Nalia de'Arnise is a chaotic good human dual-class thief (level 4) → mage and a potential companion in 
Baldur's Gate II
Classic & Enhanced
This icon indicates content from all games of the 2nd Baldur's Gate instalment – all editions and expansions. This may include The Black Pits II.
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal[]
Nalia's family castle is under attack by trolls with a higher intelligence than average for their kind, and she needs a group of adventurers who can take back the castle and save family members who are possibly held captive.
Recruitment[]
Nalia is available to recruit from Chapter 2. She can be found in the Copper Coronet inn in the Athkatla Slums.
She can be acquired as a level 9/4 Mage/Thief, with weapon proficiencies in: Short Sword, Dagger, Quarter Staff, and Short Bow.
In the enhanced edition game, she can be acquired as a level 9/4 Mage/Thief, with weapon proficiencies in: Dagger, Dart, Quarterstaff, Short Sword and Short Bow.
Relationships[]
- Nalia and Viconia don't get along well, owing largely to their opposing views about poor people. Nalia is very sympathetic and compassionate toward them, while also being unintentionally condescending and naive about their plight. Viconia, by contrast, sees the poor as weak, pathetic, and deserving of little more than scorn.
- Nalia and Yoshimo bond over their shared thieving abilities. Yoshimo sees himself as something of a tutor for Nalia.
Quests[]
- The de'Arnise Keep has been Invaded - Nalia will recruit the player and their party to free the de'Arnise Hold from its invaders
- Nalia abducted by Isaea Roenall (Don't tarry too long in this quest or you can't keep her in the group)
Gameplay[]
Nalia is an immediate replacement for Imoen, who is abducted as soon as the party escapes from the starting dungeon. She doesn't have special powers like Imoen (but these powers aren't unlocked until the last chapters of the game), and her thieving skills are slightly lower, but she makes up for it by being in the possession of a unique ring, which grants 2 bonus points to her armor class and to all her saving throws, plus 50% resistance to fire, and can be worn together with other protection items. Nalia is also available very early in the game, with the potential to gain much more XP.
While her thief skills aren't impressive, being a thief dual-class does allow her to equip the Dak'kon's Zerth Blade.
Biography[]
| “ | When asked about her past, NALIA is a bit hesitant. She comes from a wealthy landowning family headed by Lord de'Arnise, and while she speaks of her relatives with affection, the fact of her upbringing seems to embarrass her at the same time. Nalia clearly identifies more with the "poorer classes"... but also looks upon them with the eyes of the privileged. She has been educated and taught the magical arts, as per her dead mother's wishes, but Nalia states that her years of sneaking out of the castle have taught her the other side of life as well. She still has much to learn about life beyond her caste, however, and she knows it... and she is sure adventuring is the answer. | ” |
Quotes[]
- Main article: Nalia de'Arnise/Quotes
| Oh—! I—I just wanted to help! | Morale failure | |
|---|---|---|
| It's just like I thought it would be: helping others and doing good things. | Happy | |
| This isn't right. We're supposed to be better than this. | Unhappy-annoyed | |
| If we don't change our ways, I'm going to have to leave. I cannot tolerate this. | Unhappy-serious | |
| You... you're nothing like I thought! I will have no part of you! | Unhappy-break | |
| I shall strive to help all those under me. | Leader | |
| *sigh* I'm not accustomed to these long days. Could we stop and rest? *yawn* | Tired | |
| I could sit around doing nothing back at the keep. Let's get going. | Bored | |
| For the needy! | Battlecry1 | |
| In my father's name! |
Battlecry2 | |
| I will do what I must! |
Battlecry3 | |
| Damage | ||
| I—I'm afraid I'm the needy one now... Help me, please. | Hurt | |
| Dying | ||
| I am not used to such wide-open spaces. Aunty never went anywhere that wasn't carpeted. | Forest | |
| I don't like cities much. They are built on the backs of the unfortunate. | City | |
| I—I really don't like this. How are we helping the less fortunate trudging around in here? | Dungeon | |
| Another day of freedom! I never felt like this back in the ballrooms of home. | Day | |
| I'm not comfortable wandering around in the dark. The shadows could hold anyone... anything. | Night | |
| How can I help? | Select1 | |
| Am I needed? | Select2 | |
| Please, let me help. | Select3 | |
| I'm ready for anything. | Select4 | |
| Just ask and I'll do it. | Select5 | |
| Where can I be of most use? | Select6 | |
| I will do what I can. | Action1 | |
| Glad to be of assistance. | Action2 | |
| Always willing to try. | Action3 | |
| I'll certainly try. | Action4 | |
| Of course. | Action5 | |
| It's almost beneath me. | Action6 | |
