Myrmidia
From Lexicanum
Myrmidia is the goddess of Strategy and War. She is the sister of Shallya, goddess of Mercy, and both of them are the daughters of Morr and Verena.
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Symbols
Myrmidia is portrayed as a tall, well-proportioned, young woman equipped in the style of soldiers from the southern parts of the Old World. Her symbols are the spear and shield and she may appear under the form of an eagle.
There are no special days though it is common to make sacrifices before and after battles.
Beliefs
Myrmidia is the patron goddess of soldiers and strategists, representing the art and science of war and is worshipped by both the upper and lower echelons of armies.
A follower of Myrmidia may enter battle only when strategies and tactics have been developed for all conceivable eventualities to ensure victory with minimal casualties. They must always spare an enemy who has surrendered. To kill such an enemy is considered a craven and cowardly act, unbefitting a true warrior. They always follow orders given by a superior without question, unless such an order goes against other Myrmidian ethics.
Cult
Her cult is friendly with those of her parents and her sister Shallya. There is a rivalry between the worshippers of Ulric and those of Myrmidia, which usually manifests itself as competition on the battlefield. Many of her cult are openly hostile to followers of Ranald.
Very popular in Estalia and Tilea, in the Empire she is less popular than either Ulric or Sigmar, who better represent the Imperial ideals of strength of combat and the frenzy of battle. Nevertheless the famous and honorable Order of the Blazing Sun are imperial champions of Myrmidia.
All temples of Myrmidia are subordinate to the temple in Magritta where the Archecclesiastium (the governing council of the cult) is located. In addition, each temple is the diocesan seat of the cult of Myrmidia. Her temples are located in the citadels of most cities of any size throughout the Estalian kingdoms and the Tilean city-states. Some cities in southern Bretonnia and the Empire (Nuln and Talabheim) also have temples to Myrmidia. Smaller temples and shrines can be commonly found in areas where southern mercenaries are employed.
Given the land where her worship is most popular, the architecture of the temples of Myrmidia usually follows the styles of Estalia and Tilea. They are square or rectangular halls covered with elaborately domed and spiral roofs. Shallow relief's of outsized weapons and shields seemingly hang on the exterior walls of the temple. Shrines often take the form of miniature temples with either statues of the goddess or free-standing sculptures of stacked weapons, shields, and armour.
Afterlife
Myrmidia delivers a special afterlife for her faithful warriors that followed her code of honour in life. After death, the spirit of the deceased enters a large hall. From there, they are separated according to their rank in life. Those who were commanders find themselves gathered around miniature terrain settings where they plan strategies and tactics, deploy troops, and conduct military operations. Spirits of cultists who were rank and file troops resume those roles in these miniature battlefields. To many, surviving these battles mean possible promotion to field commanders. Casualties are never "fatal", just removed from play until they are deployed again in another battle. After the battle, the commanders discuss the events while others reset the terrain for the following series of battles. The fallen continue like this forever, becoming an unstoppable army with flawless tactics.
| gods & goddesses of the Old World |
| Old Faith - Rhya - Taal - Ulric - Manann - Morr - Verena - Myrmidia - Shallya - Ranald - Handrich - Stromfels - Khaine - Sigmar - Lady of the Lake - Lucan & Luccina - Ursun - Dazh - Tor - Esmeralda |
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