A Bastion In the North
| File:ReforgedMode-Large.png | This content is currently only available to characters opted in to  Reforged Mode.
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| A Bastion In the North | |
|---|---|
| Section | Ascalon Quests |
| Campaign | Prophecies
(Tyrian only) |
| Given by | Ben Wolfson in Lakeside County (Ascalon (pre-Searing)) |
| Preceded by | Across the Wall |
| Followed by | Long Thought Forgotten |
| Type | Secondary quest |
| Map(s) | |
| File:A Bastion in the North Map.png Interactive map | |
Aid Devona in reclaiming Piken Square from the Charr to establish a foothold beyond the Wall.
Quest information
Requirements
- Tyrian (Prophecies) character
- Character in pre-Searing
- Across the Wall completed
- Reforged Mode is active
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 (Reforged Mode 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 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 Hunters 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 and talk to Prince Rurik to get your reward.
NPCs
Allies
Foes
8 Charr Axe Fiend- 8 Charr Blade Storm
8 Charr Hunter
7 Charr Shaman
8 Charr Ashen Claw
8 Charr Chaot
Bosses
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."
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 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".
