She’s one of the only housecarls that isn’t a Nord, and she’s one of the few followers able to dual-wield. Plus her weapon of choice is scimitars, unlike most other followers in the game. But she is a loyal and strong Redguard warrior – and even a decent marriage option. And despite all of that, she’s a fair bit bland in the vanilla game! That changes now, though. As I’ve tracked down all the best mods to improve Rayya’s looks, and that apply mechanical adjustments in-game to improve her efficiency on the homestead (and in combat).
1. GLAM Rayya
Check Out This Mod I’m not a big fan of many makeover mods, but this works really well. It gives Rayya a more feminine body with a new model, a high poly face, and new hair. She also has additional body paint that can be applied to her model, appealing to her warrior side. Also, this mod allows her to change into different outfits depending on situation and time of day. That’s a really nice touch. Not to mention that this mod works alongside other makeover mods – a not-so-common sight in the Skyrim modding scene. Overall, this is an excellent Rayya beauty mod. The changes aren’t too severe to label it as “not lore-friendly”, yet it keeps her appealing.
2. Rayya Revised
Check Out This Mod Here you’re getting a makeover and mechanical overhaul mod in one. So this one is among the more superior of Rayya’s mods. Rayya Revised adjusts major aspects of Rayya mechanically, along with improvements to her appearance. Makeover-wise, Rayya’s armor can be swapped and changed based on inventory priority. And her hairstyle is adjusted a more warrior women style. Along with some fine-tuned tattoos on her face too. And mechanically, Rayya’s combat skills are improved with perks added to her skillset, an altered combat class behavior, and a feature where she doesn’t affect the player in stealth. Basically, it’s a mod that covers everything it needs to for a better Rayya experience.
3. Handsome Housecarl Followers
Check Out This Mod This one is an overhaul mod for all the housecarls available in the game – including an impressive improvement for Rayya. While the creator did not change much regarding her personality, her looks and skillset will now reflect what she is. Her makeover leans heavily on her story as a Redguard warrior still tied strongly to her heritage, despite being so far from the roots. And this new revamped look gives her a warm glow with an exotic allure. So it’s definitely noticeable! Plus she gets an improved skillset too, which makes her a hellion in the heat of battle.
4. Shield Sisters Re-Imagined
Check Out This Mod This mod has appeared on other NPC modding lists I’ve written – and it pops up often for a reason: It’s really good. While the makeover for Rayya here isn’t my personal favorite, I recognize the care and time put into the model itself. From the adjusted hairstyle and skin texture, to the subtle details of the face tattoos and model rendering, this Rayya has so much love put into it. Much like the rest of the models in this mod. But this high-poly rendition still remains lore friendly in-game. That’s what gets a firm “yes” from me. Never has brutality looked so tempting!
5. Female Follower Adjustments
Check Out This Mod This makeover mod is simple and to the point. Requiring only the Apachii hair mods (which is great by itself), the changes to Rayya here are perfect. Given her story as a traveling warrior having settled in Skyrim, she has the look of being exotic while still rooted in Nordic soil. And there’s so many little things that tie into her look: Loosely tied back hair, a youthful complexion, and only traces left of heavily-faded warpaint. All the other makeovers in this mod are pleasant and fitting as well. But Rayya does stand out as one of the better ones.
6. Rayya with Hair
Check Out This Mod Here’s a custom mod that only adds one thing to Rayya’s model: Hair. Her vanilla model, when her scarf is removed, shows that she’s pretty much bald – with no default hairstyle to lean on. This mod changes that for the better, and it’s all using vanilla hairstyles. You get two options of potential hairstyles: An undercut Mohawk, and the short Nordic female style. Either style does work for her. But I’d lean more towards the hawk because of her heritage. No matter which one you go with though, it’s comforting to see that she doesn’t have to run around with no style on her scalp. Bald just doesn’t work for everyone.
7. Bijin Warmaidens
Check Out This Mod For my lore-friendly players, this mod is not recommended. But it’s a good option for everyone else! The makeover meshes in this mod for standard-res are already appealing – but there’s a high-res texture option too. As for Rayya herself, her makeover is stunning if you ignore the aspect of her unnaturally blonde hair (and the lighter hue of her eyes). As a lore-friendly Redguard makeover? It’s a flop. As a general makeover? It works well for her, with the pinned-up hair with style, custom warpaint, and a nice complexion. It’s a good look overall, but changing her hair and eyes back to dark hues would detract nothing from this design.
8. Rayya Housecarl Makeover
Check Out This Mod Here’s another full makeover mod that does require other mods to function fully (also just the ApachiiSkyHair mod). But it revamps Rayya’s appearance heavily, and with two unique hairstyles. It also offers the ability to remove her hood and changes her idles to be a bit more feminine. Compared to the others on the list, I’ll admit that this doesn’t do much regarding Rayya as a character. With her best features being her cultural distinction from the other Nord housecarls, and her combat prowess, this can feel kinda like pandering. But with that said, if you wish to make this girl more visually appealing to the broadest general demographic of players, go to town. Although I’d also recommend trying any other mod on this list first, just to at least see how they stack up.
