http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheEmpireOfGrandCathay

Click here to return to the main character page

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fle_ebcxmaigx_m.jpg

"Soldiers of the Dragon Emperor!"

"Chaos is anathema to harmony and so we must fight it with every measure of our flesh and soul. You shall give your lives willingly if required, for the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress must preserve and ensure that harmony is kept in balance."

Far to the east of the Old World, beyond the Dark Lands and the Mountains of Mourn, lies the ancient nation of Grand Cathay. Merchant caravans returning with exotic goods through the Ivory Road bring tales of a realm larger than the Empire and Bretonnia combined, with vast cities of jade and stone where huge human populations are watched over by ruling dragons.

Indeed, since its founding Grand Cathay has been governed by a family of immortal, immensely powerful dragons: the Celestial Dragon Emperor, his consort the Moon Empress and their children. Though they are not gods, nor do they demand worship from their subjects, the dragons are still treated with the reverence that their great age, wisdom and power command. Harmony is the driving force of Cathayan society, with the teachings of the Dragon Emperor being that everyone must work in concert for the betterment of society and to find their place in life. Thus, the dragons act not as tyrants, but as beneficent, though often aloof, teachers and wardens of the populace, regularly taking human form to interact with their subjects and only returning to their draconic selves when necessary.

Stretching for hundreds of miles across Cathay's northern border stands the Great Bastion, a massive, impassable wall built thousands of years ago under the oversight of the Dragon Emperor and imbued with much of his magic. Though it has been attacked on innumerable occasions and even sometimes breached, it still has succeeded in protecting the lands of Cathay from the invaders of the Chaos Wastes. Only Tzeentch, known in Cathay as Chi'an Chi, has managed to significantly infiltrate the Empire, his cults being a common cause of disruption and rebellion.

In war, the Cathayan desire for harmony is ever-present, their soldiers fighting in ordered ranks and trained to act in concert with those around them, often moving like a single organism. Long accustomed to enduring the tides of darkness that crash against the Great Bastion, Grand Cathay's armies tend to favour defensive tactics, unleashing fusillades of gunfire while a stalwart frontline keeps the enemy at bay. When necessary, the flying war machines of the Sky Fleet and the magics of the alchemists, astromancers and dragon-blooded sorcerers are called for aid.

Though traditionally an isolationist nation, events in the world are conspiring to require the attention of Grand Cathay. The northern horizon grows darker by the day, ruinous forces amassing beyond the Great Bastion in numbers never before seen; inside the empire itself, local squabbles and chaotic cults promote growing unrest, and the Dragon Emperor remains locked in his palace in the Celestial City of Wei Jin, whatever machinations he has concocted over the centuries yet to bear fruit. The world is clearly out of balance, and it falls to Grand Cathay to restore harmony.

Introduced in Total War: Warhammer III, Grand Cathay is playable in the Realm of Chaos campaign, as well as the Darkness & Disharmony multiplayer campaign, and the Immortal Empires combined mega-campaign for owners of I, II and III. Notably, this represents the first on-screen appearance of Grand Cathay in any Warhammer media.

