Nyalda

Nyalda as depicted in *Ride Like The Wind*.

Nyalda is the Earth Queen, and the second wife of Elmal. As such she is worshipped by both Riders and Wheels, although the former respect her more. In the stories of Yelm, Nyalda is variously described as his concubine, an attendant of the Empress Oria, and Oria's daughter. Ekarna is Nyalda's attendant, and Busenari and Uryarda are her spiritual sisters or daughters, depending on the myth. Nyalda was initially hostile to Zarlen, Elmal's son by the Wheel Witch, but accepted him when he proved himself.

## Ride Like the Wind

### Worship

You can build a shrine or a temple to Nyalda. Her blessings include:

* Bless Children: Increases the fertility of our women.
* Cooperation: Enhances venture effects.
* Crafting: Helps basketmakers, potters, and weavers produce more.
* Hospitality: Eases dealing with guests and allows more feasts.

The treasure the Nyalda Stone allows you to maintain a shrine or temple to Nyalda with fewer worshippers.

If you build a temple to Nyalda, you may see the event Nyalda Temple Request.

### On the Circle

    A worshipper of Nyalda on the clan circle allows you to put more magic into Fields during Sacred Time. No other god provides this benefit.

In noble selection screens and on the clan circle, her worshippers' portraits are marked with the Earth Rune.

### Lore

Your advisors have much to say about Nyalda:

* "When the gods chose their sacred animals, Nyalda used the Earth Rune to pact with Mother Snake , who brought all the scaled beasts with her."
* "Nyalda's magic frightens the plant folk , because they do not want to be tied to furrows, or eaten like vegetables."
* "The  Elf Queen and Earth Queen were once friends, until the Elf Queen said, 'I don't care if your people eat."
* "Nyalda married Elmal, gaining protection and granting him greatness."
* "Had Nyalda not accompanied Elmal on the exodus, our ancestors would not have survived."
* "Wheels say Nyalda is not Elmal's equal, but only his helpmate."
* "The herd mothers and the grain mothers are all Nyalda's children. She loves them all."
* "Nyalda gives calm and purpose to blazing Elmal."
* "When Elmal showed Nyalda Earth Mother how to protect herself from pounding hail, she left her useless husbands and married him."
* "Inilla can sense the presence of caves, which Nyalda makes for her to hide in."
* "In Elmal, Nyalda found a guardian who would fight to protect her."
* "A council without a voice for the Earth Mother will lose its connection to the land."
* "The great goddess allies with as many gods as she can. We should follow her example."
* "The Great Mother aids all who bow properly before her."
* "The earth has always been helpmate to the sun. Without both, we would wander and starve."
* "When Hyalor asked Nyalda to join us in the exodus, she told him, “We must no longer be below you, but rather beside you.”"
* "Ernalda and Nyalda are not so different as we like to think."
* "If [the Daughters of Vingkot] are priestesses, they worship Nyalda like we do. They just call her by a different name."
* "The food goddesses ringed themselves around the Earth Mother. Busenari gave milk as a sacrifice. Pela gave barley."

### Myths

Nyalda's main myth is Nyalda's Bride Price, which is the basis for the ritual Nyalda Marriage Maker.

She also appears in Inilla and the Golden Bush, Zarlen's First Wander, and Busenari Finds the Light .