Sylphs are ultraelementals of air. Slender humanoids with wings like those of butterflies, they can also turn into gusts of wind. Their more solid form looks somewhat elfin, with a complexion of palest blue, their wings are patterned like a cloudy sky in blues, whites, grey and pale yellows. While the archetypal image of a sylph is female, they appear as male and female in equal numbers.
Sylphs are found in the lower and higher airs. They move swiftly and freely, rarely resting, and never for long. They love open and windy areas, and hate confinements of most kinds, though areas that funnel winds and drafts please them. Similarily, they dislike bad smells and acrid smoke, but like perfumes, incense and other aromatics.
Sylphs herd various other air elementals, zephyrs, winds, breezes and gales. They use them for mounts, riding them at greater speeds than their own wings allow. It is believed that they to some extent feed on the lesser air elementals. Sylphs may sometimes build structures out of solid clouds.
They are considered to have the brightest intellects of the pure ultraelementals. They are fickle and playful, and few would consider them wise. They do see much in their travels, however, and are knowledgable in physical geography.
Sylphs are subservient to anemonads, the nymphs of the winds, and herd the winds in accordance with their wills. Individual sylphs are sometimes bound by sorcerers, for their ability at commanding the air, their speed and subtlety as scouts, spies and messengers, and for their vast knowledge of the air and the lands beneath the sky.
Some sorcerers and sorceresses are said to use bound sylphs as love slaves, it is unknown what pleasures this miscegenation affords.