Total War: Warhammer 3 – The Secret Lore Of Grand Cathay
Grand Cathay is a land of many secrets, but many of them are in the open after a “lore table” with TW:WH3 head writer and GW Alum Andy Hall.
Grand Cathay is one of the most unknown regions of the World-that-Was. But with Total War: Warhammer 3 shedding some light on the Chaos-beset land, more lore is coming to the forefront. Including how the faction was made–namely it was reverse-engineered to fit Warhammer Fantasy Battles 8th Edition. Though GW never wanted to make the book, the team tried to imagine the faction as though it were done according to the 8th Edition blueprint.
All of this came out in a recent “lore-table discussion” between Andy Hall, lead writer for Total War: Warhammer 3 and a number of podcasts, content creators, and Total War enthusiasts. Out of that, we get more than just a “tourists pamphlet” of what Cathay holds. Including a look at the other children of the Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress:
- Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, lord of the Southern Provinces and the Mountains of Heaven.
- Yin-Yin, the Sea Dragon, lord of the Eastern Provinces and Admiral of the Grand Dragon Fleet.
- Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, lord of the Central Provinces and Administrator of the Realm.
There are also other children, though time, entropy, and mystery keep them shrouded. This is in addition to the Celestial Dragon Emperor, Xen Yang, and the Moon Empress, Quai Yin. It is important to note that while they act in the interests of their people, something like a massive invasion of Grand Cathay that lasts multiple decades are merely small events on the immortal timeline of their lives. Often, it is simply not worth the effort to descend and see personally to an invasion, no matter how many lives it may cost.
We also got a look at what the Celestial Dragon is up to. As they point out in the video above, there’s a very Emperor of Man kind of vibe to what the Dragon Emperor is doing. He doesn’t consider himself a god, doesn’t want to be worshipped–revered is fine, but not worshipped–and on top of that, he’s working on a secret project that is taking all of his attention while his favored children rule over his lands and vie for his attention.
We also get to know a little more about the foes that Cathay faces, the Monkey King and his Monkey Warriors in the southern part of the map. But also look at this little bit of lore about the magic…those names sure seem familiar don’t they…kind of like something from an age. Maybe an Age of Sigmar?
There’s plenty more to dig through in the various lore videos and podcasts you’ll find by following this link. So be sure and check it out.
What do you think of Cathay’s Secrets?
