Nenah
Nenah
“I'm where I ought to be. I accept whatever the afterlife has in store for me. You should, too.
— Nenah
Nenah is a ghost who can be first encountered inside Judgment. Originally a lost spirit, she reclaimed her name and memories. In life, she was a teacher, and after learning about herself in the Domain of the Lost she began helping other Lost Souls, including the Pact Commander, to recover their memories and purpose before moving on to her final resting place, The Sanctum. After settling into the Sanctum, Nenah briefly appears to those kneeling at the Statue of Kormir in the Reclaimed Chantry.
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
In life, Nenah was a teacher who secretly worshipped the goddess Kormir in the Domain of Kourna. In 1330 AE, she had to flee her home because she refused to teach Palawa Joko's propaganda. However, she was killed by the rogue god Balthazar's Forged army which had recently arrived in Elona.
Because of her traumatic death and her life's goal having gone unfulfilled, Nenah ended up in the Domain of the Lost as a lost spirit who had lost both her memories and purpose. She eventually reclaimed her name by winning a game of riddles against the spirit of her former mentor, and her purpose by discovering a hidden diary she had written as a child. However, she was too scared to go stand in front of the Judge, a servant of Grenth who judged and sent spirits to their appointed afterlives, as she feared what afterlife she would be sent to. She decided to spend her time helping other lost spirits while postponing her own judgement.
Path of Fire[edit]
While in the Domain of the Lost, Nenah conversed with Palawa Joko, whom Balthazar had betrayed and imprisoned in a cage during their visit to the domain. Joko tried to convince Nenah to set him free by promising her a second chance at life, only for Nenah to reject his offer as she did not want to serve him as an Awakened. Instead of continuing listening to Joko who was not willing to accept his fate, she turned her attention to a recently arrived lost spirit and suggested visiting the Judge who in turn said the lost spirit should recover its weapons, name and purpose with Nenah's aid.
The pair succeeded in the two tasks, and Nenah discovered that the lost spirit was the Pact Commander who had died in combat against Balthazar. They returned to the Judge to ask for the Commander to be returned to the land of the living, only to find out that the only potential way to reanimate the Commander's corpse was to claim the life force of a fearsome beast, the Eater of Souls, which had arrived in the domain to prey on the spirits residing there.
Nenah witnessed the Commander defeating the Eater of Souls and freeing the spirits it had consumed after a fierce struggle and wished the Commander luck. Realizing there was no point in postponing the inevitable, she returned to the Judge to receive her judgement and final reward. Much to Nenah's surprise, the Judge awarded her bravery in life by granting her access to the Sanctum, Kormir's great library in the Realm of Torment, where Nenah would spend the rest of her days as a librarian documenting knowledge in her goddess's name.
However, Kormir departing from her realm to join the other gods on their journey left the Sanctum vulnerable to malignant forces from the Mists which invaded the area and turned it into the Dark Library.[1] Many of Kormir's librarians perished in the assault, but Nenah managed to save herself by hiding in Kormir's secret room within the library. She was in disbelief that the gods would just abandon their followers, but resolved to protect what knowledge she could from the demons so it would not be lost.
Nenah eventually reunited with the Commander who was revisiting the Sanctum on a quest on behalf of Tahlkora after Balthazar's demise. She informed the Commander what had happened since their previous encounter as well as where to find books on the Sunspears which the Commander was after. She later learned that the Commander had defeated several powerful demonic entities guarding the stolen keys for the chests containing the Sunspear books, and in so doing had restored some semblance of hope to the fallen library.
Living World Season 4[edit]
Despite the initial demon invasion, the Dark Library was eventually reclaimed and became known as the Sanctum once more. In 1331 AE, Nenah was summoned to the Reclaimed Chantry in Jahai Bluffs after the Pact Commander had shown respect to the Statue of Kormir by kneeling in front of it. After the initial confusion caused by their unexpected reunion, the Commander informed the surprised Nenah that Palawa Joko had died and Elona was finally free from the lich king's grip.
Upon revisiting the statue, the Commander summoned Nenah's spirit again to warn her about the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik who had used its new abilities to breach the Mists. Nenah let the Commander know that she was already aware of the threat Kralkatorrik posed to the dead and the living alike and how spirits had been seeking refuge from the Elder Dragon in the Sanctum. Nenah speculated that the reason for the gods' departure might be that they had foreseen this outcome. Before Nenah returned to the Sanctum, the Commander hoped that she would watch out for herself.
Locations[edit]
Story involvement[edit]
Path of Fire story[edit]
- Act III
Dialogue[edit]
The Sanctum[edit]
- I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Commander. Does this mean...?
Balthazar has been dealt with.
- It seems we were both rewarded for our trials in the Domain of the Lost.
- Are you safe here?
- Mostly. The things outside haven't found this inner sanctum...yet. And I just can't bear to let all this wisdom be forgotten. I'll stay as long as I can.
- Have you seen any books on the Sunspears? (As below)
- Why were you in the Domain of the Lost? (As below)
Be safe!
- Have you seen any books on the Sunspears?
- Kormir did preserve some writings, but they're out there, with the demons. I haven't managed to obtain any, though I suspect they're still safe. They're locked inside sturdy chests.
- Are you safe here? (As above)
- Why were you in the Domain of the Lost? (As below)
- I'll keep an eye out.
- Why were you in the Domain of the Lost?
- I suppose my life's purpose had gone unfulfilled, leaving me lost. A teacher cannot teach lies, and that's all Joko left me—so I fled his kingdom and died soon after.
- Are you safe here? (As above)
- Have you seen any books on the Sunspears? (As above)
- May you find peace and purpose.
- It would seem so. Take care.
- I'm sorry, but I can't stay.
Jahai Bluffs[edit]
- In the Reclaimed Chantry, after kneeling at the Statue of Kormir
- Commander?! What—? This... I can sense... the old Chantry? But how... One moment I was sorting scroll— the next I felt an intense tug on my spirit, and then... I'm in Kourna. I'm...home.
- My apologies for the jarring trip. I had no idea that would happen.
- No! No apology is necessary. Although I can't smell the air or feel the ground beneath my feet, it's good to be in Elona again. I'm curious though... How did you summon me?
- I knelt at Kormir's statue and thanked her for her help with Balthazar.
- The magic of the gods remains strong, even in their absence. Very few of the original god statues were left standing after Joko. Wait... something's changed. I sense...
- We've put an end to Joko. Elona is free.
- Oh, Commander. To be free, even as a spirit... You've done so much for the world. I... must go now. I hope you'll visit this shrine again. It's good to be home.
- Farewell, Nenah.
- I should go.
- Let's chat another time.
- I'll... leave you to that.
- In the Reclaimed Chantry, after kneeling at the Statue of Kormir (for the second time)
- Commander, you've come back. Was there something else you wished of me?
- I need to warn you—Kralkatorrik is running rampart in the Mists.
- Yes, spirits have come to the Sanctum, seeking refuge. They believe the gods' realm to be safe, but we don't truly know. Maybe this is why the gods departed so long ago. They foresaw this.
- I hope you'll watch out for yourself, Nenah.
- Nothing right now.
