Erissa is the beloved daughter of Yu-Kargzant, who is welcome everywhere. She is the kindest and most compassionate of all beings, and has never harmed another. When she sings, all stop to listen and forget their quarrels, and the only things she has ever fought are Pain, Disease and Chaos. She is one of the Lightbringers, the only god who could descend into the Underworld without price and hope to return safely, for even Death would not touch her in malice. Few gods are as beloved, though her priesthood in Pent remains small due to the difficulty of following its strictures.
Erissa is the daughter of Yu-Kargzant, born from his light alone. She has no mother but the world itself, for it was the joy of all living things that bore her. Before her father’s death, she traveled the world but did not become involved in the politics of gods. Where she passed, she sang of peace, and she treated the wounds of any who approached her. Her hope was that by being a light of joy and peace, she might end all hatred, and she refused to take sides or act in conflicts. She did not yet understand the true nature of peace.
When Death entered the world and Erissa’s brother was slain, she wept terribly. When her father tore himself apart in grief, her pain was such that she nearly joined him. When dread Malia emerged from the Underworld with the secrets of Death and Disease, her pain was greater than anyone else could bear. But it was then she realized: she could not do nothing. She could not be neutral in all things, for this would end peace as surely as if she fought.
And so Erissa painted herself with the colors of light and darkness, with the colors of earth and air and water, to make herself welcome everywhere. She chose to act, naming her enemies: Pain, that people suffer and cry out. Disease, that tears bodies from within. Chaos, which unmakes that which is. Death could not be denied, but it need not be terrible. It was Pain and Disease and Chaos which made it so. And to prove it, Erissa swore to end the Pain that was killing the world: her father’s death and the loss of the sun.
Erissa traveled widely then, aiding all who opposed Chaos. She healed the wounds of her brother, Kargzant, and ensured he was ready to defend the people. She calmed the frenzy and anger of the Four Winds, that they could see what must be done. She healed the bickering between the candidates for khan, that people might make peace with each other. When West King Wind descended into the Underworld, he asked Erissa to join him, for without her, they would never hope to return.
Erissa agreed. In the darkness below, she was faced with many dangers, and she never wavered in her decision. She refused to fight even the Great Enemy, Zorak Zoran, for he would be needed to stop Chaos. She healed the wounds of West King Wind that he suffered in the Freezing Hells, to show that winter would end. She sang to the warring factions of the Voralan Wars, making peace to earn the trust and faith of the mushroom demons, that they might lead the Lightbringers down into the Darkness Hells. She kept Ash Man from despair, for he had seen the death of all things, but Erissa soothed his pains and his madness when no other could.
And in the end, it was enough. Erissa found victory by remaining true to herself and her decision. She would act - but she would not harm others. Nothing could bring her to do so, and so she earned and kept the secret of resurrection. The world was healed and restored. Great is Erissa, the kindest of goddesses!
Erissa’s cult is highly restrictive, demanding a height of purity that rivals that of the Pure Horses, even exceeding it in some cases. The cult forswears all magic that might harm others, forbids the use of any weapon, and even forbids the eating of meat, which comes from the killing of animals. To join is, in a sense, a luxury, for a tribe that can support a cult of Erissa is one that is doing well enough to have sufficient vegetarian food. The cult serve as healers, offering their services to all without regard to reward or favor. The Law of Yu-Kargzant requires that they be gifted in recompense for their work, but that is the Law - the cult itself asks for nothing. Failure to offer them gifts is punished by shaming and atonement, while providing lavish gifts relative to one’s wealth earns great acclaim.
Erissa’s Rider aspect is shown as a tall, thin woman in white. She has golden eyes and white hair, and her skin is painted in many colors. Her Mount aspect is a dappled gray mare, painted with many-colored Harmony runes along her haunches. Erissa never bears any weapon and typically is shown holding her arms wide in a gesture of peace or blessing.
Erissa is the master of the Harmony Rune and has strong ties to the Life Rune. She gave up her Fire Rune to better make peace with all things and no longer bears it, though she is still daughter of the Sun himself. Her magic is exclusively benevolent and can never be used to directly harm others.
HARMONY: Erissa has incredibly broad power over the Harmony Rune’s healing power. Initiates have been known to use the Harmony Rune to, among other things, restore strength and vigor, close wounds, treat disease, drive out disease spirits, command healing spirits, calm rage, end berserk frenzies, create prosthetics, comfort others, show good faith to strangers, treat psychological pain or torment, comfort the dying, heal burns or poison, or grant restful sleep. Those strong in the Harmony Rune tend to be calm, merciful, and impartial.
LIFE: Erissa’s command of Life is more chaste than that of more fertility-focused gods, using it to treat the body and health rather than cause new growth. Initiates have been known to use it to, among other things, heal fatigue, restore strengths, cure or drive out diseases, mend cuts or injuries, regrow lost body parts, stop bleeding, ease pregnancy, or reduce pain. Those strong in the Life Rune tend to be generous, kind, and self-sacrificing.
