Redguard:Nidal

Nidal, often referred to as Brother Nidal, is a priest of Arkay and the only one of his kind on the island of Stros M'Kai, since the disappearance of his initiate and good friend, Brother Kithral. He offers healing services for 25 gold, or for free if you retrieve Kithral's journal for him. He wears an amulet with the symbol of his temple.

As a holy man, he does not concern himself with political, secular affairs, unlike his initiate. What he does reveal is that he holds disdain for both the Empire and the Crowns, due to his general dislike of political affairs. However, he still holds allegiance to the Crowns, hiding the body of their leader in his temple. He is one of the more talkative characters, and he offers plenty of mostly unbiased background information on the political situation of Stros M'Kai, as well as some information on Iszara.

When you give him Kithral's journal, Nidal will reveal that Prince A'tor is hidden in the temple. He was not aware of the soul gem containing the Prince's life force, thinking the only reason not to bury him was N'Gasta's soul snare. Nidal also makes a brief appearance in the cutscene for the quest Raze the Palace. He and Cyrus open the central tomb with the Prince's body, then Saban performs the soul gem ritual.
 

Related Quests



Notes
Nidal's race is difficult to determine from his appearance or related dialogue, though he is most likely a Redguard or Imperial.
The topics "Iszara", "Stros M'Kai", and "Temple" are supposed to disappear after the quest Rescue Iszara, but the variable that implements this is never set.

Scenes
;Sword of Crown
:Brother Nidal welcomes Cyrus and Saban into the temple and helps Cyrus open A'tor's tomb.

Dialogue
 
Topics

Idle 
Greeting 
Healing 
Iszara 
Others 
Restless League 
Stros M'Kai 
Temple 
Governor 
Nationalist 
Temple Tax 
Brother Kithral 
Kithral's Journal 
Soulgem 
I Have the Gem 
I Have Voa's Ring 
Idle
If you climb onto the central tomb or one of the altars:
:"Leave that alone, boy."


Greeting
:(Pulls hood up)

First time:
:'''"Hello, Brother. I'm Cyrus, recent to this shore."
:"Brother Nidal, good son. Welcome to the Temple of Arkay."

Every other time:
:"Hello again, Brother Nidal."
:"It is good to see you, Cyrus."
OR
:"Brother."
:"Hello, Cyrus."''


----

Healing
Before Kithral's Journal
First time:
:"Can you heal me, Brother Nidal?"
:"Please forgive the formalities, but the Governor has levied a temple tax of 25 gold for any magical services rendered, healing or otherwise. Will you pay the tax?"

Every other time:
:"I need you to tend to my wounds again, Brother."
:"I must ask you to pay the temple tax, of course. Will you?"

You are presented two options:
:Yes
:Full health:
::"I see nothing wrong with you, my boy. Count your blessings."

:Not full health:
::"Fine."

::Cannot afford:
:::''"You haven't the gold, I see.
:::"Remember these are the Governor's rules, Cyrus, not our blessed Arkay's. I am sorry that I cannot help you."

::Else:
:::(Casts healing spell)

:No
::"Forget it."
::"I am truly sorry, but I cannot help you, then."''

After Kithral's Journal
:"Can you heal me, Brother Nidal?"

:Full health:
::"I see nothing wrong with you, my boy. Count your blessings."

:Not full health:
::"Of course, my friend"
::(Casts healing spell)


Iszara
:"My sister, Iszara, has been missing for near three months. Perhaps you have heard of her?"
:''"I knew her well, actually, but she never mentioned having a brother. She was a fiery sort, as I'm sure you know, and her Redguard blood did not fare well under Imperial rule.
:"She is not the only nationalist who has disappeared since the Governor claimed the city. There have been others."


Others
(Unlocked by "Iszara")

:"What 'others' have disappeared?"
:"Brother Kithral, my initiate and good friend, for one. He was an outspoken man, and a Crown sympathizer.
:"He was enamored of your sister, I must say, and took to her Crown propaganda readily."

Before She What?
(Unlocked by "Nationalist")

:"Before she what, Brother Nidal?"
:"Well, man, before she vanished!"
:"I trust that you will seek me out if you hear anything more of my sister."
:"I will be honest, Cyrus. She is either dead or worse, for I know she would not have left Stros M'Kai, even after A'tor's defeat.
:"Richton had a list of rebels when he took the throne, and Iszara's name was undoubtably upon it."

