J. J. Schelhaas

The Gathering Shadows of Namaraga

There are many obscure and strange stories, ones that provoke our deepest imaginations or make us face our darkest fears. Tales are told across time and throughout the earth's history, and such is the nature also of the Gnomes. Now, the Gnomes in the next series of stories are part of a collection of "Gnomish Folklore of the Second Age", and are not the ones you might think of. They are not the miniscule people who hide in gardens and cause mischief (though they do tend to cause quite a ruckus now and again). These sort of people are what you may call a mix, or a half-breed, of Dwarves and halflings. Thick grey beards sprout from the men as a distinguishable feature and bright, rosy red cheeks blush in the fair skin of the women. They are a cheery people, despite their horrible past and their tragedies; yet they prefer to live in the moment rather than dwell on the pain of the past. And how does one forget such tragedies? Many answers may apply to that, but for this purpose, it is the telling of stories; ones that make all Gnomes gather around the campfires to share and listen under the stars or to pass in traditions during special holidays and comfortable family occasions.