With a new Arcane Journal comes expanded lore for Warhammer: The Old World, and the latest example, Arcane Journal: The Breaching of the Great Bastion, is no exception, shedding new light on the perils that the defenders of Grand Cathay face as Chaos forces seek a way past their defences. We sneaked past the Warhammer Studio’s own great bastion to seek insight from the designers.
With armies of the Undead marching across the Border Princes, and the hordes of Chaos rampaging throughout the northern reaches of the Empire, it’s safe to say that the relative peace of the Old World has been well and truly shattered. Recently, we’ve seen the armies of Grand Cathay undertake a great voyage from their homeland to the shores of Westerland in aid of their western allies. But what of Grand Cathay itself – how does it fare when the armies of the Ruinous Powers are on the march, and how does it defend itself against its enemies?
The new releases for Grand Cathay really help to flesh the faction out, adding as they do regiments of Peasant Levy, Crane Gunner teams, Iron Hail Gunners, and even Astromancers of the Celestial Court. With these all being regular fixtures of the armies that defend Grand Cathay against its multifarious enemies, we were presented with the ideal opportunity to delve more deeply into the history of the Celestial Dragon’s realm.
This was very exciting. Since the release of the faction, we’ve been asked all manner of questions about it from fans eager to find out more. With all the action taking place within the Old World, we hadn’t planned to set any Arcane Journals within Grand Cathay itself, but the moment we saw the new miniatures, the inspiration for Arcane Journal: The Breaching of the Great Bastion struck!
In this supplement, we explore more of the history of this fascinating nation and its relationship with its western allies, including a detailed timeline that lists the major events that have shaped Grand Cathay since the time of the Old Ones.
There are also sections exploring the Northern, Western, and Imperial Provinces, describing the major cities and landmarks, and an exploration of Celestial magic, which delves into how the Dragons manipulate the Elemental Winds, or, as they are known in the west, the Winds of Magic. We learn about the role of the Astromantic Court and the purpose of the mysterious Wu Xing Compass, a magical device of great power that resides within the Celestial Palace itself, and through which the Dragons are able to discern and manipulate the flow of magic into the World of Legend!
Finally, Arcane Journal: The Breaching of the Great Bastion touches on the many threats that assail Grand Cathay. These include the raiders and reavers that trouble the fleets of Yin-Yin, the Sea Dragon, and the savage tribes that come from the western mountains, crossing the Warpstone Desert to battle the forces of Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon. To the south, the troublesome armies of the Monkey King constantly beset Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, and, of course, there is the ever-present threat of Chaos in the Northern Provinces.
This leads into the narrative section, in which we learn of the events immediately prior to Arcane Journal: Dawn of the Storm Dragon and gain insight into how the armies of the Northern Province deal with the hordes of Kurgan Marauders and the hosts of Chaos Warriors and Knights that constantly assail the Great Bastion. More importantly, we discover that on the rare occasions when these enemies are able to breach Grand Cathay’s defences and march boldly across the lands of the Celestial Dragon, they do not do so unopposed.
If you’re a fan of Grand Cathay, or just want to know more about the history of this most ancient realm, Arcane Journal: The Breaching of the Great Bastion offers plenty of invaluable insight.
Thanks! You’ll be able to pre-order the new Arcane Journal and a host of Grand Cathay miniatures from Saturday. If you want to immerse yourself in the lore of the faction, two previous Arcane Journals, Armies of Grand Cathay and Dawn of the Storm Dragon are available to order now.
