Nila is a firbolg druid member of the Guiatao Clan. Nila is played by Sumalee Montano.
Description[]
Appearance[]
Nila is a seven-and-a-half foot tall firbolg, weighing about 200 lbs. She has a round face with a wide nose and soft, floppy ears. She wears Mongolian-inspired robes similar to a shepherd's clothes.[2]
Personality[]
Nila is naive and sheltered, having very little experience with the world beyond her firbolg tribe. By her own admission, she had never been in a fight before, but due to her son's kidnapping, displayed an eagerness and fierce determination to kill if it meant finding him and getting revenge on Lorenzo and the Iron Shepherds. While Nila is very wise and full of self-affirming advice, she is lacking in practical knowledge and people skills. For instance, though she speaks fluent Common, she did not know any swear words prior to meeting the Mighty Nein. Nila is also shown to be indecisive at times, often consulting her smelling pouch to help her make decisions and longing for its guidance when she is unable to access it. This indecision however evaporates completely when her family is threatened and anything in her way - be it doors, people or metal bars - aren't strong enough to stop her resolve to save them.
Biography[]
Background[]
Because the Guiatao Clan did not rely on her or her powers and wanted to keep her occupied at a distance, Nila had been put in charge of tending to the mosses surrounding their tribe. Moss being hardy and easy to grow, this task cemented in her mind the want to prove to herself and to the tribe in a big way the she could be relied upon in some greater capacity.[3]
"Converging Fury" (2x27)[]
Nila first appeared to the Mighty Nein in the form of a horse (using Wild Shape), and explained to the group that she had lost her son and mate to the Iron Shepherds, and was in pursuit of them in order to save her family. She also expressed grief over the fact that Mollymauk had died, and had watched the battle take place, but did not help them because she did not know if she could trust them.
"Within the Nest" (2x28)[]
Nila was happy to meet another firbolg in Caduceus Clay, though she had no prior knowledge of his family.
Upon freeing her partner Kitor and her son Asar from their cages in The Sour Nest, Nila felt an overwhelming desire to return home - but also felt as though she had an obligation to stay with the group to help them save Jester, Yasha and Fjord. Beau convinced her not to using the reasoning that she needed to stay safe for her family's sake. She left the Mighty Nein behind and headed south with her family. Nila promised Caduceus that the Guiatao Clan would look over the temple in the Blooming Grove.[4]
After the Mighty Nein[]
Nila returned to the Guiatao clan and had another child.[5]
Relationships[]
Nila in Crit Recap Animated
Guiatao Clan[]
According to Nila, the Guiatao Clan never saw her as someone they could rely on. She believed that there was always another firbolg in the clan who was more capable than her, and she preferred supporting her clan to being a leader.[6]
Kitor[]
Kitor is Nila’s mate. They appear to have a close bond, as Nila was willing to fight ferociously to save him and their son, and they embraced upon his rescue.[7] He agreed with Nott that Nila is "impressive."[8]
Asar[]
Asar is Nila’s five-year-old son.[9] Asar’s capture by the Iron Shepherds drove Nila to take up arms and leave her home for the first time.[10] Her love for Asar made her willing to fight and kill to protect him, to the point that she tore open the cage that imprisoned him with her bare hands.[11]
Character information[]
Abilities[]
Feats[]
- Lucky[12]
Firbolg abilities[]
- Firbolg Magic
- Hidden Step
- Powerful Build
- Speech of Beast and Leaf
Druid abilities[]
- Druidic
- Druid Circle (Circle of the Shepherd)
- Speech of the Woods
- Spirit Totem
- Ritual Casting
- Spellcasting
- Wild Shape
Druid spells[]
Nila knows three druid cantrips and has access to 1st- through 3rd-level druid spells. As a 5th level druid, Nila can prepare up to 9 of these spells each day.
Cantrips[]
1st-level[]
2nd-level[]
3rd-level[]
- Call Lightning[23]
Notable items[]
- Nila's Smell Bag. Dubbed "stink pouch" by Caleb[24], this bag contained a mix of:
- Nuts and berries from trees she had saved, nurtured and help grow[25]
- Bark from trees the Guiatao Clan considered sacred[26]
- Bones and teeth from animals she had befriended[27]
- The dried up and crumbled into powder placenta from when she was pregnant with her son Asar[28]
- Mosses she had tended to[29]
- A tall shillelagh /quarterstaff topped with two prongs that made up a slingshot
- A necklace of six red feathers, each of these representing one of her tribe members (one of these feathers was given to Beau)[30]
Appearances and mentions[]
- Campaign Two
- "Found & Lost" (2x26), mentioned only (first mentioned)
- "Converging Fury" (2x27) (first appearance)
- "Within the Nest" (2x28)
- "The Journey Home" (2x30), mentioned only
- Specials
- "Guest Battle Royale" (Sx64)
Quotations[]
- "When someone dies in my clan we know that their spirit never leaves. It just gets returned to nature, which is why we protect nature so fiercely. I have lost people before. I find ways to see them in nature, sometimes just the leaves on the trees. I pick one leaf and I know that it is a spirit waving to me. Your friend is here. He has not left."
- "I will summon lightning from the sky and fry him, destroy him! And I can do it again and again and again![31]
Trivia[]
- A major inspiration for Nila was Sumalee's father, a tree-hugger.[32]
- Every once in a while, when Nila is bored, she's tempted to nibble on things in her smell bag.[33]
References[]
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 1:42:51.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 0:40:16.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 3:51:03.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 1:42:55.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 1:08:14.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 3:49:39.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 3:50:30.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 49:48.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) from 44:59 through 46:15.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 3:45:07.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 3:41:24. Nila uses the Lucky feat to reroll a stealth check.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 2:19:10. Sumalee expresses the desire to cast Druidcraft.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 1:38:00.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 1:55:34.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 2:11:18. Nila gives a goodberry to Beauregard.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) from 2:37:41 through 2:23:02. Nila casts Speak with Animals.
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 3:43:20. Nila casts Healing Word
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 1:16:10. Nila casts Pass Without Trace.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).[citation needed]
- ↑ See "Guest Battle Royale" (Sx64) at 3:07:01.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 0:47:57. Nila describes a spell she has access to, consistent with Call Lightning.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 1:42:48.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #76: 'Converging Fury' and 'Within the Nest'" (TMx76).
- ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 3:52:00 through 3:53:39.
- ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) from 47:59 through 48:25.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 1:39:56.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 1:41:55.
Art:
- ↑ Official portrait of Nila, by Ari (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Official art of Nila, by Ari (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Nila, by shalizeh7 (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Nila reunited with Asar, by Sam Hogg (source). Used with permission.
| ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||