| Is that all? I—I'd hoped for more. | Action7 | |
| I can do more if you need. | Select rare1 | |
| If only I could do as much for all in need of me. I try so hard... |
Select rare2 | |
| Yes! | Critical hit | |
| Ah, heck! | Critical miss | |
| Something is wrong here... | Target immune | |
| I'm not accustomed to such loads. I've had to drop something. | Inventory full | |
| I have made the pinch, and none are the wiser. | Picked pocket | |
| I am hidden from any that would see. | Hidden in shadows | |
| My spell is lost! | Spell disrupted | |
| The trap is set. Watch your step! | Set a trap |
| *sigh* You know, there's little point in driving us to the breaking point. We should stop soon. | Tired | |
|---|---|---|
| *sigh* I don't want to be annoying, but... I detest just standing around. | Bored | |
| Evil falls today! | Battlecry1 | |
| If you fight, you die! You cannot match our power! | Battlecry2 | |
| There is evil here... but there is likely also magic that can help us, I'd bet. | Dungeon | |
| I can assist you. | Select2 | |
| My magic is at your command. | Select3 | |
| It can be done. | Action2 | |
| Naturally! | Action3 | |
| Very well. | Action4 | |
| Once, all this would've been beyond my imagination. But *that* was a long time ago. | Action5 |
Dialogues[]
| Look how these people squander their wealth. Children lie starving in the street while the wealthy concern themselves with acquiring the latest Calimshan silks. | |
| I can't stand seeing all these taverns around the city. They exist simply to drain the poorer classes of their money and throw them into such a stupor that they can't even realize their oppression. | |
| Is anyone willing to hear my plea? Anyone? You all know me—I've helped some of you! Is this the thanks I get? I've helped lots of your kind! | |
| Will none of you people listen? Anyone?! I've helped your kind... now why won't you help me? | |
| All this traveling is beginning to wear on me... I can't remember the last time I walked so much in a single day. Haha haha... it's something my aunt should try, I think... instead of being hauled about in her gilded carriage. | |
| An interesting little situation you've found yourself in, Edwin. I trust you'll use it to better learn how others think and feel? | |
| Edwin, you should learn to walk a little more dignified... carry yourself in a better manner. | |
| Viconia, it's simply a matter of even distribution of goods. There are those whose consumption is a crime against nature, and that injustice should be corrected whenever possible. |
Personality[]
Nalia was of a particularly charitable bent. She was appalled at the unfairness of the class system in her country and others like it, and consequently very preoccupied with helping the needy, to the point of criticizing charity that was too small. She insisted that she did not "go slumming", and thought she was really in touch with the people she was trying to help, but she had some difficulty shaking off the feeling of superiority she was raised with, and was seen as well-intentioned but not so good as she thought she was.[1]
Below are excerpts of conversation taken from the game to help characterize Nalia:
| Daleson: | No offense meant, but are you here to really help, or are you here to say how much someone should help? Miss Nalia is a bit more talk than action sometimes. |
|---|---|
| Protagonist: | What do you mean by that? She sure seems to care about what happens to you. |
| Daleson: | She means well... a little too well. Thinks she's gotta help all of us "peasants." She sneaks out now and then and skulks around our taverns and such, as if it makes her "understand" us. She may help occasionally, but we're still servants and she's still the noble. She's foolin' herself with her charity, but she tries at least. |
| Nalia: | Is anyone willing to hear my plea? Anyone? You all know me—I've helped some of you! Is this the thanks I get? I've helped lots of your kind! |
|---|
| Beggar: | Aye now, a good business to ye. Does ye have a gold coin to spare a poor beggar? |
|---|---|
| Protagonist: | Get away from me, you filthy beggar! I'll not spend time speaking to the likes of you! |
| Beggar: | Rot yer skull, then, ye bleedin' kobold! |
| Nalia: | Well, I'm not about to refuse you a coin or two, you poor soul. We have plenty, I think... and a few gold can do them a lot more good than it does you, <CHARNAME>! |
Her discontent with the current class system is also reflected by her aversion to Amn's various churches and what is done with the donations poor people give to them to better their lives. This is shown when visiting Keldorn's house, which is quite the Villa bought and paid for by the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. But no matter how much she hates the system, she loves her Aunty and can accept that her generation "is set in their ways".
Gallery[]
External Links[]
Nalia de'Arnise on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.
References
- ↑ Taken from Forgotten Realms Wiki