Lanaya

“For now, the clan is all I need. My old world could not have offered me all this and the knowledge of a keeper, as well.”

Lanaya is Keeper Zathrian's First.

Background

Lanaya's parents worked for a human merchant. When she was still a young child, their caravan was attacked by bandits and she was the only one who survived. She was forced to serve as a "servant" to the bandits for several years.

When the Dalish clan passed near the bandit camp, the bandits killed a scout. The clan's keeper, Zathrian, discovered him, and tracked down his killers, slaughtering them all. Zathrian took pity when he saw Lanaya, and took her back to the clan, where she chose to remain.

Becoming Zathrian's first was difficult for Lanaya, as she was not born into the clan and so did not have the strong, pure blood that keepers would normally have. Over time, Lanaya proved herself competent and worthy of the post, and the prejudices of the clan faded away. Zathrian himself speaks quite highly of Lanaya, saying she is more than ready to take the position of keeper.

Involvement

When asked, Lanaya will talk to the Warden about the history of the Dalish elves, about her own personal history, about the nature of keepers, and about Zathrian. She will also comment on actions the Warden takes around the Dalish Camp.

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

If Zathrian dies to end the werewolf curse and the Dalish elves join the Warden's forces during the Fifth Blight:

If Zathrian dies, Lanaya will become the clan's new keeper. She will lead the Dalish, who will be welcomed by humans because of their involvement in the Battle of Denerim. Conflicts will flare up however, and Lanaya will be instrumental in keeping the peace.

Quests

The Battle of Denerim

Clan attitude

Conversing with Lanaya gives an opportunity to affect the Clan Attitude global variable, which is a measure of the clan's approval of you.

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

If the player caused Cammen and Gheyna to split up during the Cammen's Lament quest, Lanaya will ask why. Responding with either, "Because I enjoyed it.", "There was profit in it." or "My motivations are none of your business." decreases Clan Attitude.

Quotes

(On humans) "A poet once wrote of them, before the fall of the Dales: 'Like Dragons they fly, glory upon wings. Like dragons they savage, fearsome pretty things.'"

Dialogue

Lanaya: "I had to compete against the other candidates for first, to be better than them in everything simply because I was not of the old blood."
Warden: "Do they resent your success?"
Lanaya: "No. Zathrian told me that time would take away their prejudices, and it did."

Notes

Lanaya's personal attitude towards the Warden increases by one point when each of the following dialogue points is reached:

1. "I came to the Dalish at a very young age, but I've always retained my curiosity about the world I came from."

2. "I can only imagine what would have happened had the clan not saved me from them. I owe them my life for that. And more."

3. "When he saw me, the fury in his eyes turned to pity. He took me back to the clan and I have been here ever since."

4. "For now, the clan is all I need. My old world could not have offered me all this and the knowledge of a keeper, as well."

5. "The clan has placed great trust in me. One day, I will lead them and be the one who secures our future."

If she is asked about Zathrian and what he has lost, a check against the player's coercion is made. If her personal attitude is at five points, then a Persuasion level of 2 is needed for the check to be successful. If her personal attitude is less than 5, then a Persuasion level of 6 is needed.
Opening the chest behind Lanaya three times causes her to stop speaking to you.