Kyrian

The steadfast kyrian (sometimes pluralized as kyrians)   of Bastion are one of the Covenants in the Shadowlands. They are angelic soul guides whose discipline and duty compels them to safeguard souls from the mortal realm as they pass into the Shadowlands. They are messengers, couriers, and some of the purest souls in the realm of death. They are the forebears of the Val'kyr, the spirit healers, and more.

Background
''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.''

The souls sent to Bastion by the Arbiter are ones that have been deemed noble enough and who felt a calling to some form of service in life. The noble kyrian shepherd the souls of the dead to Oribos so that they can be judged by the impassive Arbiter before being sent to their final destinations.

Kyrian Aspirants
''The origins of our Aspirants are diverse. but they are united in singular purpose here in Bastion: to prove worthy and Ascend so other souls may be carried by their wings.''

Fresh souls who arrive in Bastion become wingless Kyrian Aspirants, who spend eons training, meditating, and reflecting on themselves through combat and other means to shed their burdens. Anima-fueled automatons called Centurions are responsible for drilling Aspirants in meditative combat. As kyrian shed the burdens of their past lives, physical manifestations of their tormented thoughts are expelled from their bodies. The kyrian must strike these manifestations down in order to cleanse themselves and reach ascendance. Within the Aspirant's Crucible, Aspirants go through a final rite in the Chamber of First Reflection that lets others know they are ready to begin the Five Rites.

Aspirants venture through five temples and learn their virtues: Purity, Courage, Humility, Wisdom, and Loyalty. This journey known as the Five Rites may encompass eons. When aspirants are ready, they will ascend. Kyrestia awaits aspirants at the end of this long road, for it is she who grants aspirants the gift of flight and charges kyrian with their most sacred task. Aspirants shed their memories at the Temple of Purity. The memories of other worlds and all kyrians are kept within the Eonian Archives, another name for the Temple of Wisdom, where the former are processed upon arrival into Bastion but the memories of kyrians are collected in the Mnemonic Locus, to be observed within the Walk of Recollection. The memories of the Archon, Paragons, and Hands are seemingly only viewed in the Vault of the Archon. The final step for an aspirant to ascend is to travel to the living world and ferry their first soul. The opening of these portals is done at the Court of Elation within the Temple of Loyalty, through a ritual that requires lighting four censers of Discipline, Service, Spirit, and Faith.

Ascended
''It is our Ascended [sic] arms that carry the dead from their mortal forms. Our mission is one to service -- carrying souls to Oribos and placing them before the Arbiter.''

The Aspirants who surpass their trials join a higher calling beside Kyrestia the Firstborne, first among the kyrian, earning their wings and joining the ranks of the Ascended. At this point, they become ready for an eternity of service as a spirit healer, or one of a couple of other paths. Ascension is done through the Crest of Ascension, originally created with the assistance of the Night Fae and a Vessel of Ardenweald, which contains the powers of the Grove of Awakening within an animacone through the self-sacrifice of a fae. The new Crest of Ascension was made by Mikanikos using a new vessel, but also the heart of Margrave Gharmal that contains the power of fleshcrafting of the House of Constructs and The Seal of Contrition, a venthyr artifact created by Mindscorched Alwin that purged sins from souls quickly but didn't produce much anima. New Ascended will now contain not only their traditional power of all five temples and the vessel of Ardenweald, but also strength from Maldraxxus and purity from Revendreth. These wings are not impervious however, and other beings such as necromancers from Maldraxxus can use their magic to corrode their wings.

Watchers
Spirit Healers are true kyrian called Watchers whose role is to eternally evaluate souls. If the Watchers deem the soul ready, they will call forth a kyrian Bearer to come and bring their soul to the Shadowlands. If they aren't ready, the Watchers return them to life.

The Watchers linger at the edge of the Veil and greet mortal souls into the Shadowlands, and are able to weigh that soul by peering into its existence and judge whether it is their time. This burdens the Watcher with that soul's memories, and thus see and know things that weigh heavy in their mind; this role is only for the strong of heart who can endure with the Purpose in mind at all times. The Kyrian will know souls, and their deeds, with a gaze of compassion. The Watchers belong to the Temple of Purity.

Bearers
The Bearers perform the vital task of bearing souls across the Veil to Oribos. They see countless worlds beyond the Shadowlands and encounter beings of all shapes and sizes that will be carried to Oribos to serve the Purpose. The Bearers belong to the Temple of Courage.

Collectors
Collectors are the Ascended who alongside the Stewards maintain the realm and contribute to all of Bastion's great works. They are responsible for the collection and ordering of anima in Bastion. There are many Collectors, but no two are the same. A Collector may take the form of a Forgelite, led by the steward Forgelite Prime Mikanikos, or perhaps a scholar. They craft armor, furnishings, carve statues, build fantastic works of architecture, and write our many stories and songs. They weave masterful works from anima itself. They are great craftsmen and musicians. A Collector will, over the course of their eternity, dedicate themselves to honing their skill and perfecting the arts of their choice. Only they know how to utilize the Anima Condenser, the key of the centurions. Collectors are based in the Terrace of the Collectors and the Eternal Forge. The Collectors belong to the Temple of Wisdom.