Erissa is opposed to the runes of Chaos, Disorder and Death.
Erissa is the Khatun of Mercy and the Mistress of Healing, beloved by all people. She hates no one. She holds a particular love in her heart for her father, and her lover is the East Sting Wind, whom she seeks to bring peace and harmony to despite his nature. She names no god as her enemy, save for the gods of Chaos. She may not like the warfare and death spread by North War Wind and his fellows, but she offers her healing to them regardless, hoping to convince them of the ways of peace. Zorak Zoran has not forgiven her for her mercy towards him, however, and bears a deep disdain for her.
The worship of Erissa is primarily focused around monasteries. Her cult largely operates out of the monasteries of other gods, particularly those of Yu-Kargzant, Kargzant and West King Wind, though they maintain a small number of Erissa-focused monasteries as well. Every monastery to Yu-Kargzant contains a shrine to his daughter, Erissa, at least. Few tribes can manage a large cult of their own, and most have only a small shrine to Erissa.
All who join the Cult of Erissa are sworn to heal anyone that comes to them, regardless of who they are. They are forbidden to marry and must divorce any spouse they have, so that they do not favor anyone over anyone else. They may remain within their tribe, but it is understood that their first loyalty is to the monastery they train at. The monasteries do not honor any central authority, however, and all of them are considered to be equal to each other, with each High Priest or Priestess equal in rank.
The priests of Erissa are known as the Erden, meaning the Jewels, or simply as Healers. They are required to aid anyone who is in need of healing or medical care, and are forbidden from causing harm to any living being. Most would never even dream of trying to harm them, and it is extremely illegal to do so, punishable by being cast out from one’s tribe at the least. There are a number of gradations within the cult determining what jewel represents a given Erden based on their skills, and when an Erden permanently retires to a monastery, they are given a new name to reflect their perfection of peace. Rank matters largely during emergencies and triage situations, with the exception of the High Priests, known as the Erden Kings and Queens, who have absolute authority over their monasteries and all who train at them. Often the monastic names of Erdens are inherited from a past incarnation, though rank is not. Erdens are permitted to travel where they like and are welcome in any tribe, even the enemies of their own.
The monasteries of Pent are the most important places to the cult, particularly those of Yu-Kargzant or those wholly dedicated to Erissa. They serve as hospitals and places of healing, as well as the organizational centers of the cult. Beyond this, the holy places of Erissa are sites marking the end of hostilities or at which great acts of healing were performed. Often, these places are home to wells of pure water and fields of wild flowers, and it is considered to be extremely unlucky to fight or draw blood at these places. They are often used as sites of neutral meeting, and tribes rarely fight over control of them, as to fight for control would go against the holy nature of Erissa.
Initiates of Erissa must possess both of the Harmony and Life Runes, with Harmony at 1W or higher. Initiates are shown the God Time as Erissa knew it, before Pain, Disease and Chaos entered the world, and are made to suffer the pain of the first death and the joy of the first resurrection. Initiates swear to never do violence to another living being, to never eat the flesh of an animal, and to aid all people in need within the bounds of their ability to do so. Many wealthier initiates also take oaths to not wear fur or leather, but this is not required. Wool is, however, favored among the cult as a material for clothing. Initiates who break their oath of non-violence have all of Erissa’s magical power removed from them.
Under Pentan law, initiates of the cult of Erissa are protected from all harm, as are those in their care. The penalty for violating the lives of Erissa’s healers is exile at the least, and many Pentans would die to defend a healer from harm in the first place. However, they also are not often trusted with political secrets due to their strict stance of healing anyone who asks for aid. Initiates are not rendered impure by contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of those whom they are healing until after they finish.
Monasteries with an Erissa cult presence celebrate her every Wildday. These weekly minor ceremonies are intended to teach everyone of the omnipresent power of mercy. The Wildday of Life Week in a season is a particularly holy day, and initiates will make every effort to head to a monastery to attend the festivals of that week and take part in the ritual healing ceremonies. The most holy day of Erissa, however, is the Freezeday of Fate Week in the Sacred Time, which marks the day on which Erissa resurrected West King Wind and gave her power of life to Yu-Kargzant, allowing them to emerge from the Underworld. This is the Resurrection Day, which is preceded by two weeks of ritual and ceremonial celebration, and it is the day on which it is easiest for the cult to resurrect the dead.
Erissa is honored in the worship of Yu-Kargzant and the Lightbringer gods, but only with gifts of wealth, crops and tools. She accepts no gift of flesh, and instead is offered clarified butter, flowers, healing herbs and honey.
Erissa has many subcults, and most monasteries maintain at least one subcult honoring a particular hero whose deeds protected it or led to its foundation. Others are widespread, and in the unique case of Arroyan, so widespread that it has ceased to be what might be considered a subcult.
