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The Nymph

Overview
Dolled by Emma; Base by Citron Rouge of deviantART Official Name: The Nymph
Common name: Nymph(s)
Pronun.: nimf
Geography
Homeland: The Fae Forest
Capital: Sequoia Village
Landmarks: The Fae Tree
Statistics
Currency: Xanthai (ζ)
Calendar: Xanth's Arrival (XT)
Languages: Sylvan (main), Elysian, English
Population: 239,804 (mainland)
48,667 (Dardanos)
Physical
Lifespan: 100 years
Average Height: 5'9" / 1.79m (male)
5'6" / 1.68m (female)
Politics
Rowan: Sara Ash
Ally: Therians
Patron: Nymphadora Makani
Classes
(Elements):		 Ayad
Dryad
Nereid
Nyad
Specialties: Wanderer
Warden
Skills & Powers
Skills: Beast Taming
Divine Shield
Elemental Manipulation
Elemental Shield
Summon Animal
Weaknesses: Urbanitis
Elements: Air
Earth
Fire
Water
Specialty: Wanderer
Warden

Seven and a half thousand years ago, in 1,200 XA (6,200 BC), human and Zanaryan DNA were combined and, out of many such experiments, the Nymph were born. They were gifted with exceptional beauty and completely in tune with nature, quickly learning to control the elements.

With the power to nurture or destroy at their fingertips, they developed a creed designed to keep the careful balance of nature and they value pacifism above violence. Taught to defend themselves with the same nature they nurtured and protected, Nymphs became a gentle, peaceful race dedicated to caring for their elements, forbidden from committing violence at all.

Nymphs are segregated by gender so severely that males and females are almost completely different races. Referred to collectively as Nymphs, their men are known as fawns or pooka. Males also tend to be a tad more aggressive in their defense of nature but are still peaceful and effeminate.

Rite of Passage

At the age of 16, all Nymphs are sent into the wild alone in order to gain a complete understanding of the balance of nature and the elements. Prior to this rite of passage, they are taught all they can learn about the way things work and are fully prepared to survive alone in the wild.

When they return, the Nymph becomes a true adult and gains full rights among their kin, as well as undergoing their Elemental Bonding ritual. They are then expected to spend another year in Elysia's urban sprawl as part of their preparations for choosing a Specialty later on in life, but this part of the Rites is optional as not all Nymphs like the idea of living in a bustling town or city.

Elements

After two years alone in the wild, novices perform a ritual that will allow them to bond to a specific element (earth, air, fire or water). During a ceremony guided by a village elder (or, if lucky, the Rowan herself), the Nymph must lay down at the centre of a special grove and open herself to nature and the elements. The first element to surround her will be the element she bonds with and will determine who tutors her.

Nymphs cannot bond with an element accidentally, but only their priestesses are taught the intricacies of the ritual so most Nymphs learn the whys and wherefores of their bond, only to control it.

Ayad

Ayads are one with the wind and bond to the element of Air. They can create the smallest of dust devils or the most ferocious tornado, suck the oxygen from the atmosphere or even levitate.

Air is plentiful and so they can live anywhere, though the more polluted that air the less regenerative they will find it.

Ayad are generally breezy, light-hearted and easy-going but when pushed they can become vindictively ferocious.

Dryad

A Dryad is a Nymph who has bonded to the Earth element. Her natural environment is perhaps the largest and most varied of the Four elements, and includes forests, woodland and mountains both above and below ground.

Dryads gain a natural affinity to all things earthly and have control over things as simple as a blade of grass or as complex as a mountain of rock. Although they cannot give or take life, they can nourish and deprive, manipulating flora and fauna in order to strike the perfect, natural balance.

Like the mountains, Dryad are generally stubborn and set in their ways but usually loyal friends.

Nereid

The Nereid are Fire Nymphs and the fiercest of their race, the ones who most chafe at the restrictions placed on them by Nymph law. Volatile and fluid, they are impossible to predict and are often referred to as "being crazed", particularly by other Nymphs.

From the tiniest candle flame to the hottest volcano, they can aggravate or calm their element and even control lightning. The most destructive of the four elementals, they sometimes find themselves segregated from other Nymphs but, as they can exist quite happily in urban areas, they usually find companionship among those outside their race.

Nyad

The Nyad's element is that of water. Their control can range from a bead of dew on a leaf to the snow in the air. Natural bodies of water such as oceans and lakes are usually the Nyad's preferred choice of habitat so the majority of Nyad can be found living on beaches or in coastal areas.

Much like their element, Nyads can bend their personality and will to fit whatever situation they encounter. When blocked, they will create their own path and their determination is relentless. While calm and gentle at times, at others they can be fierce.

