Strange gas
This story goes back a long way, to before anything existed on the planet. In a far off galaxy, the Celestial Wolverines had devised a plan to save their race in case disaster should strike their planet. Disguised as meteors,they sent satellites across the universe to probe for planets on which they could live, one of which found Earth. ONce it arrived, it did like it was programmed and started to orbit the planet. Then there was a freak power failure and the satellite came crashing to Earth, buried deep in the ground but still sending its signal.
Time hid it under a tall mountain that came to be known as Mt. Kilamanjaro, which the gnomes came to inhabit. Tired of being looked down on by people, they wanted to find a home where they could be left alone and a mountian seemed to be the perfect place. Despite its volcanic nature, the gnomes were excellent stone workers and created vents to allow the volcano to stay calm and provide a warm and private residence. Due to their strength and the amazing durability of their tools this was finished in no time. As they were digging the last hole, they came across a rock that felt very much like their tools. Extactic, they brought it to the surface and made a shrine out of it, promising to only use it to create more tools when absolutely necessary.
THe years went by, but soon after the discovery of the precious stone people started to be seen around their borders, asking about a strange stone. Despite the warning of the elders, some of the younger and brasher gnomes allowed a few to come to their home and see the stone and the fine tools it made. Later that night, a small robot was sent to steal part of the stone to see how strong it really was. Unbeknownest to them, what the robot actually did was expose the power core of the satellite, pouring a strange colorless, tasteless and oderless gas out into the gnomes village. To cover it up, the machine installed a machine that sent a holographic image to the part where it was cut up. Then, carrying some of that same gas with it, the machine returned to its masters, the soon to be Hedonistic Squids.
The next morning the gnomes woke up noticing nothing different. THey went to the bars, prepared the harvest, and all other things that take up the day of a gnome. Then, after a couple years, strange things began to occur. It first began when a gnome by the name of Beguiler the witty was carving out a room for their new child and before he knew it, his son had cut himself with his pick. Rushing to his aid, he was bewildered when the cut healed up almost instantly. All around town, people seemed to stop aging. Sex was seeming to get harder and last longer, but not in a good way. No one knew what to say until one day Hawkeye the Strong noticed a strange machine on the ceiling. When it was moved, the secret of the rock was finally brought out to light. Instantly, the Elders ordered it removed, before it could cause more potentialy harmful effects. No one seemed to bothered and it was hidden deep beneath the Earth, where it was sealed and never to be disturbed again.
Believing the problems would go away, the gnomes hoped to get back to their normal lives. This day never came. As time passed, the gnomes aged, but very slowly, and the ability to create children dissapated from their loins. To the gnomes, this was a blessing in disguise, for now they could be with eachother forever. They reveled in their new ability and took on new challenges, such as lava diving. Their strangest new ability was discovered when a citizen was struck by an extremely sharp stalagtite,intstantly severing his arm. While there was a slight shock when the nub quickly starting healing, people were dumbfounded when the arm on the ground started to writhe and a body started to sprout out of it. Seeing the problems inherent with this, the Elders immediately banned anyone from severing any part of the body, under pain of humiliation and exile. THat was the first and last time any gnome did this again before Guardac decided he had no other option if he was to have his revenge.
