An except from "Warrior Women of the Periphery, a Short History of the MAF" - R. Tazen, 3081
"While mystery cults, and 'Goddess' religions have always had a strong place in the Magistocracy of Canopus, one in particular, has been growing in the wake of the Blakist epidemic. Only one among many secret societies and cults at the Canopian Institute of War at the outbreak of the Jihad, it was already shrouded with an air of mystique which has only been enhanced by the success (alleged) members have had during the war. Members are known to revere the Goddess Morrigan, and her twin ravens, Mugin and Hunin, said to be able to see through the eyes of the dead, and consume wisdom from a corpse on the battlefield.
A somewhat fatalistic religion, drawing from the miners of the Trznadel Cluster, this martial religion was little known in years past, though it has a history, some say, stretching back to Terra pre-diaspora. First given fertile soil beyond the harsh mining enclaves of it's home at the Canopian Institute of War, where citizens from all over the Magistocracy have been drawn together, and subjected to adversity together, it is only natural that secret societies and rituals would spring up, to accompany the new military traditions found there. While the more outre rumors of blood drinking and naked sword dancing are, I am sad to report, fictional, it is true that some members subject themselves to a 'Vigil', to draw closer to their Goddess, who spent seven days crucified on a tree. There have been one or two accidents, but in general initiates come away with nothing worse than frostbite, and perhaps, the wisdom they were seeking.
During the chaos, and bloodshed of the Jihad, however, the cult has seen a large growth in membership. While much of this has taken place in the MAF, many civilians and partisans have also embraced the religion. Visions of the 'Choosers of the Slain' alternately known as valravn/valkyries (depending on if they take the form of ravens, or warrior women) have been reported with increasing frequency, and more than one mechwarrior, infantryman, or tank crew has embraced the religion after a near death experience and encounter with these servants of the Morrigan.
While there are certainly a fair number of Mechwarriors who embrace the Cult of Morrigan (perhaps most notably the Sable Ravens mercenaries), along with members throughout the MAF, the strongest foothold of the cult has been in the fledgling MAF Armored Infantry. A truly disproportionate number of the troopers who fight their way to a suit of Battle Armor are members of the so called 'Black Feather Society' as underclassmen in the CIW. Recurring rumors surface, from time to time that Cult 'Choosers' among the MAF Medical Corps will sometimes deliver death, instead of healing on the battlefield, but investigation and statistical analysis by the MAF have disproved this lurid supposition.
Ultimately, only time will tell if the Cult of the Morrigan is simply a religious trend, like so many in the Magistocracy's past, or if the new military traditions of the MAF will lend it a permanant home. In the meantime, however, don't be surprised if you see a MAF trooper give a few drops of blood to the earth before a battle, or spot a raven feather amulet, or marking on a suit of Battle Armor."
Editor's Note: The Cult of the Morrigan is registered with the Magistocracy of Canopus, and sacraments may include Bloodletting, Scarification, Exposure to the Elements, Branding, Fasting, Feasting, Vision Quests (possibly including pharmaceutical assistance), and Physical Contests. The cult does not have a listed preference on the marriage contract spectrum.
