4th century the Great Bastion has stood firm. Through sacrifice and stone-focused determination, the celestial dragon Emperor and his children have staved off corruption time and time again. In the northern provinces, Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, contends with the ever-looming threat of invasion and worse, traitors amongst her own subjects. The Great Bastion cannot abide a fractured defender, so our first task is to consolidate gunpowder road. Some quick flanking puts us at an immediate advantage, and sandwiches the rebels between our cavalry and the bulk of our forces. Thanks to our skyjunk and superior ranged capabilities, the rebels are easily dispatched and subsequently executed. The defense effort has need. The only way through the Bastion is three key gates. When chaos invasions come, it's these locations that take the Burrante via tax. We'll need to secure Snake Gate and ensure our allies are strong enough to shoulder their own burdens. But first we'll be taking care of the rest of the rebels. The Empress chosen daughter. As we expand our settlements, we'll need to pay close attention to our harmony, we'll build a Labour conscription bureau and a conscription office both for the growth, control, and bonuses to our young. With gunpowder rove returned to order and more potential rivals discovered in the west, we'll turn our focus to Snake Gate and fortifying the Bastion. We'll begin by issuing the Storm Dragon's Edict Commandment, lower incorruption, holstering defence, and decreasing our enemy's movement range. Unfortunately, whilst we were distracted with internal affairs, a chaos warband entered Grand Cateh through the demolished Snake Gate, we'll need to face them head on before more conflict is heard, we'll want additional funds to maintain our growing army, making use of the ivory road, we'll dispatch a caravan to trade with distant cultures, caravans come with plenty of risk but the potential rewards are more than worth it. With our army bolstered and extra funds incoming, we'll assault the invaders, driving them away. We'll colonize Snake Gate, ensuring that future invasions are not so easy. We'll return now yin to her true purpose, the unyielding protection of Grand Cateh. To aid in our defence of the Bastion, we'll align the Wujin Compass to match our current goals. Each of the four directions of our powerful incentives, but our army has suffered from recent conflicts. We'll turn the Compass northwest to hasten their recovery. We'll also set the western Great Bastion's Commandment to the Bastion restored for the added casualty replenishment of rate. Turm oil as our caravan is ambushed and held under threat of violence. We'll refuse to negotiate with Ogas and order the caravan to protect itself. Moving harmony and we shall prevail. Ogas may be a hearty enemy, but we've managed to cut the assaulting lord off from the bulk of his forces. Some focused pressure and we soon have the upper hand. There remains an insidious enemy within the Bastion, one we weren't confident enough to confront until now. The foul architect of fate holds the terracotta graveyard, and whilst this threat remains the Bastion is still weakened. We'll entrust snake gates defense to a reliable general and move south to exterminate the demon threat. On the settlement's bridges where the majority of the fighting is to be had, we thwart attempt to flank us and soon overpower the demons with superior melee power. The forces of chaos fight to the last, but are broken against the might of the storm dragon. To maintain the security of Grand Cather, we'll need a strong relationship with the Imperial Wardens, so we broke her a deal. In exchange for the newly liberated graveyard, we demand a military alliance. Our ambitions will see us take command of the entire Bastion, but for now we'll lend our aid to Turtlegate with the construction of an outpost to bolster the gate's defenses. Something is brewing in the chaos wastes, all signs pointing towards an impending attack. We'll continue to monitor the situation and build our defenses in preparation. I will not tolerate slope the celestial loyalists are under attack from within, an army of Slonesh's demons summoned by decadent cultists. Their settlement is besieged, so we commit ourselves to our allies' defence. With poor ranged capabilities and no opportunity to flank, Slonesh's demons are forced to attempt a full frontal assault to a disastrous outcome. Slonesh's forces are a trifling thing this time, and they're easily dealt with. But whilst we were distracted, at St. Hoaster, masked outside of Snakegate, the changer of ways is making his move. The journey across Cather is long, but we arrive in time to face the demons. Kairos fate we've amarches on Snakegate intent on breaching the Bastion and laying waste to Cather beyond. The gruelest powers knock upon our gates, but these guests are not welcome, send them from our threshold with the steel in your hands in your hearts. Your range are defences, focusing our ranged units on the walls and preparing our full backpoints. Our hope is to end the battle at the outer wall, but we're ready to fight in the streets if we must. The anti-spells bombard our defenders relentlessly, extracting a terrible toll, but despite Kairos fate we've as magical prowess, he cannot stand against the might of the storm dragon. The invasion is repelled, the great Bastion still stands, and the northern provinces continued survival is insured for now. Where we set our eyes northward, we failed to monitor the situation to the west. Whilst our back was turned, invaders from the mountains of Maun annihilated the dissent allords of Jinxian. The dwindling taste of victory turns Sour as Miao Ying realizes bitterly that her campaign to protect Cather has only just begun.