Avowed: The Lore of Paradis Explained

First introduced in 2015's Pillars of Eternity, the world of Eora is home to some incredibly rich, complex lore, and Avowed somewhat throws newcomers in at the deep end. After a brief but dense introductory cinematic that talks of gods, Godlikes, and grand empires, Avowed drops players onto a classic fantasy RPG tutorial island. And once off that island, players take their first steps on the continent of the Living Lands, where they're quickly bombarded with exposition, story set-up, and a ton of otherworldly phrases.

Comparing Avowed's Magic Combat to Hogwarts Legacy's

Hogwarts Legacy raised the bar for magic combat in video games, and arguably, Avowed manages to reach those same heights with its own spellcasting.

Posts

By Cameron Swan

The Lore of Avowed's City of Paradis Explained

avowed-game-rant-advance-city-port-harbor

The Idyllic Promise of Paradis

On the southwestern coast of the Living Lands, in a region known as Dawnshore, there's a city named Paradis. To those in faraway lands, Paradis is rumored to be exactly its namesake; a paradise for anyone and everyone. It's believed that Paradis is a safe haven where past mistakes are forgotten and one can build a new life, free from oppression, and free from judgment.

The promise of a new life in Paradis became a dream for many who lived under the rule of the Aedyr Empire. While not strictly oppressive or tyrannical, the Aedyr Empire has some strict values and expectations for its citizens, and anyone who doesn't follow the status quo is quickly made to feel as though they don't belong. As such, some Aedyrans choose to abandon their homeland, and seek a fresh start in the warm embrace of Paradis' walls.

Paradis is just one of Avowed's key locations, but it plays an important role throughout the game's main story, including its ending.

Paradis' Dark Reality

But for many, the promised dream of Paradis was exactly that: a dream. Though many early settlers of Paradis managed to forge an idyllic new life for themselves, those who arrived later have a much different story to tell. The shantytown just outside Paradis' walls is packed to the brim with refugees who haven't been granted a spot inside the city, and while many are trying to make the most of their situation, it's hard to live under those conditions.

Naturally, many of these refugees were once criminals in their homelands who now seek a fresh start. But due to their current living conditions and inability to earn money honestly, many have been forced to return to the only occupation they've ever known. This has resulted in a rise in crime in the area surrounding Paradis, with the beaches and forests of Dawnshore now being home to a wealth of smugglers, thieves, and bandits.

But life inside Paradis' walls isn't much better. Though Paradis has its fair share of affluent areas, it's also home to its own set of criminals. Gangs like the Sparrowhawks roam freely around Paradis' city streets, smuggling cargo, robbing passersby, and even murdering a citizen or two.