Like in King of Dragon Pass, all games begin with the task of defining the clan you will assume control over. There are no objectively right or wrong choices here, but what you pick will significantly impact how your clan is structured and what they are skilled at.
Clan creation is somewhat different in each Six Ages game.
Ride Like the Wind[]
First Choice: Favored Golden Age God[]
Which of the gods did they favor?
- Emperor Yelm, shining above the Golden Empire.
You start with a shrine to Elmal and know his Protection blessing. - Nyalda, the great Earth Mother, whose bounty made sure no one was ever hungry.
You start with a shrine to Nyalda and know her Crafting blessing.
Second Choice: God support[]
Which famous event of the gods did your ancestors support?
This question allows you to give a bit of background history to your clan and determine what skill your clan members are especially known for.
- The Milk Gift of Busenari, the Cow Mother.
Your clan will have extra skill in Food.
The ritual Busenari Light Finder will be easier.
You will start with Busenari's Milk Blessing. - The Battle of Akashar, when shining Elmal saw through the strategems of the Changer.
Your clan will have extra skill in Combat.
The ritual Elmal Guards the Sunpath will be easier.
You will start with Elmal's Steadfast blessing. - Seventeen Banner Camp, when wise Relandar advised Korlavus how to ally the bird riders.
Your clan will have extra skill in Diplomacy.
Certain ritual paths will be easier.
You start with Relander's Advice blessing. - When Buseryan engraved the first ledger tracking the planets in motion.
Your clain will have extra skill in Lore.
Certain ritual paths will be easier.
You start with Relander's Clan Lore blessing. - When Erissa first sang the Bone Mending Ballad for Keskor Breng.
Your clan will have extra skill in Magic.
Dealings with Erissa's followers will be easier.
You start with Erissa's Healing blessing. - The Grain Contest of Erkonus, where the barley goddess Pela prevailed over millet and beezil.
Your clan will have extra skill in Food.
Some ventures are easier.
You start with Pela's Bless Barley. - The Brass Bazaar, where Ekarna acted as broker between Nida Mountain and Genert's Garden.
Your clan will have extra skill in Bargaining.
The ritual Ekarna Four Trader will be easier.
You start with Ekarna's Market blessing. - When the Werris Mur joined us as citizens.
Your clan will have extra skill in Leadership.
Some ritual paths are easier.
You start with Nyalda's Cooperation blessing.
Third Choice: Historical Enemy[]
What was the worst danger your ancestors faced at this time?
This question determines who your historic enemy is. You seem to get a bonus at fighting them, and will be expected to fight this force, as opposed to making nice to them. Failure to live up to tradition can hurt your clan magic, as well as mood.
- Trolls fled the Underworld to the surface darkness. Always hungry, they tried to devour the herds: Your ancestral enemies are trolls.
- A great flood drowned the Empire. We helped Anaxial the Sailor build a great ship to save civilization: Your ancestral enemies are the Forces of Water. You know the details of Taming the River.
- The War of Many Suns, when pretenders to the solar throne fought to assert control over our Golden City, Nivorah : Your ancestral enemies are the Dara Happans . You start with an allied Wheel clan.
- The Ram People marched on the Empire, razing the city of Elempur. We helped the Emperor avenge it: Your ancestral enemies are the Vingkotlings . You have an additional battle ritual to use against them.
- When the City of Chimes wanted to surrender to the Scorpion Queen, we gave them heart: Your ancestral enemies are the forces of Chaos.
- Our worst danger came later: This puts the decision off until later, and gives you a choice of:
- The Plant Folk, also called elves
- The Stone Folk, also called dwarves
- The Ram People, followers of the demigod Vingkot, son of the storm god Orlanth
- The Night Men, also called trolls.
It does not make any difference if you choose the Trolls or Ram People at the first chance or the second. Note that picking the Ram People will make the game harder.
Fourth Choice: God brought out of Nivorah[]
Your ancestors had trained horses to ride. Others drove chariots. Everyone had to leave many of their gods behind. Which god did you bring?
- Buseryan, god of writing
- Tepekos, god of smiths
- Narva, goddess of brewing
- Perondeto, god of glassmaking
- Nocheli, goddess of the red-dye insect.
