Erastil

Old Deadeye

Alignment: Lawful-Good
Realm: Summerlands (Heaven)
Temples: wooden longhouses or halls that also double as assembly places for people in the community
Worshippers: farmers, hunters, rangers, settlers, shapeshifters, traders, trappers
Sacred Animal: stag
Sacred Colors: brown and green
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 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.
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.

Divine Domains

Family, Farming, Hunting and Trade

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Divine Classification

God