by Forestwalker

Kintypes come in all shapes and sizes, some types being more common than others. Some types are well known all over the world, some types, like dragons and fae, carry the same name everywhere, but are very diverse. Some people are large black flying fire-spitting fires while others are magical golden lizards.
My own kintype is a pretty uncommon one, which doesn’t have an article anywhere yet till today. I’m a kabouterkin. Stories about kabouters are mostly limited to the Netherlands and Belgium, although there are similarities with hobgoblins, lepricons, imps and especially gnomes.
Most kabouters have the typical ‘garden gnome’ look. They are about 15 centimetres high, although some stories tell about kabouters living in toadstools, or about kabouters up to 40 centimeters (we differ a little, people are a little nuts). Compared to humans, we have a large head and short limbs. The large pointy hat and colorfull clothing are worn when seeking the attention of people, most of the time we wear a smaller green or brown version of the hat, with the rest of our clothes in matching colors. The hats really help against falling objects, it hurts a lot less if they bounce off.
We kabouters are the gardeners of the forest, with a great respect for nature. We try to keep the plants in good condition, and help animals where we can. Sometimes we help a poor farmer with his work. (This has gotten less since the introduction of the large farm machinery.) Kabouters don’t have magic, and in contrary to what some people say we can’t become invisible. The source of those stories is the fact that kabouters are good in not being seen. We naturally blend in with the environment so well that we really need the big red hat to get peoples attention.
Being hard to grab and a good friend to have, kabouters can get along pretty well with most forest creatures, although sometimes predators do go after us (mostly without success, high step speed and maneuverability can help us disappear in the nearest bush not to be seen again). We tend to stay away from those individuals a little.
Kabouters live for hundreds of years, from which the first 100 are generally considered youth. In this time, the kabouter learns about nature, her residents, her balance and how to maintain her. They learn to understand the animal ‘languages’ and how to make something clear to an animal. Since kabouters don’t know professions, they also learn how to build a house and furniture, how to make tools, where to find food, how to make clothes and many more things.
Some stories tell about kabouters granting you 3 wishes if you save them. These wishes are not fulfilled with magic, but with inventivity, connections and skills. Both men and women have a great lot of outdoor skills, but especially when a couple has children, the woman does most of the work around of the house, with the man doing most of the outdoor work (I said most, I certainly didn’t say all). Young couples without children usually have more ‘equal’ roles, doing things together. Kabouters can take care of themselves up to a very old age. However, if one dies, the partner may go live with, or closer to, other kabouters.
So, that’s us. It would be nice to be one ones again.