Bastion

Bastion
Level: 10 - 53
Capital(s)	Elysian Hold
Races	Kyrian Steward Centurion Maldraxxi Broker Soul
Ruler(s)	Kyrestia the Firstborne  Chyrus <Paragon of Humility>  Adrestes <Paragon of Devotion>  Thenios <Paragon of Wisdom>  Vesiphone <Paragon of Purity>  Xandria <Paragon of Courage>  Mikanikos <Foregelite Prime>
Former ruler(s)	Devos <Paragon of Loyalty>
Major settlements	Aspirant's Crucible Temple of Purity Temple of Courage
Minor settlements	Vestibule of Eternity Hero's Rest Aspirant's Rest Forgefire Outpost
Affiliation	Kyrian Covenant,[1] Forsworn, House of Rituals, House of Constructs
Location	Shadowlands
PvP status	Contested territory

Bastion, Home of the Kyrian,^[2] is one of the ruling realms of the Shadowlands, ruled by the Kyrian Covenant. It is a kingdom of pristine spires, crystalline skies,^[3] and elysian vistas, ordered and purposeful.^[1]

Souls naturally drawn to service are sent here by the Arbiter to examine their lives, cleanse themselves of their burdens, and work toward a state of virtue so they might ascend to serve the Shadowlands as kyrian—messengers, couriers, and some of the purest souls in the realm of the dead.^[4][5] Fresh arrivals to Bastion will become kyrian Aspirants—wingless beings who train for eons to one day earn their wings and join the ranks of the Ascended.^[1]

Bastion is the residence of Uther the Lightbringer's spirit.

Description

Those who have lived a life of service are drawn to Bastion to assumed the highest duty of all — carrying the souls to the Shadowlands. Amongst Bastion's gleaming spires and sweeping vistas await challenges to test the mettle of the steadfast kyrians.^[6]

Bastion is a beacon for those who lived a life of service. Souls worthy enough to stand upon its fields soon face challenges in pursuit of their highest calling of all -- sheperding [sic] souls to the Shadowlands.^[7] A life of service determines who is worthy to tread upon the golden fields of Bastion. Stalwart commitment to their duties was their goal in life: ascension is their goal thereafter.^[8]

Anima gates can be seen flying high above Bastion.^[9]

History

Bastion wasn't always peaceful. Once, its wild creatures were savage and hostile, but the Ascended Korinna tamed them.^[10]

Eons ago, the forces of the Void tried to invade the Shadowlands. The attack blindsided the kyrian, but Agthia, Paragon of Courage of her time, led an army of them to battle. Agthia sacrificed herself to repel the invaders and their commander, Tezulat the Annihilator. Many wrecked colossi still litter the former battlefield.^[11]

Bastion was also once invaded by devourers, leading to the death of the first Paragon of Humility Mercia.^[12]

Geography

Maps and subregions

Agthia's Repose Cliffs of Respite Aspirant's Crucible Aspirant's Awakening Chamber of First Reflection Aspirant's Rest Aspirant's Quarters Chamber of Rumination Chamber of Unspoken Pacts Citadel of Loyalty Court of Elation Exaltion Rise Steward's Rest The Eternal Forge Covinkle's Workshop Miri's Chapel The Eonian Archives Path of Wisdom Sagehaven Shimmering Pools Terrace of the Collectors Vigil of the Endless Everdawn Commons Fate's Precipice Firstborne's Bounty Hero's Rest Forge of the Zephyr Garden of Edenia Kowalskos' Workshop Garden of Respite Kala's Den Korinna's Reliquary Gleaming Overlook The Golden Pasture Forgefire Outpost Greatwing Roost Hall of Beasts Nemea's Retreat Grace of the Remembered Haetio's Solace Ithys' Basin Kalliope's Rest First Chamber of Kalliope Second Chamber of Kalliope Third Chamber of Kalliope Ta Repository Transfer Station Ta The Mnemonic Locus The Walk of Recollection Vault of the Archon Vault of Memory Shrine of the Silver Wind Sophia's Aria Sophia's Overture Sophia's Sonata Spires of Ascension Elysian Hold Archon's Rise The Eternal Watch Sanctum of Binding Valiant's Path Seat of Eternal Hymns Temple of Courage Shattered Span The Necrotic Wake Xandria's Vigil Temple of Humility Terrace of Inner Grace Temple of Purity Purity's Pinnacle Purity's Reflection Veiled Enclave Vestibule of Eternity

Undisplayed locations Zolramus

Instances

Instance name	Level range	Group size	Approximate run time
The Necrotic Wake	50 - 60	5 player	Unknown
Spires of Ascension	60	5 player	Unknown

Travel hubs

Flight paths from Aspirant's Rest

• Hero's Rest
• Sagehaven
• Terrace of the Collectors

Kyrian only

• Elysian Hold

Adjacent regions

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Oribos			Southwest	Entrance at the Vestibule of Eternity

Wild creatures

• Cloudrunner
• Cloudstrider
• Etherwyrm
• Glimmerfly
• Larion
• Owl
• Ram
• Terrapin
• Vulpin

Notes and trivia

• Denizens of Revendreth are not allowed to enter Bastion via Oribos and must use one of their mirror portals to access it instead. According to Theotar, they may even be killed on sight in Bastion.^[13]
• A section of the northwestern map had the following caves located below the terrain until late beta testing: Bastion Bones Cave, Bastion Crystal Cave, Bastion Lava Cave, Bastion Snow Cave, and Bastion Vault.

