Nymphs

 Best-known of the Sidhe peoples, nymphs are a slender, graceful race of extraordinary beauty. The name is generic for all female Sidhe; it is usually misapplied to suggest that these female Sidhe are a race unto themselves, an obvious impossibility.

The race of nymphs is commonly divided into five distinct groups­—dryads, hyads, naiads, nereids, and oreads. These are dealt with separately below.

Dryads (or wood nymphs) are female Sidhe who live in forest regions. They make their homes inside trees, through the use of elemental magic. They are shy and retiring as a rule, preferring to avoid the attention of non-Sidhe. Now and again a nymph will take notice of an attractive male (not necessarily a Sidhe) and will approach him. Most, however, are not so bold and indeed are brought up to fear the advances of men. This causes a perpetual problem between dryads and the more lustful wilderland peoples, such as satyrs and centaurs.

Most other nymph cultures are essentially similar but make their homes in different regions. Hyads have mastery over elemental mag­ics of the air and live among the clouds. Naiads inhabit lakes and rivers, particularly in wilderness areas. The nereids live deep underwa­ter in the sea and are frequently found associating with tritons. Some less scrupulous than their sisters are known to lure sailors to their dooms.

Oreads are mountain dwellers and love to hunt at night in secluded mountain vales. They are fierce and not at all shy. If offended, they are likely to exact vengeance. At least half of any Oread band will be riding rabican steeds if encountered outside of their woodland settlements. Some scholars associate these nymphs with the race of Elves, a relationship which the proud Oreads deny.

All nymphs are slight of build and very attractive, especially to humans. Kullervo the Wanderer once encountered a band of oreads and described them in this passage from The Travels:

"Each was dressed in modest simplicity, in a loose tunic that seemed to shimmer with changing hues as one watched; now it blended with the grey of the rocks, now with the green of the meadows ... All carried spears, save for a few who were armed with bows and small quivers of arrows. They were sure of themselves, picking a trail through the moonless dark, and we were hard-put to maintain the pace they set. When at last we reached the narrow cleft at the end of the valley, the leader of the band signaled, and her troop melted into the shadows. Turning to us, she repeated her previous warning and bade us never come into these woodlands again."

Height/Length: 4 1/2-5 ft.

Weight: 70-90 lbs.

Attributes:

STR: 6-14

INT: 15

SPD: 19

WILL: 10

DEX: 19

CHA: 19

CON: 10

PER: 19

Level: 1-8+ (see Comments)

Alignment: Neutral

Damage: None (except Oreads; as per weapon employed)

Special Attributes:

Spell casting (see Comments)

Ability to pass through plants (Dryads only)

Flight (Hyads only)

Water breathing (Naids and Nereids only)

Tracking (95%; Oreads only)

Armor: Unarmored

Hit Points: 4 per level of ability

Comments: All Nymphs possess 1st-5th level spell casting abilities as follows:

Dryads: All Elemental spells pertaining to plants and trees.

Hyads: All Elemental spells pertaining to wind and air

Naids and Nereids: All Elemental spells pertaining to water

Oreads: All Elemental spells pertaining to woodlore (Locate plant, Locate animal, Speak with animals, Predict weather, Trail erasure, etc.)

NOTE: Though most Nymphs do not advance beyond the eighth level of ability, certain individuals are capable of unlimited advancement (as per human characters) .