Nymph

Minor goddesses and spirits of nature that are surrounded by mystery, they were among the first sentient beings to be created by the new pantheon, known as the “First Born” to go about rebuilding the natural order preceeding the Age of Darkness. Most nymphs appear in their natural form as beings composed of the raw essence of nature. When they choose to assume physical form, they appear as elven females of enchanting yet unusual beauty akin to High Elves and always share some of the physical features of their corresponding area of nature (see examples below) There is some debate as to why all Nymphs appear to be female. Some believe only female nymphs exist on this plane, others say there are no males at all or that only females are able to assume physical form and some think they are unisexual and simply choose to appear as females.

No one ever sees a nymph being born or dying, they just simply are there one moment, fully grown with no memory of a life before that moment, live out a lifespan of 500-5000 years in which they physically age gracefully and slowly and then vanish. There is no known Nymph society, culture or homeland to speak of, each personality being as different and unique as each species is to each other. A nymph may only remain solid for a set amount of time before they must return to the raw essence of their natural aspect and rest to regenerate their energy. It is possible (although exceptionally rare) for a Nymph to mate with another Fae and procreate, given the Nymph remains in physical form from conception until birth. This can be very dangerous for them, being unable to regenerate and if they were too return to a spiritual form, the life growing inside them would cease to be.

The tale of Running Jenny tells of her mother a Dryad who sat beneath her tree for 6 months to give birth. Being minor goddesses themselves, their more tangible offspring are the demigods and heroes of great legends and always make a name for themselves in the tales of Mytheroptera. If they are being held or restricted in any way, they remain stuck in their physical form and are subject to its weaknesses as well as being unable to use any of their magical powers (a way in which they are forced to conserve their life energy.) They wield great magical power, but as spirits of nature, suffer greatly when the environment is damaged (the Naiad of a polluted and poisoned river would appear physically with murky blotched skin, slime filled hair and her behavior would appear intoxicated) All nymphs respect each other regardless of domain, although they may not necessarily like one another. All have a particular fascination with other fae, and as beings born of wild passions, frequently seek to indulge in pleasures only a physical form can bring them.

Absent from these entries:
 * Territories: Nymphs are born from the land itself and so make no claim to any distinct territories.
 * Society: Being wild beings of nature, they have no sense of a society or culture, living each moment spontaneously as it comes and reacting on their own accord as individuals.
 * Gender Relations/Roles: All Nymphs are female in form.
 * Birthright: Unecessary; they are far too powerful in their own right.
 * Favored Class: All are mages by default although wield magic spontaneously, not needing any form of study or training.
 * Combat: There is no better way to insight the wrath of the gods than causing harm to a Nymph. Would you?

Nymphs

 * Dryad
 * Limoniad
 * Naiad
 * Nereid
 * Sylph