Consequences of the God Choice seem to be as follows:
| Name of God | Shrine | Extra Magic Allocation at Sacred Time | Exotic Good | Trade event. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buseryan | Yes | None | None | Clan will ask you to read something for them. May ask for many different things in payment, herds, goods, magic, horses, or let it go for nothing (diplomacy boost) |
| Tepekos | No | 1 more possible for crafting | None | Special trade deal. If accepted, you will get 40 goods right off the bat and will have a craft stress for the next 7 years. Over that time, the craft stress will cost you about 50 goods. You may haggle for a better deal. Acceptance boosts relations with the other clan, refusal hurts it. |
| Narva | No | 1 more possible for diplomacy | None | Special trade deal. If accepted, you will get 40 goods right off the bat and will have a craft stress for the next 7 years. Over that time, the craft stress will cost you about 50 goods. You may haggle for a better deal. Acceptance boosts relations with the other clan, refusal hurts it. |
| Perondeto | No | None | Glass | Special trade deal. If accepted, you will get 40 goods right off the bat and will have a craft stress for the next 7 years. Over that time, the craft stress will cost you about 50 goods. You may haggle for a better deal. Acceptance boosts relations with the other clan, refusal hurts it. |
| Nocheli | No | None | Red Dye | Special trade deal. If accepted, you will get 40 goods right off the bat and will have a craft stress for the next 7 years. Over that time, the craft stress will cost you about 50 goods. You may haggle for a better deal. Acceptance boosts relations with the other clan, refusal hurts it. |
Fifth Choice: leaders of the second migration[]
This choice influences your starting resources as well as giving you knowledge of a Gods War ritual.
Which group was your ancestors?
- The most warlike.
You will start with 10 extra Swords (professional warriors, not weapons), and know the ritual Elmal Path Guardian. - The best herders.
You will start with 50 more herds. If you chose the Milk Blessing as your Famous Event you know Busenari Light Finder, and otherwise you know Gamari Horse Mother. - The wealthiest.
You will start with 50 extra goods and know the ritual Ekarna Four Trader. - The best magicians.
You start with five extra points of Clan Magic and one extra starting spirit. You know the ritual Nyalda Marriage Maker if Nyalda was your first god, and Hyalor Tablet Maker if Yelm was your first god. - The most dissatisfied.
You start with a mood of Happy. If Nyalda was your first god you know Inilla Forage Finder, and if Yelm was your first god you know Dostal Elk Hunter.
Some resources have default values that vary a bit, including based on difficulty level; others remain constant aside from the bonuses listed above.
| Easier/Normal Difficulty | Hard/Harsh Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Swords | 10 | 10 |
| Herds | About 720 | About 620 |
| Goods | About 100 | About 75 |
| Magic | 8 | 8 |
| Spirits | Raven + 1 random spirit | Raven + 1 random spirit |
| Mood | Reserved | Reserved |
So, if you are playing on Normal and your ancestors were the best herders, you will start with roughly 770 Herds.
Sixth Choice: Encounter with foreigners[]
Your ancestors crossed the mountains to the south. Who did they find on the other side?
Regardless of what you choose above, you then must decide what your ancestors did with them.
Once, our ancestors might have taken outsiders as slaves. But those days were past. How did you treat the [whatever you chose above]?
- We chased them away.
- We took them in as half-citizens
- We took them in as citizens
If you took them in as citizens or half-citizens, you will start knowing a blessing (but not a shrine) dependent on what group you took in. Farmers will start with the Pela blessing of Bless Barley. Goat herders will start with the Uryarda blessing of Milk Blessing, and hunters and gatherers will start with the Dostal blessing of Tracking. If you chased them away, you will have a message that your people are happier, but do not start knowing a blessing.
Your ancestors will expect you to treat outsiders as they did, and will express their feelings in part by influencing your Clan Magic.
Seventh Choice: Difficulty Level[]
Life here would start out:
- Easier than last time
- About the same as our last migration
- Harder, since we had fewer resources and fewer friends
- Much harsher, almost as if the entire world opposed us
This will effect your starting resources and how well disposed your neighbors are to you.
On Easier and Normal, you will start with roughly 100 goods and 720 herds, and two random treasures. On Hard and Harsh, you will start with roughly 75 goods and 620 herds, and only one random treasure.
On Easier difficulty, you will automatically know Inilla's Rootle and Hyalor's Horsefriend blessings. You will also have a second shrine besides the one to your starting god. Possible shrines/active blessings include
| God | Blessing | Possible Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Busenari | Calf Blessing | Appears to happen if you chose the Milk Gift as your Famous Event. |
| Pela | Bless Barley | Appears to happen if you chose the Grain Contest as your Famous Event. |
| Uryarda | Milk Blessing | Appears to happen if your ancestors were the best herders, and you did not choose one of the two Famous Events above. |
| Inilla | Rootle | Appears to be the default if you did not make any of the above choices. |
Clan History[]
Before you officially start playing, will be given a chance to change any decisions you made earlier. You may also change the name of your clan, and are given a choice as to your ability to reload the game; whether you want it to be an unlimited privilege, once per game, or barred completely. Once you're done here, you'll be deposited into your first Sacred Time magic screen and you can start the main game.
Lights Going Out[]
The first two choices are identical between both games. If you are importing a Ride Like the Wind victory to Lights Going Out, they will be skipped, as you already chose your first god and your famous event.
