[@shylarah]

"Zt: That is not what I said.  At all."

What do you mean by this? Did I get something wrong in my post?

Modern day Omestrians don't pray to both gods. As you said, Asherahn has been wiped from history. "The People of the Hand" etymology refers to Omestrians in general. It doesn't really mean anything, it's just a more sophisticated way of referring to themselves. Since they are enslaved and the name of their God (Goddess, to those in the know) has been blasphemed and dragged through the historical mud, it's a way of elevating their culture and remembering that Omestris was a Remnant of the Ice Titan, just like the other Gods.

And yes, it isn't totally clear what happened, but Rose does ponder that Omestris apparently gave up without a fight. So maybe Essa mentioned something to her about this at some point. What is known is that Iddin-Mar was destroyed by the hands of Omestrians themselves before the Varyan invasion could break through the protective Aegis and reach it. No one knows why though.