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Choosing a Specialty

The Nymph creed is to nurture and protect the balance of nature including all flora and fauna within it. In order to do that, Nymphs are expected at a certain point in their lives (usually when they are a fully-fledged adult) to choose a path that will change their lifestyle completely.

Within nature there are self-reliant 'pockets' of habitat. Nymphs call these pockets "groves", a term that encompasses not only the pocket of land and the flora growing there but also the animals and sentients living within the area. If a Nymph so chooses, they can bond to a single grove and in doing so will become responsible for the nurturing of that grove. Alternatively, Nymphs can choose to be Wanderers who, though not responsible for a particular area, become duty-bound to nurture and protect nature wherever they come across it.

(OOC: Your character must have at least 5 skill points spent in Elemental Manipulation or Elemental Shield in order to choose their specialty.)

Wardens

Groves are usually around eighty acres of land situated in an area specific to the Nymph's element. For instance, a Dryad might bond to an area of forest while a Nyad might choose a piece of land surrounding a lake or pond. Some Nymph choose to partner with another of a different element in order to better cultivate their grove and in doing so can extend their territory. However, such partnerships are permanent as the bonding is not only to the grove itself but to the other Nymph as well.

In bonding with a grove, the Nymph gains strength from the territory she claims but, depending on where she bonds, she may be choosing to live alone.

She'll build a home at the centre of her territory, protected by the animals in her grove as she protects them. If she chooses to, she can build her cabin by herself, but there are many Nymphs ready and willing to help. Once her home is complete, the Nymph will spend most of her life there and will usually only leave when necessary as she'll begin to suffer from Urbanitis if she stays away too long.

As part of her grove bonding, the Nymph becomes fully responsible for the territory she's claimed. It's her job to protect against trespassers and poachers, to keep the balance of nature within her borders, and to ensure the wellbeing of every tree, plant, animal, fungus and insect on her territory. It is not her job, however, to create life where there is not meant to be life (arid deserts, for instance, are not meant to support jungle terrain and a Nymph who truly understands the balance of Nature will know this).

Though Wardens are by nature usually isolated, that's not always the case and some Nymphs bond to a grove not far from a town or village, enabling them to gain the best of both worlds.

(OOC: Land is free when claimed by Wardens for their grove, though housing and building materials is not.)

Wanderers

Wanderers are the Nymphs who choose not to bond with a specific grove. They enjoy their friendships with those outside their race too much to give them up and prefer to live in urban areas without the great responsibility of protecting an entire grove.

Wanderers are responsible for nature wherever they find it and as such can gain strength from it wherever they are as long as they are surrounded by their element. The balance is more difficult for them to find as they must have an understanding of nature everywhere (as opposed to the balance of one small parcel of land) but they typically have greater recognition for their deeds than a secluded Warden would.

While Wanderers do not have the ability to cultivate a working relationship with the many animals in their area, they can develop a lasting friendship with one animal of their choosing (usually a pet). This relationship is much like that of a Bonded Summoner in that the Nymph can ask for the creature's help. They become symbiotic, nurturer and protector, and if the animal is bonded from birth its intelligence and understanding may even be boosted by the Nymph's nurturing.

However, this relationship only applies to one animal and cannot be broken once it has begun. If the animal dies, the Nymph can bond with another, though many choose not to do so.

Wanderers tend to find that their elemental abilities are slower to develop than those of a Warden, largely due to the fact that a Wanderer will not use them quite as often as a Warden would, but many find that the freedom is worth the trade-off.

(OOC: A Wanderer's bonded companion is free.)

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Skills & Powers

For an alphabetical list of powers for all species, check the Skills & Powers page here. You can also find out more information about the upgrade and level system there.

Beast Taming

Soothe and tame animals.

Available to:

The difference between Tame and Soothe is a simple one: Soothe merely eases an aggravated animal (such as a landstrider that refuses to be mounted), while Taming essentially domesticates that animal for a period of time.

While Wanderers are able to Tame permanently, they cannot forge companionships for themselves with more than one animal. However, after they've used the skill to bond with a companion themselves, they can domesticate wild animals on behalf of others.

Level One

  • Soothe non-predatory animals.

Level Two

  • Soothe predatory animals.

Level Three

  • Tame non-predators for up to 24 hours.

Level Four

  • Tame predators for up to 24 hours.

Level Five

  • Tame non-predators permanently (Wanderers only).

Level Six

  • Tame predators permanently (Wanderers only).
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Divine Shield

Summon a protective bubble by praying to Xanth. Each Shield lasts 5 minutes (10 minutes for humans and Aides) and costs 10 Karma Points (5KP for humans and free for Aides).

Available to:

To activate this shield, PM Xanth (include a link to the thread in which you want protection). She'll post IC to describe the shield's activation, then again when the protective bubble collapses. You may not godmod this shield.

Level One

  • Can deflect up to 10% of physical attacks.

