It’s taken more than three decades, but light is finally being shed on the mysterious eastern realm of Cathay. Though this nation’s first full appearance in the world of Warhammer can be seen in the just-released Total War: Warhammer III, Cathay will also be coming to the tabletop in the upcoming Warhammer: The Old World. And now, there’s a map. Here’s the Old World supremo Andy Hoare to explain.
Andy: Welcome to a very special reveal for Warhammer: The Old World! This time we're taking a look at a region that has remained a big blank void ever since the very first maps of the world of Warhammer – the great empire that is Grand Cathay.
Cathay is really nicely fleshed-out in the upcoming Total War: Warhammer III, but this wasn’t always the case. Below is the first ever map of the known world, published in the second edition of the game all the way back in the mid 80s. As you can see, none of the now-familiar nations had much detail.
Most would go on to become highly detailed parts of the setting with rich histories and in-depth descriptions, but Cathay went almost entirely unexplored for all that time – beyond some tantalising tidbits in the Ogre Kingdoms army books.
Until now.
Grand Cathay is such a vast land that we have decided to focus – for now – on its north-western regions. So behold them, in all their glory! The Warhammer: The Old World team has been busy developing this area as part of our support for the guys at Creative Assembly for some time, so that games of Total War: Warhammer III set in this region feel every bit as rich and characterful as games set anywhere else in the world.
Cathay has been ruled by a race of immortal shape-shifting dragons for thousands of years, and it’s not a place that changes much, so this map is just as valid for the era in which Total War: Warhammer III is set as it is during the earlier period that will be explored by Warhammer: The Old World. Rest assured, scholars of Warhammer, this map works in both settings, so get studying!
We'll reveal more of Grand Cathay and the fascinating peoples that call it home in future articles – as well as closer looks at other areas of this incredible setting.
Thanks Andy – it’s amazing to finally see what Cathay looks like after all these years. We now turn to Owen Barnes, who can explain more about the Empire in the East.
Owen: Far beyond the Old World, across the Worlds Edge Mountains, the Dark Lands beyond them, and even the Mountains of Mourn, stretches the vast empire of Grand Cathay. A sprawling land of mist-shrouded mountains, endless forests, mighty rivers and magnificent cities, this is the largest realm of men in the known world. The first taste of this empire encountered by travellers (or invaders) from the west and north are the lands ruled over by the Storm Dragon Miao Ying and the Iron Dragon Zhao Ming – children of the Celestial Dragon Emperor Xen Yang.Miao Ying defends the Great Bastion to the north, a towering wall that stretches for hundreds of miles across Grand Cathay’s northern border, from the ever-present forces of Chaos and the Hobgoblin Khanates. It is said the strength of the Storm Dragon and her innumerable armies have never faltered in their protection of the empire, thanks to the discipline of Cathay’s soldiers and the wondrous weapons produced by the artificers of Nan Gau.
In the west, Zhao Ming rules the lucrative trade city of Sang Yang, guarding the Ivory Road from the rest of the Old World. However, there’s more than the high walls of Sang Yang and the Iron Dragon’s mercenary armies keeping western Cathay safe. Stretching beyond the gates of his city is the Warpstone Desert, a cursed land forever tainted by the impact of the ancient meteor that created the Great Maw, which makes for a formidable barrier to any who would dare strike at Grand Cathay from the west.
Thanks Owen! There will be a lot more to come from Grand Cathay and The Old World in due course – and you’ll hear about it all here first. Why not sign up to the newsletter to get the news delivered direct to your inbox?