Nali

The Nali are the deeply religious and spiritual race, indigenous to Na Pali, that has been enslaved by the Skaarj Empire. They appear in two variations, regular Nali, sometimes referred to as monks, and more colorfully painted Nali Priests that tend to show up in areas of religious importance. Most Nali serve in the mines, digging out the incredibly valuable Tarydium crystals. Tarydium has played a key role throughout the Unreal series, being the center of some Assault missions in Unreal Tournament and UT 2004, as well as being the primary reason for the Necris invasion in UT 3.

The Nali themselves are mostly passive, though some still have enough will to rebel. Nali corpses have been discovered on Na Pali with weapons nearby, suggesting that some Nali are attempting outright rebellion against their Skaarj oppressors. Other Nali have been reported to aid offworld visitors in exchange for protection. Nali that have the guts to help the player will beckon with their lower arms and say, "Batai d'va." When the player gets close to them, they will run a set course to what they want to show the player, but will often get ambushed along the way. Therefore it is a good plan to run ahead of them and try to clear the way. Sometimes, helpful Nali can be avoided entirely, which will allow the player freedom to clear the path without worry about the Nali getting harmed, and then return to the Nali once the way is safe. Reading Nali diaries is a very good way to learn about upcoming hazards, and get important information about hidden rooms, or just the environment in general.

Skaarj and Krall will often kill Nali on-sight, and the player will encounter instances of Skaarj and Krall specifically executing Nali. Nali are also found crucified to crosses specifically built for the Nali's four arms, or hung by their feet or ankles. Particularly noteworthy occurrances of this are outside and inside the Dark Arena, in a hidden attic in the Dasa Cellars, and on the way to the Demon Lord's Lair beneath the Nali Castle. There is a particular crucified Nali on a golden cross out on the rim of the Bluff Eversmoking crater that, if shot, will cause a lightning bolt to deliver a super-health power up for the player.

Typically, if the player shoots a Nali, that Nali, and sometimes others, will become afraid of the player and cower in a corner begging not to be killed. This can prevent the player from being able to access specific powerups and/or weapons, as the frightened Nali will refuse to cooperate.

There is a sense of progression going on throughout the Nali's religious structures, and the extent to which their belief system is true is always kept slightly vague. Early in the game the player visits the Temple of Chizra, an extensive temple devoted to the Nali Water God. Among other temples visited are the temple to Vandora, the Goddess of Lightning, and, in Return to Na Pali, the Temple of Velora, a goddess mentioned in the Unreal level Velora Pass. It is never made clear what Velora is the goddess of, though she is always associated with trials and deadly traps. Velora and Chrizra seem to have have a Mayan or Aztec design, depicted in wall-carvings and relief statues. They tend to be associated with large yellow bricks and wood as building materials, and always have plenty of water in their temples.

Vandora's temple seems more Gothic in design, and the depiction of Vandora herself appears closer, perhaps, to Greek or Roman depictions of deities than Velora or Chizra. There is a quote supposedly from Vandora herself written on the walls in one chamber of her temple that reads, "And Vandora came down, with fire from the sky upon her wings, and sanctified the holy fountain with her kiss. Thus, she said, whoever follows me shall cast off the bonds of flesh and become as elusive as the mist." If the player throws a Flare into the fountain, a hidden wall section opens up to reveal an invisibility item. What is most striking about Vandora is that her basic structure is human. She bears four arms, and a pair of feathered wings, but otherwise she is human, suggesting that she was, perhaps, a survivor of a crash landing farther back in Nali history who made a significant enough impression on the Nali that they revered her as a Goddess. This is one example of many of the two-sided look Unreal takes at religion. The player enters in with no pre-assumed religious leanings, and thus takes a look at the Nali religion in comparison to the practical world around it. Nali often revere alien crafts that land or crash on their planet, calling them chariots from the stars and the like. The first Eightball the player finds is referred to by the Nali as the "Stick of Six Fires."

But the Nali religion is not entirely discounted as mis-interpretation. Hidden behind a wall in the Temple of Chizra there is a pit with an obelisk of sorts in the middle and a walkway surrounding it. Around the backside of the obelisk is a mirror, in front of which floats a shield belt. In order to reach the belt, the player would have to step off of the walkway. Outside the chamber with the pit and the obelisk, the player receives a translator message that reads, "Look into your own eyes, and when your courage is strongest your last step toward the prize will be upheld by your faith." Sure enough, the player is suspended in the air while stepping off the walkway to grab the shield belt. Nali will occasionally speak of their dreams, or make prophecies that end up coming true, in one way or another. Eventually, the player ends up becoming caught-up in the game's mystical elements, and is never entirely sure how much truth there actually is to the Nali religion.

The Nali religion itself seems to be in the middle of a transformation. The Chizra and Velora temples seem to be in the most disrepair, whereas the Vandora temple seems slightly more modern, bearing tables, books and studies as well as the previous wall carvings. The player also begins coming across churches and monastaries devoted the their Savior Princess from the Stars, who will liberate them from the Sky Demons, otherwise known as the Skaarj. The statues of the Savior appear more or less androgynous, although there is a carving in the Sky Town monastery that depicts the savior as a male figure similar in design to classical depictions of the Christian God, bracketed by four-armed human angles. By contrast, a writing in a basement of Bluff Eversmoking specifically calls the savior a Princess. This could be a representation of the beginning of different denominations or interpretations forming in the Nali culture, a feature highly prominent in early Christianity.

The polytheistic temples are obviously older and in a greater state of disrepair, but they are still being kept up by Nali Priests, and it is obvious through Nali writings that the old Gods are not fully discounted yet. This suggests a sort of transitional phase from a typically more "archaic" polytheistic viewpoint to a more "modern" monotheistic viewpoint.

As peaceful as the Nali are, there are suggestions toward more brutal aspects of their culture. The Dark Arena, a Roman-style coliseum of sorts, appears to be of Nali origin, and situated in view of the large portrait of Vandora, who herself has a vengeful, hot-tempered look characteristic of the attitudes of some Roman deities, is a sacrificial altar complete with a blood groove. What exactly was sacrificed on this altar is unknown, but it is easily large enough for a Nali to lie on. The Dark Arena and Nali Castle both contain dungeons and torture chambers in their basements that appear to be of Nali construction, though they are now under the operation of the Skaarj. This element helps to round out the Nali, and makes them more real than they might otherwise seem as innocent, peaceful natives enslaved by evil invaders.

The Nali will often build tests and trials, of varying lethality, and seem to value sharp awareness of one's surroundings, an ability to interpret riddles, as well as physical dexterity and daring.

The Skaarj have been a major element of Nali culture an ultimately unknown period of time, but it is clear that they have been present for probably several generations. As far back as Chizra the Skaarj are mentioned, with their aquatic cousins, the Slith depicted in carvings and mentioned in writings. There is, however, mention of a time before the presence of the Skaarj, that temples must be purified by the Savior.

The Nali religion is sophisticated and deep, making the Nali themselves far more than the "stereotyped natives" typically attributed to them. As the player progresses, translator messages from various races suggest that the Nali believe the player to be their savior, and that the end of the Sky Demons is at hand. However, later in the series we come to discover that the Nali are still enslaved by the Skaarj, which calls into question the meaning of all this build-up in the original game. Were the Nali simply misled all along? Did the player's actions on the planet have no lasting effects beside helping to spark the Human/Skaarj War that spawned the Tournament?

Unreal has always had a existential bent. Rarely does a story-based Unreal game have a fully happy ending, and there is nearly always a dual nature to everything, so this kind of outcome is not particularly out of character for the series, even if it is a bit depressing.