open/close all folders

General Tropes

The Northern Provinces

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ho7ytp2d1aby.png

The Western Provinces

The Jade Court

Achilles' Heel:
- Cathayan armies tend to be very compact owing to their Harmony mechanic and they're one of the slowest human factions, meaning attacks that pass through multiple models (such as artillery, magic, and ranged monsters) will inflict horrific damage on their slow-moving forces. This is especially bad when they're faced with longer-ranged or harder-hitting artillery than they themselves can bring to bear, thanks to the slow part of the equation. Cathay has its own artilley, fast cavalry, flying units and magic to deal with it (unlike the Dwarfs) but they are distinctly weaker than equivalents in other factions and also cannot benefit from Harmony bonuses when operating alone.
- On the campaign map, Cathay used to have a problem with Corruption (before the Skaven-hunting buildings and a commandment both added corruption removal, Cathay's only sources were an early technology and Miao Ying) and currently has one with Replenishment. On top of a low base replenishment, they have no heroes with replenishment boosting, no techologies (except one for peasants and one for their terracotta warriors) and only one building (which is Yang-aligned). Luckily Cathay's strong ranged armies in single player means they can usually win without crippling casualties, but when they do suffer, they suffer the consequences for a long time.
- On the campaign map, the Harmony mechanic can come back to haunt the player if they aren't savvy enough. While failing to micromanage it may not necessarily cripple the faction, provided enough support buildings were established, it can severely limit their economy, and thus put something of a cap on army size due to upkeep. Consequentially, to maximize efficiency, the player often has to micromanage Harmony, and if they lose a settlement that provides a certain amount of bonuses to one side, that can lead to sudden downturns in their functionality.
Action Girl: Unlike most of the world, young girls are encouraged to sign up with the Cathayan army, and as a result, many female warriors are shown fighting side by side with their male counterparts in mixed gender formations.
Adaptation Expansion: By necessity, and to such a level that they could tell Norsca and the Vampire Coast to hold their beer — Cathay has never been represented beyond bits of background lore in any Warhammer media, so anything they field will have to be created whole cloth.
A God I Am Not
Alchemy Is Magic: Alchemists are one of the main kinds of magic specialists found in Cathay. Although not officially sanctioned like the Astromancers, they are often found in the provinces ruled by the Iron Dragon Zhao Ming (who is himself a highly accomplished alchemist). There they have established the House of Secrets, a powerful cabal whose members can be employed by generals across the empire. Gameplay-wise they cast Lore of Metal spells through the use of potions and provide hefty buffs to the armor and attack of nearby units.
Angel Unaware: Some of Cathay's dilemma events describe the player encountering people or animals that are very heavily implied to be Cathay's semi-divine rulers, the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress, in disguise. For instance, the "Undercover Bosses" event describes two stray cats — a silver female with a moon-shaped marking and a golden male with a serpent-like stripe down its back — observing your soldiers' training, and gives you different bonuses depending on which one you give attention to.
Animal Motif: Dragons. Cathay is known as the Kingdom of the Dragon in the Warhammer universe, much of their architecture and armor is adorned with cermonial dragons, and dragons live within its borders.
Annoying Arrows: The bow and arrow has been largely phased out by the Cathayan repeating crossbow: clockwork weapons of the highest quality, different from Empire and Dwarf crossbows in that they are designed to fire a great deal of missiles in a short time. They are wielded expertly by Jade Warriors, with Dragon Guard Crossbowmen being some of the most dangerous in the game. The only units who wield classic bows are Peasant Archers who deal a pittance in damage.
Amazon Brigade: While most of Cathay's units fight in mixed-gender formations, Crane Gunners and Iron-Hail Gunners are all female.
Arch-Enemy: The Chaos God Tzeentch (known to the Cathayans as Chi'an Chi) has the greatest enmity with Grand Cathay and the dragons. The strictly hierarchical Cathayan society, ruled by immortal leaders, is antithetical to the Changer of Ways, and Tzeentchian cults dedicated to overthrowing the social order crop up so often that most of the Moon Empress' spy network is dedicated just to rooting them out. The Wu Xing Compass, which manipulates the winds of magic for the benefit of Cathay, depicts the Celestial Dragon Emperor engaged in battle with a massive bird representing Chi'an Chi.
Ascended Extra: Cathay has never had an army list or an official presence in the Warhammer tabletop game or even its Gaiden Games, existing only as an off-screen Space-Filling Empire that provides lore snippets alongside the Kingdoms of Ind and Nippon. With the third game, they have been promoted to a full, playable faction with its own roster, heroes and Legendary Lords.
Attack Reflector: The Missile Mirror spell from the Lore of Yin. When cast on an enemy ranged unit, it causes any volleys fired by that unit to be instantly reflected back at them.
Aw Look They Really Do Love Eachother: The children of the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress often jockey around for their parents' favor. But the fact that the goal of their campaigns is to find their missing sister Shen-Zoo implies that deep down, they truly love each other and will put aside their bickering when one of them is in true danger.
Badass Army: The Cathayan Army is up to the level of the Empire's in terms of both badassery and discipline. It's a state-controlled behemoth composed of the professional Jade Warrior corps— Badass Normal soldiers trained in combined arms warfare—and the elite Celestial Dragon Legion, warriors who serve the Royal Family alone. All of these are backed by both mundane and magical support, including firework cannons, sky-ships bristling with artillery, giant terracotta constructs and state-trained wizards. And when all else fails they can drown their enemies in huge formations of conscripted citizen levies. That’s not taking into account the way each part of this army can enhance the other through the balance of Yin and Yang!
Badass Bureaucrat: The Lord Magistrate is not as good in combat as most other non-magical lords due to mostly being a politician instead of a fighter. Even their kill-animation displays this with them struggling to pull out their blade from their impaled foe and tripping in the process. However, they more than make up for this by commanding and buffing their troops much more than most other generic lords can, especially once the right Harmony is attained in the army.
Badass Bookworm: Cathayan Scholars are trained in the arts of magic, and can kick tons of ass as well.
Badass Cape: All Legendary Lord, Lord and Hero characters in the Grand Cathay roster sport large, intricately-patterned capes.
Badass Family: Cathay's royalty is ruled by a family of immortal, shapeshifting dragons that can go toe-to-toe with Greater Daemons in their true forms.
Badass Normal: Barring the Dragon-Blooded, a vast majority of Cathay's defenders are normal men and women—yet, with the power of combined arms warfare they are able to fight the horrors of the Warhammer universe and win.
Berserk Button: If you’re a foreigner visiting Cathay, do not - under any circumstances - mock or insult the Dragons in public. One poor fellow did exactly that in a tea house, and his life was ended within seconds…without a drop of tea being spilt.
Big Brother Instinct: The Dragons don't care, personally, if Ursun lives or dies - but he knows where their missing younger sister Shen-Zoo is, and if they save him from the Forge of Souls, they can win knowledge about her whereabouts as a boon. Therefore, upon discovering his predicament they join the quest to rescue him without hesitation.
Big, Screwed-Up Family: You think. Considering they're clearly inspired by the God-Emperor and the Primarchs it should be clear that the Cathayan Royal Family is one of the most dysfunctional in the entire setting. An immensely toxic Sibling Rivalry is just the tip of the iceberg, and has led to all out civil war between the siblings numerous times, nasty and uncomfortable family gatherings no one wants to attend, and blatant Parental Neglect and Parental Favoritism from the Moon Empress and Dragon Emperor has made things a hundred times worse.
BFG: Their arsenal includes a plethora of artillery types, ranging from Iron Hail blunderbusses and Crane Gunners (a Cathayan version of the Skaven Warplock Jezzails) to oxen-pulled bombards like the Grand Cannon and Fire Rain Rocket, which deliver firework-filled Macross Missile Massacres to a huge degree.
Bombardier Mook: The Empress Crowmen, the unique Regiment of Renown of the Crowmen unit, can launch a salvo of grenades while in flight to cause a wide field of minor explosions below themselves.
Boring, but Practical: With the "Yin and Yang" system the game encourages Cathay players to fight with mixed formations of mostly balanced troop compositions; compositions of troops that wouldn't look out of place in an actual historic Total War game.
Canon Foreigner: By necessity of Cathay being little more than a Space-Filling Empire in the game's universe up to Total War: Warhammer III release, everything about them, their units, Lords, Heroes, lore, and so on, have been created for this game (with the help from Games Workshop to incorporate them in the relaunch of the Old World).
Casting a Shadow: The Lore of Yin: A very dark school of magic that draws upon The Sacred Darkness. Some of its spells include the conjuration of shadowy dragon talons to rip apart enemy formations and the summoning of the ''actual'' dead as spirit warriors.
Category Traitor: The dragons of Cathay are said to look down upon the Western dragons for allowing other races to ride them, an act they find incredibly insulting and demeaning, which they think equates dragons to pack animals.
Cool Airship: The Cathayan army includes the Sky Junks and Sky Lanterns, which are hot air balloons armed with crews of gunners, rocket launchers and droppable bombs. The Sky Lanterns are used mostly for reconnaissance and light skirmishing (with suitable traits and stats for the role). The much larger Sky Junks, with their heavier armor and arsenal of bombards, are used as powerful, mobile gun platforms. They are rather slow, but have full 360-degree firing, and can fire while moving.
A Commander Is You: A Turtle/Ranger faction. The Cathayan roster focuses on defense with special buffs for their ranged and melee units, which results in them having superior ranged firepower and an excellent and survivable frontline consisting of a diverse array of armored melee and ranged infantry. That said, Cathayans tend to be slow-moving and easy to flank, which is not helped by the fact they have the worst cavalry out of all the human factions. They can make up for this with their artillery, flying machines, and magic, but if the enemy is able to cross the battlefield quickly, and get around to their flanks, the Cathayans are often at a disadvantage.
Crapsaccharine World: Behind its veneer of bright, swishing colored flags, vast emerald rice paddies and stunning sparkling lakes, noble Dragons who seem to care for humanity's best interests, and massive power, Cathay, while being one of the better places to live comparatively, is just as oppressive as the other human nations. The Flavor Text of the various building chains reveals that there's a massive "labor bureau" that ruthlessly enforces its will upon the human population, throwing anyone who disagrees into giant labor camps where they’re implied to be worked to death. There's also a propaganda bureau that builds the place up as a perfect Utopia and ruthlessly hunts down any dissenters. State Sec is everywhere and prone to Disproportionate Retribution; the reason so many foreigners return from Cathay with glowing tales is because those who see the darker side of it don't return at all. Most of the Ruling Dragons are said to secretly view their human subjects as ants and will sacrifice untold numbers of them without hesitation for barely any gain, yet they are worshipped and venerated with such fervor that people will kill for the slightest level of disrespect being aimed at them! They're constantly mired in plotting and scheming between the upper classes and the dragon siblings to gain power and favor, which makes them incredibly prone to infighting. The dragon siblings in particular hate each other and the only thing stopping Cathay from devolving into a civil war free-for-all is the Dragon Emperor's personal presence. This enormously tangled mess of plots, schemes, and manipulations draws the constant attention of Chi'an Chi, AKA Tzeentch, and leads to Cathay having an endlessly recurring problem with Chaos cults even their massive internal security apparatus can't get under control. And that's just the interior, the Northern borders of Cathay are constantly assailed by Chaos warbands numbering in the tens of thousands monthly, and the Southern Border is a warzone between Khuresh, Ind, and the Monkey King. It sucks to live in the Crapsack World of the World That Was, and Cathay, despite its outwardly more bright appearance, is no exception.
Crippling Overspecialization: An interesting variant. All of their infantry from Peasant Long Spearmen all the way up to the Celestial Dragon Guard are dedicated defensive troops, and for the most part, specifically anti-cavalry defensive troops. This lack of offensive infantry or anti-infantry defensive troops leaves them very vulnerable to being smashed in by enemy elite shock infantry.
Decadent Court: The Imperial Court of Cathay is a vicious thing; in the upper echelons the Dragon siblings constantly squabble and undermine each other in attempts to gain favor, and the lower levels are a bloodbath of Dragon-Blooded Shugengans butting heads with the normal human Lords of the Court, with trails of assassination, infighting, and deception all abound.
Died Standing Up: The death animations for the Jade and Jet Lions have them freeze up on their feet wile leaning forward, as if their last act was a final attempt at killing the enemy.
Divided We Fall: When the Celestial Dragon Emperor and the Moon Empress aren't around to keep things under control their children tend to fight, which often turns into a full-blown civil war. Not only has this happened before multiple times in Cathay's history but it'll often happen during the campaign as well.
Dragon Ancestry:
- Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lords are, as their name suggests, descendants of the Dragons who rule Cathay (who have had countless short-term trysts with human lovers over the centuries). They enjoy high positions due to their magical heritage and royal connections, and act as the main caster lords for the faction, using either the Lores of Yin or Yang.
- Celestial Generals are also Dragon-blooded, but wile they do not have quite the legal authority or magical know-how of the Shugengan Lords, they make up for this with superhuman strength and magical weapons.
- Lower-ranked Dragon-blooded can also be found in the Celestial Host as the Great Longma Riders, a powerful flying cavalry unit mounted on winged Horse-Dragon steeds.
Dragons Up the Yin Yang: Quite a given for this faction, with their ubiquitous dragon imagery, literal dragon leaders and lores of Yin and Yang magic. Miao Ying and Zhao Ming evoke this trope even more closely when they assume their dragon forms and circle each other at the end of the Enter the World of Grand Cathay trailer.
Elite Mooks: The Celestial Dragon Guard. While on paper they are supposed to be the guards of the Royalty, they function more as an elite legion that the Dragon siblings use to enforce their will. Made up of the most skilled men and women in Cathay, they are adorned with gold-plated dragon-armor, silver-tipped halberds, and powerful crossbows, and are some of the most individually skilled and powerful non-Chaos humans in the setting.
Exact Words: Cathayian likes to boast that their Bastion has never fallen in the millenia since it was built. While it has never completely fallen, it has been breached on multiple occasions, and roaming bands of Kurgan pillaging villages are an occasional threats to the citizens of the Northern Provinces.
Extra-ore-dinary: The purview of the Alchemists, who can conjure solid veins of metal from potion vials to impale Tzeentch’s minions in the trailers and command the full power of the Lore of Metal. It should be noted that the Alchemists are viewed in very controversial terms within Cathay. The Cathayan state controls magic teachings, and such dabbling outside the preferred Lore of the Heavens has brought no small chaos. Thus, most Alchemy Cabals are centered in lands controlled by the Iron Dragon, who has became a patron to these outcasts.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Of Imperial China, though the armor, weapons, architecture, and culture styles seen come from a massive combination of different time periods and dynasties. Besides their archaic name, Cathay is associated with numerous creatures of Chinese myth, is guarded by a stone wall that protects it from foreign invaders and is the largest human nation on the planet. It trades with the Old World (the Warhammer universe equivalent of Europe) through the Ivory Road, which corresponds to the Silk Road in our real world.
Fantasy Gun Control: Downplayed. Cathay has had gunpowder for thousands of years, and they do have a notable number of gunpowder units in their armies. However, they currently^* lag behind the other gunpowder factions of the Old World, such as having no repeating firearms like Repeater Handguns, Clatterygun, or Ratling Gun and no advanced artillery like the Helblaster or Organ guns. Officially, Cathay's doctrine states that they do not "rely" upon them in battle in the way the Empire and the Dwarfs do^*. Rather, their technological advances are merely another tool in their vast arsenal, and one that cannot be replaced (in the eyes of the Celestial Dragon at least) by the strength of conventional soldiers.
Fantastic Racism: Though it doesn't come up often, the Cathayan dragons are indicated to view themselves as superior to all other races in the world (to include certain gods in some cases), and are implied to view humans and other races as little more than insects. Indeed, they cannot even fathom why the dragons of Ulthuan would engage in equal partnerships with the High Elves, instead of ruling over them.
Fatal Flaw: Their obsession with Harmony, which forces them, both on the battlefield and strategically, into back-and-forth balancing acts as everything they do tips the balance one way or another, making expansion into new territories or development of new technologies a fraught affair that can often leave them weaker than they were before.
Fatal Fireworks: Cathay's trademark. The Fire Rain Rocket launches a barrage of these that destroys massed infantry with ease. In fact, the Imperial Helstorm Rocket Battery was based on Cathay's original use of such artillery, boasting longer range at the expense of fewer rockets per volley.
Fee Fi Faux Pas: Most of Cathay is aware of the Dragon Emperor's Parental Favoritism but acknowledging or drawing attention to it is considered offensive and insulting to the point they might kill people for suggesting it. The Cathayan court was shocked and horrified when Greasus Goldtooth cracked a joke to Zhao Ming about their respective parental issues, except for Zhao Ming himself.
