Bastion

“Mom - Dad! I want to be a Monster Trainer when I grow up!”

“Well, I want to be a giant cloud of carnivorous gas, and fight in the Arena!”

Bastion: a place of stability amidst the sands.

Surrounded by wasteland on all angles, the city of Bastion is civilisation. From above, it resembles a chunk of mechanical detritus wedged into the desert. Up close, it stands jagged, rust-coloured and gargantuan: a hulking conglomerate of metal settlements, dead skyscrapers and sand-battered walls. From the repurposed lighthouse – now used to illuminate the city centre – to the abandoned vehicles on which children play, everything in Bastion seems to have originally served a different purpose. However, its inhabitants know these streets down to the last mouldering brick.

Life here is safe and secure. The real excitement comes from further within the city.

“These walls are unbreakable. I remember back during the Twenty-Sixth Season, when The Ineffable Goop vomited out a giant slew of corrosive waste at the side of the Arena… we all ran from our seats in panic, but when they came to do cleanup, it'd hardly left a dent.”

Whilst expeditions into the wilderness head out fairly regularly, some people are born and die within the city limits without ever venturing further – or feeling the need to do so. Here, there is food grown in greenhouses, water kept clean and access to fuel supplies; there is safety from the ravages of weather and wild Monsters.

Here, there is the Battle Arena.

And it’s really, really awesome.

Vast and armoured, it towers over Bastion - a monument to the strength of human endeavour. Bright graffiti from last year’s season adorns its sides. SLUGSHARK RULES. SPARKLE THE UNDEFEATED REIGNS SUPREME (AGAIN). KAZ WAS HERE.

From within, one can hear the screeches, shrills and ululations of the latest Monster Fight, as the roar of applause mingles with the roars of the incumbent Battle Champion. The Arena is the life of the city. During battle season, the streets teem with people: vendors hawk their cheerfully-overpriced wares; Fans wave lurid homemade banners in support of THE TELEPATHIC YETI, SUPERALPACA THE CHAMP, and CHAMPSLAYER; Bookies advertise last-minute bets on this year’s sure contender; and hopeful contestants wait for an interview with the hottest new fanzine.

Life within the city is structured around the excitement of the Arena. During the main Championship, people crowd into the arena to witness the gleeful gore of high-stakes Monster Battles, or cluster by the radio to see whether their latest favourite stands a chance of proceeding to the semi-final. During off-seasons, rookies leave to catch Monsters and train for the heats, whilst Fans produce fic and analysis in anticipation of next year’s competition.

A thousand stories are told here. The dreams of every Trainer are either realised in thrilling technicolour – or crushed in the wake of humiliating defeat. The hardiest pit their bare fists against the talons and spines of the Arena’s toughest Monsters. Rivalries spark, and alliances are forged. Fanfic is written about all of the above.

Amidst it all, one question races through the hearts of Trainers, Competitors, Fans and Executives alike. Who will walk away as this year’s ultimate Champion?

Time will tell.