Nir'naya

*Appeared in chapters*  0                16   19           30           41    45  47   50 51      57
*Appeared in side stories*  Dutan'vir Path

## Prisoner in the Sarghress Dungeons

### Trivia

* Physical combat

* Nir'naya still wanted the clan to unite, despite her duplicity

## Family

* Al'tesh - Mate

The former captain of the Imperial Guard, Nir'naya is heavily involved in the Vel'Sharen conspiracies and serving as an agent and pawn for each of the three ruling daughters.

## Appearance and Personality

Nir'naya has an imposing figure and a dominating stance. She is always clad in heavy black armor and armed with a huge black sword she carries mounted on her back. She is also armed with several foci-embedded throwing knives that she adeptly manipulates at a range. Her long white hair is secured in a loose bun and her eyes are tainted red. Her armor bears the nine eyes of Sharess on the chest plate.

Nir'naya's loyalty appears to be to the empire itself. She is seen working with both Zala'ess and Sarv'swati independently, though she believes their refusal to cooperate weakens the clan's leadership. She tries to keep her emotions below the surface, but she has her doubts about the Vel'Sharen sisters' plans.

Despite any personal or moral qualms she has with the current Vel'Sharen leadership, she is resolute in her duties and does what is asked of her without question. It is unclear whether she chose to support Diva'ratrika's killers to further her own career goals or was manipulated into becoming their pawn. Regardless, she is willing to do what must be done to maintain the stability of the empire.

## Biography - Background

Main article: The Vel'Sharen Coup d'État
Roughly 15 years prior to the start of the main story, Nir'naya served as an Overseer in the Imperial Guard. At the command of Diva'ratrika, she led the Imperial Guard in an inquisition in response to Nidraa'chal activity. This inquisition severely weakened the Val'Dutan'vir, the clan that filled most of the Imperial Guard ranks. As the clan weakened, Nir'naya's own position grew. Furthermore, it precipitated the disastrous Nidraa'chal War, during which she was tainted. Participating in the heavy fighting around the besieged Val'Sharen districts, she was drawn away from the interior of the Val'Sharess tower as the traitorous sisters enacted their coup against the Empress.

Responding to reports of Sil'lice assaulting her own kin at the tower, Nir'naya returned with Overseer Mikilu and Sker'ligr. There, they found the tower in ruins and filled with bloody carnage of the Sharen that had remained behind. The trio encountered Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta among the chaos, as the latter lay at the former's feet. Striding forward, Nir'naya accused Sil'lice of being responsible, enraging Sil'lice and causing her to threaten to reach the Queen over their frozen corpses. As Sker began to restrain Sil'lice Nir'naya ordered him to choke her into unconsciousness. However, Sker hesitated when Sil'lice asked him if he served the tainted or the Val'Sharess, ultimately placing his trust into Sil'lice. Releasing her, he told Nir'naya his priority was to find Diva'ratrika. Denouncing Sker for his actions, she entered into battle with Sil'lice, but ultimately was unable to prevent her from escapinge.

When the dust from the war settled, Nir'naya and Mikilu approached the Vel'Sharen sisters for orders from Diva'ratrika. They were told that the Val'Sharess had grown mistrustful and would remain in seclusion for the time being. At some point Nir'naya became aware of Diva'ratrika's secret assassination, and was soon promoted to Captain of the Imperial Guard amid Mikilu's confusion. Nir'naya told her that the queen doubted Mikilu's loyalty and insisted that she would have to prove her worth to gain an audience. Through other such manipulations, Mikilu and the rest of the Val'Dutan'vir presence were purged from the Imperial Guard, leaving Nir'naya as its head.

## Biography - Arc I

### Maintaining the Charade

Nir'naya continued to be the leader of the Imperial Guards, maintaining pretense of passing word down from the Empress herself.

As Zala'ess and Sarv'swati grew competitive with each other, Nir'naya remained neutral. She handled the invitations Zala'ess sent out to her official clan gathering, but she likewise lent support to Sarv'swati's parade of Diva'ratrika's body double. While protecting this fake empress, a slow anger simmered under the surface towards the mockery the double made of Diva'ratrika's memory.

## Biography - Arc II

Main article: The District War

Nir'naya continued to serve the empire as the head of the Imperial Guard by preserving the myth that Diva'ratrika survived the Nidraa'chal uprising. While a fake Diva'ratrika stand-in was taking refuge in Val'Beldrobbaen territory, Nir'naya was tasked with protecting her as she would the real Val'Sharess.

When Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress lead an assault on this fake empress, Nir'naya stepped in to confront her. She ruthlessly warded Kiel and her companions off, severely injuring both Kiel and Tsuris'lok as they fled. She was too late to stop Kiel from fatally wounding the fake Diva'ratrika, and her orders to the other overseers were to prevent the Beldrobbaen from finding out about this.

She was unable to keep the news secret while pursuing the Vloz'ress assassins, and Waes'soloth herself soon learned of the death of the Val'Sharess. On a chance encounter with Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen, Nirnaya passes on a warning to Zala'ess to remember all that she'd done for the Fifth Daughter, and that her actions will not go well with Sarv'swati.

It is Nir'naya that rescues the Second Daughter when the defense of the Val'Sharess tower fails, and it is she who encourages Sarv'swati to challenge Quain'tana to a duel while giving her a mysterious poisoned blade to wield. When Sarv'swati fails and dies to Quain'tana's strike, Nir'naya is apprehended and later tortured by Sarghress soldiers. Her words to the tortureres suggests affiliation with the Nidraa'chal.

This notion leads Chrys'tel to believe that because her mother issued strange commands after Zala'ess' mysterious recovery from the flower plague, the order to instate a new captain of the Imperial Guard is Snadhya's doing. Upon discovering Nir'naya's beaten and bruised self, she heard the news that Zala'ess negotiated with Snadhya to install Chrys'tel as head of the elite unit.

## Notable Quotes

*"Isn't it obvious? A bloody trail from our gate to the Queen's quarters. She has killed them all."* - To overseers Mikilu and Sker about Sil'lice's presence in the Val'Sharess tower