Artemisia

Artemisia I of Caria is the exiled queen of Caria, ruler of Halicarnassus, a member of the Black Forest Commandos, an Amazonian warrior, and the leader of the Amazonian warriors. Her arrival gives Asgard an organized defense against enemies that can hide inside civilian identities.

Salamis and the Amazonian Exile

Artemisia and RuinTan fought alongside each other at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. Her survival came at the expense of her own side: pursued by an enemy ship, she rammed and sank an allied vessel to escape. Salamis remains a memory of the people she endangered and sacrificed to save herself.

In the aftermath of the battle, Zeus arrived and killed many Amazonians and barred their souls from the Greek heavens. Their loss extended beyond the battlefield: even the dead were denied a home. Mithra intervened and offered sanctuary in her own realm to both the dead and the living Amazonians, including Artemisia.

That protection became an enduring alliance. Artemisia leads her warriors, and they mobilize at Mithra's command because she sheltered them when the Greek gods cast them out.

The Promise to Gord

In The Council's Call, Mithra sends Gord to Mount Damavand, where Artemisia and the Amazonian army await her. Artemisia pledges their help in pursuing Angra Mainyu and his shadows, promising to bring light wherever Gord identifies the enemy.

The Asgard deployment fulfills an existing commitment between commanders. Gord's Bravo + Gold message calls on Mithra's network and the alliance Artemisia has already promised to support.

The Asgard Mission

Artemisia arrives in the Hardened District with Amazonian warriors. Their life force can sense malice, making them unusually effective against Type III CVEs that mimic or occupy Asgard's residents.

Artemisia stands 177 cm tall. A typical Amazonian warrior under her command averages 176 cm, giving the formation a notably consistent physical presence without making stature its defining advantage.

Gord addresses her as Queen Artemisia and RuinTan as prince, recognizing the titles of two fellow commanders. When the inner citadel must remain protected while the Black Forest Commandos secure the wider city, Artemisia accepts responsibility and deploys her forces to replace guards who cannot reliably identify infiltrators.

She also operates comfortably beside Mina and RuinTan, two ancient fighters with very different temperaments. RuinTan shares her memories of Salamis.

Character

Assertive, pragmatic, and entirely comfortable with command, Artemisia is classified as ENTJ. She does not compete with Gord for authority; the two divide responsibilities according to the needs of the operation.

Abilities and Equipment

• Command: Directs organized defenses and keeps forces aligned around clear objectives.
• Amazonian leadership: Leads the Amazonian warriors as both their queen and battlefield commander.
• Amazonian detection: Her warriors can sense malice and expose host infestations with high precision.
• Spear: Her primary personal weapon.
• Historical experience: Brings the judgment of an ancient commander into a modern security crisis.

Classical Connections

Caria lies in Asia Minor, a region closely associated with the Amazons in Greek tradition. This geography connects Artemisia's homeland with the wider Amazonian world. Encyclopaedia Iranica: Amazons

Herodotus records Artemisia's naval command and her escape after sinking an allied ship in Histories 7.99 and 8.87–88. Aristophanes places Artemisia and the Amazons alongside one another as examples of formidable women in Lysistrata 675–679. These are distinct classical references behind the connection. Herodotus on Artemisia, Aristophanes, Lysistrata

Related Entries

• Mithra
• Amazonian Warrior
• The Council's Call
• Mina
• RuinTan
• CVE Monsters
• Asgard Mission

Spoilers for Black Forest Commandos: Asgard MissionShowHide

The devastated aftermath of the final assault recalls Salamis for Artemisia and RuinTan. Their shared memory includes the allies sacrificed in her escape, the Amazonians killed by Zeus, and the sanctuary Mithra gave the living and the dead.