Total War: Warhammer III was teased back in February. That video gave us a glimpse at Katarin Bokha, the leader of Kislev, marching her forces to face off against the Daemons of Khorne. Now, the new “Trial By Fire” trailer showcases those two factions once more, additional units were shown, and a bit of backstory was provided as well.
The trailer starts out with a female hunter flanked by a bear (probably a Kislevite hero). Then, a man states how the motherland (Kislev) had turned its back on several people, exiling them to a “wasted land” (Chaos Wastes). We see a few shots of villages and frozen fields, followed by a rather surprising turn of events. It turns out that the man, consumed with rage, has surrendered himself to Khorne completely.
Total War: Warhammer III trailer – Kislev versus the Daemons of Khorne
We then see this Kislevite exile donning a helmet as one of Khorne’s chosen, while other Chaos Warriors appear behind him. They burn the village to the ground and that leads to a battle against the defenders. We also catch the appearance of various units. Kislev seems to have the Ice Guard, Ungol Archers, Bear Cavalry, and Winged Lancers (aka. Winged Hussars). As for the Khornate forces, they have flying units known as Furies and even a Bloodthirster, a Greater Daemon of Khorne, arrives on the battlefield.
We hear shouts of “Blood for the Blood God!” That’s followed by echoes of “Skulls for the Skull Throne!” Likewise, Katarin Bokha, the Empress of Kislev, joins the fray. She then summons a huge elemental bear made of ice. (I’ve dubbed this unit Snowy Bear. He’s monstrous, but also fluffy.)
The archer hero makes her way through the forest, only to realize that Khorne’s forces had won. The village is nothing but a smoldering wreck. Then, as she looks to the sky, she spots the outline of a tower. It seems that this is the Brass Citadel, Khorne’s stronghold in the Realm of Chaos. The “Trial By Fire” trailer for Total War: Warhammer III ends as the Blood God watches.
If we go by some of the leaks that have surfaced, it looks like Kislev will eventually battle Khorne’s Daemons upon entering this fiery domain. Perhaps Katarin’s forces didn’t lose the battle against the exiled general. Maybe they routed their enemies and followed them deeper into Khorne’s realm. That sort of explains the Brass Citadel battle leaks that we’ve seen. Then again, a simple romp to that location would be a little far-fetched since normal humans would go insane the moment they enter the Realm of Chaos.
In any case, we’ll know more details about the game in the future. Total War: Warhammer III is set to release in late 2021 via Steam and Epic. You can learn more about the game from its official FAQ page.
