Angnavir

Worship of Olar takes many forms across the four continents, but nowhere is his influence more pronounced than the land of Angnavir, in northwest Raustfweg, where a long history of bloody strife and the rugged, mountainous terrain have bred a hardy folk well versed in the arts of war.

History
Around Eto Cora Aspru'eir ("Before the Age of the Many Kingdoms") 650, when humans first began settling Angnavir, they were greeted with some hostility by the native dwarven clans, who saw them as encroaching upon their sovereign territory. However, over time, a shared antipathy for the fearsome mountain giants and a mutual love of industry and commerce led to a relationship that was marked as much by cooperation as by conflict. The shorter-lived, more eclectic human peoples were heavily influenced by their dwarven neighbors as they adapted to their new environment, and many dwarven cultural traditions found their way into the human culture of Angnavir.

Religion
The dominance of Olar-worship over that of most other deities in Angnavir can primarily be traced back to this kind of cultural exchange. The dwarves of Angnavir have a particular reverence for two of the Twelve Named Gods : Olar and Wedril, whom they know as Albjorn and Dodrik respectively. These dwarvish appellations are common not just in Angnavir, but have spread across much of Raustfweg. In addition to the dual symbolism of the clenched fist/open palm, the dwarves ascribe an additional symbol to each god: an axe (for Albjorn) and a hammer (for Dodrik). The hammer symbolizes strength in pursuit of creation, while the axe symbolizes strength of a more deadly nature. Like so many other dwarven traditions, this symbology has crept into human Angnaviri culture over the years.

While Angnaviri humans do honor all the Twelve Named Gods, they, like their stout cousins, have a particular fondness for Albjorn and Dodrik. Unlike the dwarves, though, who offer both gods more or less equal reverence, the more quarrelsome and warlike humans have developed a specific form of Albjorn devotion. In Angnavir, Albjorn's clenched fist is never depicted without the head of his mighty battle axe held in its clutches.

With the passage of time, as various human tribes and nations battled each other for primacy, often with devastating results, the nascent church of Albjorn grew into the main stabilizing force in the region. "Lords live and die, but Albjorn is eternal" is a popular motto among the faithful. As the church grew, it developed a strong hierarchy, led by mighty and wise war-priests who saw their mission as imposing order upon a chaotic world. In some respects, the institution serves as a kind of para-military, answerable to no ruler in particular but theoretically answerable to all.

The church sustains its martial might by accepting anyone who attests to their faith and shows a willingness to train and fight. In Angnavir, human children, regardless of gender, are weaned on an equal dose of heroism and fatalism, and in a region where hardship and want are more common than not, the church has no shortage of volunteers. Orphans and unwanted children are especially prized by the church, for the young can be more readily shaped and trained. Most who join the ranks of the church are destined to be simple acolytes or foot soldiers at best, but those who show some greater talent may be designated as actual priests or more highly ranked warriors (or both).

Warmaidens
One particular tradition that is unique to Albjorn worship in Angnavir is the designation of warmaidens. This practice can supposedly be traced to an ancient legend of a young maiden princess whose devotion to Albjorn was so great that she was able to slay demons of darkness with a single strike of her weapon (variably a spear, an axe, or a halberd). Young female recruits are tested not just for their martial potential, but also their leadership potential and willpower, and a select few of these are destined to become High Warmaidens, powerful paladins who serve as Albjorn's hand of vengeance on Efre Ousel, meting out death to those who earn it. Those who fail to meet the stringent requirements are often still trained alongside them, to serve as warmaiden underlings. Even a small force of warmaidens in full charge is a thing to behold. These individuals are rare, however, as very few possess the requisite qualities.