I always knew I would say goodbye to Nalia when I picked up Imoen, but I thought I would feel better about it. When I replaced Nalia with Imoen, Nalia told me, "I will wait here until you change you mind." Problem was we were in the spellhold maze at the time. I didn't really like leaving her behind I wish she had opted to go back to the copper coronet. Oh well, perhaps she become the new director.
BTW this is was the first time I really missed something in the game (I don't look at walkthoughs or spoilers until after I complete an area) I missed out on the boots of speed and doomplate. Just makes it more of a challenge
Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time
This happens if you have de'Arnise Keep as your stronghold. What happens next I do not know... Also, if you aren't a fighter and if you say goodbye to Nalia immediately after completing de'Arnise Keep, Nalia will stay where you leave it. In other cases, Nalia returns to Copper Corronet. It is sufficient to let Nalia in your party after the final dialog in the de'Arnise Keep (Damned! I am betrohted to Roenall...) and then send her packing immediately.
I dumped Nalia this time thru (EVIL!) after I got her keep and took her back to the Copper Coronet. Then I went and did the slaver quest and she got killed during the fight that follows. I guess I should not have left her sitting in the CC with only a bow (and no arrows).
Yeah, having to leave someone in Spellhold isn't very nice. I guess they assumed you would lose someone around then...
I had to choose between Haer'dalis and Aerie. I would drop one, get as far as I could, drop the other, go back to get the first and repeat...until I couldn't do that anymore. In the end I left Haer'dalis -- I figured he could handle it better and was pretty much insane anyway.
Why take Imoen back anyway? She will doubtless be much lower level than anyone else in your party, and - more importantly - she is the ONLY NPC you can ditch there who WILL find her way back to the Copper Coronet completely unharmed. (How the heck she manages to do that is another question.)
Anyone else you leave there is stuck there for good, so it's more justifiable to tell Imoen to go home, knowing that she alone CAN get home. So, if you feel bad about leaving someone there, then just don't take Imoen back into the party. Her presence isn't integral to the rest of the story and you can finish the game without her.
So Imoen is not part of the story.SHE IS YOUR HALF-SISTER AND HER SOUL WAS STOLEN BY IRENICUS LIKE YOURS.hell, the way things sould be is that you take yoshimo there and you find out about the...Problem with him, sure she is lower in XP but that can be fix by summening a few deamons and killing them.Besides Iomen is a far better thift that nalia, the only thing nalia can get at that time is a Better spell book and a higher level.
Imoen IS part of the story, if not why did you go all that trouble to rescue her.
By Elistree herself........
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"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not became a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss gazes into you..."
Friedrich Nietzsche
I agree with Drakron, though I didn't take Yoshimo (maybe next time...) I had Jan with me most of the time, but left him in Brynnlow just before going to Asylum. So he can catch a ship and go home by himself.
"Strength without wisdom falls by its own weight."
A word to the wise is sufficient Minerva (Semi-retired SYMer)
I took Imoen back because Nalia was the only thief I had in the party at the time. And she's a lousy thief... Imoen can do the two things that a thief is required for, and she can do them well: pick locks, and find traps. She isn't very stealthy, and isn't the greatest pickpocket. But those things don't matter all that much when compared to the aforementioned two. I had the good insight to save up some of the better scrolls I found, instead of wasting them on Nalia. So when Imoen did rejoin, I had plenty of goodies for her. She was only one level lower than Nalia, so it wasn't that big of a loss. And besides, doing a few storyline quests would level her up right quick.
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire
I sacked nalia for mazzy when i was doing the umar hills (i think!) quest. it all went horribly wrong as i left her with no weapons and no armour and she died pretty quickly. so i reloaded and got rid of anomen instead and he managed to make his way back to the copper coronet ok. no romance- but i think i'll live...just!
Drak - Yes, she is your sister. Yes, she IS part of the story, but not necessaruly so after you rescue her. If she is so important to the story then you would HAVE to take her back after rescuing her, right? The game wouldn't be aloowed to continue otherwise, is that not so? You have rescued her from Spellhold which is what you set out to do. Since you know she'll get back home safely what better way to ensure that she doesn't come to any more harm than not risking her life again in the party? If Yoshimo was not in your party how would you feel if you had all six slots taken and had to leave someone to rot in Spellhold?
And I'm not wasting a slot on Yoshimo now I know what he does in Chapter 4. Wasted experience which can go to much better use. What's more he seems to spends more time running away from a fight than anything else.
There are solid arguments for not taking Imoen back into the party whether you are roleplaying or just want to maintain party strength. If she couldn't get out of Spellhold and find her way back then it would be a different matter, but she does and no-one else dropped from the party can. Your argument suggests that you MUST take Yoshimo with you so that there will be a spare slot after ..er..what happens. Personally, I don't want him in the party after exiting the dungeon.
I wish she had opted to go back to the copper coronet. Oh well, perhaps she become the new director.
