Nymphs

Similar to the Horae, nymphs are lesser nature deities and are generally regarded as personifications of nature itself, adopting forms masculine, feminine, both, or neither. They are typically tied to a specific place or landform, whether that be a mountain or grove, a spring or river, a tree or valley, a plain or prairie, or a cave or cool grotto. Nymphs were intentionally created by the gods of The Etherian Pantheon and can act as companions, messengers, guardians, or scouts. All nymphs demonstrate the "infusion" of the night sky that all deities have in common, a quality which is taken as evidence that they are servants of the gods, native to Nyktheon, and only visiting the sunlit, mortal world at the gods' behest. Most are benevolent and associated with healing and other life-giving utilizations of Anima, but this is not to say that nymphs are not capable of great destruction and harm to those who their creator deity has determined is deserving of punishment. There are many kinds of nymphs, each subgroup being tailored to their specific natural environment, but all nymphs, regardless of their kinship with the deity who created them, pay homage to Theromedeon the Wild Guard as the supreme patron of nature itself.
Some of the most common types of nymphs follow:

• Alseids, nymphs of the plains, prairies, savannas, deserts, sunlight, meadows, and fields who frequently receive directives from Helionax the Light-Crowned, Thanatimetra the Merciful Mother, Iroanos the Battle-Wise, and Amaphoron the Herald of Civilization . They often protect flocks and crops and are in closer proximity to human civilization than any of the other nymphs.
• Asteriae, nymphs of the stars and constellations who form the retinue of Kryphios the Hidden One and Eleuthemene the Star-Dappled. They are tasked with recording knowledge, history, and the course of destiny and fate as well as sending omens to the mortal realm, and like lampads, they are famously reclusive, even among fellow nymphs.
• Aurae, nymphs of the sky, clouds, winds, and storms who often serve Kallinephes the Thundering Heart. They protect avian creatures, guide the winds across the continent, and are known for their willingness to revel at a moment's notice on mountaintops and clouds.
• Dryads, nymphs of the trees, forests, flowers, groves, and wilds who faithfully follow Theromedeon the Wild Guard. They protect beasts of the woods and wilderness, believing that every life is precious and equal. For this reason, they often view mortals with disgust and confusion in light of humanity's great selfishness and sense of superiority over the natural world and all other lives belonging to it.
• Lampads, nymphs of the night, caves, darkness, death, and afterlife who assist Thanatimetra the Merciful Mother and Eleuthemene the Star-Dappled in guiding the deceased to the afterlife. Some lampads serve Tykheploutos the Silver-Tongued as well. They sometimes bear torches that burn violet and can often be heard wailing, keening, crying, or lamenting over the dead when they are not hidden beyond mortal perception.
• Naiads, nymphs of the rivers, streams, springs, lakes, beaches, seas, and oceans who ensure that the reach of Thalassakles the Crashing Wave can be felt both at sea and far inland. They protect aquatic flora and fauna and occasionally come to the aid of lost sailors and fishers so long as they have not taken more than their fair share of the water's abundance.
• Oreads, nymphs of the mountains, grottoes, stone, and the fire that burns deep within the earth who enact the will of Orodamas the Ringing Hammer and Iroanos the Battle-Wise. They are capable or producing rocks and minerals and are often the most aggressive and therefore dangerous of the nymphs.