Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
From Mass Effect Wiki
| Tali'Zorah nar Rayya Quarian Flotilla | |
| |
| Tali inside the Normandy | |
| Species: | Quarian |
| Rank/Title: | Machinist |
| Location: | SSV Normandy engineering |
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is a quarian and a member of Commander Shepard's squad. Though young, Tali is a mechanical genius. She is on her Pilgrimage, a rite of passage to prove her worth and bring something of value back to her people aboard the Migrant Fleet. Her class is Quarian Machinist, similar to the Engineer class.
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is voiced by Liz Sroka.
Contents |
Talents
- Pistols
- Shotguns (unlocked at Pistols 6)
- Basic Armor (can use Quarian Light armor)
- First Aid (unlocked at Basic Armor 5)
- Electronics
- Damping (unlocked at Electronics 4)
- Decryption
- Hacking (unlocked at Decryption 7)
Class: Quarian Machinist
Dossier
On her way, Tali was shot and had to go to the Med Clinic for treatment. She told Dr. Chloe Michel she wanted to trade her information to the Shadow Broker in exchange for a hiding place, but was double-crossed by Fist who was working for Saren. She was expecting to meet the Shadow Broker in person but met a "messenger" with a group of assassins. Tali threw a tech proximity mine to defend herself, and was aided by the timely arrival of Commander Shepard's team.
To repay the commander for saving her life, Tali presented the proof that Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson needed to get Saren's Spectre status revoked. Tali's data also provided the first mention of the ancient machine race called the Reapers, who hunted the Protheans to extinction, and the mysterious Conduit. Wanting to help fight the geth and prove herself, Tali then joined Shepard's team.
Tali talks about life as a quarian nomad, her Pilgrimage and the ramshackle three-hundred-year old vessels in the quarian Migrant Fleet. Her mother died five years ago due to an airborne virus and although Tali is sad about this loss, such deaths are an unfortunate fact of life aboard the Flotilla. She also reveals that her father is the head of the Admiralty Board - the highest authority of the quarian people - meaning everyone has high hopes for Tali's Pilgrimage.
Tali also offers some insight into the geth: why the quarians originally created them, how they rebelled, and how the neural network functions. She explains that her people struck first to try and stop the geth before the war started, but underestimated how far the geth had developed. Shepard can debate this with her, pointing out that the quarians basically attempted genocide against another sentient species.
If Shepard treats Tali with respect, the quarian is very grateful, explaining that her people are usually treated like second-class citizens. On Virmire, at the salarian camp, Tali is nervous about the upcoming assault on the base, but promises she will 'fight with fire' for Shepard's sake. After the mutiny, when Shepard steals the Normandy and heads to Ilos, Tali enjoys the adventure of it all, but wonders what the Council would do if the Citadel Fleet caught up with them. Shepard is sure Tali's father would pull strings to keep his little girl out of jail, but Tali isn't convinced: stealing ships is a capital offence amongst the quarians, stating that "he'd probably want to execute us himself."
If Tali goes with Shepard to Ilos, she finds the planet eerie and feels as if they are trespassing there. She claims the quarians once tried to find Ilos as a new potential homeworld, but they never expected it to feel so unwelcome. After speaking to Vigil, Tali is saddened by what happened to the Protheans - like her people, the Protheans tried to fight back against the machines, but eventually lost everything.
Missions and Assignments
When Commander Shepard is completing UNC: Geth Incursions, to clear the geth from the Armstrong Nebula, a cache of data is found in a terminal, detailing the early days of the geth.
Once back aboard the Normandy, Tali asks Shepard to give her a copy of the data. Though it is heavily encrypted and might take years to decipher, it is a perfect gift for her Pilgrimage. Shepard can refuse - this is classified Alliance data, after all - or agree to her request, hoping the Alliance doesn't find out. Obviously, if Tali receives a copy of the data she will be very happy (it will enable her to return to her people once the mission is over) but if Shepard refuses, Tali says she will help catch Saren, but leave the crew afterwards.
Mass Effect 2
Tali has been confirmed to return as a squad member in Mass Effect 2 and has been shown accompanying Shepard and Jacob Taylor on Illium during their search for Thane. She appears to have modified or changed her environmental suit.[1]
Trivia
- Quarian names are comprised of three parts - the quarian's given name and clan name, the title ('nar' means 'child of', while 'vas', adopted after the quarian has completed their Pilgrimage and joined a ship, means 'crew of') and the name of their ship. Therefore 'Tali'Zorah nar Rayya' means 'Tali of the clan Zorah, child of [born aboard] the Rayya'.
- In some close-ups of Tali's face, it is possible to see her face through her breathing mask, but only her eyes and nose are visible. What can be seen appears very similar to humans. The rest of Tali's face has yet to, and may never be, revealed.
- The lower portion of Tali's helmet bears a distinct resemblance to the "flashlight heads" characteristic of geth troops; likely a hallmark of quarian design.
- Tali carries a knife strapped to her boot.
- Tali sometimes exclaims "Keelah!" when shocked. This could be some sort of religious oath, or refer to one of her ancestors; or it is simply a quarian expletive.
|
|
