This is an interesting point. At the clan level, it's a matter of your mythic history and tradition: the computer game is neatly explicit about this, and one you've generated your clan, determining whether Orlanth[*] or Ernalda is the most important god, your clan ring will pitilessly abuse you if you then select a person of the wrong cult -- and gender, since they map 1:1 in KoDP -- on these grounds. I think myself it's not quite as clear-cut as that; our clan. IMG, has a strong Ernaldan history, but still has an 'Orlanth' chief. What does happen though is that the Earth Mother seat (to use Patrik Sandberg's term (and his NPC, actually!)) is even more important than normal. (I think it's worth mentioning that clan rings rarely work on a 'hire and fire; basis, in any case; each member of the ring has clear perogatives and responsibilities, and to put it in crudely realpolitik terms, powerbase. Maybe not quite a d'Hondt mechanism, but nothing so crude as presidential electoral politics, either...)
I'd be interesting in learning how things worked in some out-and-out Ernaldan clan.
At a tribal level, it's yet more fuzzy, since inevitably tribal traditions are more of a compromise. I think it'd be less common at this level to see _either_ strong traditions of 'our leaders are always male', or 'our leaders are always female'. Rather, it's much more 'best "man" for the job'. If the Making of the Storm Tribe myth in KoDP (there David, is that enough free plugs? <g>) is any indication, there's mythic scope for either an Ernaldan or an Orlanthi in the tribal king role.
> ernalda always seems to have a defender (even if its her daughter) rather
> than acting strongly on her own....
What sort of 'acting' had you in mind? Beating people up isn't E.'s style, this much should be clear. Her sovereignty aspect isn't in doubt, though, as others have cited.
Cheers,
Alex.
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