to reclaim the raised person’s soul.
- Ukko (LG) Ukko is the supreme god of the Kalevala, he is the master of the sky and air. His symbol is a flaming sword.
Ahto/Ahti: M water god, jealous of sky-gods, not enough worship from humans, employs sprites, conjures whirlpools, married to Vellamo
Ajatar: F evil spiritess, dragon, mother of devil, spreads disease, suckles snakes
Akka (Maan-eno, Maa-emoinen, Rauni, Ravdna, Roonikka): F mother goddess (earth magic), feminne fertility, strength, sexuality, goddess of harvest, consort of Ukko,
Antero-Vipunen: M earth giant sleeps below the topsoil
Ilma (Ether): M air god, father of Ilmatar
Ilmarinen: M Divine smith, eternal hammerer, brother of vainamoinen, made the sampo.
Ilmatar (Luonnotar): F goddess of air, creator of world (with eggs), had a child, vainamoinen, with the East Wind
Hiisi (Hisi): evil demon, henchman of Lempo. Made Vainamoinen’s axe wobble and made him bleed profusely.
Jumala (Jubmel): M God. Supreme sky god, shapeless and abstract as the sky. Abstract. Could be applied to other deities, eventually became the Christian god.
Lempo (Juntas, Jutas, Pääpiro): M evil devil lord, with Hiisi and Paha, commands demons of forests and other evil spirits, and a fierce herd of mooses, also god of love, but also misfortune and wickedness and disease.
Kalma: F smelly goddess of death and decay, stink
Lemminkainen (Kauko, Kauko-Mieli, Lemminkâinen): M trickster god, full of conjuring and conjugality, cut to pieces and glued together
Kipu-Tytto (Kipu-Tyttö, Kiputyttö): F goddess of death, sister of kivutar, vammatar, and loviatar, lives in Tuonels. Pain Girl. Goddess of Illness. Kids named Gout, Ulcers, and scabies.
Kivutar: F goddess of pain and suffering, sis of Kipu-Tytto
Kuu (Kun): M Moon god and/or personification of moon. Not god at all?
Kyllikki: F Lemminkainen’s wife. Loved to party.
Louhi: F wicked enchantress, queen of Pohjola, super-powerful, transform into griffon, shut sun and moon in cave, send cold as an entity to icebind boats.
Loviatar: goddess of plagues, sister of Kipu-Tytto.
Tuonela (Manala): Finnish underworld
Marjatta: the virgin mary, her son superceded vainamoinen
Mielikki: F Mistress of the forest, a tree, the All-Pleasing Woman, wife of Tapio, mother of nyyrikki and tuulikki
Nyyrikki: M god of hunting and/or cattle
Otava: the great bear (the constellation)
Ovda: M/F Evil deep forest god, appears naked (maybe use as monster, not god?)
Paha: M evil god. Gave Vainamoinen the shakes so he cut himself.
Paivatar (Päivä, Päivyt, Paiva, Paivyt): M God of the sun and/or personification.
Pekko (Peko, Pellon-Pekko, Pellonpekko, Pellervo): M god of fields and crops, likes alcohol
Sampsa (Pellervo, Pellervoinen): M god of seeds and sowing, plants the seeds and them Pekko takes care of them.
Sampo: artifact
Suonetar: F goddess of veins and blood vessels
Tapio: M forest god, made of trees, knowledge
Tellervo: milkmaid of the forest
Tuonetar: F queen of underworld
Tuoni: M god of underworld
Tuulikki: F goddess of the woods
Ukko (Ylijumala, Ukko-ylijumala): M big dog sky god, storms and lightning, aloof
Ulgan: a sky god
Vainamoinen (Vaino, Väinämöinen, wainamoinen): M folk hero god, kind of a bard
Vammatar: F goddess of suffering, sister of Kypu-Tytto
Ved-Ava: Finnish water-mother
Vellamo: F water goddess, married to Ahti.