The glory of [...] ruler that is housed in this tomb has been forgotten. The [...] and the countless laborers that built it were forgotten even before. Soon the stones themselves will be swallowed by [...] sands, ground to pieces as the winds inexorably shift the dunes. Such is the fate of everything touched by the relentless might of the Dust-Lord.—Graffiti found on a sand-scoured ruin in the Sangora Desolation
Erra (pronounced err-RAH) is a pantheonic god commonly associated with decay, ruins, aging, and disease.
Aserdian pantheon
Like with Saclateni, many see Errai to be a cosmic force too broad and all-encompassing to be reduced to a simple depiction - these followers generally see Errai in all life, pervading everything and everyone. The god is rarely given physical form in depictions.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- None
- Anathema
- Attempt to stop natural cycles of destruction
Chaskan pantheon
Erra has few devoted followers - not many find reason to worship a god of decay. Still, there are some devotees to the Dust-Lord. Many of their followers are members of apocalypse cults who believe they are among the few who see the imminent end times, and take to worshiping Erra out of a belief it will grant them favor to weather the oncoming ruin. Though Erra has no emotions towards their deific influence, some of these cults take to attempting to actively accelerate the end of the world - Erra grants these followers divine favor regardless.
Not all of Erra's faithful are cultists, however. Some druids take to paying homage to Erra, seeing them as an important influence upon the natural world. In some parts of the world they are closely associated with Socharin, as a necessary part of the cycle of death and rebirth necessary for things to grow anew.
Erra was born as soon as the first creation was completed, initially disregarded by the other gods as yet another spirit among the many that they had caused to come into being. Upon Erra's genesis the world began to slowly decay, imperceptibly at first, then accelerating. By the time the rest of the divines noticed, it was too late - Erra had established their place in the universe. Plants and animals began to age and even the tallest mountain peaks began to erode as the god’s influence spread.
There is no organized church to Erra. Their followers tend to congregate into cults with shared interpretations of their god, though they almost entirely eschew physical temples, preferring to etch their prayers into existing ruins. The god has no singular holy text. Instead, scraps of writings containing prayers to the Dust-Lord are passed between their followers, sometimes collected into larger volumes.
Erra is rarely depicted in a humanoid form. Sometimes they are pictured as a sandstorm incarnate, scouring all it encounters. Other common depictions include a desiccated tree stripped of all foliage, a skeleton of an indeterminate creature, or a vulture.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- None
- Anathema
- Repair or heal things that have outlived their usefulness, attempt to unnaturally extend one’s lifespan, preserve history, hide the signs of aging, disrupt stagnancy
Dwarven pantheon
Unlike with every other deity in the Dwarven pantheon, there is no church to Edri, and few temples either. Instead, their followers prefer to squat in decaying, forgotten places where they can set up their shrines without interference. The faithful of other Dwarven deities have a strongly inimical relationship with those of Edri, though Edri's worshipers have no negative feelings towards those that declare them enemies of society, only a sense of disappointed disapproval for what they see as the feverish yet pointless work to keep civilization from falling to ruin. Those who feel rejected or left behind by life in dwarven communities sometimes turn to Edri - nearly all are outcasts for one reason or another.
Followers of Edri adopt placid attitudes towards the events of the world. They do not encourage or teach violence, though they are likely to defend themselves if attacked. All will fall and decay in time, without the need for them to accelerate the process.
Edri is usually depicted as a dwarven man turned the color and appearance of a dull gray stone. In some pictures he is shown with half of his face missing, as if it was chiseled or eroded away.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- None
- Anathema
- Labor towards pointless aims, repair or heal things that have outlived their usefulness, attempt to unnaturally extend one's lifespan, preserve history