Nymph

**Nymphs** are a broad umbrella term for Greek female nature spirits that were first recorded in Ancient Greece.

## **Characteristics**

Nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typically tied to a specific place or landform, and usually have the forms of beautiful young maidens.

Nymphs were sometimes beloved by many and dwelt in specific areas related to the natural environment, e.g. mountainous regions, forests, springs. Other Nymphs were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, generally Artemis.

Nymphs survived in many parts of Greece into the early years of the twentieth century when they were usually known as "Nereids". Often Nymphs tended to frequent areas distant from humans but could be encountered by lone travelers outside a town or village, where their music might be heard, and the traveler could spy on their dancing or bathing in a stream or pool, either during the noon heat or in the middle of the night. Such encounters could be dangerous, bringing dumbness, besotted infatuation, madness or stroke to the unfortunate human.

## **Classifications**

There are countless types, sub-types, and sub-sub-types of Nymphs, each are classified by where they inhabit. Below is a list of the kinds that have been recorded.

### Celestial Nymphs

* Aurae (breezes)
* Asteriae (stars)
* Hesperides (dusk)
* Heliades (sun)
* Hyades (star clusters)
* Nephelae (clouds)
* Pleiades (rain clouds)

### Land Nymphs

* Alseid (glens and groves)
* Auloniads (mountain pastures)
* Leimakids (meadows)
* Napaeae (dells)
* Oreads (mountains)
	+ Cithaeronides (Mount Cithaeron)
	+ Idaeae (Mount Ida)
	+ Mycalessides (Mount Mycale)
	+ Peliondes (Mount Pelion)

### Wood and Plant Nymphs

* Anthousai (flowers)
* Boucolai (farm crops)
* Hyleoroi (woods)
* Kissiaei (ivy)
* Dryads (trees)
	+ Daphnaie (laurel trees)
	+ Epimeliad (apple trees)
	+ Maliades (apple trees)
	+ Meliae (ash trees)
	+ Hamadryads (life-force tied to tree)
		- Aigeiroi (black poplar trees)
		- Ampeloi (grape vines)
		- Balanos (oak trees)
		- Karyai (walnut + hazelnut trees)
		- Kraneiai (cherry trees)
		- Moreai (mulberry trees)
		- Pteleai (elm trees)
		- Sykei (fig trees)
		- Balanis (ilex trees)

### Water Nymphs

* Hydriades (water)
	+ Haliae (seashores)

* Naiads (freshwater)
	+ Crinaeae (fountains)
	+ Eleionomae (wetlands)
	+ Limnads (lakes)
		- Astakides (Lake Astakos)
	+ Pegaeae (springs)
		- Ionides (Elis spring)
		- Thriae (Corycian springs)
	+ Pegasides (wells)
	+ Potameides (rivers)
		- Acheloides (Achelous River)
		- Aesepides (Aesepus River)
		- Aegaeides (Aegaeus River)
		- Amnisiades (Amnisos River)
		- Anigrides (Anigros River)
		- Asopides (Asopus River)
		- Asterionides (Asterion River)
		- Cydnides (Cydnus River)
		- Erasinides (Erasinos River)
		- Pactolides (Pactolus River)
		- Spercheides (Spercheus River)
		- Tagides (Tagus River)

* Oceanids (saltwater)
	+ Nereids (Mediterranean Sea)

### Underworld Nymphs

* Cocytiae (Cocytus, the River of Wailing)
* Lampades (torch-bearers)

### Miscellaneous Nymphs

* Acmenes
* Klodones
* Mimallones
* Cypriae
* Deliades
* Dodonides
* Hecaterides
* Kabeirides
* Ladonides
* Lamides
* Leibethrides
* Lelegeides
* Maenads
* Melissae
* Naides
* Neaerides
* Nymphaeides
* Nymphai Hyperboreioi
* Phaethonides
* Phaseides
* Potniades
* Sphragitides
* Themeides
* Thessalides
* Thyiades

## **Powers and Abilities**

Similar to Deities, the powers of each Nymph are dependant on their classification, however they do share powers inherit in all Nymphs.

### Standard Powers

* **Super Strength**- All types of Nymphs possess great physical strength, they are strong enough to overpower and rip the heads off of grown humans with ease if threatened.
* **Super Stamina**- Nymphs cannot tire, and do not require constant food and drink to survive unlike humans.
* **Longevity** - While many types are immortal, by default many types are not, however they can still live for hundreds to thousands of years before dying of old age.
* **Medium Invulnerability** - By default, all Nymph types are invulnerable to conventional human weapons and ailments, and to some degree, certain supernatural forces.
* **Clairsentience**- Nymphs have the ability to sense supernatural power and presences, and can sense if an individual is human or not. However they cannot distinguish the kind of supernatural being their target is.
* **Shapeshifting**- Nymphs can take on different forms at will, usually these forms are animals or plants.
* **Teleportation**- They can teleport anywhere they want, however this is only limited to Earth and the underworld.
* **Biokinesis**- Nymphs are able to heal humans of their injuries and/or illnesses, however sometimes if a human is around a Nymph for too long they might have a stroke, develop brain damage, or become intoxicated.

### Varied Powers

* **Immortality**- Certain Nymph types are immortal, and are able to live forever, being immune to aging and disease.
* **Advanced Invulnerability** - While by default all Nymphs are invulnerable to human weapons and ailments, some types have a much higher level of invulnerability.
* **Astral Perception**- Nymphs that reside with Hades and Persephone are able to perceive the underworld even though it is only visible to the dead.
* **Hydrokinesis**- Nymphs that are associated with water, or bodies of water are able to manipulate the element of water to an impressive degree.
* **Chlorokinesis**- Nymphs that are associated with plants and vegetation have control over them to an impressive degree.
* **Photokinesis** **-** Nymphs associated with the sun, moon, or stars have the ability to produce and manipulate light.
* **Terrakinesis**- Nymphs associated with landforms are able to manipulate the earth around them.
* **Weather Manipulation**- Celestial Nymphs are able to generate and manipulate weather phenomena such as making it rain, windy, or snow.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Deities**- Gods can kill any Nymph effortlessly, however many types were created by gods themselves.
* **Divine Weaponry** - A weapon of divine origin can kill any Nymph regardless of the type.
* **Death of Their Tree** - Nymphs associated with a particular kind of tree have their life-force tied directly to it, so if the tree becomes sick, gets chopped down, or uprooted, the Nymph inhabiting the tree will also die. In other words, they are born with the tree and die with the tree.
* **Mortality** - Not all Nymphs are immortal, even though they will live for centuries or millennia, they will still grow old and die.
* **Magic**- The witch-goddess Circe was able to transform Scylla into a hideous creature by cursing the pool of water that she bathed in.