Leaders

Your leaders are the pool of elite clan members from whom you can choose the members of your circle, the questers for rituals, the leaders of ventures as well as exploration and trade missions, emissaries to other clans, and even the person you want to handle individual events. Non-circle members can be selected for most of these tasks, although circle members do have an edge at many of them; you may prefer to choose non-circle members for those tasks that will keep them away from the clan for significant periods of time.

Nobles are also characters with their own personalities. One may be chronically indecisive, another obsessed with goats, a third gentle to the point of softheartedness—and these characteristics may affect their actions. Leaders age, grow more skilled, and eventually die. Young women leaders may receive marriage offers which, if you accept, will take them away from the clan. Anyone can die in random events, and elderly leaders may die of natural causes.

New leaders will occasionally appear throughout the game, as children are initiated as adults and adults gain in skill and wisdom.

## Religion

All your nobles are either worshippers of particular gods, or shamans focused on spirits. This influences how good they are at certain tasks. For a combat-related mission, you should probably choose a worshipper of Elmal or Osara rather than a worshipper of Erissa. Shamans have the best success capturing spirits, while Zarlen worshippers are the best explorers.

Your clan doesn't worship all the gods, even all the solar gods, and some of your gods are not important enough to you for your nobles to dedicate themselves to. In *Ride Like the Wind*, the the possible religions for your nobles are:

* Elmal, god of war and the sun, chieftain of the solar gods. His worshippers tend to be skilled in Combat.
* Nyalda, the Earth Queen, wife to Elmal.
* Hyalor, your founder and lawgiver.
* Gamari, goddess of horses.
* Busenari, goddess of cows.
* Uryarda, goddess of goats.
* Osara, the Flame Sister, is Elmal's daughter and patron of female warriors. Her worshippers are capable of performing the greatest number of rituals of any nobles.
* Zarlen, Elmal's son, god of explorers. His worshippers are among the best at exploring unknown territory.
* Inilla, Elmal and Nyalda's daughter, goddess of foragers. Her worshippers are by far the best to send on foraging missions, and tend to have strong Food skill. They are also surprisingly good at Combat.
* Dostal, Inilla's husband, god of hunting.
* Erissa, goddess of healing. Her worshippers tend to be skilled in Magic.
* Ekarna, goddess of trade. Her worshippers tend to be skilled in Bargaining.
* Relandar, god of learning. His worshippers tend to be skilled in Lore (and proud of that skill).
* Shamans focus on spirits rather than any one god. They have a different skillset and outlook than other nobles, and tend to be among the strongest magicians in a clan.
* Raven shamans, called tricksters, are constant troublemakers but can also be extremely useful. They are also very rare; you will never have more than one at a time.

Your pantheon has changed significantly in the generations between the first game and the second. In *Lights Going Out*, possible cults for your nobles include:

* Elmal, now seen as Orlanth's loyal adopted brother, ruling and protecting in his absence.
* Ernalda, dead goddess of the Earth and queen of the divine tribe.
* Orlanth, dead god of Storm and king of the divine tribe.
* Chalana Arroy, goddess of healing.
* Dostal, god of hunting.
* Eurmal, the Trickster, whose rare worshippers are sacred troublemakers like Raven shamans.
* Humakt, god of death, war, oaths and endings.
* Inilla, goddess of foraging.
* Issaries, dead god of trade.
* Lhankor Mhy, dead god of wisdom and knowledge.
* Osara, goddess of female warriors and archery, and bane of bandits.
* Redalda, your founding queen, deified as the goddess of horse-riding and diplomacy, who keeps the domains of dead gods alive.
* Uralda, the Cow Mother.
* Urox, foe of Chaos.
* Voriof, god of shepherds.
* Shamans, still likely your strongest magicians.
* Ancestors, while individually weak spirits, hold the collective power of a minor god.

## Families

Each noble has a family. This is most important when it comes to choosing your circle members, as you will suffer various penalties for failing to represent all available families on the circle. This consideration no longer applies in *Lights Going Out*.

