Bastion's Keep

Bastion's Keep's, with Mount Arreat in the background

Bastion's Keep is a fortress located in the Dreadlands.

History

Early History

The fortress was constructed by King Korsikk of Westmarch in order to pen the "Barbarian threat" to the north. After years of military disasters, the frustrated king led a large army out of the fortress and into the north to conquer the Barbarians once and for all. None of them returned. Since that time, Bastion's Keep has remained as a bulwark between the violent tribes of the north and the lands of the south. The soldiers who manned its walls remained ready to confront any foe, human or otherwise, who might besiege them.

The walls of the keep were damaged from the explosion that stemmed from the destruction of the Worldstone. Even two decades later, the damage had yet to be repaired.

The Siege of Bastion's Keep

"You thought you were so clever, that you had outwitted us all. One by one, our brethren fell into your trap, but not me. I defy you! I now know the Black Soulstone is the key, and it shall be mine. Soon, my armies shall pour forth from the Shattered Mountain, ravaging this world and all hope of resistance. My minions will find the stone, wherever you choose to hide it. Then, at long last, Azmodan shall reign as the Prime Evil!"

- Azmodan's declaration^(src)

The beginning of the siege

Opening Moves

In 1285, the fortress's impregnability was put to the test as Azmodan and his Army of Sin moved south from the Arreat Crater, the crater itself serving as staging grounds. The demons' assault was relentless, they seemed without number, and kept up their attack through both night and day. Morale among the besieged defenders dwindled. At some point, a request for reinforcements was made of Westmarch.

On the ninth day of the siege, Commander Calderos decided that a "righteous show of force" was what was needed to send Azmodan's army into retreat, and intended to lead a charge from the fortifications the following day. It was a tactic that did not work and the assault continued.

Azmodan's army surges forward

Defeat neared. Bastion's Keep was close to falling, and Azmodan's minions knew it, as many demons paused in their assault to feast upon the flesh and blood of their mortal foes. Azmodan called an end to their indulgence and ordered a final assault, wanting the keep to fall before the next dawn. By the time Tyrael and his allies arrived (having previously imprisoned Belial in the Black Soulstone), its soldiers were scattered, and Azmodan was throwing everything he had against the keep. Legions of demons crashed against the walls, sending tremors through the bones of the fortress, and fiery projectiles rained down against the walls. That the damage from twenty years ago had yet to be repaired didn't help matters. Tyrael, taking command of the keep's defenders, ordered the Nephalem to light the keep's signal fires, which served to boost the defenders' morale Azmodan was aware of the Nephalem's presence, but kept up the attack nonetheless.

The Tide Turns

The demons reach the walls

The Nephalem made their way across the keep's battlements successfully lighting the signal fires even as demons spilled over the walls. The Nephalem met with Sergeant Dalen, who informed the hero(es) that the catapults could break Azmodan's lines, but couldn't be raised due to the presence of demons on the walls. Afterwards, the Nephalem, with the aid of the keep's soldiers, was able to raise the fortress's catapults into position. With that done, projectiles rained down upon Azmodan's army.

Azmodan mocked the Nephalem, revealing that while the catapults were being raised, his forces had breached the keep in its lower levels. To make matters worse, a messenger arrived from Westmarch, informing Tyrael that King Justinian would not send reinforcements to fight "imaginary demon lords." Tyrael bitterly commented that the king might believe when his kingdom was burnt to ashes around him.

The damage to the fortress's walls

The Nephalem proceeded to deal with the new threat as demons entered the keep through its lower levels, even killing Ghom, one of Azmodan's Sin Lieutenants. With the Lord of Gluttony defeated, the Nephalem ventured out onto the battlefield, destroying Azmodan's war machines. Finally, they entered the Arreat Crater, where Azmodan himself was defeated, ending the siege.

Even then, victory was short lived, as Adria revealed her true colors, turning on the defenders and killing many of them. While Azmodan was defeated, Diablo, reborn as the Prime Evil, was let loose upon the world. Many of the survivors were demoralized not only by Adria's betrayal and the death of Leah, but by the capture of Auriel, the Archangel of Hope, which brought despair to the High Heavens and Sanctuary until her rescue by the Nephalem. While Diablo was defeated, Bastion's Keep was left in a precarious state, as all of its food stores had been spoiled by Ghom. Sister Frances wondered how the garrison would cope over the next season.

In-game

Starting in Act III of Diablo III, the Bastion's Keep Stronghold is a playable area, serving as the town and NPC hub for Act III and Act IV.

The fortress is under attack by Azmodan's demonic army. The Lord of Sin attacks the fortress without mercy, killing hundreds of soldiers and bombarding its walls with his demonic war machines. He also sends one of his commanders, Ghom, to destroy the walls and attack from the inside. The Lord of Gluttony is shortly after hunted down and killed by the nephalem. After his attacks are pushed back, the group joins Archangel Tyrael in an offensive attack on Azmodan's army and into Mount Arreat. There, the hero hunts down Cydaea, the Maiden of Lust, and destroys the Heart of Sin. Shortly after Azmodan is killed and trapped in the Black Soulstone by Leah, Adria, and Tyrael.

After Adria's betrayal and Diablo's return, although the nephalem hero(es) would have gone to the High Heavens, if they choose to return to the mortal realm through a town portal or a waypoint, they will return to the keep stronghold.

Known Residents

One of the keep's denizens tending to a catapult in storage

Soldiers

• Commander Calderos
• Captain Hansan Haile
• Lieutenant Clyfton
• Lieutenant Lavail
• Lieutenant Merityn
• Sergeant Burroughs
• Sergeant Dalen
• Sergeant Pale
• Private Mattius
• Guard Kelvan

Non-combatants

• Andreus the Healer
• Arthur
• Botulph the Miner
• Brielle
• Holus
• Ironsmith Maldonado
• Litton the Fence
• Marta
• Nikola
• Vidar the Collector

Locations

"I'm beginning to think the keep's main defensive strategy is getting the enemy lost in endless little parapets and side corridors."

- Lyndon^(src)

• Armory
• Arreat Gate
• Stronghold (main hub)
• The Bound Keep
• Keep Depths
• Larder
• Skycrown Battlements
• Stonefort
• Watchtower

Trivia

This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.

Concept art

• From a story sense, Bastion's Keep was meant to convey the change of tone in Diablo III's story, as events escalated to a battle that would determine the fate of humanity.

• The keep had been conceptualized by 2010.
• In Skycrown Battlements and Stonefort, there are guards with bows and arrows; however, upon coming into close proximity to them, a Winged Molok will appear and fly off with the guard.