"Before the strategy is agreed, one should seek the advice of an Oracle. Morr's dark folk claim foresight as their god's domain, but as they little understand the vagaries of war, they may mistakenly speak false sooth. Seek an oracle knowledgeable in Myrmidia's way, only there can the honourable general find true insight."
- —Bellum Strategia, "Before Blades are Bared"[1a]
The Bellum Strategia, along with the Bellona Myrmidia and The Book of War, is one of the most popular holy books of the Cult of Myrmidia, the goddess of strategy.[1a][3a] It is a brittle, yellowed text kept under lock and key in the library of the Archecclesiatium of Myrmidia in Magritta.[1a]
The foundation of Myrmidia's cult, on the other hand, has parallels with both that of Sigmar and those of the other gods, being a confusing mix of historical fact and legendary origins. To add to the confusion, each of the main holy texts of the Myrmidian cult, The Book of War, Bellona Myrmidia, and Bellum Strategia, all give different accounts of the goddess' origins and place varying emphasis on the importance of her story.[2a]
Estalians decry the Reman account described in the Bellona Myrmidia as mere fable. Was not Myrmidia born of the union of the gods Morr and Verena, daughter of death and justice? They attest to the primacy of the priests of the Archecclesiastium and teach that their authority is warranted by Bellum Strategia. These partisans assert that it was in Magritta that Myrmidia first stepped from the heavens, alighting on the same rock upon which the Archecclesiastium is built. In the bowels of the temple an imprint of her footprint can be seen on that sacred rock.[2b]
The Eagle of the North, Lorenzo di Marco, the most powerful Myrmidian north of The Vaults, is frustrated in his efforts to promote Myrmidian influence in the Empire as a result of the divisions in the cult. The Order of the Eagle swears fealty to a High Eagle from Tilea and abide by the precepts of the cult laid down by the Bellona Myrmidia. However, the templars receive their orders from Magritta and abide by the precepts listed in the Bellum Strategia. Lorenzo's superiors therefore expect him to impose their values on the Knights of the Blazing Sun, which he knows they will resist.[2c]
Legitimacy of Bellum Strategia[]
To Tilean worshippers of Myrmidia this book is seen as a series of apocryphal ramblings that may inspire the Myrmidian faithful but hold no true veracity.[2d]
For Estalians, the book's claims about Myrmidia's first manifestation as a goddess incarnate in Magritta are taken as sacred truth.[2d]