gww>Voccoc: standardize, minor text flow improvements, formatting

2026-09-23T23:42:51Z

standardize, minor text flow improvements, formatting

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{{Template:Reforgedmodecontent}}
{{ Quest infobox
| id = 1452
| name = A Bastion In the North
| given by = [[Ben Wolfson]]
| given at = [[Lakeside County]]
| region = Ascalon (pre-Searing)
| campaign = Prophecies
| type = Secondary
| nationality = Tyrian
| preceded by = [[Across the Wall]]
| followed by = [[Long Thought Forgotten]]
| map = [[File:A Bastion in the North Map.png|250px]]
| map1text =[[A Bastion In the North/Map|Interactive map]]
| experience reward = 250
| completion reward = 100g
}}
Aid [[Devona]] in reclaiming [[Piken Square (pre-Searing)|Piken Square]] from the [[Charr]] to establish a foothold beyond [[Great Northern Wall|the Wall]].

==Quest information==
===Requirements===
{{ Standard prerequisites
| campaign = pre
| test = n
| complete = [[Across the Wall]]
| reforged = y
}}

===Objectives===
* Meet Devona in [[The Northlands]] {{sic}}
* Carve a path through the Northlands and retake Piken Square.
* Hold off the Charr forces to secure Piken Square.
* Report to [[Prince Rurik]].

===Reward===
* 250 [[Experience]]
* 100 [[Gold]] ({{reforgedmode}} only)

===Environmental changes===
* Upon accepting the reward, portals appear in the Northlands leading to the Piken Square [[outpost]] and the [[Forsaken Tunnels]] [[dungeon]].
* If all party members have completed the quest, two gates in the Northlands will open, allowing passage into the northern section of the map.

== Walkthrough ==
Pull the [[lever]] above the gate and enter the Northlands, where [[Devona]], [[Vell]] and [[Bock]] await you. (If they are not present, ensure no party members have [[Across the Wall]] active in the [[quest log]] and [[Zone#Zoning and rezoning|rezone]].) While Vell and Bock are expendable, Devona's survival is mandatory; if she is killed at any point during the quest, you will need to restart.

Proceed north toward Piken Square. Six groups of two or three Charr each are scattered along the path, replacing most of the [[Grawl]] and [[Oakheart]] spawns in the area. It is not necessary to kill these patrols, and several of them can be easily bypassed. Inside Piken Square itself, there are four more Charr groups which must be eliminated. [[Pull]] them carefully to make sure your allies (especially Devona) do not get overwhelmed.

Once the square is clear, Devona, Vell, and Bock will stop following you and gather at the bottom of the stairs. At this point, you only have a few seconds to prepare for a counterattack. Two [[Charr Hunter]]s and the warrior boss [[Scarl the Slicer]] will move into the square through the same gate you did and engage your allies. Be wary of heavy projectile damage from the hunters, which can easily kill Devona if she is allowed to aggro the group.

After Scarl's warband is defeated, you can return to [[Ascalon City (pre-Searing)|Ascalon City]] and talk to Prince Rurik to get your reward.

== NPCs ==
===Allies===
* {{w}} 5 [[Devona]]
* {{w}} 5 [[Vell]]
* {{r}}{{w}} 5 [[Bock]]

===Foes===
[[Charr]]
* {{w}} 8 [[Charr Axe Fiend]]
* {{w}} 8 [[Charr Blade Storm]]
* {{r}} 8 [[Charr Hunter]]
* {{mo}} 7 [[Charr Shaman]]
* {{n}} 8 [[Charr Ashen Claw]]
* {{me}} 8 [[Charr Chaot]]

===Bosses===
[[Charr]]
* {{w}} 9 [[Scarl the Slicer]]

==Dialogue==
===Initial dialogue===
;Ben Wolfson
:''"Thanks for pulling me out of that mess. Before I got ambushed, I was scoping out a foothold for our forces to push back against the Charr. Most of the Northlands are in ruin, but I spotted a structure that could serve our needs. '''Piken Square''' used to be a bustling hub of commerce, and its walls are still standing after all this time.''

:''"Prince Rurik's asked Devona to lead a contingent to '''retake Piken'''. She could use the help of someone like you.''"
{{ Offer dialog
| accept = Let's take the fight to those Charr.
| decline = We should focus our efforts this side of the wall.
| ask = You'll need to drive back the Charr if we stand a chance at retaking Piken Square.
}}

=== Intermediate dialogue ===
Joining Devona in the Northlands:
:'''Devona:''' ''"Let's take the fight to those Charr."''

Approaching Piken Square:
:'''Devona:''' ''"There's the Square! Clear out the fiends and hold the line!"''

After killing all Charr in the square:
:'''Devona:''' ''"Here comes the one called Slicer. This will be our final stand, soldiers!"''
:'''Bock:''' ''"[[Dwayna]]'s mercy! I'm alive!"''

After Scarl the Slicer's group has been killed:
:'''Vell:''' ''"Dwayna's mercy! I'm alive!"''
:'''Devona:''' ''"Piken Square is secure for now. We'll stay here and fortify this place against further attacks. You should go tell Prince Rurik what we've achieved today. Good work, you fought valiantly."''

=== Reward dialogue ===
;Prince Rurik
:''"It's been many years since humankind had a foothold beyond the Northern Wall. However, things have a way of changing just as soon as one decides it'll always be the same. The Northlands are still dangerous, but Piken Square transforms the way we can mobilize against the Charr.''

:''"I'll be deploying a Vanguard contingent there. I suspect opportunists and travelers will find their way to Piken as well. You'd do well to stop by in your own adventures, and see what becomes of the place."''

== Notes ==
* Introduced in the [[Feedback:Game updates/20260225|February 25, 2026 update]].
* Completing this quest unlocks access to the [[Piken Square (pre-Searing)]] outpost.
** Players who have completed this quest can also [[ferry]] players to the outpost.
*You '''do not need''' to turn in [[Across the Wall]] to get this quest. After leading Ben Wolfson to the exit, simply zone into [[Lakeside County]], wait for Ben to finish his two dialogs, and then accept the quest. Once the new quest is taken, you are free to go back to an outpost and abandon Across the Wall.
** Other players in the party can also take the quest from Ben Wolfson regardless of their advancement of Across the Wall.
** If any player has Across the Wall active in their quest log, the quest NPCs for A Bastion In the North will not appear in the Northlands.
* If a party enters the Northlands from Piken Square with this quest active, at least one party member must reach Devona at the gate to Lakeside County before the four Charr groups in the square will spawn.
** Devona will speak her line "There's the square!" almost immediately after she is reached.
* Reforged mode is only necessary to start the quest. If you opt out of reforged mode using the [[Shrine to Godly Accoutrements]], the quest will still be in your quest log, the quest NPCs will still spawn and the quest can be progressed normally.
{{anomaly|"In" in the quest title is in upper case, which is inconsistent with other quests (e.g. [[Fire in the Sky]], [[Fire in the Hole]])}}

== Trivia==
* Prince Rurik claims that Ascalon has no other presence north of the Wall, despite lore from [[Cynn]] and [[Anton]] indicating that [[Surmia]] was still standing until [[the Searing]]. In addition, several bandits can be found north of Piken Square prior to the completion of "A Bastion In the North".

{{Pre-Searing Quest nav}}
[[Category:Quests useful for farming]]
[[fr:Une forteresse dans le nord]]

A Bastion In the North - Revision history

gww>Voccoc: standardize, minor text flow improvements, formatting