Bastion

Bastion
Level: 50 - 52
Capital(s)	Elysian Hold
Races	Kyrian Steward Centurion Memory 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, Forsworn, House of Rituals
Location	Shadowlands
PvP status	Contested territory

Bastion is one of the ruling realms of the Shadowlands, ruled by the Kyrian Covenant. It is a kingdom of pristine spires, crystalline skies, and elysian vistas, ordered and purposeful.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.

Geography

Maps and subregions

Map of Bastion.

Agthia's Repose Cliffs of Respite Anima Extractor Aspirant's Crucible Aspirant's Awakening Chamber of the First Reflection Aspirant's Rest Chamber of Inner Calm Chamber of Rumination Chamber of Unspoken Pacts Citadel of Loyalty Court of Elation Exaltion Rise Steward's Rest The Eternal Forge The Eonian Archives Path of Wisdom Sagehaven Terrace of the Collectors Vigil of the Endless Everdawn Terrace 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 Transfer Station Ta The Mnemonic Locus The Walk of Recollection Vault of the Archon Vault of Memory Seat of Eternal Hymns Shimmering Pools 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 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 Vestibule of Eternity

Undisplayed locations Zolramus

Kyrians

Dungeons

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

Travel hubs

...

Adjacent regions

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

Wild creatures

• Cloudrunner
• Etherwyrm
• Larion
• 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.
• Bastion has been invaded by the Void, leading to the death of the Paragon of Courage Agthia, and by devourers, leading to the death of the first Paragon of Humility Mercia.
• 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

• Bastion's themes borrow from various parts of the Europe and West Asia, in particular Greek, Sumerian, Norse, and Abrahamic mythos and cultures.
  • For themes specific to the Kyrians themselves, see Kyrian#Notes and trivia.
  • For themes specific to the Archon, see Kyrestia the Firstborne#Notes and trivia
  • Bastion shares some themes with the Greek Elysium (e.g. Elysian Hold).
  • The inspiration of the Elysian Fields of Greek myth was further confirmed Assistant Lead Quest Designer Johnny Cash.
  • Within Norse myth, the Valkyrie take half the warriors to Valhalla and the other half to Fólkvangr, a possible inspiration for Bastion.
  • In the game files, Bastion is called "Babylonzone". Within the Tanakh, Babylon is described as a vast city with hanging gardens, and palms, surrounded by plains, which is very similar to Bastion. Additionally, the only remaining entrance to Babylon, the Ishtar Gate (currently in Berlin), uses blue and gold colors, and features lions and winged lions.
  • The five virtues of the Kyrians on the path of Ascension that their Temples are named after 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. Purity may be derived from castitas (sometimes termed purity), Courage may be derived from fortitudo (sometimes termed courage), Humility from humilitas (humility), Loyalty from iustitia (often tied to loyalty and duty), and Wisdom from sapientia (wisdom, the "mother" of the cardinal virtues but also synonymous often with prudentia/Prudence).
  • 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 mostly silver structures of Bastion, as well as the floating silver complex of Elysian Hold and it's Spires, is likely based on the Silver City of Heaven in the DC universe.
  • The seemingly eternal Eonian Archives that contain the memories of all mortals, as well as the way memories can be viewed from an archive in the Mnemonic Locus 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 kyrians are expected to let go of their memories throughout the process toward ascension resembles the way 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, sacred to Hestia, which may have served as partially inspiration for Kyrestia's name.

Gallery

• 

  Bastion as shown at BlizzCon 2019

• 
• 

  Bastion as seen from Oribos.

• 

  Elysian Hold in Afterlives

• 

  Archon's Rise in Afterlives

• 

  Bastion concept art.

• 

  Archway concept art.

• 

  Hallway concept art.

• 

  Kyrian pegasus concept art.

Videos

• Shadowlands: Bastion from Above

Patch changes

• Patch 9.0.2 (2020-11-17): Added.
  

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB