Adventure Shorts #5: The Golden Gnome

Legend tells of a priceless jewel hidden in the heart of the old capital of the Gnome Empire, an empire which is long lost. But now, between ancient ruins, the heroes have stumbled upon stones with old gnomish inscriptions. An old scroll that translates the runes explains that this means they stand where once was the heart of the Gnome capital.

What may occur next:

• The shrine is still present, and so may be the golden gnome statuette, buried fifty feet below where the heroes stand.
• The shrine is not only protected by traps, but also by an ancient guard of gnomes, who are kept alive by the magick of the golden gnome jewel.
• The magic of the idol keeps the entire structure of the lower ruins in place. Once it is removed, the structures will start to collapse as in an earthquake. Thieving heroes will have to run for their lives.

Undercity Gnome

The gnomes of the undercity were once proud and creative rulers of the land. But an unforeseen disaster, a storm of magick, wiped them out in numbers and caused the remaining ones to go underground. Their once golden hair and skin now has turned to a lighter shade of pale. Now these little men and women three feet tall hide and guard the remains of their once great kingdom.

OSR: AC 5, HD 1, Dam 1d6-1, Move 90', Save: F3, #app 1d6

DD2: heavy leather (armour 1), pickaxe (weapon 2), dex 2

Golden Gnome of Legend

“... and there the gnome king was touched by the evil king of Midas, and he was turned to gold. Pain and fear struck the gnomish peoples, gold now being a thing of evil and not of wealth. But the gnome queen took pity, and she weakened the curse. The spirit of the king would now protect the people as long as they kept his image safe, together with all other wicked gold and money...”

Update: You can find all shorts of this series and more in Unpleasant Encounters at RPGNow.