Saint Erikssen
Saint Erikssen (a.k.a. The Unwise)
Saint Erikssen — known as Brother Erikssen the Unwise in life — was a priest of Rudderless who martyred himself via drowning in 473 BE in the village of Sturok, on the outskirts of Oryova in Gol-Kasha.
Divine Domains
Saint Erikssen is the patron saint of hubris and overconfidence, observed more as a warning than anything. However, he is also recognised as being the patron saint of pushing limits, and given his patron God Rudderless's antagonism towards rules, many see his story as being aspirational rather than one to be avoided.
Holidays
The Trial of Saint Erikssen is held every year on the 4th of Seed's Dawn in Sturok, and other coastal cities and towns all over Syvat, wherein those attempting to prove themselves of something — often criminals or the fool-hardy — chain themselves to pylons buried in the shoreline in immitation of Saint Erikssen, awaiting the tide. Very few survive, though those that do are expected to be pardoned of all crimes. To date, only one convicted criminal has survived this trial, though the courts rejected the appeal, so the execution went ahead regardless. The Church of Eighteen Eyes continues to encourage the practice, however, often lying about the rate of success and survival.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Erikssen was considered a rather unorthodox and uncouth priest during his lifetime, often found doing strange stunts to prove his piety, or to discredit the priests of other Gods. One such stunt would ultimately earn his beatification and martyrdom in relation to a raucous debate with a priest of Reaper & Sower as to the nature of Lake Dvor. The rival priest — whose name is not remembered — declared the Lake to be the property of Reaper & Sower, for they described its lack of tides, making it not a sea or ocean, but rather a "very large dam as found on endless farms." Erikssen rejected this claim, stating that it did indeed have a tide, and to prove this point buried a pylon in the shoreline to which he chained himself so that his face was just above the surface at noon on 2nd Seed's Dawn 473 BE. Sure enough, the very slight tides of Lake Dvor (typically measuring only 5cm (2")) covered over the priest's face by nightfall, and all assumed him drowned.
However, the following morning, Erikssen was found to be perfectly fine, having been shielded by Rudderless over night with a bubble formed around his face so he could continue to breathe. Erikssen won the debate, and became a local celebrity, being invited to countless social events. During the height of a night of drinking on the 4th — two nights later — Erikssen claimed that Rudderless would never let him drown, prompting him to dunk his head into a barrel of ale and breath in. He died minutes later when all around were too inebriated to properly resuscitate him.
Divine Classification
Saint
Species
Ethnicity
Realm
Date of Death
4th Seed's Dawn 473 BE
Circumstances of Death
Drowned (hubris)
Place of Death
Oryova
Children
Pronouns
he/him
Aligned Organization
Comments