Olnyr, the Whetstone of War

Domain: Preparation, Readiness, Edge
Titles: The Edgekeeper, He Who Sharpens, Stone Beneath the Storm
Symbol: A stone streaked with blood
Origin Among Mortals: Olnyr was not born on the battlefield, but just before it — in the grit of training yards, in calloused hands wrapping sword hilts, in the slow exhale before the charge.
He emerged in the pause between peace and conflict, forged from the discipline of readiness, the sacred tension before release. Every sharpened blade, every tightened strap, every plan rehearsed in a whisper of dread — all fed the forging of Olnyr’s divine presence.
He is not war itself. He is the edge that makes war possible.
Nature of the Whetstone: Olnyr is unyielding, focused, and silent. He is the god of the second before, of breath held and minds honed. He does not revel in violence, nor celebrate conquest. He reveres the craft of readiness, the sacred act of becoming capable — and responsible — for what comes next.
He is never worshiped in the heat of battle. His rites are observed only before the blood is spilled. Once the blade is drawn, his part is done.
To call on Olnyr in battle is to admit you came unready — a deep shame in his eyes.
Manifestation & Imagery: Olnyr appears as a figure clad in rough leathers and steel accents, eyes like cold flint, hands scarred and steady. His presence is heavy — like the stillness before a thunderclap. His touch does not bless — it tests.
His symbol — a stone streaked with blood — is often kept near armories, training circles, and war tents. It is rubbed before battle by those who respect the edge more than the strike.
Weapons sharpened in his name are said to never falter — not because they are perfect, but because their wielder is prepared to carry them.
Worship and Followers: Olnyr’s followers are the Sharpened — soldiers, smiths, tacticians, sentries, and all who live in the in-between. His shrines are not grand; they are stones soaked with oil and sweat, placed beside whetstones, near sparring circles, or buried beneath the thresholds of war camps.
His rites are:
Silence before dawn drills.
The sharpening of blades while chanting oaths.
The offering of a single drop of blood to stone the night before battle.
He does not promise victory. He promises readiness — and that is enough.
After the Dark Awakening: As chaos consumed the world, and war became the default state, many forgot to prepare. In the blind rush to survive, few paused to ready themselves. Olnyr’s voice faded… and with it, discipline collapsed.
But now, in scattered pockets of soldiers who remember how to ready themselves — he returns. His name is whispered before hard marches, in the flick of whetstones over rusted blades, and in the gaze of those who know that one moment of preparation can mean the difference between survival and slaughter.
Notable Sayings & Myths:
“You do not win with me. You only arrive ready to try.”
The Tenfold Edge: A tale of a lone warrior who prepared for ten years for a duel that lasted ten seconds. They won with the first strike — and never drew their blade again.
The Blooded Stone: A battlefield legend that any army that forgets to anoint their whetstone with blood before war will find their blades dulled by fear.
The Sentinel’s Rest: A temple built on a faultline of invasions, where warriors spend their lives preparing for a war that never comes. It is said Olnyr sleeps beneath it, waiting for the day they are needed.

“The blade is not what kills. The edge is what decides.” — Olnyr, the Whetstone of War