Erastil
Unlike many other good deities, Erastil does not send his followers out into the
world to fight and crush evil. Eschewing crusades and other ventures that take
his followers away from their homes, Erastil watches over those who devote
their lives to family and community. He is primarily an agricultural deity,
specifically focusing on those aspects of nature that either can be tamed
or are of use to his followers. His domain encompasses the plants and
animals that farmers, hunters, and ranchers deal with in their
everyday lives. While he is a protective deity, Erastil steps in only
when quiet, pastoral lives are threatened. He desires his followers
to live their lives in peace, with no risk of being conscripted into
armies, devoured by monsters, or destroyed by magic.
Family is of vital importance to the Elk Father. He places a
high value on marriage and children, considering caring for a
spouse and family to be one of the most important tasks in life.
Erastil’s communities advocate for the unmarried to wed as soon as
possible, though they never force a marriage for the sake of tying the knot.
Widows and widowers often remarry, especially if they are caring for children.
Erastil frowns upon adultery and anything else that bends or breaks the bonds
of marriage, such as a union built on lies. However, he understands when a
marriage has been sullied by the likes of abuse and supports separation when it
encourages the safety of an individual and community.
Erastil sees building families as a goal for all people. Those who cannot
bear children should still be ready to take in those who need a family, and his
followers encourage those who remain single to act as surrogate parents and
role models for children. He values traditions that build families, even when
they are viewed as quaint by others, but he is willing to accept new traditions
as long as they strengthen families rather than weakening them. The Elk Father
is known to be slow to adapt to change, often trying to fit foreign ideas into a
familiar framework, but he always supports strong relationships rather than
rejecting them—he thus accepts all manner of matrimony and family, so
long as they are supportive of their respective communities.
The vast majority of Erastilian priests are clerics, with a
few druids and the occasional ranger. Champions of Erastil
exist but are far less common than those of Torag or Iomedae.
Although priests of Erastil act as leaders of the faith as the community
requires, they live among the communities they serve and might be established
artisans, farmers, or hunters in their own right. They support the community,
often by providing healing services to livestock as well as people, blessing
crops, and assisting with trade. Priests of Erastil are expected to marry, though
it is not a requirement; many priests see their entire community as their family
and a sacred commitment.
Erastilian worship services are short and to the point, with sacred music
designed to be sung and played while working. His temples, like his priests, serve
multiple duties. In addition to being used for worship, these simple buildings
serve as a general gathering place and a space to engage in crafts that require
a lot of space and a roof. Erastil’s major festival, Archerday, is celebrated with
archery competitions, feasting, and often proposals of marriage.
DIVINE INTERCESSION
Erastil favors those who commit themselves to their communities and detests those who disrupt these families. Minor Boon: Erastil shares in his bounty as long as you work for it. Whenever you roll a critical failure at a check to Subsist in the wild, you get a failure instead. Moderate Boon: You share Erastil’s sharp eye, allowing you to use a longbow in any situation. When you attack with a longbow, you can ignore the longbow’s volley trait, and longbows have double the normal range increment for you. Major Boon: You become a friend to the land. You can cast speak with plants as a divine innate spell. When you are in a healthy natural environment, the land sustains you without need for food or drink. You can cast the commune with nature ritual without any secondary casters or secondary checks. Minor Curse: Erastil curses your table and punishes you for relying on others’ hard work. Any food you didn’t grow, gather, or otherwise harvest yourself tastes like ash and leaves you fatigued. Moderate Curse: Erastil’s beasts take a dislike to you. Animals’ attitudes toward you are one category worse (friendly instead of helpful, indifferent instead of friendly, and so on). Major Curse: Erastil leaves you unable to have children (or otherwise reproduce or propagate if you do so in a different manner). This curse also affects your livestock, pets, and crops.
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