ok, having done my underdark race entries, I've got my gnome entries:

gnome = sage lore

Manual skill, can be used once every 500 hours. Allows gnome to go to a library, peruse it, and come up with a basic topic of research that is in the library.

eg, if you could research "Minotaurs", "Druids" and "the Modan" in a library in Seantryn, and you went to that library and used the skill, it might return one of these keywords for you if you were successful. Other topics, like "horseshoes" which are subtopics of "Minotaurs" would not be returned by this skill. Only the starting topic would be.

Also, this skill should give a "one-off" chance the first time a topic is researched that it does give a sub-thread topic. eg, the first time you read about "Minotaurs" you get a small chance to be told to read about horseshoes, perhaps in a specific library if it is different to the one you are in.

gnome = peruse

Manual skill. Can be used at will. Has lag similar to request.

Allows a gnome to apply his knowledge of artifacts and lore to find minor faults with items in a shop, or to reach an understanding with a shopkeeper. The gnome will then effectively have "lored" the item without buying it.