Appearance:

Nymphs are the only elementals which are known to possess sapience, and fit into modern society. They are born from naturally occurring sources (such as trees, fire, ice, stones, wind, etc.) and have appearances and magical abilities which reflect this source. First born as formless elementals, they eventually grow into adult, hominid-resembling individuals, appearing to be any age from roughly 20-75.

On average, nymphs stand anywhere from 4'11" to 6'8" tall. Their hair, skin, and eye colors vary wildly and can be practically any hue, but always reflect what element/natural source they were born from. They do not tend to gain or lose muscle or fat in extremes.

As long as the appropriate source is present, almost any kind of nymph can exist anywhere in the world. Features such as height, hair texture, ear type, and teeth variations seem to be randomly developed. Generally, a nymph's coloration is simply related to their source, but a few variations seem to follow specific trends in coloration. For instance, all gemstone nymphs have skin tones in stone colors (grays, off-whites, browns, etc.), but their hair, eyes, and "blood" are the same color as their source gems. Meanwhile, metal nymphs are exclusively the shades of their source metal.

Nymphs can appear to have several genetic disorders, but are not described as having such; instead, their appearance simply mirrors the conditions in other species. Appearances resembling heterochromia and vitiligo are extremely common, while appearances mirroring dwarfism, Mere's syndrome, polydactyly, and more have been observed. Nymphs naturally lacking limbs or other appendages are also seen. As nymphs are not naturally very fertile, it is debated whether they can have underlying conditions which cause infertility; however, it is generally believed that they cannot.

Distinguishing Features:

Nymphs possess the ability to magically shapeshift into their source. For some, this form can be stationary, but for others (such as light and wind) it requires they travel. Transforming is thought to require a fair degree of energy/magic exertion, but the ambient magic nymphs draw from seems to quickly replenish this loss. Nymphs cannot die in these forms, but can be forced into their hominid form if "destroyed."

Nymphs are immortal, never aging or dying naturally, but can be killed in similar manners to other species. They cannot experience starvation, dehydration, or suffocation, while tolerance to different temperatures and pressures is reliant on their source. They possess hominid-like organs, skeletons, and a substance similar to blood, all of which seem to be naturally regenerated over time like other species' through magic and, optionally, food/water/oxygen. (Some nymph variations, such as melted snow nymphs, are able to make their bodies unnaturally malleable at will, lessening the effects of some injuries.) Nymphs in life-threatening situations can shapeshift to prolong the threat, but won't more quickly regenerate in such a form. Similarly, severed appendages or body parts won't regenerate or magically reattach, and often shapeshifting entails sacrificing their preservation. Infections often do not last if a nymph shapeshifts, but ailments which plague a nymph's source can often carry over to a nymph themself. Read more about medicine and surgery here.

Nymphs' appearances seem to be generated at random. It is believed they can reform an entirely new body through enough magical focus, but it is unrecorded.

Nymphs have somewhat variable hair growth across the population. While some are capable of growing facial hair, the ability is generally limited, ranging from the hairless nature of elves to any combination of some sideburn growth, sparse hair growth on the jaw, and sparse hair growth on the upper lip. Body hair is present in varying degrees of thickness and visibility. Hair loss on the scalp is not known to occur. Any degree of hair growth is considered unisex, but some nymphs are known to undergo hormone treatment to modify such growth.

Nymphs are generally regarded as resembling humans more than any other hominids, but can possess physical traits not seen in humans. Any variation of ear shape or size seen in elves or orcs is possible, and so too are somewhat prominent canine teeth (both lower and/or upper, though not to the degree of "tusks" as seen in orcs).

Compatibility:

Nymphs can have children with dwarves, elves, and humans, but have no means of having children with other nymphs (though adoption of formless ones is commonplace).

Read more about nymph/non-nymph individuals here.

Religion:

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Gender Expression:

Nymphs were once considered an "all-female" species (and are still referred to as such, in some places), but it is now common knowledge that a large population of nymphs proudly represent a different gender or manner of expression. Because of their widespread origins and different lifestyles, such gender identities (or lack thereof) and pronouns used are often those shared with other species.

Nymphs from different backgrounds choose to define or not define their sexuality in different ways. As with any species, some feel no attraction whatsoever, but, otherwise, it is generally assumed that all nymphs which experience attraction are attracted to other nymphs of differing sources. Attraction to other species is common, but some nymphs choose not to pursue such relationships due to their immortality.

Medical practices commonly associated with gender confirmation are seen among nymphs, and any associated stigma is reliant on the region.