Inspiration

For themes specific to the kyrian, see Kyrian#Notes and trivia. For themes specific to the Archon, see Kyrestia the Firstborne#Notes and trivia.

Bastion's themes borrow from various parts of European and West Asian mythos and cultures, in particular Greek, Sumerian, Norse, and Abrahamic ones.

• Bastion shares some themes with the Greek Elysium and has even been referred to as "the elysian fields," both in-game and out.^[14][15]
• In the game files, Bastion is called "Babylonzone". Babylon was the capital city of the ancient Babylonian Empire, and is described in the Hebrew Bible as a vast city with palms and hanging gardens, surrounded by plains. Additionally, the only remaining entrance to Babylon, the Ishtar Gate, uses blue and gold colors and features lions on it.
• The five virtues embodied by the five temples in Bastion may be loosely derived from the seven virtues and the cardinal virtues of Christian tradition, parallel to how the seven sins in Revendreth are analogous to the seven deadly sins.
• In this sense, and similar to Revendreth, Bastion's path of ascension is similar to Dante's Purgatorio, requiring the amplification of virtue in order to literally ascend into the Heavens.
• The owl theme of the stewards may be a reference to the Owl of Athena within Greek myth and culture.
• The various centurions are likely based upon the automatons of Greek myth.
• The Eonian Archives that contain the memories of all mortals may be a reference to the akashic records of theosophy that contain all thoughts and memories of all people in existence throughout time.
• The way kyrian are expected to let go of their memories throughout the process toward ascension resembles the way that, in the Greek afterlife, the dead would drink from the river Lethe to forget.
• The Eternal Forge may be a reference to the various eternal flames across the Mediterranean since antiquity. This, along with the torch-running required to loot the Gift of Devos and Gift of Agthia, may be references to the Olympic flame specifically.

Gallery

• 
  Map of Bastion in the Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond.
• 
  Bastion as shown at BlizzCon 2019
• 
• 
  Bastion as seen from Oribos.
• 
  Bastion invaded by the Void eons ago.
• 
  Ditto.
• 
  Elysian Hold in Afterlives
• 
  Archon's Rise in Afterlives
• 
  Bastion concept art.
• 
  Archway concept art.
• 
  Hallway concept art.
• 
  Kyrian pegasus concept art.
• 
  Spirit healer zone concept.
• 
  Spirit healer dungeon concept.
• 
  Bastion area concept art.

Videos

• Shadowlands: Bastion from Above

Patch changes

• Patch 9.0.2 (2020-11-17): Added.
  

References

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB

v e Subzones of Bastion Agthia's Repose Cliffs of Respite Aspirant's Crucible Aspirant's Awakening Chamber of First Reflection Aspirant's Rest Aspirant's Quarters Chamber of Rumination Chamber of Unspoken Pacts Citadel of Loyalty/Temple of Devotion Court of Elation Exaltion Rise Steward's Rest The Eternal Forge Covinkle's Workshop Miri's Chapel The Eonian Archives Path of Wisdom Sagehaven Shimmering Pools Terrace of the Collectors Vigil of the Endless Everdawn Commons Fate's Precipice Firstborne's Bounty Hero's Rest Forge of the Zephyr Garden of Edenia Kowalskos' Workshop Garden of Respite Kala's Den Korinna's Reliquary Gleaming Overlook The Golden Pasture Forgefire Outpost Greatwing Roost Hall of Beasts Nemea's Retreat Grace of the Remembered Haetio's Solace Ithys' Basin Kalliope's Rest First Chamber of Kalliope Second Chamber of Kalliope Third Chamber of Kalliope Ta Repository Transfer Station Ta The Mnemonic Locus The Walk of Recollection Vault of the Archon Vault of Memory Shrine of the Silver Wind Sophia's Aria Sophia's Overture Sophia's Sonata Spires of Ascension Elysian Hold Archon's Rise The Eternal Watch Sanctum of Binding Valiant's Path Seat of Eternal Hymns Stanikos's Hollow Temple of Courage Shattered Span The Necrotic Wake Xandria's Vigil Temple of Humility Terrace of Inner Grace The Temple of Purity Purity's Pinnacle Purity's Reflection Veiled Enclave Vestibule of Eternity Undisplayed locations — Zolramus Bastion category

v e Realms of the Shadowlands Ardenweald Heart of the Forest Bastion Elysian Hold Maldraxxus Seat of the Primus Revendreth Sinfall Oribos The Maw Torghast Korthia Zereth Mortis In-Between Tazavesh, the Veiled Market Shadowlands category