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Age of Sigmar - Lexicanum β

Myrmidesh Painbringer

A cadre of Myrmidesh Painbringers and Symbaresh Twinsoulsled by Glutos Orscollion.

Myrmidesh Painbringers are members of an elite Slaaneshi warrior cult. Each member considers themself to be a paragon of battle, taking pride in dealing death in the most painful - yet beautiful - way. They are members of the Slaanesh Sybarites who can only find pleasure in the thrust of combat, embodying the martial pride of the Dark Prince. Indeed, they see themselves above most other members of their carnival, being stoic and impassive where others are depraved and crass. [1a]

Promotion

Although the order swells in number as Slaanesh's power grows, it is still no easy feat to join the ranks of the Myrmidesh. The aspiring Painbringer must overcome six harrowing trials, each gradually escalating into more and more of a visceral assault on the body and sense. The last trial is the most gruelling, for an aspirant must ingest six intoxicating potions before battling a host of gradually more powerful foes even as their vision swims with mind-bending hallucinations. Only those truly adroit killers who survive such an experience (and ignore all other distractions and temptations) are granted admission into the Myrmidesh. [1a]

Combat

Each Myrmidesh sect is devoted to one aspect of a form of combat known as the Dance of the Wailing Blade. The specifics of such combat do not matter; they can range from deflecting enemy blows before unleashing a single perfect counter-cut, to weaving their wicked scimitars in a serpentine flurry that overwhelms even the stoutest defence; so long as it delivers crippling agony to their victims, it is accepted. [1a]

Myrmidesh cohorts wait with unnatural stillness at the heart of the battleline, observing the approach of charging enemies (or those driven to madness by the arrows of the Blissbarb). Then, as swift and sudden as an viper, they strike, leaving their enemies wracked with debilitating convulsions, before striding onto their next kill. On the rare occasions that a Painbringer’s perfected technique fails, their true colours emerge; with a wail of spiteful fury, they descend into a frenzy of wild, atavistic blows. Only when the offending enemy has been reduced to nought but a bloody mark upon the earth will the Painbringer return to their previous sense of false decorum, the façade returning as suddenly as it dissipated. [1a]

Wargear

Upon succeeding in their trial, the Myrmidesh are granted a curved blade and rune-marked shield, as well as the cult's signature sleek armour. [1a]

Sources