Pronunciation: OLE-bahr (rhymes with POLE-far)
Father of Selah
Brother of Thief
Olbar, called “The Mountain Tall,” was the chief of the human Great River Tribe, which had almost no contact with elves before Cutter‘s arrival. Though stronger and taller than the average human, hence his name, Olbar’s stature was matched by his honest nature and concern for the welfare of his people.
This did not protect him from the manipulations of Bone Woman, the tribe’s witch-doctor and consummate zealot. Considering “spirits” (elves) a threat to her influence and power, she preyed on Olbar’s fears — fears that only intensified when his daughter Selah eloped with a boy the chief did not accept. Olbar’s pursuit of the young couple ended in a terrifying encounter with the Preservers of the Forbidden Grove, which cemented his fear of such alien things. At Bone Woman’s urging, he cast tribesman Adar and mate Nonna for speaking on behalf of the “spirits.” But when Nonna’s otherworldly protectors revealed themselves in person to the tribe, Olbar was forced to change his thinking. Originally in awe of Cutter and Skywise, Olbar saved their lives when they were attacked by his disgraced brother, Thief. Disabused of his superstions, he eventually grew comfortable enough with the elves to welcome them the rare times they might visit the tribe.
