A threat to crops and forests

This is a ritual which can only be attempted at the marriage of Beren the Tall to Redalda. Unlike other rituals, there is no corresponding in-game myth.

At this point, the game has effectively been won. But this ritual may determine whether it is an unalloyed triumph or a more bittersweet victory...

## Benefits

The game ends directly after this ritual's completion, so you will not see any benefit from this ritual in *Ride Like the Wind*. However, you may earn a divine blessing to pass on to the descendants of your clan.

Depending on your actions and choices, you can gain a blessing against Chaos or dwarves , a blessing of strength from piety, Ernalda's blessing for those of your clan who take the Earth rune, a vengeance blessing, or a mysterious "bloodthirsty gift".

## Quester

Your questers are decided for you: your hero Beren and his bride, the Ram priestess Redalda. However, their stats, as well as other factors such as clan magic, Sacred Time ritual allocation, and more, can still affect the success of their choices and the ritual as a whole.

## Walkthrough

What path you should take through the ritual depends on what blessing you seek to gain.

* To earn a blessing against Chaos, you must successfully fight the chaos monster in the third stage. Either **fighting it** alone or **rallying the dwarves** will work. Then, when Ernalda asks what you want to be remembered for, choose **beating the Chaos creature**.
* For a blessing of unity, **rally the dwarves** in the third section. This is easiest if you chose to **teach them to live in harmony with the earth** in the second part, and may be impossible if you fought them instead. Finally, ask Ernalda to be **remembered for achieving unity with strangers**.
* For a blessing against dwarves, in the second section you should have Beren **fight the first rank** of the dwarves or **demand to fight a dwarven champion,** or else have Redalda **attack magically** instead. You can get the blessing without **trying to slay Mostal** in the third stage, but it doesn't hurt as long as you fought the dwarves earlier. Finally, ask to be remembered for **prevailing against dwarves**.
* Another blessing against dwarves (or perhaps the same one) can be achieved by having **Beren fight the iron trees** in the first section, then asking for this to be remembered. This choice appears even if you were otherwise conciliatory towards the dwarves.
* To be remembered as earth protectors, have **Beren shield Ernalda** in the first stage of the ritual.
* For a vengeance blessing granting strength when you raid those who have raided you in the past, have Redalda **call on Babeester** in the first stage of the ritual, and choose this as the thing you most want remembered.
* For your descendants to draw strength from their piety, have Redalda **strengthen Ernalda with fervent worship** in the first section, then ask that this be remembered in the last.
* To earn Ernalda's blessing for those of your people who choose the rune of Earth, simply ask that **her bounty** be remembered in the final stage.
* For the bloodthirsty gift that is not Ernalda's, have Redalda **teach the dwarves to live in harmony with the earth**, then **attempt to slay Mostal**. Note that this course of action will displease Ernalda, although she declines to actively punish it.

## Dialogue

The ritual force of the wedding ceremony allows Beren to sheathe his horse in a mantle of flame. Redalda climbs on behind him and holds on as he rides the sky. She directs him to a faraway place where some dread force has turned the plants to iron. The Ram earth goddess, Ernalda, shakes the earth beneath the roots of encroaching, unnatural trees. What do the freshly wedded heroes do to help?

1. Beren fells trees with his fiery sword.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Skirmish. War magic aids choice. Clans whose first god was Yelm get a bonus.*
2. Beren shields her from jagged branches.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Skirmish. War magic aids choice. Clans whose first god was Yelm get a bonus.*
3. Redalda calls Ernalda's kinswoman, Babeester the Axe.
*Tests Redalda: Magic vs. Divine. Ritual magic aids choice. Clans whose first god was Nyalda get a bonus.*
4. Redalda strengthens Ernalda with fervent worship.
*Tests Redalda: Magic vs. Divine. Ritual magic aids choice. Clans whose first god was Nyalda get a bonus.*

Ernalda says that the iron plants can only have been sent by dwarves, who seek to enslave the earth by transforming it into lifeless metal. She tells Beren and Redalda how to find their underground lair. Riding Beren's horse, they penetrate to the throne room of Mostal Dwarfking. What do they do to make the dwarves relent?

1. Beren attacks the first rank of dwarf soldiers.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Skirmish. War magic aids this choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves get a bonus.*
2. Beren demands to fight a dwarf champion.*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Duel. War magic aids this choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves get a bonus.*
3. Redalda commands their stone passageways to turn against them. *Tests Redalda: Magic vs. Divine. Ritual magic aids this choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves get a bonus.*
4. Redalda says, "Let me show you how to live in harmony with the earth."
*Tests Redalda: WedCultures (probably Diplomacy + Lore) vs. Foreignness. Diplomacy magic aids choice. Clans who chose Seventeen Banner Camp as their Famous Event in Clan Creation get a bonus.*

Dwarves retreat in horror as a bizarre beast, half machine, half corrupt fungal flesh, bursts through the wall of their bunker. What do Beren and Redalda do?

1. Flee.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Duel. War magic aids choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves get a bonus.*
2. Fight it.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Duel. War magic aids choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the forces of Chaos get a bonus.*
3. Rally the dwarves and battle it together.
*Tests Redalda: WedCultures (probably Diplomacy + Lore) vs. Foreignness. Dipomacy magic aids choice. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves take a penalty. This choice is easier if you befriended the dwarves by having Redalda teach them to live in harmony with the earth, and harder if you fought them instead.*
4. Take advantage of the distraction to slay the dwarf king.
*Tests Beren: Combat vs. Elusiveness. War magic helps. Clans whose ancestral enemies are the dwarves get a bonus to this choice.*

Redalda and Beren returned to Ernalda to find that the iron plants had turned to nutritious ash, which the earth was now absorbing. The goddess offered them a reward, asking "What do you wish your descendants to remember of your deeds this day?"

1. "How we beat that Chaos creature."
2. "How we achieved unity with strangers." *Requires rallying the dwarves.*
3. "How we prevailed against dwarves." *Requires fighting the dwarves.*
4. "Beren's fights against the iron trees." *Requires success at option #1 in the first stage of the ritual.*
5. "How Beren shielded Ernalda." *Requires success at option #2 in the first stage of the ritual.*
6. "How Redalda called Babeester the Axe." *Requires success at option #3 in the first stage of the ritual.*
7. "How Redalda aided Ernalda with fervent worship." *Requires success at option #4 in the first stage of the ritual.*
8. "Let them remember your bounty." *This option always appears.*

*Alternate version (requires choosing the "harmony with the earth" option and then attempting to slay Mostal):*

Ernalda summons Redalda to her side. "You invoked the harmony of the earth, won over the dwarves, and then callously betrayed them. Your man will pass a gift onto his descendants––a bloodthirsty gift that is not mine. I shall not punish you further on your wedding day. But nor will I reward you, my heedless daughter."

Rituals