WoW Blog/Bastion and the Kyrian Covenant (updated)

This article is a copy of "Shadowlands Update: Bastion and the Kyrian Covenant", an official blog by Blizzard Entertainment. It's about the Bastion zone.

When Sylvanas Windrunner pierces the veil between life and death, you and your allies are pulled into the Maw, where the most wicked are damned to suffer for eternity. Yet Azeroth’s Champions are able to escape and soon make their way to the noble Kyrian in Bastion. Long has it been since a soul has been sent to their gleaming realm, and the locals are astonished by the arrival of a living mortal. However, it quickly becomes apparent that underneath Bastion’s glistening veneer lies unrest: The Kyrian’s anima—the soul-born essence that fuels their eternity of service—is on the verge of being completely depleted.

Before you can help them—and make them take your warnings of Sylvanas and the horrible truth of the Maw seriously—you must prove your worthiness as an aspirant and overcome all trials to earn your Kyrian wings by Ascending.

• Unsure if you truly have moved on from the world of the living? We understand that this new reality may be difficult to accept. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to question the nature of your own existence.

Your first stop in Bastion is the Vestibule of Eternity. Akin to other Kyrian sites, this pristine sanctuary is patrolled by anima-fueled Centurions and is kept clean and shining by diligent Stewards, who scrub each cobblestone by hand until it has a polish that only feathered elbow grease can achieve.

It is here that you begin your Ascension training, purifying your soul through ritual cleansing by shedding the flaws of mortality.

• Listen to the soothing chimes of floating bells as you wash away the dust of life in sacred pools.

As you prepare for Ascendance, you will journey deeper into the resplendent fields of Bastion—your opportunity to demonstrate your value to the Kyrian.

Bastion is brought to life by its inhabitants and, if you wish to untangle the Banshee Queen’s nefarious plans, you’ll need to earn an alliance with them.

Meet the denizens of Bastion.

These are but a few of the entities you’ll encounter in Bastion. While adventuring, it's best to stay vigilant—you might even cross paths with Uther the Lightbringer and other long-passed heroes of Azeroth who now wander this world. ..

When players reach maximum level and have explored the first four zones, they’ll be able to pledge themselves to a Covenant, like the Kyrian. Each Covenant offers its champions abilities, along with other powers and cosmetic rewards that can be unlocked through a Covenant Campaign—an epic storyline unique to the faction—and other activities over time. This alliance also gives the player access to a Covenant Sanctum, a city only open to players who have forged a pact with its rulers.

• Power of the Kyrian

• If you choose to join the Kyrian Covenant, you’ll gain two unique abilities—one class ability used in combat, as well as a signature ability that summons a steward to assist in your adventures.

• Here is the signature ability that the Kyrian bestow upon their champions:

• Summon Steward: Call your steward to bring you a Phial of Serenity that can be consumed to restore some of your health and remove all Curse, Disease, Poison, and Bleed effects. Your Steward additionally offers access to a selection of useful amenities, each once per day.

To give you an idea of what to expect, you can view a list of the Covenant signature and class abilities Please keep in mind that all these are a work in progress and may have additional changes during the course of development and testing, so all abilities shown are subject to change.

• Soulbinding

• When you join a Covenant, you’ll be able to undergo an ancient rite to bind your soul to some of its most powerful members. By doing so, your character harnesses their power, gaining access to powerful bonuses. Over time, you can unlock new tiers of power and even switch Soulbinds when strategy demands it.

• Kyrian Covenant Spoils

• For your contributions to the Kyrian Covenant’s cause, you’ll be rewarded with several cosmetic rewards including: a mount, a pet, Kyrian-forged armor, and back attachments that rival the beauty of Kyrian wings.

• Armor Up

• Don specially crafted armor forged in the heart of Bastion.

There are more mysteries yet to unravel in Bastion, and not all as it seems—a shadowy force threatens the peace in this realm. Perhaps some of Azeroth’s greatest heroes can champion the cause of the Kyrian and drive back their adversaries!

We look forward to sharing more information as development continues, and we hope this preview prepares you for Bastion and perhaps selecting the Kyrian Covenant!

Will you be joining the Kyrian Covenant? Join the discussion on the forums.

Rewards and abilities are still in development and subject to change, so be sure check back for periodic updates on worldofwarcraft.com as we approach the release of Shadowlands.

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