Nimue

Nimue is the Elemental Lady of the Lakes and a well-known figure on the uncharted planet Imperium.

## Appearance and Powers

Nimue is a shapeshifting Water Elemental with the power to hold any form in the confines of her magically manipulated water body. This water- like the features of all elementals- is but a shell for Nimue's marble-sized elemental core, which is the true essence of her being. Nimue is said to have a smaller core than most elementals.

Nimue can shift into nearly any form given enough water, though she usually takes the form of a young elf woman of 5'6". Due to the nature of her being, she is soft but firm to the touch as long as she maintains a specific form. The exception here is when she is submerged in water, at which point she cannot maintain any form at all and simply moves as a living current. She tends to absorb loose water as well, often accidentally sucking up entire puddles simply by standing in them. Rather than add to her height, this water weight often represents itself as fat on her body until she makes a concerted effort to relocate it. By managing excess water, Nimue has been known to grow to well over 40 feet tall, though rarely. In such situations, Nimue does not seem bothered, and happily continues on with her business in spite of whatever size she might be.

Nimue can absorb most liquids, but the oilier a liquid is, the more difficult it is for her to control. She is capable of manipulating milk, but the effort it takes to maintain a form with such a body ends up taking resources from her mind and lowering her intelligence as a result. According to some, said intelligence does not have far to drop.

Nimue is one of the most powerful beings on Imperium; as an elemental general (or duchess) she is responsible for the planet's fresh water, and with such a responsibility comes an equal amount of power. Nimue commands crashing waves, towering water spouts, and the ability to drown her enemies in gravity-defying bubbles. Despite all this, her most dangerous power is her own oblivious luck.

## Biography

Nimue is believed to have existed since very near the birth of the Elementals, but her exact date of birth is unknown. Scholars do, however, know the location of her birth, as it has been marked by the Water Elementals as a holy lake, Nimue's Lake. The lake is small and located deep in the uninhabited coastal woods to the southeast of the colossal Cherry Lake. It sees only pilgrims who come to pay their respects to Nimue and her 'mother' Elarel.

Only the oldest Elementals recall Nimue's original form, as she changed it around the year 5 RH. Some Elementals associate Nimue's change in form with a dramatic personality shift. Nimue was apparently an unremarkable servant of Elarel prior to taking up her elvish form, at which point she became the amicable character with whom most are familiar.

Somewhere between the years 640 and 650 RH, Nimue formed a close relationship with a servant of hers named Smish. This relationship remains strong in the present day, and the two are as close to inseparable as a pair of Elementals could be. Because of Smish's less-than-stellar record as an actual worker, Nimue has had to defend her from being demoted on multiple occasions. These struggles eventually resulted in Nimue naming Smish her official maidservant, thus putting an end to the question of Smish's lack of contribution to the Water Kingdom.

Nimue is an adventurous character with a talent for making friends. She has traveled across much of Imperium and is somewhat of a legend among the planet's mortal races. Her influence has not always been positive, with some legends existing of her flooding towns, destroying crops, and even endangering mortal lives. The name Nimue is thus spoken in hushed tones, as she has come to be seen as something akin to a trickster figure -a force of nature, so to speak.

## Relationships

Nimue's friends are too numerous to list here, as she numbers many of Imperium's prominent citizens among them. That said, her close friends are worth documenting.

Nimue's aforementioned bond with Smish is well known and often celebrated by mortals who consider themselves fans of the pair. Given that they do indeed have a fanbase, the two have been known to visit large cities and mingle with the locals, though Smish's less amicable nature limits the length and scope of such visits. Many believe that Nimue also moonlights as a vigilante known as the Masked Newho Tness, given that the two are very similar in appearance and both seem to be friends with Smish. Nimue herself vehemently denies such rumours.

Nimue's relationship with her superior Elarel, Lady of the Depths, is more complicated. Though Nimue refers to the woman as her mother, Elarel seems to regard the duchess with some disdain. Some believe that Nimue is a puppet general and that Elarel herself has direct power over the planet's fresh water, though there is no direct proof to support this theory. Rather, its strongest point is Nimue's own ineptitude at her job.