Erastil

Erastil (pronounced eh-RAS-stil) is worshiped by many different names across nearly all of Trayst, anywhere there has been a forest or a need to hunt. There are many stories of Erastil and his divine beasts helping and blessing the early settlements after The Emergence; it is said that, if not for him, life as it is today would never have survived. His religion began with small hunter-gatherer villages that prayed to him for bountiful harvests and successful hunts, but it grew and developed along with early civilisation. He is a god of the hunt, of foraging/living off the land, and of archery. Many regiments that focus on the use of bows, such as The Queens Guard of Torlund, follow Erastil. He is known for leading his followers by example, through good deeds rather than flowery rhetoric. As a result, much of his holy texts are tales about him or his followers and practical information regarding hunting or living off of the land. 
Erastil is known as "Old Deadeye", "The Grand Stag", and "The Divine Huntsman". He is the god of Foraging, Hunting, and the Natural world; thus, he covers the domains of Animal, Good, Law, and Plant, and is considered Lawful Good. 
Erastil teaches his followers to embrace tradition and the old ways. Many of The Grand Stag's most devoted never even enter a city, and his faithful can be found in nearly any wild or untamed region across Trayst. His worship is particularly well-established in Mer-Rein as he is one of The god's of the Forest, while in Duthgar and The D.R.B he is one of the Seen gods. In Torlund, Erastil and Sarenrae are often worshiped alongside one another, though Sarenrae has gained popularity over him as the civilisation has moved from hunter-gatherer to agricultural. In Grecca and Janmier he is worshiped as "Sinamiss", whose teachings focus on the thrill of the hunt and protection of the forest by any means. Followers of The Divine Huntsman from countries like Mer-Rein and Torlund consider their version of Erastil's teaching to be the truest form and find it offensive for the practises of Janmier or Grecca to be considered a part of their religion. There are only a few within the Drazia Dynasty who worship the hunter god, but those who venture into the abandoned tunnels in search of food, or to hunt down dangerous beasts that need to be eliminated from within the caverns, often pray to Erastil before they begin. 
=== History ===
Erastil is considered one of the seven Seen gods, and thus worship of him is one of the older religions, starting back when mankind first set about harnessing the wilderness and mastering nature. Legends, varying by country and race, claim that The Divine Huntsman bestowed gifts on the people of the land to assist them in overcoming the challenges of the world: he crafted the first bow and gifted it to humans in Torlund (or to Elves, as told in the stories from Mer-Rein); he taught the orcs to tame wolves according to Scandar legends; and in Carthorka he planted the first fields on the floodplains of the Gi-Jak River. Even as the accomplishments of civilization mount, Erastil continues to embrace and represent the simpler pleasures life has to offer; worship of Erastil is thus encouraged among the lower classes.
=== Relationships ===
Erastil teaches his followers to embrace traditional and simpler ways of life, free of the constraints of modern civilization, a trait that often results in disagreements with more progressive deities such as Erathis; this difference in opinion leads to increasing conflict between these deities' respective clergies. Followers of Erastil are also known for disagreeing with the followers of Lamastu, who consider animals inferior to magical beasts and, in the opinion of Old Deadeye, mistreat animals as a result. The Grand Stag is also quite close with Corellon and some worshipers believe that the two must be related, at the very least. 
=== Appearance and Emissaries ===
Depictions of Erastil are commonplace in the homes of his followers, often carved into wooden plaques or parts of the building. Such images usually portray the deity as either an aged human, clothed in fur and leathers, carrying a bow and the gear of a trapper, or as a large, regal elk. These depictions often show either the human or the stag holding fast against various beasts and animals of the wilds or watching over farmland. In times of need, Erastil has also been known to appear to lost hunters in the form of a stag, or to be seen wandering through farmland which then produces increased yield.
