Total War: WARHAMMER III Story
Tzarina Katarin sends the Barkov brothers, Yuri and Gerik, on an expedition north to find the missing god. Yuri hears Ursun's voice during his prayer. Ursun claims that he is being held captive in the Chaos Wastes' Howling Citadel.
What is Total War Warhammer 3 Story?
Yuri travels to the Chaos Wastes with his brother and army to free his god, but his methods to reach Ursun's prison are slowly corrupted by Chaos. Yuri eventually murders his brother, Gerik, and gives his skull to a Greater Daemon of Khorne to use in the construction of a skull bridge to cross the Howling Citadel. After defeating a chaos-corrupted Boyar and his forces guarding the citadel's entrance, Yuri and his army arrive at the Howling Citadel, where he enters a portal to the Realm of Chaos. Yuri finds the imprisoned Ursun and is greeted by Be'lakor, the first of the Daemon Princes, after emerging from the portal.
By imitating Ursun's voice, Be'lakor reveals that he's the one who guided Yuri. Ursun pleads with Yuri to release him, but Be'lakor tempts Yuri to kill Ursun and seize his power. Ursun roars in pain as Yuri fires a Chaos-infused bullet into the Bear-heart. God's Yuri is hurled back to the material plane as a result of the backlash, and he crashes into the ground severely injured. Yuri begs the Gods of Chaos to save him as he dies. The Chaos Gods grant his request and raise him to the rank of Daemon Prince. Be'lakor has imprisoned Ursun in the Forge of Souls, which is located within the Realm of Chaos, following the events of the prologue. Be'lakor plans to use Ursun's power to exact revenge on the Chaos Gods for robbing him of his power and physical form. Ursun's agonizing roars have torn the fabric that connects the material world and the Realm of Chaos, causing a maelstrom that has stranded daemons in the mortal realm.
Beginning of the Game
A corrupted book known as the Tome of Fates, bearing a curse from the Chaos God Tzeentch, Lord of Sorcery, has enslaved a character known as the Advisor (who provided tutorials in the previous two games). He can use the book to give advice to others, but never for his own benefit. The Advisor has discovered that a single drop of Ursun's blood is all he needs to break free from the book. Knowing that he will not be able to cross the dangerous Realm of Chaos on his own, he seeks out allies from different factions to help him achieve his goal. Ice Court is led by Tzarina Katarin Bokha, who specializes in ice magic; and the Great Orthodoxy is led by Kostaltyn, the Supreme Patriarch of the Cult of Ursun, who believes Katarin is too focused on her magic and court politics, and that only his faith can free the Bear-God. Taking control of the kingdom's three largest cities - Kislev, Erengrad, and Praag - and awakening Katarin's father, Tzar Boris Ursus, from the Frozen Falls is a side quest during the campaign with either Kostaltyn or Katarin. Boris and his faction, the Ursun Revivalists, become playable in future campaigns as a result of this.
Grand Cathay's dragon siblings, Miao Ying the Storm Dragon (who rules the Northern Provinces) and Zhao Ming the Iron Dragon (who rules the Western Provinces), are unconcerned about Ursun because they believe they are older than any god. They are persuaded, however, to release Ursun so that the Bear-God can inform them of the whereabouts of their missing sister, Shen-Zoo, who vanished in Norsca many years ago. The Ogres, led by the Overtyrant Greasus Goldtooth, want to kidnap Ursun so they can feast on his divine flesh and feed the rest to their god, the Great Maw.
The Chaos daemons all have their own desires for Ursun. Skarbrand the Exiled One seeks Ursun's skull in order to give it to Khorne, the Blood God, in exchange for forgiveness for his betrayal. The two-headed Oracle of Tzeentch, Kairos Fateweaver, intends to take Ursun's eyes to see the present (as he can only view the past and future). Ku'gath Plaguefather, the most powerful of Nurgle's Great Unclean Ones, the Chaos God of Disease, planned to use Ursun's body to create a great plague known as a God-Pox. N'kari, the Arch-Tempter and chosen of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of Excess, longs for Ursun's eternal agony. Yuri, now known as the God-Slayer and the leader of the Daemons of Chaos Undivided, wants to finish what he started by killing Ursun for real and exacting vengeance on Be'lakor for his deception.
Nearing to the end
The player's chosen faction must capture a soul of a Daemon Prince bound to each of the four Chaos Gods in order to reach the Forge of Souls, where Ursun is imprisoned. As the player's faction fights for the souls of the Daemon Princes in the Realm of Chaos, it is revealed that once Ursun dies, Be'lakor will absorb the dead god's power and transform himself into the Chaos God of Shadows. He will destroy the four Chaos Gods with his army of Soul Grinders created in the Forge of Souls, allowing him to rule unchallenged.
Ursun dies once all four souls of the Daemon Princes have been captured. The Advisor uses the souls of the Daemon Princes to build a bridge leading to the Forge of Souls as Be'lakor ascends to godhood. Be'lakor's army is defeated by the player's faction before the Dark Master is killed and his ascension is prevented.
The fate of Ursun and the player's faction is revealed after the final battle.
- Kislev's leaders lament Ursun's death, believing that without their God, Kislev will perish. Ursun, on the other hand, is resurrected by their faith and devotion, and with his roar, he brings Kislev's endless winter to an end.
- Ursun is spoken to by the dragon siblings using spirit magic, and before fading from existence, Ursun tells them the location of their missing sister.
- Khorne receives the bear-skull god's from Skarbrand. While the Blood God is pleased to receive such a worthy offering, he does not forgive Skarbrand for his betrayal, making Skarbrand's efforts futile.
- Ursun's eyes are taken by Kairos, and with the sight of a God, he is finally able to see the past, present, and future.