Arkay
:"Are you a follower of Arkay, Cyrus?"
:"Me? No. Well, not in the worshipper sense."
:"In what sense, then?"
:"I'm not that wayward, Brother, I do believe in the gods, and in their, you know, importance to man and all that."
:"And Arkay's importance would be...?"
:"I'm usually the one who asks all the questions, Brother Nidal."
:"Humor an old man."
:"Arkay, then: the shepherd of the soul, who watches us through our lives and our deaths, who guides us between them in the heavenly interim."
:"May he watch over you."


Restless League
(Disappears after quest Contact the League)

:"Is there anything you can tell me about the Restless League, Brother?"
:"I...know very little about their activities, Cyrus. The common stories, sure, but not much more."

Common Stories
:"I know even less of the League than you, Brother, the common stories included."
:"Then know that they are ruffians and cutthroats, who would like nothing more than carve their symbol upon the Emperor's eyes for daring to set them on Hammerfell...
:"...And know they secretly served the Prince against the Forebears during the civil war, to help A'tor win back Sentinel."

Symbol
(Unlocked by "Common Stories")

:"What is the League's symbol?"
:"The red R, for restless, as they ever are. Trust me, you will see it if you stay in Stros M'Kai for long, invariably written in Imperial blood."

Sentinel
(Unlocked by "Common Stories")

:"Sentinel, the capital city."
:"From whence A'tor was forced to flee soon after his father died.
:"Aye, but the Crowns gathered here at Stros M'Kai and charged northwards to take their throne-city back -- but, by then, the Imperial's bargain had been struck."''


Stros M'Kai
:'''"How is Stros M'Kai these days, Brother Nidal?"
:"You should be able to see it just from the faces on the streets, my boy.
:"But, then again, there aren't that many faces out there anymore. Things have become quiet since the occupation."

Occupation
:"I have seen the Empire expanding into all of Tamriel in my travels. Why is the occupation of Stros M'Kai full of more bloodshed than most?"
:"You have only your Redguard blood to answer that, my boy. When has Hammerfell ever suffered foreign rule?
:"The civil war was bloody to be sure, but when the Forebears allied with the Empire, the Crowns felt they had been betrayed by their own kind.
:"They were prepared to fight to the last man, and the Empire sent Admiral Richton to make sure they did."

Forebears
(Unlocked by "Occupation" or "Crowns")

:"Tell me of the Forebears."
:"Living in Stros M'Kai you only get the Crown definition, of course:
:"That the Forebears were the pretenders to the throne, that they betrayed the republic, and that Hammerfell has been cursed by their cowardice."

Crowns
(Unlocked by "Occupation", "Richton", "Others", "Brother Kithral", "Sentinel", or "Divine Law")

:"Iszara was a Crown, I know that. As a Crown, what would be her fate?"
:"I fear, sadly, that the Crowns' days are ended. The Forebears' alliance with Emperor Septim made sure of that."

Richton
(Unlocked by "Occupation", "Governor", "Brother Kithral", or "Before She What?"; disappears after quest Escape the Catacombs)

:"What else do you know about Richton?"
:"That you should stay away from him, my boy. He will not care if you are a Crown or not, should he find out that you are Iszara's brother.
:"However, you are probably safe in the city for the time being, as he never leaves the Palace, it seems."

Civil War
(Unlocked by "Occupation")

:"I escaped Hammerfell just before the civil war, and without regret.
:"That is probably why Iszara never mentioned me to you. It was only through a mutual friend that I learned of her disappearance."
:"The war cost this city much, Cyrus, though an outsider may not see it. The Crowns are gone, now, and only the League remains as their testament."


Temple
:"The temple seems very empty, Brother Nidal. Are you its only priest?"
:"We have ever been understaffed. It was horrible right after the battle, all the dead and dying, but luckily I had Brother Kithral to help me tend to them.
:"Since he is gone now, I must carry on alone."''


Governor
(Unlocked by "Healing" before Kithral's journal or "Iszara")

:"What can you tell me about the Governor?"
:''"That he is a hard man. Richton threatened to raze the temple when I refused to hand over the wounded of Prince A'tor who had survived the battle.
:"I assured him that even his Emperor could not defy divine law. Nevertheless, the wounded under my care were healed only to be thrown into the Catacombs thereafter."''

Prince A'tor
(Disappears after "Kithral's Journal")

:'''"What of Prince A'tor?"
:"He was... lost at sea, my boy. That is all I know. And... that it was rumored that Iszara knew him personally."''

Iszara and the Prince
(Unlocked by "Prince A'tor")

If you have given him Kithral's journal:
 
:"Tell me about my sister and the Prince."
:''"I'll tell you, my friend, for it might repay some of the kindness you have shown. Iszara and the Prince were seeing each other in secret, a doomed tryst in these shadows of war."