Level Two

  • Can deflect up to 20% of physical attacks.
  • Can absorb up to 20% of elemental attacks.

Level Three

  • Can deflect up to 40% of physical attacks.
  • Can absorb up to 40% of elemental attacks.

Level Four

  • Can deflect up to 60% of physical attacks.
  • Can absorb up to 60% of elemental attacks.

Level Five

  • Can deflect up to 80% of physical attacks.
  • Can absorb up to 80% of elemental attacks.
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Elemental Manipulation

Control and manipulate your bonded Element (Air, Water, Earth or Fire).

Available to:

  • Nymph (max. Requires a level of urbanitis for every level of Elemental Manipulation so, for instance, if you want Elemental Manipulation at Level Three, you must have Urbanitis 3 first)
  • Zanaryan (max)

You need a source of your Element to work with. This source is measured by either its volume (size) or its intensity (strength), so a large source of Water might be a pond while a small source of Fire could be just a cigarette lighter.

Minor damage and a small area of effect would be something like making a flower bloom prematurely, while major damage and a large area of effect would be something like creating a hurricane.

Level One

  • Can manipulate element with minimal damage/effects.
  • Small area of effect.
  • Needs large source.

Level Two

  • Can manipulate element with moderate damage/effects.
  • Small area of effect.
  • Needs medium source.

Level Three

  • Can manipulate element with moderate damage/effects.
  • Medium area of effect.
  • Needs medium source.

Level Four

  • Can manipulate element with major damage/effects.
  • Medium area of effect.
  • Needs small source.

Level Five

  • Can manipulate element with major damage/effects.
  • Large area of effect.
  • Needs small source.
  • Needs no source (Wardens only).
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Elemental Shield

Create a personal shield from your bonded Element, such as stone armour or a bubble of solidified air.

Available to:

  • Nymph (max. Requires a level of urbanitis for every level of Elemental Shield so, for instance, if you want Elemental Shield at Level Three, you must have urbanitis 3 first)
  • Zanaryan (max)

Each level in Elemental Shield requires a previous level in Elemental Manipulation, so in order to have Elemental Shield Level Three, you must first have Elemental Manipulation 3.

The elemental attacks you can defend against include Light and Shadow as well as the four elementals of Water, Earth, Air and Fire.

The type of shield you can form depends on the element you can manipulate (so, for instance, a Dryad couldn't form a shield out of air).

Level One

  • Can deflect up to 10% of physical attacks.

Level Two

  • Can deflect up to 20% of physical attacks.
  • Can deflect up to 20% of elemental attacks.

Level Three

  • Can deflect up to 40% of physical attacks.
  • Can deflect up to 40% of elemental attacks.

Level Four

  • Can deflect up to 60% of physical attacks.
  • Can deflect up to 60% of elemental attacks.

Level Five

  • Can deflect up to 80% of physical attacks.
  • Can deflect up to 80% of elemental attacks.
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Summon Animal

Summon an animal for assistance or protection.

Available to:

The type of companion a Nymph can summon (ie, non-predatory or predatory) and the length of time that animal can be summoned for depends on your level in Beast Taming. For instance, you only have Beast Taming 3 then you can only summon a non-predator, but if you have Beast Taming 4 then you can summon a predator instead.

Level One

  • Can summon an animal from up to 1 mile away.
  • Summoned animal will not assist in combat.

Level Two

  • Can summon an animal from up to 2 miles away.
  • Summoned animal will only defend in combat.

Level Three

  • Can summon an animal from up to 3 miles away.
  • Summoned animal will only defend in combat.

Level Four

  • Can summon an animal from up to 4 miles away.
  • Summoned animal will attack on command.

Level Five

  • Can summon an animal from up to 5 miles away.
  • Summoned animal will attack on command.
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Weaknesses

Urbanitis

If you enter an area that is lacking in your bonded Element, you'll begin to weaken, sicken and eventually die. For example, a Nyad entering the desert where there is no water, or a Warden leaving their bonded Grove.

A weakness of:

Level One

  • Can leave Element for up to 1 day.
  • Sickness develops within 2 hours after deadline.
  • Death occurs 5 hours after deadline.

Level Two

  • Can leave Element for up to 3 days.
  • Sickness develops within 5 hours after deadline.
  • Death occurs 10 hours after deadline.

Level Three

  • Can leave Element for up to 1 week.
  • Sickness develops within 12 hours after deadline.
  • Death occurs 24 hours after deadline.

Level Four

  • Can leave Element for up to 2 weeks.
  • Sickness develops within 24 hours after deadline.
  • Death occurs 48 hours after deadline.

Level Five

  • Can leave Element for up to 1 month.
  • Sickness develops within 48 hours after deadline.
  • Death occurs 72 hours after deadline.
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