Floating Island: Many of these form the most distinctive feature of Cathay's landscape in trailers, with the Celestial City above Wei-Jin being an especially large and impressive example. They seem to be a fantasy version of the real karst formations found in China, such as Zhangjiajie and Guilin.
The Four Gods: The Celestial Dragon Emperor's children (at least the five who actively govern Cathay) heavily reflect this classical Chinese motif. Each child governs a region situated in one of the four directions of Cathay, matching the colors and aspects of the Four Gods respectively.
- Miao Ying, the black-colored Storm Dragon, governs the northern provinces. She possesses a cold personality that reflects the Black Tortoise’s association with Winter.
- Zhao Ming, the white-colored Iron Dragon, governs the western provinces. He wields the Lore of Metal and has a lot of similarly-inclined Alchemists active in his realm, reflecting the element of the White Tiger.
- Li Dao, the as yet unreleased but presumably red-colored Fire Dragon, rules the southern provinces. One of his titles is Lord of the Phoenix, a clear allusion to the Vermillion Bird. He is said to have a fiery temper that matches with the Bird’s season of Summer.
- Yin-Yin, the also-unreleased but presumably blue-colored Sea Dragon, governs the eastern provinces. Oddly she does not seem to be associated with the Azure Dragon's element of wood, being instead more affiliated with water and maritime activities.
- Finally, Yuan Bo the Jade Dragon seems to reflect the fifth god (Yellow Dragon), which traditionally represents the Emperor and the element of earth. Fittingly he governs the central part of Cathay, handing out edicts from the Celestial Dragon Emperor. His title contains "Jade," which is a gemstone from the earth.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: In lore, Cathayan wizards associate the eight main lores of magic with elemental themes that are often very distinct from those that these have in other lands, since most other factions ultimately derive their magical lore from the Old Ones (who taught magic to the Slann, who taught it to the early Elves, who influenced Old World human magical traditions), while the Cathayan dragons had their own preexisting understanding of magic in addition to being overall hostile to the Old Ones and their servants. In-game, however, since creating entirely new spell lists for all eight lores is in neither feasible in practice nor very good for game balance, Cathayan wizards use the same spells as their counterparts in other factions. Thus, for instance, astromancers use storm-, wind- and lightning-based Lore of Heavens spells despite Cathay associating it with the element of stone.
The Great Wall: Appropriately, Cathay has an expy of the trope namer known as the Great Bastion, a magically constructed fortification on the northern border that serves as the first line of defence against the Chaos Wastes. While the exact way it was built is shrouded in legend, one thing is certain: the Bastion is a literal extension of the Celestial Dragon Emperor, and should it fall, he would also die. In-game the Bastion protects Cathay from a very large collective of pissed-off Chaos tribesmen and Daemons. It contains the three gates (Turtle Gate, the Snake Gate and the Dragon Gate), which are heavily fortified defensive settlements with unique layouts, commandments, and building chains. Holding onto these gates is a central mechanic for the campaign, as hordes of rapidly growing Chaos warbands will form around the wall and attempt to breach it to reach the spoils of Grand Cathay.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Most of the Cathayan military appears to be segregated by gender along these lines, with men assigned to the front lines as cavalry and melee infantry while women serve in missile regiments and war machine crews. The lore explains that girls are especially encouraged to follow the path of the Moon Empress and become ranged combatants. It turns out to be more of a Zig-Zagged trope, though, because while the full roster includes all-female ranged units like the Crane Gunners and Iron Hail Gunners, it also has plenty of male ranged units like the Jade Warrior Crossbowmen and Celestial Dragon Crossbowmen and most of the standard military formations include a mix gendered units.
Heavily Armored Mook: The Jade Warriors, who comprise the professionally-trained army of Cathay. They are heavily armored^* and can hunker down into a defensive stance that increases their charge resistance and armor level as long as they never move. While some variants of them are traditional melee fighters, others are ranged units with crossbows or heavy cavalry units.
Horse of a Different Color: The Longma (dragon horses), which are actually real creatures found in Chinese Mythology, resemble large scaly horses with horns and bat-like wings.It seems only those with Dragon heritage can ride them, as they are the exclusive mounts of the Dragon-blooded Great Longma Riders and Shugengan Lords.
Immortal Ruler: The Celestial Dragon Emperor and his family are specifically noted to be immortal, and they have ruled over Cathay for thousands of years. This means that while they are ultimately benevolent, they have such long perspectives that they cannot fully relate to their human populace. Decades-long wars or invasions would seem like a mere blip to them.
Intrepid Merchant: The Ivory Road mechanic allows players to send trade caravans on set routes that span the distance between Cathay and the Old World. These are headed by special Lord Magistrates who have unique skill trees devoted to increasing the quantity and value of their cargo, as well as their ability to avoid attacks on the way. As they journey towards their destinations, they will have the chance to face various dilemmas, some allowing them to gain new units (including some from other races' army lists) and others pitting them against bandits (or even armies from enemy factions). They can be sent to places as far afield as Altdorf, Marienburg and Sylvania, braving any matter of danger they may encounter.
Living Statue: The giant Terracotta Sentinels. As creations of the Celestial Dragon Emperor, they are animated through magic and wield double-headed guan daos with the fluidity of flesh-and-blood martial artists. When not active they can be found across Cathay as lone guardian statues or buttresses in the Great Bastion itself. In-game they have dangerous stats that encourge general brawling and monster hunting, but their sheer size means their stone skin can only protect them from mass-missile fire for so long. However, The Green Guardian, a tougher Terracotta Sentinel that has absorbed large ammounts of Warpstone from the Warpstone Desert, has gotten the ability to reflect almost any projectiles fired upon it.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Certain types of Jade Warrior and Celestial Dragon Guard units are equipped with shields, while the Crane Gunners prop up their long rifles on massive examples. The Lord Magistrates also have Shield of the Nan Gau, an ability that increases their defense the longer they stand still. Though the flavor text describes it as a mighty shield shaped from a section of the Great Bastion itself, it doesn’t appear visually in-game.
Magic Compass: The Wu Xing Compass is this to a massive degree: a giant clockwork contraption built from both advanced technology and magic that is housed in the Celestial City above Wei-Jin. It controls the Winds of Magic to a degree. Its primary purpose is to channel power to and help defend the Great Bastion when it is under threat, but the progeny of the Emperor can direct it as they wish to serve their purposes. Depending on where the player has it pointed, it provides four district buffs that each affect a different aspect of gameplay and grow in power the longer you have the compass in the same position, so it's up to the player to choose what they need for the situation at hand.
Our Manticores Are Spinier: Cathay's Celestial Lion, a high end monster unit and mount, is effectively Warhammer's Good Counterpart to the Chaos Manticore, being a colossal lion with bird wings and a tuft of fur on its tail resembling a stinger. They are stated to be blessed by the Dragon Emperor and must be gifted to a potential rider.
Medieval Stasis: They were, at one point, the most advanced human civilization in the world, possessing iron work, and gunpowder since the time of Nagash... and they've barely advanced at all since then. It's gotten to the point where other human civilizations, such as the Empire, have not only caught up, but actually overtaken them in certain fields (with weapons like the Helblaster, and of course the Steam Tank). It's implied that the dragons are deliberately keeping certain ideas down, to prevent it from disrupting the strict order that they keep over Cathay.
Mighty Glacier: Cathay pays for its hardiness by being quite possibly the slowest human faction. Its infantry are strong defenders, but they lack speed and punch (and have mechanics that encourage static defensive lines, such as Jade Warriors getting better the longer they stay in one spot). Their Yin and Yang bonuses don't happen unless you have your units grouped up, and even their cavalry is said to be more for protecting flanks than actually charging at the enemy. But only the Dwarf's could hope to outlast them in a war of attrition.
Mirroring Factions: They are an isolated society that is largely mysterious to outsiders. They venerate their ancient founders, who were said to be immortal beings on par with lesser gods who walked the earth just like them and whose descendants still rule their empire. Economically, they are trade-focused despite their isolation and known for the quality of their goods and their wide-ranging diplomatic connections. Militarily, they are defensive specialists who benefit from keeping a mix of heavy defense-oriented infantry with powerful ranged and artillery options that excel at More Dakka but are extremely slow and don't like moving. Grand Cathay has a lot in common with the Dwarfs, so much so that some fans have taken to calling them “tall Dwarfs", something not helped by the very noticeable inclusion of heavily armed flying warships and giant statue-golems, both aspects of the Dwarven arsenal not yet represented in the actual Dwarven faction in-game.
Monochromatic Eyes: Both Miao Ying and Zhao Ming sport these in their human forms. In dragon form, their eyes change color (Miao’s become purple while Zhao’s become green).
Mystical Jade: Jade is often used as the symbol of Grand Cathay and many of their units (the ones that are supposed to represent their standing army) are named after it.
Our Dragons Are Different: The ruling family of Cathay are immortal, godlike dragons that can switch between their true and human forms in battle. Appearance-wise, they oblige with typical Eastern depictions of dragons, with long, serpentine-bodies, and being able to fly despite not possessing any wings. It's indicated in lore that they look down on Western dragons for permitting themselves to be ridden by the "lesser races", and can't even fathom why they engage with them as equals.
- There's also the Shugengan: descendants of love affairs between the Dragon Royalty and human consorts that fill the ranks of the lesser nobility. They appear mostly human, but are shown to be highly skilled magic users.
Our Mages Are Different: In Cathay, the Eight Winds of Magic are called the Elemental Winds. They are divided into Yin and Yang, which are in turn subdivided into their particular elements on the Wu-Xing Compass. Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lords are the only ones that can wield the Lores of Yin or Yang, making them the most accepted mages in Cathay. Human wizards who specialize in specific winds do exist, but only the Astromancers (who practice the Dragon Emperor’s preferred Lore of the Heavens) are officially sanctioned. Fire mages and Metal-wielding Alchemists can only find acceptance in the Western Provinces ruled by Zhao Ming (whose Dragon status lets him get away with hosting them). The rest are deemed illegal and their status is a big source of tension within Cathay, especially with Tzeentch being able to infiltrate through them.
- Gameplay-wise, all Cathayan spellcaster characters have the Elemental Winds attribute which increases the power of all spells cast for each spellcaster in the army. This means players of the faction are encouraged to keep multiple wizards in their armies.
Petal Power: The Blossom Wind spell in the Lore of Yin summons a column of flying flower petals that cut into and blind the enemy.
The Phoenix: Although they do not appear as their own units, flaming Vermillion Warbirds provide lift for the Cathayan Sky Junks and Sky Lanterns. Li Dao, the Fire Dragon who rules the southern provinces of Cathay, also has a stronger association with them — one of his titles is "Lord of the Phoenix", and his capital city of Fu-Hung contains a Phoenix Temple shaped like a giant Warbird.
Playing with Fire: Half of the spells in the Lore of Yang heavily involve fire. Dragon’s Breath spews out fire in a cone, Wall of Wind and Fire conjures an advancing column of fire tornadoes and Constellation of the Dragon summons a dragon made of flames to bombard the foe.
Power Floats: In their human forms, both Miao Ying and Zhao Ming have idle animations where they use their elemental powers to levitate. When leading their armies into combat, they also use the same powers to propel themselves forward through the air.
Praetorian Guard: The Celestial Dragon Guard are the most elite troops of Cathay, sworn to protect the Celestial Dragon Emperor himself. There are enough of them to be deployed all over the empire, but they are never as numerous as the Jade Warriors (the professional standing army of Cathay). They wear ornate dragon-inspired armor and come in two variants: a melee one wielding halberds and shields, and a ranged one armed with repeating crossbows.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: This is already usually the case in any Warhammer faction, but Cathay is notable since their rulers are actual immortal shapeshifting dragons, and even the Shugengan Lords are also said to be dragon blooded.
Red Shirt Army: The always-numerous peasant levies that form the bulk of Cathayan armies are an equivalent to Bretonnian men-at-arms (the Jade Warriors being Imperial State Troop equivalents as the actual professional soldiers). They have similar training and even worse equipment than the former, wearing no armor while wielding a basic spear/shield or shortbow (the men-at-arms at least get gambesons, helmets, and halberds/shields or longbows). As the official website puts it, "the least-trained armies of Grand Cathay are still a power to be reckoned with through sheer force of numbers... yet the endless ranks of Grand Cathay are expendable and expected to flee from battle when facing more than they can handle. Finishing the fight is the work of more disciplined troops."
Rescue Arc: In a sense the main objective of the Grand Cathay campaign. The Dragons agree to help rescue the bear god Ursun because he knows the whereabouts of their missing younger sister Shen-Zoo.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: While the Celestial Dragon Emperor is not this trope, his children (who would be princes and princesses) do the actual governing and defending of the Empire. In particular, the two Legendary Lords, Miao Ying and Zhao Ming, each guard the northern and western frontiers respectively.
Sibling Rivalry: According to this blogpost about Cathay’s lore, a bad case of this trope occurs among the Celestial Dragon Emperor’s children. Once when their parents mysteriously disappeared for 400 years, they immediately went to war with one another, causing the biggest destabilizing conflict in Cathayan history. It was only when the upstart Monkey King from the south claimed their father’s throne that the dragon siblings put aside their differences to face the usurper.
- Further lore has shed light on the details of this rivalry. Miao Ying the Storm Dragon is considered the favorite daughter and often likes to lord her position over her siblings, much to their resentment (especially Li Dao as he is miffed by her getting all the credit for protecting Cathay). Her younger brother Zhao Ming, already shunned by his siblings for being possibly crazy, is also very offended by her high-and-mighty attitude. Meanwhile, Yuan Bo the Jade Dragon believes that the alchemists in Zhao’s employ are illegal and dangerous to the Cathayan Empire.
Star Power: The Astromancers, who have been taught how to use the Lore of the Heavens by the Dragons at the Celestial Court. If they get into close combat, they can utilize magical martial arts moves that combine Blow You Away with Shock and Awe. They can also be mounted on a Wu Xing War Compass, a magical chariot unit that is a smaller version of the Compass in the Celestial City; aside from amplifying the magic of the entire army, it also comes with bound astral bombardment spells.
Summon Magic: The Ancestral Warriors spell in the Lore of Yin calls up a regiment of ghostly fighters from the afterlife to temporarily fight the enemy.
Unseen No More: Cathay has only ever been mentioned in supplementary materials for Warhammer, to the point they don't even have a single major named character in any of the novels, much less any models, units, or rules to represent them on the tabletop. This game marks the first time they've had any role of significance since Warhammer as a franchise started, which was thirty-five years before Total War: Warhammer III was announced.
Vast Bureaucracy: The size and scope of the Cathayan government and its associated bureaus is said to be colossal - enough that it makes the Empire look tiny by comparison.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Just like Chinese imperial families in real world history, it goes without saying that a large portion of the Dragon Children's waking hours is spent finding ways to impress and gain favor with their parents.
We Have Reserves: As the most populous human nation in the Warhammer world, Cathay never lacks for bodies to put on the battlefield. The Dragons with their detached immortality are more than willing to deploy enough men and women to make their enemies fight for every inch. The Peasant units embody this trope the most, as their primary advantage is their sheer numbers—though even they are expected to value their own lives and flee from things better handled by trained troops.
Wutai: Cathay is a fantastical version of classical China, complete with an archaic name, dragons, Emperors, exotic goods and so on. There is also a whiff of vague Japanese influence in the title "Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lord". ^note
Yin-Yang Bomb: The central concept taught by the Celestial Dragon Emperor is harmony: the perfect balance of Yin and Yang that can be used to defend the people you care about. In gameplay combining the elements of Yin and Yang are required to play the faction properly. It's reflected in both the campaign and battlefield.
- On the battlefield Cathayan units are classified as either Yin (Ranged) or Yang (Melee) units. Both units receive special buffs if they are in position around a unit of the opposite classification; Yang units get bonuses to melee stats while defending a Yin unit, and Yin units get bonuses to their ranged stats while around a Yang unit. These buffs can be further increased with a Lord being intersected with their radius. Not only does this encourge the player to use static formations, it also means it rewards you for balancing the number of Yin and Yang units to be roughly equal with one another.
- On the campaign map, building types are also considered Yin and Yang, alongside the Lords you have. Choosing a Yin chain will often prevent you from building a Yang chain in the same settlement, and balancing those two types affects the harmony system; if you have too many Yin buildings and Lords you will get bonuses for your ranged units, but negatives for your melee and vice-versa, alongside a general decrease in public order. If you achieve harmony you instead get bonuses aimed at nation-building, as well as control for the populace.

