Pillars of Eternity Lore to Know Before Playing Avowed Later This Year

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Pillars of Eternity Lore You Should Know Before Playing Avowed Later This Year

Avowed

By Cameron Lucas

Published Apr 28, 2024

As the latest title set in the fantasy world of Eora, Avowed is bringing Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity IP into the action RPG genre. While the series that spawned it began as a Kickstarter success which led into a lovingly crafted CRPG experience, the shift towards a first-person experience in the vein of The Elder Scrolls has opened up the potential for far more mainstream success. Although it is a newer universe, Avowed’s Eora has already been developed to the point that it has the potential to sustain this growing franchise for years to come.

It’s still unclear whether Avowed is a prequel or sequel to Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, and this will have a massive impact on the overall world state of the story. The reveals and turning points of the Pillars titles have wide-reaching implications that could explain Avowed’s mysterious plague affecting the Living Lands, but it could also be set before or during those events. Nearly all of Eora’s key concepts stem from several core pieces of lore which have set the stage for Avowed, and they're sure to continue being expanded upon when it arrives.

Avowed: Every Feature Confirmed So Far

There are plenty of confirmed features to look forward to in Avowed, including many that are fairly typical for a game by Obsidian Entertainment.

The Aedyr Empire and the Living Lands

Originating from the tropical continent of the same name, the Aedyr Empire was formed by the union of the warring human tribes and elven kingdom of Kulkin. It grew to become the most powerful nation in Eora, but the loss of colonies like the Dyrwood of the Eastern Reach as seen in the first Pillars has weakened the empire’s power considerably. The Living Lands setting of Avowed is said to essentially be a lawless continent of diverse wilds and settlements, with the player possibly serving to expand the empire’s reach. Both Aedyr and the Living Lands have only been mentioned in previous titles, meaning most insight regarding them has come in the form of in-game text until Avowed.

Playable Pillars of Eternity Races Not Returning in Avowed

While character creation in Avowed is limited between human and elf, the Pillars games included a roster of different races that are still likely to be relevant as companions and NPCs. Elves follow relatively typical fantasy conventions through their mystic and isolated nature, Dwarves are especially well-traveled in this world, and halflings exist as the hairy, almost beast-like Orlans. More unique races include the Aumaua, a fishlike people with a strong presence in Avowed promotional material so far, and the Godlike, children of the gods who actually exist purely to store reserve soul power for their respective parents.

Animancy, The Wheel, and Soul Maladies

One of the more unique forms of magic in Eora is animancy, the manipulation of souls. The Wheel is the cycle of life in this universe which is responsible for the reincarnation of souls into new bodies upon an individual’s death, and this is a primordial force which predates the creation of the gods. Taming the Wheel and controlling souls allowed an ancient people known as the Engwithans to develop animancy, and eventually transform themselves into the gods of Eora. Soul Maladies are caused by a living being having a damaged soul or lacking one entirely, caused by an error or interference in the Wheel. Undead are known as Vessels, characterized by their souls not returning to the Wheel.

The Presence of Eora’s Gods

The gods of Eora are fundamental to the lore of Pillars and have directly affected the events of past games. Key examples include the meddling of Eothas, god of light, being the focus of Deadfire’s main quest, and the Aedyr Empire being based around Woedica, god of law and justice. A major revelation of the first Pillars’ story with lasting impact is that these gods are actually artificial soul constructs created by the Engwithans, and Eothas later seeks to spread this truth and remove their control over the Wheel. The ending of Deadfire leaves the state of the Wheel uncertain, likely dooming future generations to be born soulless, known as being Hollowborn, unless a new system is put in place in time.