Sand Gnome

Sand gnomes are a strange, pallid-skinned race of gnomes who live under the shifting sands of many deserts within a tribal society. For some time, many scholars doubted that they even existed; but it has now been confirmed that a number live in the Bone Wastes of Terokkar Forest. It is believed, although has never been confirmed, that they originated from Silithus, but recent discoveries indicate that many of the sand gnomes live in Uldum. How they arrived in Outland remains a mystery.

It is said that the beating of certain drums will at times bring them to the surface to attack those that disturb them.

Based on the disbelief of the dwarven explorers in the area, they may be hallucinations. However, this is unlikely as sand gnomes can cause physical harm and can be killed, leaving corpses and loot.

Trivia
The sand gnomes in Bone Wastes may be a parody of the Fremen from the Dune series of novels. The things they have in common are popping out of the sand, Fumpers (sounding like thumpers), living near giant worms summoned by the Fumpers, and living in a desert.

The sand gnomes of Uldum may be a reference to Jawas from Star Wars, but these NPCs were removed from Cataclysm beta at some point. Instead, they seem to have been replaced by pygmies.