Nymph

Nymphs, also referred to as fairies or faeries, depending on the culture, are nature spirits who are typically tied to a place, landform, or plant. There are many, many "sub-species" of nymphs, but for simplicity's sake, they are divided in four categories.

• Freshwater nymph (rivers, lakes, springs - also called naiads or nixies)
• Saltwater nymph (oceans, seas - also called oceanids, nereids or mermaids)
• Plant nymph (also called dryads)
• Mountain nymph (also called oreads)

It was originally believed that nymphs were a female-only species, and that satyrs were their male counterparts. This was a fair assumption, as most nymphs seemed to be married to satyrs.

However, it turned out that sexual dimorphism in nymphs is very subtle. Men and women alike are usually very pretty and delicate; although the "delicate" part can be debated on, as a baobab dryad or ancient oak dryad will be significantly sturdier than, say, a willow dryad or a young river naiad.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Nymphs are technically immortal, but their lifespans are directly tied to the place, plant or body of water they are attached to. Should a dryad's tree be cut down, they will die; if a naiad's river is polluted beyond repair, they will get sick and eventually die; if an oread's mountain is destroyed, they will die.

Some of the oldest nymphs still alive are Yawkyawks (naiads) of the Larapinta river in Australia, and the dryad of Methuselah, the pine tree of California.

Although tied to a place or landmark, some nymphs are able to wander away from their thether, as long as they carry something with them that is from that thether. Kallista , for instance, is a nereid from Greece who works as an archivist for the Institute— but since she carries with her a seashell necklace and a small flask of her native sea, she is able to remain in Great-Britain, although her powers are significantly weaker than if she had stayed.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

While originally thought to be from Greece, nymphs can be found anywhere, and their appearance varies depending on their habitat. The Nile notably has many naiads, as do the Five Great Lakes of North America.

Civilization and Culture

History

As previously mentioned, nymphs are divided in four categories. However, since nymphs can be found everywhere, they also have several different names. For instance, a snow nymph in Japan is called a yuki-onna (literally, snow maiden), and water nymphs from Western Africa are sometimes known as Mami Wata. The word “nymph” is more of an umbrella term at this point, as their powers and abilities greatly differ from country to country.

Lifespan

Technically immortal