=== Providence ===
Those who please Erastil are often rewarded by increased yields, both from farm and field, while earning his disfavour can lead to damaged or ruined crops and poor hunting. People who displease Erastil may also find themselves getting turned around and lost in forests, or even suffer food spoiling quicker. Clerics of Erastil are often not the most powerful of religious followers as they are prone to a more laid-back life style, so clerics who can cast high-level spells such as Planar Ally are rare. However, Erastil's more powerful servants can sometimes be summoned when using Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally.
=== Servants ===
Creatures held in high esteem by The Grand Stag include elk, deer, and other hooved animals. Giant Elk are considered to be his heralds. Those who are chosen from The Greylands by Erastil become divine creatures known as Vol-Hum and take the shape of different forest prey animals. They rarely come to the Material Plane as Erastil is more likely to do a task himself than get a servant to do it. 
One of Erastil's most notorious and powerful servants is known as the Grim White Stag. It has the appearance of a gigantic white stag with branches in place of its antlers and vines wrapping around its legs. 
Anargin is a large, ruby-toned horse that understands all languages but doesn't speak and is also very adept at much fire-based magic. 
Blackfeather is a talented elven archer who has the ability to transform into an eagle with impressive speed and ease. 
Proudsnout is a divine boar, the size of a large horse, who is known to appear to people who are starving, allowing himself to be hunted for food. 
Highbranch is a treant who used to be the guardian of forests but he has not been seen since The Burning of Thespar Forest in 5374.
Scorchbark is a young treant, the son of Highbranch, who has taken over the mantle of guarding the forests. However, he is ill-tempered and would rather chase someone out of the woods than work with them for the benefit of the forests. 
=== Realm ===
Erastil's realm in The godly Plane is called The Divine Wood. It is a thick and old forest that stretches on for miles and miles. No matter where you are in the forest, if you are hungry or thirsty you will find a bush of delicious berries or a stream of fresh water. The forest is inhabited by the Vol-Hum; while in the forest, they can be hunted and shot but instantly return to life after being killed, leaving behind a body of the prey animal they represented.
=== Church of Erastil ===
Sites dedicated to Erastil are simple affairs, even in more civilized locations; they will always have space for an archery range, even if it is little more than a single target and space enough to stand back from it to fire. Shrines are usually nothing more than a wooden structure with an offering bowl and a target with a few arrows or a small abandoned house where hunters can rest, smoke meat, and recover before returning home or to the hunt. Just as The Grand Stag emphasizes the simple things in life, his temples focus on providing for his follower's more practical needs. Ceremony and formality are often abandoned in such locations, which instead act simply as a place to pray, rest, or prepare and handle a fresh kill.
=== Worshipers and Clergy ===
The faithful of Erastil usually choose to live simple lives and practice his teachings away from the complications of more advanced societies. The members of Old Deadeye's clergy are active in their respective communities, leading by example and serving in various capacities as needed by those that live around them. The clergy's formal dress is kept simple to reflect their deity's tastes: a simple cloak of fur or leather, usually accompanied by Erastil's holy symbol burned into the hide or worn as part of a wooden clasp.
Hunters, archers, and those whose livelihood takes them into forests tend to worship Erastil. 
=== Temples and Shrines ===
In Old Vashton: The Huntsman's Home. 
In Bluelog: Erastil shares a temple with Gozreh known as The Sanctum of Fernthen and also has a temple as part of The Pelleras' Supplication at Pelleras Square in The Causeway Green Quarter.
=== Holy Texts ===
The worshipers of Erastil don't exactly have a holy text, but any books on how to care for animals or plants, as well as guides on hunting, are considered good texts to read. There is also The Parables of Erastil, which is predominantly a guide and almanac with information on farming and wilderness skills. 
===Holidays ===
Erastil's worshipers celebrate Chase of Wolf Moon on the 18th of Layft, Archer's Day on the 3rd of Dastween, and Harvest Feast on the 25th of Tackto.
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Category:Major deities
Category:Gods
Category:Seen and Unseen