Four-Leafed Clover
It is well-known that four-leaf clovers are lucky－but, why? What kind of luck does the small plant offer? Amazingly, they give humans a variety of temporary, passive abilities.
Four-leaf clovers are plants transformed by sprites for use by humans. Thousands of years ago, benevolent fae creatures gathered and developed a magical spell to cast on clovers; this spell allowed them to better communicate with humans and protect them from pucks, imps, and other evil entities. The four sides of the clover were to represent the four types of fae: benevolent (top right), nature (top left), neutral (bottom right), and malignant (bottom left). However, the magic on the clover's leaves only lasts a short while－until it wilts－and works only as long as a human has hand-to-clover contact.
Four-leaf clovers allow its user to see malicious creatures that are hiding from view, invisible, or difficult to spot due to an opaque nature (such as several paranormal entities); the special clover also causes the human to repel dangerous/spiteful creatures, see fae creatures more easily (their coloring is brightened and they appear to glow, attracting the user’s attention to them), draws gnomes, and causes the user to only be able to speak and understand Susurrus －the most common language of the fae.
The earliest documentation of four-leaf clover gathering/gardening occurred in 1640, where it was said to be good for fussy, crying, or melancholy children; the clovers allowed the youths to be entertained and comforted by altruistic fae species. Later in history (early to mid-1800s), the plants were said to be gathered mainly by sorceresses under a full moon for secret concoctions, and by young women during the day for tokens of happiness (especially before marriage). Most notably, however, was a statement from an 11 year old girl in 1877, who asked in a letter to the St. Nicholas Magazine if the fae “ever whispered in [their] ear that a four-leaf clover brought good luck to the finder”.
Four-leaf clovers have also long been thought to bring treasures into one's possession; often, a four-leaf clover held in a pocket will be replaced curiously and unknowingly by some sort of object: a gnarled stick, or perhaps a small artifact. This transaction is not due to the clover's magic, but to an ancient, gnomish practice.
Gnomish Courting
It is well known that gnomes obsess and horde valuable items and trinkets they view as treasure. However, few know the importance placed on four-leaf clovers by the tiny, plump fae creatures. Male and female gnomes cannot see or understand each other under normal circumstances; in order to find a mate, a four-leaf clover is required to see and speak with one another. Once a male has come of age, he will seek out a four-leaf clover; gnomes have incredible senses of smell when food, ore, or valuable objects are involved, and can pinpoint a clover plant hundreds of feet away. Most of these clovers are gathered on the ground, but some are discovered in the pockets of humans. Gnomes, gatherers of treasures themselves, do not view theft kindly, but they do not have a problem with trading. Fearing that they are interrupting a human’s mating ritual, they leave a highly valued item in exchange for the clover, continuing on their quest. Items found valuable by gnomes are not always seen as valuable by humans; these items can be anything from a shiny piece of metal, lost piece of jewelry, gold coin, or oddly colored rock.