Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
\loki44 said:Now why you wanna throw me under the bus like that?
I still haven't figured out how I'm supposed to facilitate their reproduction process (hoping there might be some advice in the latest Dragon that I have not received yet).
Also, while it's not fantasy per se, a long time ago I based a Top Secret adventure on a Tintin story, "The Crab with the Golden Claws".
I based my Gnomes on the Smurfs. IMC Gnomes are 15 inches high and Hermaphrodites who live in Eusocial clans of around 100 (although they can swarm to 10.000+).
Gnomes have three developmental stages being Juvenile - Adult - Mature. These stages ae not linked to age and are instead triggered by environmental factors. Juveniles are small and hirsuite and closely protected in the gnome burrows where they are raised to the adult stage. Most gnomes encountered are at the adult stage and can stay at this stage indefinately. However a few do mature to become 'whitebeards' - Papa Smurf is, of course, a whitebeard.
Now one gnome in each clan will go to the mature stage and take on female characteristics, this Gnome is called the Ama, the Ama takes the mature gnomes (usually 1 - 4) as her consorts/mates, she is the Matriarch (socially and biologically) of the Clan
Smurfette is such an Ama, her transformation to sexual maturity being artificially triggered by Gargamels interference.
I have assumed that Papa Smurf was formerly the mate of the Smurf Ama, who is now deceased (bless her soul). Smurfette will eventually choose her mates (probably Hefty and Farmer, possibly Brainy) and these will go and establish a new clan
Now usually whhen an Ama dies her surviving mates take on the role of Boggarts and wander off to live on there own. Boggarts are characterised in Gnome society as 'grumpy, loners'' - Grandpa Smurf is a Boggart
Anyway it works if you apply just a little bit of logic and a willingness to view gnomes as humanoid naked mole rats...
