Oceanids

**The Oceanids** were three thousand goddess-nymphs who presided over the sources of earth's fresh-water--from rain-clouds to subterranean springs and fountains. Their numbers included the Nephelai (Cloud-Nymphs), Aurai (Breeze-Nymphs), Naiades (Spring and Fountain Nymphs), Leimonides (Pasture Nymphs), and Anthousai (Flower Nymphs). They were all daughters of the great, earth-encircling, fresh-water stream Oceanus and his wife Tethys.

The eldest among them were numbered among the Titans (female Titans)--Styx, Dione, Neda, Metis, Klymene, Eurynome, Doris, Elektra, and Pleione. These were most likely heavenly goddesses of the clouds.

Some of the Oceanids personified divine blessings such as Metis (Wisdom), Klymene (Fame), Plouto (Wealth), Tykhe (Good Fortune), Telesto (Success), and Peitho (Persuasion). The goddess Nemesis was sometimes also included in their number as one who provided balance by punishing undeserved good fortune as might arise from her sister's gifts.

These Good Spirits (*Daimones Agathoi*) were ephemeral in nature much like the dark children of Nyx (Night), the Spirits of Harm (*Daimones Kakoi*).

Another group of Oceanids were handmaidens of the Olympian goddesses, the most prominent of these were the sixty Oceanid companions of Artemis, Peitho the handmaiden of Aphrodite, and Klymene the handmaiden of Hera.

The Naiad-Oceanids were primarily nymphs of springs, wells and fountains. They were often portrayed as the wives of the Potamoi (River-Gods) and mothers of younger Naiades.

The Oceanids were occasionally described as sea-nymphs. In the late classical era the mythical, earth-encircling, fresh-water river Oceanus was increasingly equated with the briny Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and his nymph-daughters reimagined as marine deities.

## Common Powers and Abilities

**Divine Conduit:** The Oceanids are able to gain godlike power by channeling the essence of a divine entity through their body to gain access to their abilities and knowledge. They may be able to communicate with the divine being they are channeling and ask for assistance when handling opponents.

**Lesser Divinity:** The Oceanids have a minor portion of divinity and divine powers granting them stronger amounts of power beyond the mundane but still weaker then those of full divinity, making Oceanids a minor divine being by nature, a status which can be obtained a number of different ways. Oceanids can gain this lower divinity by having a divine ancestry, transform into a minor deity or other divine being either by another god or by faith, channels, acts as a vessel for, the power/soul of a divine being, mimic/steal powers from a divine being, or be enhanced/evolved to the point of minor divinity.

**Merfolk Physiology:** The Oceanids with this ability either are or can transform into a merfolk (male or female), a being with the upper body of a humanoid and the lower body (in taur-style) of a sea animal/creature (mainly either that of a fish or cetacean). Some are able to transform completely into humanoid form to move on land and some can split their tail into legs. Others have to find other ways to move while on land.

**Nymph Physiology:** The Oceanids with this ability either are or can transform into a nymph (literally: young woman; bride, young wife), female nature spirit typically associated with a particular location or land-form or servants/retinue of more powerful being, often a deity. They dwell in mountains and groves, by springs and rivers, and also in trees and in valleys and cool grottoes. Although they would never die of old age nor illness, and could give birth to fully immortal children if mated to a god, they themselves were not necessarily immortal, and could be beholden to death in various forms.

**Ocean Embodiment:** The Oceanids embodies and personifies the ocean, which allows them limitless control over the ocean and everything connected to it. The Oceanids can create tidal waves, sink islands, create water spouts and hurricanes, etc.

**Speed Swimming:** The Oceanids can swim at incredible speeds, unrestricted by water resistance.