PCs:Deider

Race: Gnome

The first time Deider arrived in Mikona, he was mistaken for a dwarf by almost every commoner and adventurer he spoke with. He soon learned that there were not many gnomes who traveled this far south, but that didn't surprise him much. Who wants to leave Deglos, especially when the tall folk are warring... again.

The second time Deider arrived in Mikona things were a bit different. Whenever the gnome asked a farmer for directions, the conversation went a bit like this:

Farmer: "What in the fifth 'ell? A blue-skinned dwarf! Look ma, this'un 'ere's got blue skin!"

Deider would politely and cheerfully explain that he was a gnome from Deglos, up north.

"Well, what inna seventh 'ell's got ya 'ere, lad?"

That would be a long story, Deider would try to explain. Not seeing many blue gnomes, most of the farmers would stop their plowing and indulge themselves in the tale.

But knowing that such farm work cannot be put off for long, Deider would try and make his story brief. Born and raised like most gnomes in Deglos, Deider was destined to follow in his family's footsteps and join the baker clan. But Deider had no real interest in baking - in fact, he really didn't know what he wanted to do. Then one day while walking in the woods above his underground village, he received a vision.

"From onna yer little gnome gods?"

From Fegall, god and creator of gnomes? Well, no, actually. Deider really loves and looks up to Fegall, and at this point would show the iron holy symbol of that lesser god which he always keeps on his person, but the vision came from none other than... Pelar, god of the hunt. And to be precise, it was less than a vision and more of a word, a single word.

"An'whut wuz that word, eh?"

Before Deider reveals the word, he always feels he must explain something. Gnomes are lovers of animals, great lovers of animals. They keep all sorts of animals as companions and pets - ferrets, moles, otters, even mink.

"That's all nice and whatnot, but whut wuz the word?"

Beaver.

Now at this point in the conversation one of three things happens. Either the farmer will laugh uproariously, groan with disdain, or frown unapprovingly. One time a woman actually slapped him across his blue face.

Deider doesn't know what to make of any of these reactions. This is likely due to his lack of full fluency in the common language and hence his lack of knowledge of its many slang terms. Indeed, many who have met him in Mikona know that Deider will often use the gnomish equivalent of a word when he doesn't know the common one, which sometimes causes confusion. Like that time he complimented a swordsman by saying, "You're a real tiflaagenbauf!" only to have that swordsman draw his weapons, thinking he was insulted, and almost challenge the poor gnome to a duel.

Anyway, those farmers who laugh usually ask, "Well, what happened next?"

Deider then explains that he decided to become a woodsgnome, and that his mission in life would be to study and catalogue the various beavers of Avlis. After helping dust off the farmer, who by this time has always dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach in fits of guffaws, Deider continues, relating how he learned the skills of a ranger (as well as the common tongue) from a human ranger, a hermit, who lived not far from his village. After the human died (for gnomes live much longer than that race), Deider spent decades studying the beavers of Deglos.

"So what brings ye to Mikona?"

Having catalogued the various beaver species of Deglos, Deider's research there had come to an end. But still spry at 92 (rather young for a gnome), Deider decided to head south. His next object of study - the elusive M'Chekian beaver.

"Then why ain't ye out in them M'Chekian wilds?"

Deider hiked south through T'Nashi and soon found himself in M'Chek. But he never realized that the M'Chekian wilderness would be so.... wild. His first day in the woods he was gored to death by a rabid deer. After a brief trip to the afterlife, on the second day his wee gnome head was splattered, like a watermelon hurled against a brick wall, by a berserk ogre.

His skills obviously lacking, Deider ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to Elysia. There he worked for awhile as a farmer's helper and courier. After earning enough money to refurbish himself he headed further south to Mikona, where he was told he might have better luck in his beaver search.

"So why are ye blue? An'what's with that big'ole bear behind ye?"

At which point Deider would explain that he spent many weeks in Mikona, chatting up the locals and traveling adventurers about possible M'Chekian beaver sightings. To sharpen his skills he'd venture into the sewers to pit sling and sickle against rats and fire beetles, for he'd found work supplying a local boy with the bellies of the latter.

Then one day it came, as suddenly as it had before - a vision from Pelar. The demigod smiled upon him for his determination and sacrifice, despite his utter failure in his Mikona beaver hunt. It was time for Deider to serve Pelar in a deeper capacity, not as a mere woodsgnome, but as a druid.

And so Deider returned to Deglos for a short time, where he met up with one of the very rare gnomish druidic circles to Pelar, a quasi-clan in the eyes of the gnomes. He renounced his old baker clan and took up the life of a gnomish druid. As is the ancient custom of that circle, he bleached his red beard yellow-white, bore the necessary ritual tattoos, and underwent the process that dyes their skin blue, to emulate certain fey and identify them as gnomish Pelarites. A final ritual bonded him with an animal companion, Mister Bear, whom Pelar has sent to watch over the gnome and aid him in his beaver quest.

Deider then returned once more to Mikona, where he continues that quest. Knowing the perils involved, he no longer travels alone. Along with Mister Bear he can be found with a handsome Romini named Djordji and whatever other adventurers who would aid him in training in or around the city or better yet, scour the wilderness beyond for that elsuive M'Chekian beaver.

At this point Deider would say 'daavensplatz,' gnomish for thank you, and go on his merry way.

((Source))