"The Daemons...first there was nothing, then they were there, an onyx mist surrounding them that dissipated as they attacked. They charged through the paddies and defamed our ancestor shrines! But then the statue that had stood over our village for generations began to burn. It's head turned towards the Daemons, and it started to move..."
- —Hou Huiqing, Village Elder[3]
A Terracota Sentinel
Terracotta Sentinels are magical constructs in the form of giant warrior statues that fight alongside the armies of Grand Cathay. Legend has it that these Sentinels are the gigantic soldiers of an army built by the Dragon Emperor thousands of years ago, when the forces of Chaos threatened to overwhelm the Celestial Empire.[1]
Since then, they have been left scattered across Cathay, waiting to be called to war once more. Once given orders, a Terracotta Sentinel will not falter in its duty, relentlessly carrying out its last commands until the task is complete or it is reduced to rubble.[1]
Role[]
The Terracota Sentinels are ancient, magical constructs that serve as the ultimate defenders of the Celestial Empire.
Terracotta Sentinels are creations born of the Cathayan Dragons' mastery of the Elemental Winds, each one a towering, animated statue fashioned in the form of a great warrior. Often they are found carved into the sides of the Great Bastion itself, their helmets and spears making up its battlements, their bodies its buttresses.[1]
Concept art for a Terracotta Sentinel for Total War: Warhammer III.[1]
They can also, however, be found throughout the empire, often standing watch over fields, bridges and cities, unmoving until they are animated for war. Legend has it that these Terracotta Sentinels are the gigantic soldiers of an army of magical constructs built by the Celestial Dragon Emperor thousands of years ago, when Chaos threatened to overwhelm the empire. Since then they have been left scattered across the empire, always ready to be called to battle once more.[1]
The Terracotta Sentinels are remnants of an era long past, when the Celestial Dragon Emperor was an active leader of the empire's armies. Tales of their creation range from the believable to the legendary, such as the oft-heard tale that each was originally a personally-blessed soldier of the Dragon Emperor who served in a great army to fend off Chaos in the Celestial Empire's earliest years.[2]
True or not, these great constructs stand sentinel over all Cathay, often silent and still for centuries, overlooking paddy fields or partially submerged in rivers, or even as stanchions in the Great Bastion itself. But the light within will burn and the great statue will finally move once more if summoned to deal with a nearby threat.[2]
Notable Terracotta Sentinels[]
- Green Guardian - This statue has stood for hundreds of years at the edge of the Warpstone Desert, only springing into action when enemies threaten the Celestial Empire.[3]
- Saytang the Watcher - A unique Terracotta Sentinel which uses a massive bow and arrow to strike at enemies from far ranges. It also has a pair of wings, which don't allow for true flight but still let Saytang leap across mountaintops and battlefields.
Videos[]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Community - Read the Official Background for Total War: Warhammer III's Most Deadly Units.
- 2 : TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER III GRAND CATHAY ROSTER REVEAL
- 3 : Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
Gallery[]
![Concept art for a Terracotta Sentinel created for Warhammer: The Old World.[1]](/wiki/File:Terracotta_Sentinel_Cathay_Old_World_concept_full.jpg "Terracotta Sentinel Cathay Old World concept full.jpg (187 KB)")