Legendary Lords

Miao Ying

Princess Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, Ruler of the Northern Provinces

"I am Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, older than the gods themselves."

"My siblings resent me, thinking me favoured for I am the eldest. They envy my station. They are wrong! I am cursed with responsibility, the ultimate responsibility... Should I fail and the Bastion falls, then Cathay is doomed and they will be jealous of nothing but a wasteland!"

Voiced by: Rae Lim

Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, reigns across northern Cathay and commands the armies of the Great Bastion. Cold and aloof, she has ruled over the northern provinces for centuries and maintains their defences with strength of arms and wondrous war machines, for the Great Bastion is the shield that protects Cathay from the Ruinous Powers of the north, and while it stands strong so too does Cathay prosper.

She leads the sub-faction known as the Northern Provinces.

Action Girl: She's the ruler of Cathay's Northern Provinces and leads her armies against the Forces of Chaos. In the Dawn of Grand Cathay trailer, she faces Kairos Fateweaver himself.
Anti-Hero: Miao Ying, for her part, sees herself as a defender of Order, but has zero hesitation in regards to using We Have Reserves, and is very cold in personality.
Beware My Stinger Tail: In dragon form she has large blade-like spikes growing from the end of her tail. This lets her use her tail as a built-in spiked club in one of her attack animations.
Breath Weapon: While she doesn’t have the Dragon’s Breath spell like her brother, Miao Ying can breath bolts of lightning while attacking in her dragon form.
Brother–Sister Team: Played straight in the Enter the World of Grand Cathay trailer, though, where she actively works together with Zhao to repel the forces of Tzeentch in front of the Great Bastion. At the end they share a mutual nod before taking on their dragon forms to face the enemy. It implies that at the end of the day, despite their grievances with each other, they are still siblings who must share the task of defending Cathay from Chaos.
Casting a Shadow: Aside from her Lore of Life healing spells, Miao Ying can also cast spells from her mother’s Lore of Yin — most notably Storm of Shadows and Talons of Night.
Daddy's Girl: Her father's undisputed favorite, and she never lets anyone else in the family forget it.
Dark Is Not Evil: Even though her human form has an eerie white-and-black palette and her dragon form is a pitch-black monster shrouded in lightning, Miao is firmly on the side of Order.
Decadent Court: The infamous Lords of Nan-Gau are a constant thorn on her side, and for the centuries, she's had to deal with them undermining her authority with cunning plots and politicking of her own.
Discard and Draw: Entering her Dragon form gives her enormous killing power, flight, and speed, at the cost of limiting her spellcasting to two spells and removing her Yin/Yang bonuses completely. And of course, makes her much easier to hit with artillery.
Fashionable Asymmetry: She wears a glove with black scales and claws on one hand, which hints at her draconic nature.
Four-Star Badass: She's considered the greatest and most accomplished of her siblings in terms of military might, and as the Lord of the Northern Provinces, both the Great Bastion and the industrial city of Nan-Gau are under her jurisdiction. She's also a highly accomplished tactician, warrior, and her father's most trusted General.
Glowing Eyes of Doom: Her eyes glow before she transforms into a dragon.
Good Is Not Nice: Despite being Order-aligned and crucial to the defense of Cathay against Chaos, Miao Ying evidently sees it as her prerogative to demand sacrifice from the troops under her command. This is shown clearly in the Cathay reveal trailer, where she lets a Sky Junk and regiment of warriors get obliterated by Kairos' magic before she descends in her dragon form to fight him.
Healing Hands: She is able to use healing spells from the Lore of Life such as Earth Blood and Regrowth.
Hidden Depths: For all of her bravado and pride at being the Emperor's favorite daughter, her quote and some of her other dialogue reflect the tremendous pressures that weigh on her. Failing to uphold her duties and responsibilities would mean not just letting her family down but also possibly leading to the destruction of Cathay itself.
Lightning/Fire Juxtaposition: She's the Lightning to Zhao Ming's Fire. Her powers make highly visible use of lighting and electricity, whereas her brother's often conjure up or manipulate flames.
Long-Range Fighter: Not herself, but Miao Ying's campaign bonuses and lord skills encourage packing her personal army full of missile and artillery units.
Magic Knight: Even out of Dragon-Form, she's a very skilled martial-artist and fully capable of throwing down in melee, but she truly becomes this when she enters her Dragon-form, being a Lightning Bruiser of a monster. All the while wielding a very powerful Lore of Magic.
Meaningful Name: Miao Ying 妙影 means "Wonderous Shadow," and as a black dragon who wields lightning and storm energy, she can indeed be seen as a shadow that inspires wonder. "Shadow" can also be interpreted as the darkness of Yin, as opposed to Yang (represented by her brother Zhao Ming).
Mighty Roar: She gives one in dragon form at the end of the Dawn of Grand Cathay trailer.
Morphic Resonance: Her silver horned headdress becomes her actual horns in dragon form, and her black dress becomes her black scales.
Mystical White Hair: As a daughter of the godlike Dragon Emperor who controls lightning and storms, she has white hair to go with her black scales.
Parental Favoritism: According to this blog post from Games Workshop, Miao Ying is seen as the favourite daughter of her parents. Due to this, she has been entrusted with important tasks like guarding the Great Bastion and rooting out Chaos within the Empire. She is evidently very prideful of her status and lords it over her other siblings, leading to friction whenever they gather.
Red Baron: Miao is known as the Storm Dragon.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: As she narrates in the Cathay reveal trailer, she's a dragon princess who is tasked with defending the northern border of Cathay against daemonic incursions. She's been at it for centuries and considers it her burden to bear.
Shock and Awe: As the Storm Dragon, she has powers over lightning as well as wind. In the Cathay trailer, she wreathes herself in crackling electricity as she descends to battle Kairos Fateweaver. In gameplay, when in human form she can be seen conjuring lightning attacks from her hands and using electricity to levitate in the air, while in her dragon form she uses an electrified tail strike when in melee.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The Yin to her brother Zhao Ming’s Yang. While he is gregarious, willing to interact on equal footing with humans and enjoys his subjects' loyalty, she is an Ice Queen who doesn't value human life as much and constantly has to rein in the scheming, independent lords of Nan-Gau. Miao Ying is also a black dragon as opposed to Zhao Ming being a white dragon, and has a stronger emphasis on war machines to contrast with his use of alchemical magic.
Smug Super: She believes herself to be the most powerful Dragon sibling and never forgets to remind her brothers and sisters about it, much to their chagrin. In fact, she is so smug it translates into one of her battlefield abilities — Disdain of the Dragons. When activated, it imposes significant disadvantages on enemies who are trying to fight her.
Tail Slap: When in her dragon form, one of her melee attacks has her electrify her tail spikes and lash them through her enemies.
Time Abyss: As the first-born of the Dragon siblings, Miao Ying states in the Cathay campaign’s opening cinematic that she is older than the gods themselves, implying that she was born before the Great Catastrophe and the coming of Chaos to the world.
Try to Fit That on a Business Card: In the Cathay reveal trailer, she announces herself with "For I am Ruler of the Northern Provinces, Sentinel of the Great Bastion, Supreme Matriarch of Nan-Gau, Master of the Storm Winds, Daughter of the Dragon Emperor!"
"Well Done, Daughter!" Gal: Campaign dialogue has her muttering to herself that she must earn her mother's trust.
Weredragon: She is a dragon who can shapeshift into a human form.
What the Hell, Hero?: If having negative diplomacy with Kislev, she will call them out for turning on Cathay despite both of them being bulwarks against Chaos.
Miao Ying: We had common cause against Chaos, but instead you turned upon us!
White Hair, Black Heart: She's a Good Is Not Nice version of this trope. She's on the side of good, but is unmoved by the suffering of her soldiers, and is ice cold in temperament.
You Have Failed Me: Master of the Meteor Winds sees her beheading a number of Nan-Li nobles whose incompetence allows the Changeling and its Tzeentchian minions to have the run of the place.