## Skills

* Bargaining: Skill at trading and evaluating goods.
* Combat: Fighting ability.
* Diplomacy: Skill at negotiating and dealing with people.
* Food: Knowledge of plants and animals.
* Leadership: Ability to inspire others and command loyalty and obedience.
* Lore: Knowledge of history and law.
* Magic: Ability to work spells, bargain with spirits, and reach the gods.

From best to worst, nobles may be Heroic, Renowned, Excellent, Very Good, Good, or Fair at a given skill. Any skill weaker than Fair isn't worth mentioning, and won't show up on a noble's description at all.

Various combinations of skills will be tested as well. For example, a skilled forager needs both high Food and high Lore to be effective, while a hunter needs Food and Combat.

Most challenges will test the most skilled member of the clan ring, although a few will test a single emissary or explorer instead.

## Increasing Skills

All leaders gradually increase in skill over time. Relander's **Instruction** blessing will slightly increase the rate at which this happens. Various random events can also increase leaders' skills. Shamans may encounter spirits offering to teach them secrets while searching for spirits, which increases their Magic.

Rituals can increase the skills of the quester, although this works best if the quester is already reasonably good at those skills and also requires giving up another benefit from the ritual. Additionally, there are limits on who you can choose as a quester, and therefore to who you can boost in this manner: shamans (Raven or otherwise) cannot be chosen as a primary quester, and most rituals are restricted to either men or women. Finally, each ritual boosts a set pair of skills, and there is no ritual that increases Magic.

Ritual Skill Boosts
 Combat
Elmal Path Guardian

 Diplomacy
 Leadership
Hyalor Tablet Maker
Elmal Path Guardian (Osaran only)
 Lore
Nyalda Marriage Maker

## Personality

Your nobles' personalities influence not only the advice they give, but the actions they take on their own and their chances of success at certain tasks.

For example, if your best diplomat also fervently hates the Wheels, you might not want to send her to propose an alliance to a Wheel clan.  And a harsh character who recommends never letting up on your enemies is likelier to succeed at intimidating someone than one who always advises mercy.

Some events will only trigger if a noble with the right personality or religion is on the circle.

## Heroes

A few of your leaders have ongoing stories attached to them. On this wiki they are called heroes, although that term has a somewhat wider meaning as well.

These special leaders are listed in the heroes category.

## Portraits

*For more, see Portrait Gallery.*

Portrait set of an Erissan healer.Portrait set of a trader, typically used for a man who worships Ekarna.Portrait set of a herder, used for women who worship Gamari, Busenari or Uryarda, the animal mothers. Note the horsehead broach that she wears throughout her life!Portrait set of a divine magician, usually used for an Elmal worshipper.Portrait set of a divine magician, typically used for a worshipper of Nyalda or Gamari.Portrait set of an Osaran warrior woman.Portrait set of a male noble, typically a worshipper of Elmal or Hyalor. Note the gold plaques—such things typically adorn a Rider's Honor Belt, but a sufficiently wealthy or accomplished person may run out of room!Portrait set of a female noble, typically used for a worshipper of Nyalda or Gamari, the most important goddesses in the Riders' pantheon. Note the headpiece she wears throughout her life, and the gold plaques that end up joining it on her hat as an old (and rich) woman.Portrait set of a shaman. Unlike other portrait sets, shamans' portraits are unisex, and can be used for either men or women over different playthroughs.Portrait set of a shaman.Portrait set of a shaman.Portrait set of a shaman.Portrait set of a male Raven trickster. Although they are shamans, Raven's followers don't present themselves as androgynously as other Hyaloring shamans.Raven trickster. Raven shamans, like Antler Society members, may occasionally sport beards—typical of Hyaloring men, but unusual for Hyaloring shamans. .Raven trickster. Note the skulls and bird decorations!Raven trickster. Note the beaked headdress!Portrait set of the hero Ayvtu. Ayvtu always has the same portrait set, but her personality and starting skills vary within certain limits (she can never be a pacifist, but may or may not aspire to Pure Horse ways; she's always good at Magic, but may start at Excellent in one playthrough and Very Good in another).Portrait set of the hero Yatakan.