Arroyan (HARMONY): Arroyan is the son of Erissa and East Sting Wind, the twin brother of the Wolf Healer, Asana. His father’s warrior nature made it difficult for him to use healing magic, but he was determined to become a mighty healer anyway. His skill with medicine and his knowledge made him a target of the forces of Chaos, and he was forced to seek refuge with the Aldryami, the Tree People, who taught him the secrets of healing plants. He mastered the art of stitching wounds and setting bones, how to treat poison and ease pain without magic, and throughout the Darkness, he worked to ensure that the world was safe while his mother’s magic waned in the Underworld. The worship of Arroyan is, in theory, a subcult of Erissa. However, the study of his methods is required of all initiates before they are permitted to learn healing magic, and it has effectively become so intertwined with the mainline cult that no one specifically worships Arroyan, but instead incorporate his worship into their worship of Erissa.
Herd of Mercy (HARMONY): The Herd of Mercy is a term referring to the many children of Erissa, adopted or born, who took a stand against Malia and the forces of disease. They are a collection of related subcults rather than a single one, as each monastery maintains a somewhat different list of the Herd’s membership. Each member maintains a court of nehalings, lesser healing spirits which wield mastery over a specific kind of injury or a specific disease and may be summoned to help treat them. Followers of the Herd of Mercy, regardless of which specific members they name, may use their Harmony Rune to summon nehalings and to more easily treat the specific cluster of injuries or diseases that their subcult’s chief goddess has mastered. (The vast majority of the Herd's members are female, though not all.)
Cheon Heartsinger (HARMONY): Cheon was an adopted daughter of Erissa, a goddess whose family was slain by Chaos. She dedicated herself to bringing the enemies of Chaos together, to ending their feuds and battles so that they might protect the world entire. Her songs were so beautiful they could melt any heart, and none could fight in her presence, save to defend her. Followers of Cheon Heartsinger may use their Harmony Rune to sing beautiful songs, to magically enforce peace between enemies (except Chaos), or to show people a shared foe.
Devotees, as normal, must renounce any magic that does not arise from Erissa, and may belong to only one subcult (except Arroyan). They must have a Harmony or Life Rune at 11W or higher.
Khatun of Mercy (HARMONY): When Erissa was crowned the Khatun of Mercy, she traveled all across the land, never resting. She could stay in no dwelling or tent longer than it took her to heal and treat its inhabitants and to purify herself after. She would travel far and wide, and any she met, man or beast, who was sick or injured, she would treat. No creature would harm her, no stranger would raise a weapon against her, for all could see her infinite mercy. The sole exception is Chaos, whose forces still sought her end.
Natyrsa Chaos Foe (HARMONY): Erissa could not remain neutral against Chaos when she saw the evil of the destroyer, Kajabor. She painted herself for war and called herself Natyrsa, the Foe of Chaos. She purified herself and took a stand, for she saw that Chaos was not of the world, and so was not of Life. She walked among the warriors and healed their minds and souls of the pain and fear and madness inflicted by Chaos. She exorcised the spirits of Chaos and the taint of Chaos’ magic. She healed those who fought Chaos and became wounded, allowing them to continue fighting. When the battle was over, her purity was thoroughly ended, and she required a great cleansing, but she ensured that no warrior against Chaos was left tainted or corrupted.
Resurrection (HARMONY): Erissa knows the secret of Life beyond Death, of how to restore the dead to the world. She purifies herself and performs medicine upon the body, repairing it and healing its wounds and ills so that the soul has a place to return to. Then she descends into the Underworld, where she must seek out the soul before it arrives at the Place of Judgment, where it will be sent on to its proper place. If she is fast enough, she may speak to the soul of the dead, which she must persuade to return to the world of Life. Then, should the soul agree, she takes it home, replacing it in its body and restoring the person to life. It is an exhausting process that can only be done in a state of purity, which ends when Erissa returns from the Underworld, whether she succeeds or fails.
Erissa does not inflict punishments upon her followers for breaking their vows. Instead, she merely withdraws her support, removing her magical power from them - including the ability to resist disease or be treated by healing magic. This is close to a curse, for Erissa’s mercy is part of what grants healing efficacy, but does not remove knowledge or non-magical ability to treat wounds. However, any initiate of Erissa that kills a living being is marked by the act. They not only lose all of their magic, but will attract the spirits sent by other gods to punish oathbreakers and the wicked. These spirits will generally attack when they see the mark staining the oathbreaker, cursing them with bad luck at the very least.
Erissa commands all of the spirits and gods of healing, for she is the greatest of their number and commands such respect that no spirit would gainsay her. Even sorcerous beings of healing bend knee to her, unlike most gods.
The Nehalings are the minor gods of healing. They appear as visible but insubstantial human figures, sometimes mounted on horses and sometimes not. Each possesses the ability to treat a single, often highly specific kind of pain, wound or disease. They are unable to affect anything else, so a Nehaling that is summoned to heal a snakebite will have no power to heal a broken leg or cure a cold.