Unlike in the first game, these choices do not effect which blessings you know—you will know all blessings no matter what.
Additionally, in Lights Going Out clan creation is immediately followed by the prolog. This takes place a generation before the main game and is effectively a continuation of clan creation, but takes the form of a series of events you play through rather than a questionnaire.
First Choice: Favored Golden Age God[]
Which of the gods did they favor?
- Emperor Yelm, shining above the Golden Empire.
You start the prolog with a temple to Elmal and a temple to Ernalda. - Ernalda, the great Earth Mother, whose bounty made sure no one was ever hungry.
You start the prolog with a great temple to Ernalda and a shrine to Elmal.
Second Choice: God Support[]
Which famous event of the gods did your ancestors support?
- The Milk Gift of Uralda, the Cow Mother.
Your clan will have extra skill in Food.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Food skill to increase much faster. - The Battle of Akashar, when shining Elmal saw through the strategems of the Changer.
Your clan will have extra skill in Combat.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Combat skill to increase much faster. - Seventeen Banner Camp, when wise Lhankor Mhy advised Korlavus how to ally the bird riders.
Your clan will have extra skill in Diplomacy.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Diplomacy skill to increase much faster. - When Buseryan engraved the first ledger tracking the planets in motion.
Your clain will have extra skill in Lore.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Lore skill to increase much faster. - When Chalana Arroy first sang the Bone Mending Ballad for Keskor Breng.
Your clan will have extra skill in Magic.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Magic skill to increase much faster. - The Grain Contest of Erkonus, where the barley goddess Pela prevailed over millet and beezil.
Your clan will have extra skill in Food.
Some ventures are easier.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Food skill to increase much faster. - The Brass Bazaar, where Issaries acted as broker between Nida Mountain and Genert's Garden.
Your clan will have extra skill in Bargaining.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Bargaining skill to increase much faster. - When the Werris Mur joined us as citizens.
Your clan will have extra skill in Leadership.
Your ancestors' Famous Event blessing causes your people's Leadership skill to increase much faster..
Third Choice: Rider Virtue[]
Redalda appeased the ancestral spirits of her husband’s clan by pledging to always uphold the Rider virtue of:
- Ferocity.
Your ancestors expect you to fight in various situations.
Having an Ancestor worshipper on the circle will allow you to put an extra point of magic in War.
Your ancestors' Rider Virtue blessing helps when you choose to fight fiercely during raids. - Forward movement.
Your ancestors expect you to explore, and to act rather than talk or delay.
Having an Ancestor worshipper on the circle will allow you to put an extra point of magic in Exploring.
Your ancestors' Rider Virtue blessing helps your explorers. - Finding the truth.
Your ancestors expect you to seek and value the truth.
Having an Ancestor worshipper on the circle will allow you to put an extra point of magic in Rituals.
Your ancestors' Rider Virtue blessing gives you a divination each Sacred Time - Avid trading.
Your ancestors expect you to maintain trade.
Having an Ancestor worshipper on the circle will allow you to put an extra point of magic in Crafts.
Your ancestors' Rider Virtue blessing allows you to have another trade route. - Lusty feasting.
Your ancestors expect you to feast given the chance.
Having an Ancestor worshipper on the circle will allow you to put an extra point of magic in Harmony.
Your ancestors' Rider Virtue blessing allows the Feast Neighbors venture, and causes the normal Feast venture to no longer count towards the yearly limit.
Fourth Choice: Berenstead's Wards[]
The dwarves installed wards to protect Berenstead against a foe chosen by Redalda. Which foe did she select?
- Dwarves.
- Floods and earthquakes.
- Rival Storm worshipers.
- Sun worshipers.
- Trolls.
Fifth Choice: The Battle of Stormfall[]
How did Beren choose to fight?
- Cautiously.
- With berserk fury.
- With guile.
- With magic.
- It was Redalda, as always, who chose.
Your clan will get a bonus when using the corresponding tactic in battle or when conducting a battle ritual. The last choice increases the number of Bows your clan can field in battle.
Sixth Choice: Difficulty Level[]
Life would be:
- Easier than you feared, but still terribly difficult.
- About as bad as you expect.
- Worse than you expect.
- Awful.
Seventh Choice: Game Length[]
Divinations revealed that no matter how tenaciously you survived, the world would soon end.
- You have at most a couple generations.
- It would probably be three generations before Chaos destroyed everything.
- No one really knows how long you have.
"A couple of generations" is usually just under 40 years, and "three generations" is usually just under 50.
After this choice, you can go back and change any choices not imported from the first game.
Eighth Choice: The Spider[]
What value should their strand begin with?
- Hope.
- Tolerance of outside ways.
- Insight.
- Selflessness.