Zhao Ming

Prince Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon, Ruler of the Western Provinces

"There is misstrust between Gods and Dragons..."

"Nothing endures without harmony. And harmony only endures through us. We are unmoving like the mountain. We will not be drowned by the raging river. Behold the wonders of the Celestial Dragon Empire! The might of our warriors... the secrets of our alchemists... the sorcery of the dragon-blooded! Vanquish Chaos with the sheer power of the Dragon! Let them face the majesty of Grand Cathay!"

Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon, rules over western Cathay and the Sky Road that leads into the Mountains of Mourn. A hardened frontier warrior, he maintains the western ridge of the empire and keeps the desert clans in order. An interest in alchemy has led to the presence of sorcerous cabals in Zhao Ming's realm, and his siblings gossip that his proximity to the Great Maw might have somehow poisoned his mind...

He leads the sub-faction known as the Western Provinces.

Actually Pretty Funny: During trade negotiations with the Ogre Kingdoms, Greasus Goldtooth cracked an off-color joke about their similar experiences with parental issues. The Cathayan court was naturally shocked, but Zhao Ming burst into laughter and responded with an off-colour joke of his own. The two have been political allies ever since.
Ha! Our fathers are indeed difficult to please, but I have yet to eat mine, ogre. I fear that I'd end up with a gut even more swollen than yours should I try!
Benevolent Boss: He is known to be quite kind to his human subjects, especially in contrast to his sister, who cares about them in her own way but keeps them at arm’s length. He often has drinks with them, and goes around the city, asking how life is treating them.
Beware the Nice Ones: Just because he's cordial and far more understanding of normal humans than the rest of his siblings doesn't make him any less dangerous and cunning. Zhao Ming is a fierce fighter and warlord in his own right.
Big Little Brother: In the opening cinematic for the Grand Cathay campaign, he is shown to be quite a bit taller than his older sister Miao Ying.
Breath Weapon: In dragon form he belches fire in some of his attack animations. He also has access to the Dragon’s Breath spell, which is the only spell he can use while fighting as a dragon.
Brother–Sister Team: Played straight in the Enter the World of Grand Cathay trailer, where he aids Miao against an incursion from Tzeentch's forces. At the end he stands together with his sister, sharing a mutual nod with her as they take on their dragon forms to face the enemy.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: By dragon standards, at least. His interest in alchemy, down-to-earth interactions with humans and other odd tendencies make him seem eccentric or even dangerously crazy to his kin, but he has never posed any substantial danger to the security of the empire. Conversely, he has been an effective defender of Cathay's Western border for centuries and may even take the fight to Chaos itself should the player choose his campaign.
Crown of Horns: A rather tall and impressive one that corresponds with his real horns in dragon form.
Discard and Draw: Entering his Dragon form gives him enormous killing power, flight, and speed, at the cost of limiting him spellcasting to two spells and removing his Yin/Yang bonuses completely. And of course, makes him much easier to hit with artillery.
Elemental Motifs: Metal, adhering to the Chinese classical elements. Zhao is called "the Iron Dragon," wears white clothing and has white scales in dragon form (the color associated with metal in Chinese mythology), and dabbles in the Lore of Metal. His throne-city is famed for its industry and resides in a land rich in exotic ores, and his court openly welcomes the presence of alchemists (that is, wizards who practice the Lore of Metal).
Emperor Scientist: Or rather, a Prince Scientist. Zhao Ming is a patron and master of Alchemy, the closest thing to a science in Cathay.
Extra-ore-dinary: As suggested by his moniker, Zhao can cast spells from the Lore of Metal as well as the Lore of Yang. His Master of Alchemy ability allows him to strengthen the metal (and offensive power) of his army’s weapons and missiles, and he also conjures bunches of swords out of thin air while attacking.
Facial Markings: He has sharp, wing-shaped black markings around his eyes. In his dragon form, they turn into a set of black lines.
The Gadfly: According to the interview with lead writer Andy Hall, part of the reason why he interacts so much with humans is because he likes the way it annoys his siblings (who, as immortal Dragons, tend to see humans in the same way we see pet goldfish or insects).
Hired Guns: Due to his proximity to the Ogre Kingdoms, his unique relationship with the Overtyrant, and his general openness, young Ogre bulls flock to his lands for steady employment and he welcomes them. One of the skills in his legendary skill tree grants massive diplomacy bonuses for ogres and lowers recruitment and upkeep costs for ogre mercenaries (but not ones hired through the alliance interface) and his melee unit-buffing skills also improve ogre bulls, maneaters and ironguts.
Light 'em Up: Some of his spells are themed after the Fire portion of the Lore of Yang, letting him light up foes with blistering flame magic.
Lightning/Fire Juxtaposition: He's the Fire to Miao Ying's Lightning. His powers often conjure up or manipulate flames, whereas his sister's make highly visible use of lighting and electricity.
Magic Knight: Much like his sister, Zhao combines his skill in martial arts with his mastery of the Lore of Yang.
Malicious Slander: His siblings claim that his centuries of being near the Great Maw and Warpstone Desert have damaged his mind... because they don't understand why he likes to actually talk to and share drinks with his human subjects. To be fair, he does have some odd inclinations and decision-making that might stem from the longtime exposure, but nothing serious enough to truly threaten the stability of the Cathayan Empire.
Meaningful Name: Zhao Ming 昭明 means "Illuminating Light", which may refer to both the sheen of his element (metal) and his representation of Yang (as opposed to his sister's Yin).
Momma's Boy: In contrast to how his sister is their father's open favorite, Zhao Ming is apparently doted upon by their mother, the Moon Empress, who actively shields him when family gatherings get rather confrontational.
Morphic Resonance: His white clothes translate into his white scales in dragon form. His crown also becomes his horns, with the green gem set into the crown getting embedded into his dragon form's forehead.
Nigh-Invulnerability: He's noted to possess this quality, which he can temporarily pass onto his troops with the Warding Iron ability.
Obfuscating Insanity: Downplayed. Zhao is genuinely quite eccentric, but it is said that he plays those traits up just to annoy his siblings and cause them to underestimate him.
Odd Friendship: He's on decent terms with Greasus Goldtooth, the Overtyrant of the Ogre Kingdoms, with the two bonding over negotiations due to their shared parental issues. The two are political allies, with Greasus controlling the Ivory Road and giving the Cathayan caravans safe passage in exchange for a toll. This also grants him an upkeep bonus to Ogre Mercenaries.
Playing with Fire: He breathes blasts of flame in his dragon form and casts fire attacks from his hands in human form. He also has access to fiery spells from the Lore of Yang like Wall of Wind and Fire and Dragon’s Breath.
Really Gets Around: The vast majority of the Dragon-Blooded can trace their lineage back to him due to how often he tends to mingle about with humans.
Red Baron: He is known as the Iron Dragon.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Zhao Ming is in every sense the Yang to Miao Ying's Yin. While his cold and aloof sister evidently places less value on human life and constantly has to deal with the fractious local lords in Nan-Gau, he is instead a gregarious individual whose shared camaraderie with his human subjects inspires their loyalty to him. Zhao is also a white dragon with a big interest in magic and alchemy while Miao is a black dragon who utilizes war machines.
Troll: He enjoys the discomfort his quirkiness brings at family gatherings, and is said to be one of the more mischievous members of the Dragon Siblings.
Warrior Prince: Downplayed. He's not as innately skilled in military affairs as Miao Ying, though Zhao Ming is still a mighty Weredragon and is responsible for safeguarding Cathay's western border.
Weredragon: Like his sister, Zhao is a dragon who can assume human form.
Undying Loyalty: Even moreso than the other Dragons, Zhao's human followers are noted to have this for him, due to his Benevolent Boss tendencies.