Else:
:"So my sister knew the Prince, then?"
:"Leave that alone, boy. That was but a rumor."

Iszara in the Battle
:"Did my sister fight in the Battle of Stros M'Kai?"
:"No. She was never part of the military. She could have been, though. She was good with the sword... I hear."

Divine Law
:"What is the Divine Law?"
:"Richton wanted to rescind the Crowns' right to sanctuary while they were wounded, or to desecrate the bodies of the enemy dead before I gave them their last rites."

Catacombs
(Disappears after escaping the Catacombs)

:"So A'tor's men are in the Catacombs, then?"
:"Either that, or they are fruit for the necromancer. It is somehow appropriate that Richton deals with that nefarious slug."

Last Rites
(Unlocked by "Divine Law" or "Curse")

:"What happened to the bodies of A'tor's men after their last rites?"
:"Food for the dragon, more than likely. But at least their souls are safe from the necromancer."

Dragon
(Unlocked by "Last Rites")

:"The Imperials have a dragon?"
:"Its name is Nafaalilargus, and it lives in the Catacombs, or so I have heard.
:"It has not been seen in the skies since the battle, so maybe Richton is lying about it still being around."

Necromancer
(Unlocked by "Catacombs" or "Last Rites")

:"What about this necromancer?"
:"N'Gasta has been here long, manifest in Thassad's good rule. A'tor had kept his wretchedness at bay, but now, with the Prince gone, he has cursed the land."

Curse
(Unlocked by "Necromancer")

:"How has N'Gasta cursed the land?"
:"The very soil of Stros M'Kai is cursed. N'Gasta has become very powerful and has weaved a soul-snare across the island.
:"Any who die must quickly have their last rites performed before their souls become his to claim."


Nationalist
(Unlocked by "Iszara")

 
:"Do you know anyone that Iszara may have kept company with, vanished nationalist or otherwise?"
:"Like I said, I knew her well. And she spoke often to Brother Kithral, my former initiate, but he, too, has disappeared.
:"She was a devout Arkayn, Iszara. I once almost convinced her to join the temple, but that was before she... well..."''

Opens same subtopics as "Others".


Temple Tax
(Unlocked by "Healing" before Kithral's journal)

:"Why the temple tax?"
:''"Just another of Richton's rules, my boy, along with several other solutions to the burden of Empire."''


Brother Kithral
(Unlocked by "Temple", "Others", or "Nationalist")

 
:"When did you last see Kithral?"
:''"I sent him to the park for fresh mandrake root, and that is probably where Richton's men were waiting.
:"Kithral was against the Imperial expansion from the start, though I reminded him that Arkay frowns on more... secular interests.
:"This warning Kithral obviously did not take to heart."''


Kithral's Journal
(Unlocked by "Brother Kithral" when you have the journal)

:'''"Brother Nidal, I have bad news. I found Kithral's body in the caverns; he's dead. I'm sorry."
:"The caverns...? What could he have been doing there?"
:"I found his journal among the remains. You should read it."
:(Hands over journal)
:"Oh my...the poor lad...what did he hope to accomplish?''

:First time:
 
::''"Cyrus, I now count you as a friend. Kithral's fate is revealed, and I shall bring you into my confidence."
::"Go on."
::"The body of Prince A'tor is here, at the temple."
::"It is?"
::"Yes. It's the only safe place for it. We can't quite...bury it."
::"Why?"
::"There is a spell of stasis upon it, to preserve it and stave off its decay. Archmage Voa enchanted it thus just after the Prince's death."''

:Every other time:
 
::"Cyrus, I now count you as a friend. Thank you for this -- unfortunate -- news of my initiate; at least now I know his fate."
::'''"Archmage Voa is mentioned in the journal, and his magical ring, which both Kithral and my sister were looking for...."
::"Voa's ring was used to enchant the Prince's body."
::"So they would have used it--"
::"To dispel the body's stasis field."
::"Why would they do that? That would only serve to send the body along to rot."'''

:If you have told him about the soul gem, followed by:
 
::"No, they meant to restore the Prince through the soulgem. The stasis field would have disrupted the transfer. They had to get rid of it."
::"Ahh."
::''"It seems that they were going to bring the Prince back to life, so to speak, just as Archmage Voa preserved the Prince's body he also preserved his soul.
::"Voa separated both body and soul, and protected them both, hoping that he could one day heal the body and restore the Prince."
::"But Voa died too soon."
::"The dragon...."''

