In Aspera, a Nymph is a being conceived of a Faerie and an Elemental, both in Human form. The Faerie must be the female, and must be in human form to give birth, though she doesn’t remain in human form throughout the full pregnancy. The instant of conception, the Spirit of the Nymph reaches out to the nearest nature and makes a connection that ultimately decides the type of Nymph she will become. Whatever natural item she connects with becomes her Spirit Nexus, and the primary source of her magic. Once born, they are raised by the Faeries until they come of age, at which point they go off in search of their Nexus. They know they’ve found it by the warm, magical feeling that wells up inside them when they are near it.
Nymphs are always young women, humanistic in shape, and their physical traits vary depending on their sphere. Nymphs are gifted with the ability to communicate with all animals and plants, though they are generally fearful of other species. They can heal themselves from almost any injury, but they must be near their Nexus to do this. Nymphs are not combative creatures, and they are no stronger than humans. If threatened, they will run, and due to the fact that they are nature spirits, they are extremely agile and can transform into the shape of what they protect, camouflaging themselves. To perform this feat, though, they must be near their natural Sphere. The further they are from their sphere, the less magic they can muster. The closer they are, the more power they have. In turn, if they are close to their Nexus, they become nearly as magical as an Elemental, in terms of their natural sphere. They are generally afraid of fire.
Nymphs can aid lost travelers - or they can mislead them, as they are often raised by Faeries, they enjoy making trouble. Nymphs have mixed opinions, as a race, about the other species. Their primary interest is the protection of nature - they are able to assist the Land and Sea by helping flowers to bloom and making sure the rivers flow, etc, but they are notoriously playful and inquisitive. Nymphs usually have very long hair, and their eyes can generally give away what subspecies they are - green (trees), blue (water), brown (mountain), purple (garden/floral) etc.
Tree Nymphs (Green) Natural Sphere- Forests Nexus- A Single Tree Magic- Capable of transforming into any kind of tree when near their sphere. When near their nexus, it is said that they can animate a number of trees, almost like Tolkien’s Ents.
River Nymphs (Blue) Natural Sphere- Rivers, lakes, ponds, and even the Sea. Nexus- A single body of water, though none can call the Sea their Nexus. Magic- Capable of turning into water, blending into any water source. When near their Nexus, they are capable of taking control of the entire water source, be it a river or an entire lake, and manipulating it however they see fit. Waves, huge watery hands that come up, basically anything that water can be shaped into.
Mountain Nymphs (Grey and Brown) Natural Sphere- Rocks and Mountains Nexus- A single Boulder or even a small stone. (Some are capable of carrying their nexus with them everywhere they go) Magic- Capable of transforming into a rock of any moderate size. When near their Nexus, it is believed they can animate the stones into ‘Rock Soldiers.’
Garden Nymphs (Purple, Pink, or Yellow) Natural Sphere- Groves, and gardens. Nexus- A single Grove or garden in nature. Magic- Capable of transforming into a single flower of any type. When they are near their Nexus, they can enlarge and animate flowers and other plants.
- Important to note about their magical Abilities… their magic can only affect Nature, and while they are capable of many amazing things regarding nature, they have no magical abilities beyond it. They could never be Wizards, Sorcerers, Bards, or even Healers.
Avg. Life Expectancy- Immortal – Bound to their Spirit Nexus. If their Nexus is destroyed, they will die Avg. Height- 4’10” – 5’4” Avg. Weight- 90 -115 lbs Language- All Language via Magic
Ability Modifiers:
Strength | Fair
Intelligence | Good
Speed | Excellent
Agility | Excellent
Magic | Ranges from Poor to Excellent, depending how far from their natural sphere, and how far from their Spirit Nexus.
Cities/Regions: Faylinbrook, and depending on the subspecies, nymphs can be found in any forests, valleys, mountains, or bodies of water. They tend to avoid urban areas and cities.