His Bark Is Worse Than His Bite
Marivhon, you describe the gnome, and eventually someone says that although they haven't seen anybody who looks like that, they were out cutting wood and saw a tree with a perfect little gnome's face in the bark, just like that, key and all. They tell you where it is.
You head out of town a bit and sure enough, find a tree. The gnome's face is clearly evident as a 3D pattern in the bark, and his mouth and eyes are twisted in pain.
A cold wind blows through you.