nymph

Nymphs come in several varieties, including mountain nymphs and water nymphs. The latter are sometimes "attracted" (in NetHack's demonic terminology, this means "instantly created next to you") if you drink from a fountain.

Of course, the DevTeam has human (or elven, or dwarven, or gnomish) sexuality nailed -- the Nymph prances around in her birthday suit, and the hapless man immediately begins taking off his boots, cloak, etc so he can get in on the action. Females aren't safe either anymore, in this day and age.

To avoid having your stuff stolen (if your armor class is high enough that they can hit you), drop all of it on the square you are standing upon and attack with spells or other long-range attacks. If you are carrying a ring of adornment, the nymph will attempt to steal this first -- in fact, the only good use for this item is as nymph-bait.

Nymphs are not particularly difficult to kill, but they teleport to a random location on the level each time they successfully steal something, until you are naked, weaponless, and void of items, wandering the level in a pathetic heap. At this point, the nymph will be wearing your cloak of magic resistance +3, your blessed speed boots +4 and ring of regeneration, making her an impossible target. You will then encounter a horde of orcs, a leucrotta, or something else equally nasty and meet your bitter end. Thus, the appearance of a nymph is often cause for definite alarm.

• "Mer" is the story of a man who has a sexual and loving relationship with a woman who is apparently a mermaid.
• "Spirit" is a story of a woman whose antidepressants cause sexual disinterest, to the dismay of her lover . . . and how they eventually resolve the problem with the help of a "vacant," condemned house.
• "Milk" is about a nurse and her relationship with her patients.
• "Milagro" is about Plum, and what happens when she makes love to Santiago in order to let him find his true love.
• "Nymph" is about a girl (the best friend of Plum) named Sylvie, who feels like she will never find her true love, and what Plum does to help her do so.
• "Goddess" is about a club where the women are surgically changed to be exotic, and how Elvis finds his old lover in this place.
• "Plum" is about Plum again, and how she wants love for herself.
• "Fox" is about Elvis and his obsession with his girlfriend (before he found her again), and how Dr. Jacqui Fox helps him with fantasies.
• "Change" is about Carmelita and her jealousy, her writing, and herself.

Nymphs look like small adults except they are without wings and may be a different color. They also occupy the same niche in nature as their adults progenitors.

An example of an insects that has a nymph stage that we have probably all observed is the grasshopper.

To constrast, other insects undergo a complete metamorphosis that proceeds from egg to larva to pupa to adult. An example of this type of insect is a butterfly. Each stage looks very different and occupies a different niche in nature than the adult or other stages.

Nymph (?), n. [L. nympha nymph, bride, young woman, Gr. : cf. F. nymphe. Cf. Nuptial.]

1. Class. Myth.

A goddess of the mountains, forests, meadows, or waters.

Where were ye, nymphs, when the remorseless deep Closed o'er the head of your loved Lycidas ? Milton.

2.

Hence: A lovely young girl; a maiden; a damsel.

Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remembered. Shak.

3. Zool.

The pupa of an insect; a chrysalis.

4. Zool.

Any one of a subfamily (Najades) of butterflies including the purples, the fritillaries, the peacock butterfly, etc.; -- called also naiad.

© Webster 1913.