Yuan Bo

Prince Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, Ruler of the Central Provinces

"I execute the Dragon Emperor's orders, and those who fail him."

"My siblings believe I am a bureaucrat. It's an image I am happy to foster. Let them think of me as a mere administrator and scribe. That way, my true power remains hidden from them, and our greater enemies."

Amongst his siblings, the Jade Dragon is known as the most skilled manipulator of the Winds of Magic. For this reason, he leads the astromancers of the Celestial Court, the only sanctioned wizards of the realm. Some of his family may consider him a glorified bureaucrat, given the diligent execution of his administrative duties, but his power runs far deeper and further than they could know. Behind the governors and officials is a vast network of spies and agents at the Jade Dragon's command, allowing him to seek out, identify and quickly expunge threats to the safety of the provinces. If others knew of his methods, they may be judged as harsh or extreme. But the harmony of the realm outweighs the desires of the individual, and an iron will is required to eliminate a sickness before it can fester and spread.

Introduced in the Shadows of Change DLC for Total War: Warhammer III, Yuan Bo leads the subfaction "The Jade Court".

Badass Bureaucrat: Hard not to be one when you are an immortal dragon who manages the central region of the Dragon Empire. One loading screen sees him quietly mock his siblings for dismissing him as a mere paper-pusher. In the short story Master of the Meteor Wind, he fully demonstrates his combat ability when he is forced to fight The Changeling and a group of Tzeentch cultists who have been impersonating Miao Ying and her entourage, respectively. He is able to move with preternatural speed, blend spellcasting with his moves and catch crossbow bolts mid-air.
Bling of War: He wears an incredibly ornate suit of armor with jade-green dragon scale plates, multiple eye-like inlaid gems and pauldrons that are shaped like the scaled wings of his dragon form.
Big Brother Is Watching: Succeeding in his quest to reinforce and enchance the powers of the Celestial Compass (in either Realm of Chaos or Immortal Empires) sees him use the increased magic to expand his spy network of magical creatures to the entirety of Cathay, allowing him to root all traces of Chaos before they even make their move... at the cost of permanently putting every single citizen of Cathay under permanent surveillance.
Clever Crows: Utilizes a vast network of Crow-men to serve as his eyes and ears the world over.
Cool Helmet: Wears one with multiple branching antlers and a huge red plume at the top.
Cool Sword: Yuan Bo has a double-sided jian called Dragon's Fang, which symbolizes his authority as the enforcer of the Dragon Emperor’s will. Wherever the blade falls, it carries a message from the Dragon Emperor: all who follow its foolish victim can expect the same fate.
The Executioner: He serves as this for the Celestial Dragon Emperor, and when he appears on the front lines, it is a message to friend and foe alike that the Emperor is watching.
Finishing Move: His ability, The Emperor's Executioner, allows him to deliver an instantly killing blow on a hero or lord that is at less than 20% health, although the uses are limited.
Manly Facial Hair: Sports a fine moustache, both in human and dragon form. Compare and contrast Zhao Ming's somewhat overgrown beard.
Meaningful Name: Yuan Bo 元伯 can mean "Eldest Brother" or "Foremost Lord", which reflects his status as a senior administrator and authority figure.
Morphic Resonance: Like his siblings, Yuan Bo's human form retains many distinct aspects from his dragon form. His antlers become part of his helmet, and his armor and clothes are predominantly green.
Mystical Jade: He is called the Jade Dragon, after all. His armor, clothing and dragon form’s scales are all jade green, and he is a formidable wielder of celestial magic. In fact, his association with jade and his role as a central administrator makes him quite similar to the Jade Emperor from Chinese Mythology.
Non-Action Guy: Subverted. He may seem to be a pure administrator, but this is actually an image he has purposefully cultivated in order to hide his real power. In reality, he is the Celestial Dragon Emperor's regent and executioner, and he will gladly take to the field whenever his siblings’ mistakes allow threats to grow within the empire.
The Reliable One: Thanks to being such an effective administrator, he is known to be very dependable. It is said, among the Royal Family, that no one else is in everyone else's "good books" like the Jade Dragon.
Spotting the Thread: In the short story Master of the Meteor Wind, Yuan Bo visits Miao Ying in Nan-Li to bolster her forces with his own and discover why she has been allowing the city’s defenses to dwindle in the face of a major Tzeentchian threat. During a formal tea ceremony with her, he gradually starts to notice multiple suspicious points, but it is only when he uses a specific hand signal to ask her to pour tea that he realises he's dealing with an imposter. The signal he used was one intended for those in an inferior position, something which the real Miao Ying would never have stood for.
Star Power: A loading screen quote mentions that he is a master of the Meteor Winds or Lore of Heavens, much like his father.
The Spymaster: Yuan Bo is the only one of his siblings who has command over his mother’s Onyx Crowmen agents, and he was evidently able to detect and root out a Tzeentchian cult presence in Nan-Li way before Miao Ying even realized it.
The Stoic: Centuries of hearing his siblings insult him as a paper-pusher has left him unfazed by their taunts. Only the Monkey King is creative enough to get under his skin. He also likes to remain quiet and let his siblings talk in their meetings, as this limits the likelihood of him offending them.
Weredragon: Like all members of his family, Yuan Bo can switch between human and dragon form.
Yellow Earth, Green Earth: Yuan Bo uses of the Lore of Heavens, which Cathayans associate with the element of earth. Physically, he wears jade-green armor in his human form and has vividly green scales in his true draconic form. In battle, his attack animations typically involve him creating bursts and spikes of crystalline green rock, coating is sword in it to use as a bludgeon, or breathing out volleys of green crystals as his breath weapon.

Legendary Heroes

Saytang the Watcher

Saytang the Watcher, Sentinel of the Heavens

Known as the Guardian of the Sky, the Heavenly Bowman, or commonly to the people of the southern provinces simply the Watcher, Saytang is the great sentinel that stands atop the Mountains of Heaven. Towering over other sentinels, Saytang is an imposing sight with its outstretched wings and great stone feathered helm. Those who have witnessed Saytang in battle claim no armour or barrier can turn aside the arrows it fires from its great wind bow, the shafts piercing the ranks of the enemies and even the iron hides of fell beasts. And though Saytang cannot fly in the true sense, its power allows it to leap great distances, even jumping from mountain peak to mountain peak in the defence of the empire.

Introduced in the 4.2 Update for the "Shadows of Change" DLC for Total War: Warhammer III, Saytang is a Legendary Hero recruitable by all Cathayan factions after finishing a short quest chain.

Early-Bird Cameo: As pointed out by an eagle-eyed fan, Saytang first appeared in 2022 as a landmark on Grand Cathay's map published by Games Workshop as part of the marketing campaign for The Old World.
Great Bow: Saytang wields the great Wind Bow that fires gigantic magic infused arrows, basically turning it into a mobile artillery piece. The bow also scales in power depending on its target's health, steadily becoming deadlier as the target sustains more and more damage.
Ground Pound: Giant Leap has it jump up and then crash down on the same spot in a fiery explosion, dealing significant damage to any units caught in the radius and inflicting upon them a powerful debuff towards their movement speed.
Living Statue: It is a particularly powerful Terracotta Sentinel, living statues that guard various locations in Cathay, who takes post on top of the Mountains of Heaven. Unlike most Sentinels it specializes in ranged combat, though it is certainly no slouch in melee.
True Sight: On the battlefield, Saytang has the ability Watched by the Watcher that allows it to instantly spot all hidden units on the map (i.e. those with the Stalk, Unspottable, and Hide Forest attributes) for a limited time.
Winged Humanoid: It's a living humanoid statue that has giant outstretched wings on his back, a feature not seen in any other Terracotta Sentinel. But it doesn't allow it to actually fly.

Others

The Celestial Dragon Emperor

Xen Yang, the Celestial Dragon Emperor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x1edgpa.jpeg

A jade statuette of the Dragon Emperor

Xen Yang, also known as the Celestial Dragon Emperor, is the co-ruler of Grand Cathay along with his wife the Moon Empress. He is aligned to the Yang energies of celestial harmony and is thus associated with light and heaven. He is an immortal Dragons and spellcaster who is able to magically take human form.

