Erastil (AIR-ah-stil)

LG god of Family, Farming, Hunting, and Trade

Old Deadeye (a.k.a. The Elk Father, The Old Hunter)

The first gift you ever receive is your family. We all grow from the seeds of our parent' plant

-Parables of 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.

Erastil is thought by most to have his own family, but he rarely speaks of them to his followers or involves them directly in his faith. The Elk Father wishes to avoid worshippers becoming distracted by their god’s relationships—mortals should view their own families, whatever their makeup, as sacred, rather than focus on the family of a god simply because it is divine. When granting gifts, Erastil prefers practical boons over flashier miracles. Many believe he is the deity who originally gifted mortals the bow so they could hunt for sustenance—but not for pleasure. He teaches farmers how to know when to sow and reap; ranchers how to tell when livestock are sick, lame, or gravid; and both how to heal humans and animals. His values are those of a slow-paced, pastoral life, one in which his followers respect and are sustained by the gifts of nature. He also teaches cooperation, and his priests are often the first to arrive at a barn-raising or house-building. Their sermons are as likely to be lessons in how to spot corn blight as anything philosophical.

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 Bahamut. 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.

Erastil generally appears as a tall humanoid man with the head of an elk, clad in traditional hunter trappings and holding a bow, though he sometimes instead appears as a trapper of the particular follower’s ancestry. This is especially common when he makes himself known to children or lost travelers, to help them remain at ease. All hooved animals are associated with Erastil, and elk are particularly sacred to his faith—though he still allows hunting of these creatures, so long they are hunted out of necessity and with respect.

Adventurers rarely worship Erastil, as he tends to attract those who prefer to stay home and concern themselves with their community and family. Those who do serve him tend to adventure for the good of their community; they may attempt to determine the cause of monster attacks on their settlement, earn money for something the villagers need and can’t build themselves, or gain knowledge that is of use to their people.

Relations with Other Religions

Erastil can be gruff and reserved, but he is still on good terms with most nonevil deities of Golarion. However, he is very set in his ways and frequently criticizes the particulars of his fellow deities' faiths and practices. Although Erastil's stodgy demeanor means that few deities go out of their way to fraternize with him, his skills at archery and tracking are among the greatest in the Outer Planes. More than once other deities have sought out the god of hunters for his aid and insight into slaying marauding beasts or finding someone lost in the multiplanar wilds-begrudgingly enduring Erastil's instructions for and opinions on making sure such a thing never happens again.

Despite being ill-suited to planar politics, Erastil does have several allies among the deities of Panaria. Although Erastil views Abadar as a good fellow who's perhaps forgotten where he came from, both want peaceful, orderly homes for their followers. Erastil frowns on Abadar's pomp and occasional heartlessness, but the god of cities sees the value of Erastil's work in setting people and villages on the path to the grand communities they could eventually be-even as he smirks over opinions he usually views as outmoded. Erastil also appreciates the work of Torag, especially his dedication to craftsmanship and clan, but neither stubborn deities can find much more of a common ground with the other besides the mutual respect of two old men nodding across a taproom.

Erastil's paternal affection for Desna is real, but distant and tinged with a slight sadness. Her independence and providence over the reliable cycles of the moon and stars could make her a trusted friend, but her distance, whimsy, and encouragement of self-indulgence makes her too untrustworthy in all but times of direst need. He is more patient in his interactions with Shelyn, for her support of marriage and families strengthens communities. The goddess of art has, on numerous occasions, sought out the god of hunters, asking him to guide her to the most amazing vistas and unique settings in the multi verse. Erastil regularly indulges her, enjoying her company even as he argues with her over the value of art and life. They disagree on most topics, but Shelyn's congeniality and honest appreciation of Erastil's time have preserved their friendship.


Evil deities are largely of a kind to Erastil, and he has little time or interest in doing much more than contributing arrow fire to drive them away. While he views Lamashtu and Rovagug as a frontier scout might wild monsters, he reserves an especial hatred for Urgathoa. That goddess's gluttony and fostering of diseases regularly blight his people, whether in the form of deadly plagues, the tainting of game and fields, or in cultivating the sick-hearted desire for more than one's neighbors. Urgathoa is aware of the god's loathing, and goes out of her way to needle Erastil, setting her minions upon fragile frontier communities whenever the opportunity arises.

Erastil's followers are generally friendly toward members of other good-aligned religions, but they also harbor a sense of superiority that can vary from private conviction to outright paternalism. The faith tends to be an all-or-nothing affair, and thus attracts people with somewhat black-and-white worldviews. Most of Erastil's faithful, however, have good hearts, and though they may grumble and mutter disapprovingly at those with different beliefs, they'll also help people in true need without hesitation. Many see themselves as having a parental role toward those around them. Ifthey don't engage in outright evangelism for their faith and worldviews, they still consider it important to attempt to instill proper values in their neighbors while aiding them: they may teach local youth valuable skills while emphasizing the importance of using those skills to contribute to their families and communities, or help a newcomer fix up a house while encouraging him to use it to start a family. They are unlikely to take action against cults of evil deities unless those worshipers directly threaten their community, although any adherent of a malevolent deity who strikes up a conversation with one of Erastil's followers can expect a stern lecture on her misguided beliefs.

Holy Books & Codes

The Parables of Erastil is the common text of the Erastilian faith. It gives homilies on strengthening family bonds, almanac-like advice on planting, and lore about game animals and tracking. The number of chapters varies from place to place, as communities omit things irrelevant to their way of life or add fables emphasizing local events or traditions.

Holidays

Erastil believes extensive and complicated ceremonies take time away from necessary things like tending to crops and putting food on the table, so most religious events are short and to the point. The solstices and equinoxes are holy days for the church (the week of the vernal equinox is called Planting Week by the faithful, and week of the autumn equinox is called the Harvest Feast, even though the associated rituals only take about an hour). The spring month of Erastus(May) is named for Erastil.
Archerfeast: This holiday on 3rd of Erastus (May) is a day of feasting, fun, and relaxation. Villages hold archery and stone-throwing contests, ranchers rope and trade calves and lambs, and young people ask permission to wed. Cider is served cold during the day and hot at night. At sundown, an animal is offered to the god, and everyone in the community eats a piece to share in his blessing.

Aphorisms

Followers of Erastil share common wisdom among their villages, and these sayings hold strong over generations.
Never trust a fool: Erastil’s followers often includes adventurers in their definition of fool, but the saying serves as a reminder not to listen to somebody known to have silly or dangerous ideas.
Nothing is more satisfying than the fruits of a day’s labor: This reminder to work hard and take satisfaction in it, rather than aspiring to more, is often used to chastise folk who shirk their tasks, including children who put play before work.
The hardest task becomes easy with a friend: Similar to “many hands make light work,” this message suggests that a task that would be hard or impossible alone is easy to do with help.

Religions

• Gods of Tengaria
• Templar Order
• The Seven