Paragons and Hands
Each of the five temples is presided over by a Paragon. These ancient beings demonstrate the ultimate expression of their respective virtue and are responsible for the care and training of all aspirants that enter their domain. Each is bolstered by their chosen Hand, selected for their excellence in service to their temple.

Paragons can choose to personally train aspirants if they wish. However, such hands-on work is considered beneath their station and at best, a highly unusual action.

Forsworn
''Determination is the key to inspiring others to follow. Faithless are those who quit the field when the way ahead becomes darkest.''

Rarely, an Aspirant will fail to complete a rite of passage and darken into one of the Forsworn, who wander the plains of Bastion to lament and can spread doubt like a disease if left unchecked.

Many of the ascended who once served Bastion have become Forsworn and have wholly turned against all that the kyrian stand for.

While kyrian aspirants had to wait patiently during the anima drought for their overdue ascension, the Forsworn have been unafraid to grant their faithful wings.

Mawsworn
Kyrians who have either pledged loyalty to the Jailer or been forcibly corrupted by the Maw and Helya join the ranks of the Mawsworn.

History
Eons ago Agthia, Paragon of Courage led the kyrian to save all of Bastion and the Shadowlands from the Void's attempted invasion of the Shadowlands. Similarly, eons ago the first Paragon of Humility Mercia fell after an invasion of devourers so great that they were forced to retreat to Elysian Hold, and Mercia sacrificed herself.

When Odyn gazed into the Shadowlands, he was inspired by the kyrian to create the Val'kyr.

Recent upheaval
As souls plunge into the Maw and upheaval rocks the Shadowlands, scores of aspiring kyrian find themselves unable to continue their journey to ascension. Their numbers are now dwindling, and their duty to ferry souls to eternity is in jeopardy.

After Bolvar's defeat by Sylvanas and the shattering of the veil between the Shadowlands and Azeroth, Mawsworn kyrian entered Azeroth and took king Anduin and other leaders of Azeroth to the Maw. The Scourge and the Cult of the Damned are emboldened and are made new minions of The Jailer by a message brought by Herald Dalora. Mawsworn Soulbearers raise undead bosses in Icecrown.

A schism is torn in the ranks of the kyrian by The Jailer's schemes. Devos fell into rebellion after being overwhelmed by doubt from Uther's troubling past, she listened to the Jailer's words and is aided in her rebellion by the darkest powers of the Shadowlands. She has the goal of the destruction of the Archon and for the Forsworn to forge a new path for Bastion.

The Mawsworn hold Forsworn captive inside Perdition Hold in the Maw, transforming them against their will. Normal kyrian are drowned in Gorgoa: River of Souls by Helya until they break and join the Mawsworn's ranks.

Notes and trivia

 * The power of Bastion can summon echoes of kyrian who have perished. These memories wander the roads and at times, can take on some purpose they served in their eternity in Bastion--crafting goods, guarding sacred grounds, etc. Forgelite Selene's lyre can dispel the memories with its ancient melody.
 * It was previously implied that the spirit healers were Val'kyr who split from the Valarjar after Odyn and his forces were imprisoned within the Halls of Valor by Helya, and decided to disappear into the Shadowlands. The few Val'kyr who still had nobility in their souls dedicated themselves to watching over the physical world, and from within the Shadowlands, they would occasionally guide the dead back to the realm of the living.
 * Holy Priests can temporarily become Spirit Healers (and therefore Kyrian) with the Spirit of Redemption ability.
 * Kyrian use the female vrykul animation rig.
 * Kyrian themes borrow from various parts of Europe and West Asia, in particular Greek, Sumerian, Norse, and Abrahamic mythos and cultures.
 * For themes specific to Bastion generally, see Bastion.
 * For themes specific to the Archon, see Kyrestia the Firstborne
 * The name "kyrian" was inspired from val'kyr (inspired from the real-life  from Old Norse valkyrja, where kyrja means "chooser") and the Greek word, meaning "powerful one" or "lord" and commonly used to refer to the Christian God, and is lorewise derived from Kyrestia, the first kyrian.
 * The form of the kyrians comes from and some Mughal-period  depictions of Angels, influenced by Hellenic depictions of certain beings and deities such as, in turn likely influenced by the older Assyrian  motif.
 * Relatedly, Kyrian characters have names usually derived from Greek deities, such as Apolon and Artemede, referencing and . The Forsworn and Mawsworn Kyrians are instead often named after the children of  (primordial goddess of night) and  (primordial god of darkness), such as Klotos, Lakesis, and Astronos in the Spires of Ascension (reference to the Greek ), Moros (referring to ) and others.