Since who knows when, the clever gnomes lived in the technologically marvelous city of Gnomeregan (GNOME-re-gahn). A few years back, they dug a bit too deep and annoyed some troggs, who decided to overrun the city. The gnomes tried to irradiate the troggs, but irradiated themselves in the process, and have had to evacuate to Ironforge. Their fondest hope is to win Gnomeregan back.
Gnomes are the tiniest and cutest race in all of Azeroth, but don't mistake them for children! Behind their squeaky voices and big long-lashed eyes are the devilishly clever minds that invented submarines and flying machines for the Second War. Give a gnome a wrench and he can invent just about anything, and their quick minds also make them a shoo-in for the arcane. Gnomes have no religion. Their King is High Tinker Mekkatorque, but they are technically under the rule of the Dwarven Senate and King Magni Bronzebeard so long as they live in Ironforge. The gnomes are closely allied with the dwarves, with whom they live and work, and who may even be distantly related to them. These amiable tinkers don't really hate anyone, unless they have direct reason to, but they can be deadly when provoked.
Available Classes: Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Warlock
Names: Gnomes have usually earned their own unique last name (Twosprocket, Spinpistol) by the time they come of age, based on their accomplishments. First names are given at birth, and often sound a little "silly" to the ears of other races. Male examples: Dink, Bingles Female examples: Nefti, Bixi
Hair: Off-white, pink, green, black, or brown. Females bunch their hair into ponytails or gravity-defying spikes and towers - men prefer short, messy styles.
Eyes: Very large. Usually some shade of blue, but other colors can be seen as well.
Skin: From the paler human range, generally.
Height/Weight: Itty bitty teeny.
Age: A new adventurer will be between 44 and 94. 100 is "middle aged." The average gnome dies around 200 years of age, though heroes can live as long as 500.
Social Status: Pretty much all refugees - your economic status depends on what you've managed to carve out for yourself in the past few years in Ironforge.
Family: Gnomes have affectionate but often pushy parents, and may or may not have siblings, as procreation is not a high priority among gnomes.
Hometown: You were born in Gnomeregan but now live in Ironforge - both cities are within the land of Dun Morogh.
Sample concepts: Adorable demon-summoner, cranky inventor, laid-back fence-sitter, friendly pickpocket, wounded jester, delusional "tough guy", well-meaning busybody, cheerful workaholic.
Good Diamond Words: ADAPTABLE, AMIABLE, CURIOUS, DUTIFUL, ECCENTRIC, INNOVATIVE, INSECURE, INTELLIGENT, KINDHEARTED, PATERNAL/MATERNAL, WORKAHOLIC
Generic Backstory: You are 50 years old, a young man or woman just starting out in his/her calling. You grew up in Gnomeregan, and when you were a child of 25 your parents, aunts, and/or uncles helped out in the Second War by joining the effort to build wondrous flying machines and boats that could submerge themselves underwater. At age 30-35 or so you earned yourself a unique surname through something you did that impressed or amused your elders. You were happy and your life was full of promise until the troggs invaded - nasty, ghoulish, apelike-creatures from the depths of the earth. Then came the radiation, meant to kill the troggs, but which sickened and even maddened most of your family. You escaped Gnomeregan sometime within the past few years and fled with other refugees to the huge smelly city of Ironforge. You've finally established yourself enough that you feel ready to pursue a calling and hopefully help win back Gnomeregan for your people.
Official Gnome Page