A God I Am Not: The Dragon Emperor and The Moon Empress are not actually gods, and do not desire to be worshipped as such. In fact, they look down upon the gods of other races for requiring worship. But they are still very powerful, semi-divine immortal beings who have ruled Cathay for several thousand years. Funnily enough, however, an in-game text blurb for one of the faction technologies states that thrice-daily prayer to the Dragon Emperor is mandatory.
The Archmage: He and his wife invented the Lores of Yin and Yang and personally trained their children (as well as countless generations of humans, both Dragon-blooded and not) in the arts of the arcane. They are both extremely powerful wizards, whose divine-powered magic are comparable to that of the Gods themselves.
Badass Bookworm: Xen Yang is known to be an unmatched poet, and personally codified Cathay's Yin and Yang system in writing.
Battle Couple: During the early days of the empire, he fought off the forces of chaos alongside his wife.
Benevolent Mage Ruler: He has used his arcane mastery to protect Grand Cathay for centuries now, with the Great Bastion and the Wu Xing compass being one of his most impressive magical inventions.
Big Good: Shares this role with his wife from Cathay's perspective; being a pair of (almost) Divine Dragons that have made it their life's goal to oppose Chaos and protect Cathay.
Dragons Are Divine: The Celestial Dragon Emperor is an ancient being that predates most other species in the world, and is described as having a power level on par with minor gods in the setting.
Emperor Scientist: The Celestial Dragon Emperor is this to the extreme, being a master artisan, clockwork maker, architect, and all-around powerful mage. Some of his masterpieces include the Great Bastion (which he personally oversaw the construction of and then infused with his life essence) and the Wu Xing compass.
Expy: It's very clear, with his God-like power, insistence that, despite all implications otherwise, he is not a God, crippling (though far less pronounced) Parental Favoritism, and status as an almighty Emperor Scientist that has withdrawn from the running of the empire to carry out a mysterious project, that the Dragon Emperor is modelled after the God-Emperor of Mankind. His brood of Children, with their toxic and often violent Sibling Rivalry, "Well Done, Son" Guy desire to please their aloof parents, and Semi-Divine nature, are also highly reminiscent of the Primarchs. They're more functional and better-adjusted than their inspirations, but that's not a high bar to pass and can argued to be more a result of not having been thrown across the galaxy and raised on death worlds than any parental skills on the Dragon Emperor's part.
God Couple: He and his wife have co-ruled the empire of Grand Cathay as God Emperors for many centuries.
God-Emperor: Of Grand Cathay, having co-ruled over the human populace with his wife since time immemorial. While they are not true gods, the reverence accorded to them by their human subjects is basically a kind of worship. In fact, any visiting foreigner who dares to mock the dragons in public is met with a swift death.
Gold and White Are Divine: He is a God-Emperor who is heavily associated with gold and white.
The Good King: Most of the people in Grand Cathay sees him as a great and benevolent ruler.
Have You Seen My God?: At one point he and his wife suddenly disappeared for a few centuries, leading their children to wage war on each other and allowing the Monkey King to take advantage of the chaos. When they returned, they brought order to Cathay and drove out the usurping Monkey King.
Heaven Above: Though he is not a true god, the Celestial Dragon Emperor is the closest thing the Cathayans have to a central deity. His favored school of magic is the Lore of Heavens, and his Lore of Yang also contains a spell called Constellation of the Dragon. He also spends all of his time in his floating city high in the clouds.
King Incognito: One of the dilemma events you get while playing Grand Cathay is called “Undercover Bosses” and involves your character being approached by two cats, one golden and regal and the other silver and affectionate. It is heavily implied that they are the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress in disguise, as your character will feel a strange urge to bow or an aura of maternal care when interacting with them. In addition, choosing to feed the golden cat will increase your Yang alignment and petting the silver cat will increase your Yin alignment.
Male Sun, Female Moon: The Dragon Emperor is aligned with Yang and sunlight while the Moon Empress is aligned with Ying and moonlight.
Meaningful Name: The Celestial Dragon Emperor’s real name is Xen Yang while the Moon Empress’s is Quai Yin. It's not too difficult to see the symbolism in them. The Chinese localization further deepens the meaning in their names: Xen Yang is rendered as Shen Yang 申阳, meaning "Extended Brightness" or "Divine Sun". Quai Yin is rendered as Gui Yin 桂阴, which can mean "Shadow of the Cassia" or "Osmanthus Moon".
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Celestial Dragon Emperor once ordered his Astromancers to drop a comet on the Ogres after they started eating his subjects. It's all but outright stated that this created the Great Maw, which ended up making the Ogre Kingdoms far more aggressive than they already were.
Parental Favoritism: As much as they would claim impartialness, it's very clear to the Royal Court that the Empress and Emperor have their own favorites amongst their children and play favorites all the time. Xen Yang loves Miao Ying the most, greatly admiring her no-nonsense attitude and great aptitude for military matters. He showers her with affection and important duties, which causes her to lord over her siblings with the backing of her father. Quai Yin, on the other hand, dotes upon Zhao, viewing his "free-spirit" as something she must protect, and will personally intervene in family gatherings if any of his siblings talk down upon him for his eccentricities. Yuan Bo the Jade Dragon is both his parents' second favorite child, and enjoys enormous bureaucratic power as a result of being The Reliable One. This has caused no shortage of grief amongst the less favored children, and is the reason why most of them are so hostile to one other.
Ruling Couple: He's said to co-rule Grand Cathay alongside his wife, although sometimes he's said to be the only actual ruler while the Moon Empress takes a secondary role.
Physical God: As much as they'd like to deny it, the fact is that Xen Yang and Quai Yin are supremely powerful, magical beings that existed before most mortal pantheons, who are worshipped as such by the people of Cathay. Word of God has stated that both of them have "the powers of a lesser God" and that their children are as strong as "Demigods", so the point is really moot.
Star Power: The Celestial Dragon Emperor's favored school of magic is the Lore of Heavens, and it is because of him that the Cathayan Astromancers have such expertise in it. In fact, it is implied that the Astromancers who dropped the Warpstone Meteor on the Ogres all these years ago did so at his command.
Time Abyss: Alongside his wife, he existed long before the Old Ones came to the Warhammer world, putting them in the same age range as ancient dragon ogres like Kholek Suneater, and a few of the Star Dragons of Ulthuan.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: If he did do so, then dropping the Warpstone Meteor on the Ogres makes him responsible for the creation of the Great Maw and turned the Ogres from a mostly docile species into the Horror Hunger filled host they are today.
Weredragon: In ancient times, the Celestial Dragon Emperor learned to take human form in order to unite the early human tribes of Cathay. His wife possesses the same ability, and together they have passed this skill to their children.

The Moon Empress

Quai Yin, the Moon Empress

Quai Yin, also known as the Moon Empress, is the co-ruler of Grand Cathay along with her husband the Celestial Dragon Emperor. She is aligned to the Yin energies of celestial harmony and is thus associated with darkness and night. She prefers to operate from the shadows and is in charge of the imperial agents of Cathay.

A God I Am Not: The Dragon Emperor and The Moon Empress are not actually gods, and do not desire to be worshipped as such. In fact, they look down upon the gods of other races for requiring worship. But they are still very powerful, semi-divine immortal beings who have ruled Cathay for several thousand years. Funnily enough, however, an in-game text blurb for one of the faction technologies states that thrice-daily prayer to the Dragon Emperor is mandatory.
The Archmage: She and her husband invented the Lores of Yin and Yang and personally trained their children (as well as countless generations of humans, both Dragon-blooded and not) in the arts of the arcane. They are both extremely powerful wizards, whose divine-powered magic are comparable to that of the Gods themselves.
Badass Bureaucrat: While her husband no longer counts, having long relegated the overseeing of his Empire to the Jade Dragon, the Moon Empress continues to personally command Cathay's vast and bureaucratic network of assassins and spies.
Battle Couple: During the early days of the empire, she fought off the forces of chaos alongside her husband.
Benevolent Mage Ruler: She has used her arcane mastery to protect Grand Cathay for centuries now, using her shapeshifting magical prowess to create a great network of spies to protect them against the influence of chaos cults.
Big Good: Shares this role with her husband from Cathay's perspective; being a pair of (almost) Divine Dragons that have made it their life's goal to oppose Chaos and protect Cathay.
Dark Is Not Evil: As the Yin to her husband’s Yang, she likes to work from the shadows, manages a vast spy network across the empire and employs the terrifying Many-Eyed or Onyx Crowmen as her agents. The spells in her associated Lore of Yin also heavily involve darkness, striking from the thick of night and summoning ancestral ghosts. But in the end she is firmly on the side of Order, working in tandem with the Celestial Dragon Emperor to defeat Chaos and safeguard Grand Cathay.
Dragons Are Divine: The Moon Empress is an ancient being that predates most other species in the world, and is described as having a power level on par with minor gods in the setting.
God Couple: She and her husband have co-ruled the empire of Grand Cathay as God Emperors for many centuries.
God Empress: Of Grand Cathay, having co-ruled over the human populace with her husband since time immemorial. While they are not true gods, the reverence accorded to them by their human subjects is basically a kind of worship. In fact, any visiting foreigner who dares to mock the dragons in public is met with a swift death.
God of the Moon: She's a God Empress who is heavily associated with the moon, in particular Mannslieb (known as Yueyin in Cathay).
The Gods Must Be Lazy: She and her husband are stated to be so detached from the affairs of mortals that they leave the reigns of government to their children. But they aren’t literally "lazy," as they are said to be working on a long-term project of their own which may or may not be to the benefit of the world.
Have You Seen My God?: At one point she and her husband suddenly disappeared for a few centuries, leading their children to wage war on each other and allowing the Monkey King to take advantage of the chaos. When they returned, they brought order to Cathay and drove out the usurping Monkey King.
Human Disguise: The Moon Empress mixes this with King Incognito as she has been known to travel around the empire in the form of a normal human, healing the sick and conversing with people to gather information. It is said that Dragons who are especially blessed by her are better at disguising themselves as well.
King Incognito: One of the dilemma events you get while playing Grand Cathay is called “Undercover Bosses” and involves your character being approached by two cats, one golden and regal and the other silver and affectionate. It is heavily implied that they are the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress in disguise, as your character will feel a strange urge to bow or an aura of maternal care when interacting with them. In addition, choosing to feed the golden cat will increase your Yang alignment, and petting the silver cat will increase your Yin alignment.
Lunacy: Her title of "Master of the Moon Winds" implies she has moon-related powers. Some myths about her even say the Voluntary Shapeshifting powers of the Cathayan dragons originate from her moon powers.
Lunarians: There are In-Universe myths that say she's not even a dragon at all, but the last of a race that used to live on the moon of Mannslieb (known as Yueyin in Grand Cathay) and she merely takes the shape of a dragon via shapeshifting powers.
Male Sun, Female Moon: The Dragon Emperor is aligned with Yang and sunlight while the Moon Empress is aligned with Yin and moonlight.
Meaningful Name: The Celestial Dragon Emperor’s real name is Xen Yang while the Moon Empress’s is Quai Yin. It's not too difficult to see the symbolism in them. The Chinese localization further deepens the meaning in their names: Xen Yang is rendered as Shen Yang 申阳, meaning "Extended Brightness" or "Divine Sun". Quai Yin is rendered as Gui Yin 桂阴, which can mean "Shadow of the Cassia" or "Osmanthus Moon".
Multiple-Choice Past: There are many rumors about her origins, from being a divine dragon with shapeshifting powers much like her husband, to being a moon dweller from Mannslieb who took dragon form so she could travel to the Warhammer world.
Parental Favoritism: As much as they would claim impartialness, it's very clear to the Royal Court that the Empress and Emperor have their own favorites amongst their children and play favorites all the time. Xen Yang loves Miao Ying the most, greatly admiring her no-nonsense attitude and great aptitude for military matters. He showers her with affection and important duties, which causes her to lord over her siblings with the backing of her father. Quai Yin, on the other hand, dotes upon Zhao, viewing his "free-spirit" as something she must protect, and will personally intervene in family gatherings if any of his siblings talk down upon him for his eccentricities. Yuan Bo the Jade Dragon is both his parents' second favorite child, and enjoys enormous bureaucratic power as a result of being The Reliable One. This has caused no shortage of grief amongst the less favored children, and is the reason why most of them are so hostile to one other.
Physical God: As much as they'd like to deny it, the fact is that Xen Yang and Quai Yin are supremely powerful, magical beings that existed before most mortal pantheons, who are worshipped as such by the people of Cathay. Word of God has stated that both of them have "the powers of a lesser God" and that their children are as strong as "Demigods", so the point is really moot.
Ruling Couple: He's said to co-rule Grand Cathay alongside his wife, although sometimes he's said to be the only actual ruler while the Moon Empress takes a secondary role.
Sacred Bow and Arrows: Bows are closely associated with the Moon Empress, and many female warriors in Cathay adopt the bow to follow the path.
The Sacred Darkness: The Moon Empress, being the Yin to her husband's Yang, is pretty much an embodiment of this trope. Many of the spells in her Lore of Yin involve the manipulation of darkness and shadows for both offense and stealth.
Time Abyss: Alongside her husband, she existed long before the Old Ones came to the Warhammer world, putting them in the same age range as ancient dragon ogres like Kholek Suneater.
The Spymaster: The Moon Empress is this, as she controls a vast intelligence network aimed at rooting out the cults of Tzeentch within the empire. One of her titles is even "Commander of the Imperial Agents".
Try to Fit That on a Business Card: The Moon Empress' titles include the Moon Dragon, Empress of Grand Cathay, Mistress of the Ancestral Realms, Commander of the Imperial Agents and Master of the Moon Winds.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Her shapeshifting powers are implied to be stronger than that of her husband and children, as not only can she transform into a dragon, she is also said to travel hidden among her subjects under a Human Disguise. Some myths about her say she's actually not a dragon at all, but the last survivor of a race of moon dwellers who took a dragon form to come to the Warhammer world. In said stories, she was actually the one who taught her husband, the Dragon Emperor, on how to take human form, and later passed on said skills to her children.
Weredragon: In ancient times, the Celestial Dragon Emperor learned to take human form in order to unite the early human tribes of Cathay. His wife possesses the same ability, and together they have passed this skill to their children.

