Erastil in Starfinder

[Jan Caltrop]

This is an idea I had back when his Godsrain prophecy came out, and I only now realized I could actually, y'know, post about it here.

So obviously "hunting" and "farming" aren't as relevant to most people in Starfinder, as opposed to Pathfinder era. "Community" is always a thing, but he's a pretty old-fashioned guy, I don't think he's going to pivot away from those other aspects of himself.

But you know what kinds of people, in our world, have an interest in outmoded forms of food production? Not (just) as historians, but as skills they want to acquire for themselves, not out of any perceived need, just because they're neat?

I think Erastil is the god of historical re-enactors.

It'd also fit with his focus on "community"; it's a niche interest, and that builds stronger bonds between the people who share it.

[Metaphysician]

No god worth mentioning is going to be the god of only *one* group of people, but sure. He probably has some reenactors amongst his following. Though IMO, the greatest number of Erastil folk in the Starfinder era are probably "colonists", as in the first-in settlers who populate an undeveloped life-bearing planet. It takes a certain kind of mindset to want to basically become a space farmer on a primitive world, one half "I am interested in living the space equivalent of an agrarian life" one half "I wanna get away from the big space city". Erastil would encourage both.

This and other niche followings, like the aforementioned historical reenactors? Not going to keep Erastil from being a minor god of much-declined prominence and influence, though. Some deities, thanks to their domain and personality, just take the sci-fi era hard in the teeth. Erastil is one of them. And I suspect Erastil can't help but old-man gripe about this, to any other gods that are willing to hang out with the geezer. *ahem*

[Jan Caltrop]

I had not thought about that, that he'd likely be more popular among groups of first settlers. Makes a lot of sense though, so thanks for mentioning it.

And through a process of free-associating which I wasn't actually able to keep track of the steps in it, I've come to the conclusion that he's one of the more popular of the "I'm going to start worshipping some obscure niche deity" gods in the Pact Worlds. Like, for people who specifically seek out something in order to be a bit counter-cultural, but they're not looking to completely go against society. He's old-fashioned and unfamiliar (exotic!), but he's neither harmful nor really weird.