Avowed Story and Lore Explained (Summary)

Avowed plunges players into the richly detailed world of Eora, a familiar setting for Pillars of Eternity veterans. Newcomers needn't worry; the game provides ample context. Eora is a classic fantasy realm brimming with deities, magic, and morally ambiguous choices, but with a potent dose of existential dread.

Spoiler Warning!

Eora's Unstable Equilibrium: The Shattered Wheel

Avowed's narrative is intrinsically linked to Pillars of Eternity 2. The sequel concluded with the god Eothas shattering the Wheel, the system governing reincarnation. This catastrophic event unleashes chaos: souls wander aimlessly, deities panic, and the inhabitants of Eora grapple with the slowly spreading consequences. While the full impact remains a looming threat, the world is currently experiencing the initial tremors of this cataclysm.

The gods, deprived of their traditional source of energy, resort to draining the life force from their devout followers, the Godlike. This leaves the Godlike a dwindling and vulnerable population, many deceased or in hiding by the time Avowed begins.

The Envoy's Perilous Journey

Players assume the role of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire, a powerful colonial force. As one of the few surviving Godlike, your divine affiliation remains a mystery, adding to the intrigue. Your mission: investigate and resolve the Dream Scourge, a terrifying fungal plague spreading madness across the Living Lands.

However, your arrival is immediately met with disaster. A ship attack leaves you shipwrecked, the sole survivor alongside a Dream Scourge-infected individual, Stemma Ral, whom you are forced to euthanize. The unsettling experience is compounded by the emergence of a mysterious voice whispering in your mind.

Paradise Lost (and Found?)

Paradise, the lone Aedyr settlement in the Living Lands, serves as your initial base. Here, you encounter Kai, an Amawa warrior, who becomes your first companion. Your mission to report to the Aedyr ambassador takes an unexpected turn when you discover them hiding from a bear. After rescuing them, you're directed to Inquisitor Ludwin, leader of the Steel Garrot, a formidable military order upholding Aedyr law.

A sudden assassination attempt interrupts your plans, only to be followed by a miraculous resurrection. A subsequent encounter with a Watcher, an individual capable of interacting with souls, yields no answers regarding your mysterious abilities. Your first major decision arises from dealing with your assassin: kill, release, or force a confession leading to execution. Regardless of your choice, tensions escalate in Paradise as locals resist Aedyr's colonial ambitions.

The Dream Scourge and Animancy's Shadow

Fior, a settlement where animancers (soul scientists) research the Dream Scourge, becomes your next destination. Animancy's inherent risks, including mass possession and existential horror, have led to its prohibition by the Aedyr Empire, forcing practitioners underground.

Vidaro, the local leader, dismisses the Dream Scourge as a fabrication, while Giata, a scientist, desperately seeks proof of its existence. Your allegiance to either side significantly impacts Fior's fate, as the Steel Garrot razes the town. Prior actions to expose a traitor within the Garrot can mitigate the devastation, but the town still suffers. The survivors' relocation, to either Thirdborn or Paradise, presents another crucial decision.

Unveiling Sadal: The Source of the Voice

The mysterious voice is finally revealed to belong to Sadal, a deity unlike any other. Unlike the artificially created gods of Eora, Sadal is a naturally occurring deity born from souls trapped within the Audra network in the Living Lands.

Sadal's existence threatened the established deities, prompting their imprisonment in the Garden and the eradication of their followers, the Godless. The Dream Scourge emerges as an unintended consequence of Sadal's imprisonment and emotional turmoil.

The Final Choice: Sadal's Destiny and Eora's Future

The game culminates in a journey to the Garden, confrontations with Inquisitor Ludwin (whose fate varies based on prior actions), and the ultimate decision regarding Sadal:

1. Eliminate Sadal: End the Dream Scourge but eradicate a unique deity.
2. Liberate Sadal: Release Sadal, hoping they've learned from their past.
3. Merge with Sadal: Become a singular being, a choice with profound or unsettling implications.

The final battle determines the Living Lands' fate, influenced by your choices. The region's future—under Aedyr control, independent, or a hybrid state—rests in your hands. The game concludes with the resolution of your companions' individual storylines, shaped by your previous decisions.

Avowed's Legacy

Your actions ultimately shape Eora's destiny, at least for the present. Regardless of whether you fostered prosperity, condemned the Living Lands to Aedyr's rule, or plunged the region into further chaos, one thing remains certain: the narrative is far from over, and the full consequences of the Broken Wheel remain to be seen. The stage is set for potential future installments in the Pillars of Eternity series.

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