Total War: Warhammer 3 – The Iron Dragon Revealed
Cathay will launch with two legendary lords who are also dragons. Today come take a look at the lord of the deserts, the Iron Dragon, Zhao Ming.
Step right up folks it’s time for another look at the upcoming units in Total War: Warhammer 3. We’re once more rolling through the lore (and a few preview hints) of the leaders of Grand Cathay. Grand Cathay is administered by two great dragons, the Storm Dragon, Miao Ying, and the Iron Dragon, Zhao Ming–whom we’re looking at today.
Zhao Ming oversees the westernmost reaches of Grand Cathay, overseeing the mighty city of Shang-Yang, gateway from Grand Cathay into the rest of the world. Many caravans leave Grand Cathay from Zhao’s domain, making his provinces wealthy–but where there is wealth, there are often problems. And Zhao Ming starts his campaign with all manner of troubles.
For one, Zhao Ming is not the favored child of the two dragons:
The Iron Dragon […] is not as beloved by his father as his older sister, although rumours say the Moon Empress has a soft spot for her son.
So right away, Zhao Ming has something to prove. And right away, he has the opportunity to prove it. According to Creative Assembly, Zhao Ming will start his campaign in the Western provinces, with desert-borne Skaven acting up, causing a rebellion of some kind.
And the neighboring regions aren’t the most friendly either–further West from Grand Cathay’s borders, you’ll find ogres, greenskins, and more just ready to stir up trouble. Even the Iron Dragon’s main city, Shang-Yang, a bustling metropolis full of traders from other lands, is located in the middle of the Warpstone Desert.
But Zhao Ming is a dragon, and that goes a long way to keeping the peace. It also means that the Iron Dragon has had to be more resourceful than his sister in maintaining the front. Without the same support his sister receives, Zhao Ming has become an accomplished blacksmith and Alchemist, experimenting with strange metals found in the Warpstone Desert:
[Zhao Ming] is as skilled an artisan as those drawn to him since he has had a Dragon’s lifespan to perfect such expertise and research the mysteries of arcane metallurgy. The strange elements found in the Warpstone Desert have only deepened Zhao’s fascination and understanding of alchemy but has also led to some unfair accusations from his siblings…
What lies in store for Zhao Ming? We’ll find out in early 2022.