:Otherwise:
 
::''"Yes, you're right. It doesn't quite make sense, does it?
::"It's Redguard custom to preserve their great leaders in stasis so that they might be looked upon everafter in their prime. To break the stasis would be treason, or hubris, even."
::"There's something we're not getting yet. Both Iszara and Kithral were Crowns-whatever they had planned for the Prince would only have been for his benefit."
::"I am sure you are right."''


Soulgem
(Unlocked after contacting the League)

If you have given him Kithral's journal:
 
:'''"Brother Nidal, did you know that Prince A'tor's soul was placed into a soulgem just prior to his death?"
:"Kithral never told me. I had no idea! And this would explain their search for the Archmage's ring...."
:"How do you mean?"
:"It seems that they were going to bring the Prince back to life, so to speak, just as Archmage Voa preserved the Prince's body he also preserved his soul.
:"The body was dying from the dark arrow's poison; it was the only way to save him.
:"Voa separated both body and soul, and protected them both, hoping that he could one day heal the body and restore the Prince."

Otherwise:
:"What do you know about soulgems, Brother Nidal?"
:"Tis an aberration to the hard-liners among my vocation, who view the practice of soulgems as little better than necromancy.
:"The followers of Arkay see any interruption of the soul's migration as an evil not to be endured."
:"Really? Did you know the Prince's soul was placed in one of these vessels of evil? And that it is somewhere on this island."
:"That is... quite... interesting."
:"So you didn't know this, huh?"
:"This news...has escaped me, thus far."''


I Have the Gem
(Unlocked by "Soulgem" if you have the soul gem)

 
:"I have the soulgem, Brother Nidal. Can you work its magic?"
:''"No, I can't, Cyrus. You need a mage for this, not a priest. The magicks are unalike in practice."''

:If you have told him about the soul gem, but haven't given him the journal:
 
::''"Besides, the body is surrounded by a stasis field. Even if you could find someone to work the soulgem's magic, the field itself would block the soul's transfer."

:Else, if you have given him the journal:
 
::"Besides, you need the ring, too, to rid the body of the stasis field so the soul can transfer. The ring, too, I cannot use. Do you even have it?"''

::If you have Voa's ring:
:::"Yes."
:::"Then you have everything you need to bring the Prince back."
:::"Except for the wizard who can use them."
:::"Exactly."

::Otherwise:
:::"Not yet."
:::"You need to find it, too, if you want to bring back the Prince."


I Have Voa's Ring
(Unlocked by "Kithral's Journal" when you have the ring)

 
:'''"I have Archmage Voa's ring, Brother Nidal."
:"Ah, this will break the stasis field!"
:"Can you use it?"
:"No, I can't, Cyrus. You need a mage for this, not a priest. The magicks are unlike in practice.

:If you have told him about the soul gem:
::"Besides, you would need the soulgem, too, if you are to restore the Prince. The soulgem, too, is beyond my magic. Do you even have it?"

::If you have the soul gem:
 
:::"Yes."
:::"Now you must find a wizard that can use both ring and soulgem to bring back the Prince."
:::"All right, I will."'''

::Otherwise:
 
:::"No."
:::"The ring by itself will do nothing but turn the Prince to dust, you need to find the soulgem to make him whole."
:::"All right, I will."


Bye
:"Until later, Brother Nidal."
:"Goodbye, my son." (Pulls hood down)

Unused Dialogue
A topic named "Palace" does not appear because the variable that enables it is never set. It would have been a subtopic of "Stros M'Kai" between "Richton" and "Civil War" and disappeared after escaping the Catacombs.
:"How could I get into the Palace?"
:"I will not help you do that, Cyrus. It is too dangerous."

An alternate version of "Necromancer" after the quest Rescue Iszara; this would not have unlocked "Curse":
:"I have slain the necromancer."
:"A season will pass before his foul net has likewise been slain. Though he cannot fuel it still, we must suffer until it is strewn to the winds and gone."

The topic "Kithral's Journal" was intended to have some different dialogue after rescuing Iszara as well. It would have replaced all of the conditional dialogue and ended the topic. Unfortunately, it would have also caused a game-breaking bug if you rescued Iszara before giving Nidal the journal, preventing you from starting Raze the Palace.
 
:'''"Brother Nidal, I understand you have the body of Prince A'tor here at the temple."
:"Yes. It's the only safe place for it. We can't quite...bury it."
:"Why?"
:"There is a spell of stasis upon it, to preserve it and stave off its decay. Archmage Voa enchanted it thus just after the Prince's death."

Several idle lines:
:"You mustn't bare that blade here, my son." (weapon drawn)
:"Blessings, and welcome."
:"Yes?"
:"Good faith, son."''

Gallery