Li Dao

Prince Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, Ruler of the Southern Provinces

"Those in the central provinces always look to the north; to the grandstanding of my sister at the Great Bastion. Meanwhile I must marshal the Burning Winds, defend our border against the Nagas and serpents of Khuresh, keep peace with the Tigers of Ind, and war with the Monkey King's legions that come down from the mountains of Heaven!"

Li Dao, the Fire (Vermillion) Dragon rules over the Southern Provinces and (nominally) the Mountains of Heaven. Warlike and hotblooded, he defends the Southern Cathay border from Ind and Khuresh.

Dude, Where's My Respect?: Part of the reason why he is bitter about Miao Ying getting their father's favour is that he believes his work defending the Southern Provinces from Ind and Khuresh is unappreciated compared to Miao Ying's role in defending the Great Bastion.
Hot-Blooded: Described as having a temper matching his color.
Meaningful Name: Li Dao 离祷 means "Fire Prayer", which refers to both his associated element and the fact that his capital city Fu-Hung is known as the "Chanting City."
Red Baron: He is known as the Fire Dragon.
Sore Loser: He is bitter about losing to Miao Ying for their father's favor.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With the Monkey King. They are enemies but team-up from time to time against common foes in the South, and he relies on the Monkey King’s warriors to shore up his own armies.
The Phoenix: While he is a dragon, he represents the cardinal direction of the Vermillion Bird in Chinese culture and one of his titles is "Lord of the Phoenix". His capital city, Fu-Hung, also contains the Phoenix Temple, a huge structure in the shape of a Vermillion Warbird (the Cathayan variant of these creatures).
Try to Fit That on a Business Card: Prince Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, Ruler of the Southern Provinces (and the Mountains of Heaven), Master of the Burning Winds and Lord of the Phoenix.
Warrior Prince: By virtue of being ruler of one of Cathay's more volatile provinces, he has to juggle protecting both the southern borders of the Empire against Ind and Khuresh, as well as incursions from the Monkey King - when he isn't begrudgingly joining forces with him, that is.

Yin-Yin

Princess Yin-Yin, the Sea Dragon, Ruler of the Eastern Provinces

"The Elves name their vessels 'Dragonships'. I find this amusing. Perhaps it is in tribute to me? After all, I am a Dragon and my war-junks dominate the seas."

Yin-Yin, the Sea (Azure) Dragon rules the Eastern Provinces and the city of Fu-Chow. As the commander of the Grand Dragon Fleet, it is her job to protect the Cathayan coast from the depredations of Dark Elves and other human nations to the East. She is also uncommonly expansionist, having once launched a failed conquest of the Southlands.

Action Girl: She is the Admiral of the Grand Dragon Fleet, and once launched a massive invasion against the Southlands. It failed miserably (most probably due to the Slann's intervention).
Epic Fail: Her invasion of the Southlands ended in absolute disaster, with the near-total annihilation of the fleet she sent to do so.
Red Baron: She is known as the Sea Dragon.
Smug Snake: From the loading screen quotes that mention her, she's really arrogant for someone who lost a large portion of Cathay's fleet in a single storm.
The Unfavorite: She is not popular with the rest of her family to put it very mildly, due to the staggering amount of resources and manpower her invasion wasted.

Shen-Zoo

The younger sister of Miao Ying, described as a bringer of light and hope. She ventured beyond the Norscan Mountains and has not been seen since, throwing the Cathayan Empire into darkness.

Damsel in Distress: She went missing in what is most certainly Chaos territory, and only Ursun knows what happened to her. As such, her older siblings have agreed to save Ursun from the Forge of Souls mainly to find out what happened to her.
Meaningful Name: In the Chinese localization, her name is rendered as Shen Zhu 申珠 which translates to "Divine Pearl." This may reflect her role as a bringer of light.

Shiyama

The Spirit Dragon and the actual firstborn child of the Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress, slain before any of her younger siblings were even born. She is said to slumber beneath the Great Dragon River that forms the eastern part of Cathay’s northern border, and her spirit guides the souls of the Cathayan dead to their equivalent of the afterlife, the Ten Courts of Shyish.

The Cameo: Aside from briefly appearing in Master of the Meteor Wind as a guise of the Changeling, Shiyama also appears in the Ancestral Warriors spell as the dragon circling the portal from which the ghosts are summoned.
Cool Mask: When the Changeling takes her form in Master of the Meteor Wind according to descriptions of her in Cathayan folklore, she is wearing a porcelain mask that is colored like the Yinyang symbol.
Meaningful Name: Her name contains the element “Yama,” which is the name of the Hindu god of death and the afterlife. Thanks to the eastern spread of Buddhism, Yama can also be found as the ruler of the afterlife in Chinese Mythology (the major inspiration for Cathay). This parallels Shiyama’s role as the Cathayan “death god”. In addition, some accounts in Chinese folklore state that there are ten Yama kings presiding over Hell, which match the Ten Courts of Shyish. In the Chinese version of the short story Master of the Meteor Wind, her name is rendered Shi Yan Mo 诗阎摩, 阎摩 being one way to transliterate “Yama” in Chinese.
Posthumous Character: She was killed long before the birth of her other siblings, but she still plays a major role in the world of Cathay. Not only does she serve as the ruler and guide to the Cathayan afterlife, she may also be part of Cathay’s northern defenses: the Great Dragon River she is said to sleep in can suck out the souls of any who try to cross it.
Psychopomp: She serves as this for Cathay.

Monkey King

Former usurper to the throne of Cathay, current real ruler of the Mountains of Heaven.

Ambiguously Evil: The Monkey King's positions are unclear at this time. On one hand, he once took over Cathay and teamed up with the Skaven of Clan Eshin during his rule, and is subject to regional myths that make him sound like a metaphor for the Chaos Gods (with the developers stating that such myths are likely in-universe propaganda spread by Tzeench in order to deliberately alienate the Monkey King and Cathay). On the other hand, he is willing to lend his forces to Li Dao in order to defend Cathay from southern invaders, if only out of Pragmatic Villainy.
Enemy Mine: The only reason Li Dao does not fully commit to wiping him out from the Mountains of Heaven is that doing so would leave him open to attacks from Ind and Khuresh. Instead, they team up at times to defend the southern border from attacks, with the Monkey King shoring up Li Dao's army with his own monkey-man warriors.
Maniac Monkeys: He's the leader of a race of sapient monkey-like creatures who inhabit the Warhammer equivalent of the Himalayas. His kind are noted to be the second most populous race in Cathay behind the humans, and have been known to fight in Cathay's armies. However, the Monkey King is also a usurper who has attempted to seize control of the country at least once before.
Monkey King Lite: He seems to be the Warhammer world's resident iteration of Sun Wukong. He leads a faction of monkey-men in the remote Mountains of Heaven, not unlike Sun's own kingdom of monkeys in the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, and his takeover of Grand Cathay is highly similar to the "Havoc in Heaven" arc of Journey to the West.
Small Name, Big Ego: According to a loading screen, the Monkey King proudly believes his court in the Mountains of Heaven to be equal in opulence and dignity to that of the Dragon Emperor. In practice, visitors are taken aback by the sight of a crowd of hooting, rambunctious monkey-men crowding the King's throne room.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Li Dao. In spite of him taking over the Empire of Cathay at one point in time, Li Dao tolerates his presence in the Mountains of Heaven, teaming up with him to defend the Empire from Ind and Khuresh.
The Usurper: The Monkey King infamously managed to seize power over Grand Cathay centuries ago when the Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress disappeared, causing their children to fight amongst each other and divide the empire into warring states. The Monkey King used this division to claim vast swathes of the empire, eventually installing himself as Emperor. Only when the Dragon Children united against him, and the Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress returned, was he forced to retreat down south to the Mountains of Heaven.

Characters / Total War: Warhammer - The Empire of Grand Cathay

Click here to return to the main character page

Legendary Lords

Princess Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, Ruler of the Northern Provinces

Prince Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon, Ruler of the Western Provinces

Prince Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, Ruler of the Central Provinces

Legendary Heroes

Saytang the Watcher, Sentinel of the Heavens

Others

Xen Yang, the Celestial Dragon Emperor

Quai Yin, the Moon Empress

Prince Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, Ruler of the Southern Provinces

Princess Yin-Yin, the Sea Dragon, Ruler of the Eastern Provinces

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Total War: Warhammer - The Empire of Grand Cathay

Edit Locked

Click here to return to the main character page

Legendary Lords

Princess Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, Ruler of the Northern Provinces

Prince Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon, Ruler of the Western Provinces

Prince Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, Ruler of the Central Provinces

Legendary Heroes

Saytang the Watcher, Sentinel of the Heavens

Others

Xen Yang, the Celestial Dragon Emperor

Quai Yin, the Moon Empress

Prince Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, Ruler of the Southern Provinces

Princess Yin-Yin, the Sea Dragon, Ruler of the Eastern Provinces

Previous

Index

Next