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Cathayan Astromancers

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Cathayan Astromancer

Concept art for a Cathayan Astromancer from Total War: Warhammer III.[1]

Cathayan Astromancers are the accepted and legally-sanctioned wizards of Grand Cathay, the personally favoured magic-users of the Celestial Dragon Emperor himself. They are practitioners of Xen Yang's own favoured Lore of Heavens.[1][2a]

History[]

High above the Cathayan capital city of Wei-Jin in the Imperial Provinces is the Celestial Court, the majestic residence of the Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress, the immortal Cathayan Dragons who rule Grand Cathay. It is the Celestial Court that controls the wizards of Cathay, even the Dragon-Blooded Shugengan Lords, under the direct supervision and stewardship of Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, given that he is the most skilled manipulator of the Elemental Winds amongst his Cathayan Dragon siblings.[2b][2c][2k][3]

In times of war, the Celestial Court is responsible for commanding both the wizards of Cathay and their magical crafts. The armies of the Court of Celestial Sorcerers are perhaps the most eclectic of the Cathayan warhosts, created and called through a variety of arcane practices. Guardian Lions of Jade and Jet are crafted by the wizards of the Celestial Court and valued for their influence on the Elemental Winds, while Crow-men are conjured by the shadow-weavers of the Moon Empress and refashioned in the shape of Men to spy for the Celestial Court. The Celestial Court even has a form of clay-scrying with which they believe they can recreate the invocations Xen Yang himself used to infuse the Terracotta Sentinels with life so long ago.[2a][2b][2f][2g][2h][2i][2j][3][4]

But of all the myriad magical disciplines practiced in Grand Cathay, the most well-established is that of the astromancers. Unlike the Magisters of the Celestial Order in the Empire of Man in the Old World, these wizards have been perfecting their art for over five thousand years. The Dragon Emperor himself is said to have taught the Men of the Far East the true secrets of Azyr, granting them knowledge of Celestial magic, and their spells are far more complex and powerful than those of the western astromancers as a result.[1][2a]

Role[]

Within great observatories whose telescopic devices channel magical power to the Wu Xing Compass, the astromancers of Grand Cathay peer into the cosmos. The collected lore gleaned from the stars and the movements of heavenly bodies is then stored within the towers which house the observatories. Notable among these observatories is the marvelous Grand Observatory located within Xin-Po, the city of the astromancers, on the slopes of the Celestial Mountains. But when the drums of war are sounded, entire regiments of astromancers are prepared to meet the demands of the Celestial Empire.[1][2b][2c][2k]

The astromancers of the Celestial Court stand apart from, but equal to even the Shugengan. After more than five thousand years of perfecting their art under the tutelage of the Cathayan Dragons, they have become quite adept. Their ability to harness the Lore of Heavens to such an expert level is thanks to the natural affinity between their ruler and the Elemental Wind of Azyr.[1][2a] [2b][2k]

Cathayan Astromancers only become more proficient when riding into battle atop a Wu-Xing War Compass, expensive constructions of the Celestial Court crafted as a miniaturised version of the great Wu Xing Compass engraved into the floor of the Dragon Emperor's own residence. Drawn into battle atop a specially-designed chariot-platform, a Court Scribe of the Celestial Court tends to each one's intricate mechanisms. Imbued with the power of Azyr and intricately designed as a weapon of war, they magnify the abilities of the astromancers to draw upon the Elemental Winds, and when properly manipulated can summon storm winds, lightning storms and even meteors in their wake.[1][2a][2e]

Favoured wizards are also occasionally gifted a Celestial Lion to ride into battle. Perhaps even more noteworthy are the Great Moon Birds sometimes gifted to the lords and wizards of the Celestial Court to serve as personal mounts, although such associations tend to be brief, with the creature returning to its natural habitat after a period of time. A most resplendent airborne mount, the Great Moon Bird's flaming exterior can only be resisted by those practiced in the magic of the heavens. They descend from on high only by the Moon Empress' own will, or at the behest of the most powerful astromancers in the realm.[2a][2f][2g]

Notable Astromancers[]

  • Po Mei - Po Mei was a great astromancer whose enchanted cloak grants its wearer exceptional magical strength and mastery over one of the Elemental Winds.[2d]

Sources[]

Gallery[]

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