Nymphs

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Nymphs are immortal creatures, each associated with a particular object or place. They are avatars of that object, extensions of it as opposed to merely representatives of it. They are not known, but "rumoured", to be intelligent, according to accepted knowledge, but they "lack the essential 'livingness' of more mortal creatures^[1]. They vary in body type and appearance^[2], and take their hair from the colour of their field^[3], though it is not yet known whether the hair colour of a nymph changes to reflect its field's current colour. They are incapable of arcane magic.^[1]

There are three varieties of nymph that have appeared in Tales of MU so far, although the first sort, cereal nymphs, have gotten the most attention.

Nymphs of all varieties appear to be able to communicate via feelings. Their names are a sensation and an emotional state, rather than a word^[4][5]. They are capable of speech, and do so, as well as (at least in some cases) taking names in a spoken language for ease of identification by others.

1 Cereal Nymphs
2 Hamadryads
3 Naiads
4 References

[edit] Cereal Nymphs

Cereal nymphs are associated with a particular field, known as a nymph-field.

A cereal nymph and her field are nourished through eating and drinking, and rendered more fertile through heterosexual sex (due to its nature as a "powerfully symbolic act of fertility"). This results in the nymph regarding sexual relations the same way they would eating in one sense -- very casually, as simply something else that sustains them (it is referred to as "working" by some nymphs)-- but with all the emotion generated through sex intact^[4]. She has an innate ability to discern what people's sexual desires are, but cannot discern a person's emotions, or their desires outside of the bedroom^[6]. She also has the ability to put things into a place rendered in Pax as Away, but with no word to truly describe where it went^[5].

A cereal nymph is initially created via ritual, taking a portion of an existing field and then having a group of men ejaculate upon this new field (referred to as "sprinkling one's seed", with obvious reference to the fertility magic involved). It is not guaranteed to work, but when it does, the new field will create a nymph, who will then be the avatar of that field. She steps forth from the field fully grown and self-aware^[4]. It is not known whether the shaping of the nymph's personality is an integral part of the ritual that creates her, but it is strongly implied that such a thing can happen^[2].

A cereal nymph's body's status has no bearing on the status of her field, meaning that it can be destroyed without unduly harming that field^[7], but it is implied that her health revolves around the health of her field. It is not known whether a nymph will be destroyed with her field, but if her field were to be destroyed, she would at least no longer be immortal^[8].

A cereal nymph is said to be inherently pure, and incapable of being dirtied^†, though this has been shown to not be the case^[9].

It is implied that the "gifts" of a nymph are attributable to Mother Khaele^[10]. It is assumed through the language used that the abilities of a nymph are a result of its status as a divine being.

[edit] Hamadryads

Hamadryads or tree nymphs are classed as a separate species from cereal nymphs due to the difference in the type of plant to which they are bound (in this case, trees). Like cereal nymphs, they take their hair colour and nomenclature partially from those plants. Hamadryads have become scarce due to human deforestation^[4].

No full hamadryad characters have been introduced or referenced outside that which Mack met as a child, but Ceridwyn (Puddy) claims to be part-hamadryad^[11]. This is the first, and to date only, case of a part-nymph in the story.

Hamadryads appear to have the same need for sex that cereal nymphs do, and ostensibly for the same reasons^[12]. However, it is not known if they share any other abilities with cereal nymphs. It is implied that hamadryads can be "cultivated" like cereal nymphs^[13].

[edit] Naiads

Naiads are a variety of nymph associated with water. They may be associated with rivers and with rice paddies, and it is implied that they can be associated with other bodies of water as well. No naiad character has been mentioned in Tales of MU except one named Aranaska in Paradise Valley^[13]. It is not known whether any of the abilities or needs of the other types of nymphs extend to naids, nor is there any clue as to their appearance.