On Which Wish?

I've been reviewing Rythlondar, which makes for fascinating reading.

The documentation of this classic campaign is unsurprisingly structured like a classic campaign. There is a veritable year of adventuring, in various sites of various depths. A slow but steady accumulation of treasure. The loss of many members of the expedition, and finally a sojourn into the wilderness to find a nymph.

They find that the nymph has the power of infinite wishes but that she was fickle. I find the final comment fascinating. I will let the text speak for itself.

"The robed man seemed pleased, and became quite talkative (though wary) and stated that the nymph lay just a few miles north of the valley, and that he was one of her friends guarding the approaches to her pool. He said she had the power of infinite wishes, but that she was fickle. Half the time the wish would be granted, the other half of the time she would utterly and irrevocably destroy the person making the wish. The highest members of the party realized that the risk was too great for them to chance, but it was decided to continue for the benefit of the lowest members of the group. Besides, the toll for passage had already been paid.

The Nymph was reached the following day, and she greeted them and offered to let anyone make a Wish. Only five members of the group elected to try a wish. First to try was Zonker, who wished for a rod of lordly might. The nymph went into her trance, blinked once, and Zonker disappeared. Unintimidated, Solstice next wished that his ancestor Equinox were alive again, and Solstice also vanished. Next Questor wished to be a patriarch, and found that his wish was partially granted and that he was now a priest. Balderol then wished for 10 points to apply to his abilities, and was dismayed to learn it would require another wish to apply the points to specific abilities. Balderol tried to apply the points and vanished. Finally Noto succumbed to temptation, being grieved of heart that he had progressed to the limits of a dwarf, and Wished that there would be no limit to how high he could go. Speculation on the possible results of the wish's wording proved moot as poor Noto disappeared with a last wave to his companions of many long adventures. Lastly, Questor, having tasted the only success thus far, could not resist another wish, and asked that the bag of holding be filled with gems. Questor's luck ran out, though, and he too vanished. By now the score was 5 persons wishing and five persons gone, with no net wishes granted, so the remaining members decided to leave. As they left, the nymph muttered that the odds were too good, and that she thought that one wish in three would be more reasonable. (!)"

Just what exactly happened there? The DM thought killing 5 (out of 5) characters was too generous, I suppose.