I don’t like the villain of this piece-at all, which is rare for me-but I have to concede he did the right thing by killing the first war goddess.
When one’s idea of calm, low-key celebration involves literally baptizing babies in the blood of slain enemies, it may be time to step down from the throne. If the villain wasn’t planning on using the world for his own purposes, she’d probably be the one to bring about the end times instead.
Her worshipers were terrifying people too. The best of them used their hunger for battle to fight for worthy causes. Those a little worse fought for whoever could buy their services. And the lowest of all fought each other, simply because they could.
There are three countries (at least) that were completely destroyed by her worshipers going at one another.