Highlights
- Avowed's gameplay trailer reveals that players will take on the role of an agent from the Aedyr Empire, a powerful Empire in the game's fantasy world.
- The Aedyr Empire is a hereditary monarchy that worships the goddess Woedica, and while its might is acknowledged around the fantasy world, its influences were limited in PoE.
- As the Aedyr Empire didn't have a significant presence in the Pillars of Eternity games, Avowed will be the first game where it plays a direct and important role in the storyline.
Way back in 2020, Obsidian Entertainment announced its next new fantasy project, Avowed. Very little was revealed of the game at the time, but it was made clear early on that it would take place in the same world as the Pillars of Eternity games. However, until very recently, it wasn't entirely clear what narrative role players would have in Avowed.
Avowed's first gameplay trailer finally gave gamers a better idea of what was happening in the upcoming fantasy video game. Specifically, it revealed its main plot and the role that the player would take on within it. Gamers would take the role of an agent from a government known as the Aedyr Empire in order to investigate a plague involving souls in one of the world's northern regions. This likely had gamers asking themselves just what this empire was in this fantasy world.
What is the Aedyr Empire in the World of Avowed and Pillars of Eternity?
The Aedyr Empire is originally mentioned in the first Pillars of Eternity game. In most fantasy settings there is usually one big empire that that is the awe of the world. The Dragon Age games have the Tevinter Imperium while The Elder Scrolls has the Empire of Tamriel. Generally speaking, these empires are the toughest faction in the setting and have the reach and influence to take out any enemy if they decide to. The Aedyr Empire more or less falls into this territory in the Pillars of Eternity universe.
The Aedyr Empire is unique in that it's actually based out of a tropical region. It's governed primarily by a hereditary monarchy and mainly worships the goddess Woedica who served as an unseen antagonist in the first Pillars of Eternity. It is primarily located near the equator and has colonies that stretch all over the world. Its population is made up of over 13.5 million people which is mostly made up of humans and elves, but it also has a sizable aumaua population. A member of the latter race was the narrator of Avowed's gameplay trailer. Despite its perceived might, there are some indications that the empire might be on the decline.
The Aedyr Empire's Role In the Pillars of Eternity Games
In order for fans to fully comprehend what is going on in Avowed, they will likely have to play the Pillars of Eternity games. The first installment takes place in a region known as the Dyrwood which was once one of the Empire's most valuable colonies. Eventually, after a series of conflicts, the region became The Free Palatinate of Dyrwood, and successfully broke free from the Aedyr Empire's control. Because of this, the empire is mentioned throughout the game but doesn't actually have much of a presence throughout the main story.
Like many other Obsidian Entertainment games, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire has a lot of factions that gamers will eventually have to deal with. The player's decisions will determine the fates of many of these groups but, oddly enough, Aedyr Empire doesn't have a sizable presence within the game. It is never explained why this is, but there has been speculation that it might have been too costly of an endeavor for the Empire given how it has been unable to hold on to regions like the Dyrwood. Others speculate that the region simply lacked the resources that the Empire desired and had no interest because of this. Either way, Avowed will mark the first time the Empire will have a direct role in a game set in the universe.
While the Living Lands setting of Avowed technically isn't part of the Aedyr Empire, the gameplay trailer seemed to indicate that most people were aware of its presence. As of this writing, it's not entirely clear how big of a foothold the empire will have in the territory. Regardless of what the protagonist is there to do, it is clear that the Empire remains a big presence within this world and will likely remain so for some time.
Avowed releases in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.