How Avowed References Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Lore

Summary

Avowed now has a set release date—February 18, 2025—after being delayed from its previous Fall 2024 window.
Speculation about Avowed's connection to Pillars of Eternity and its possible ties to the established story and timeline have been prevalent.
Avowed's latest gameplay showcase subtly linked it to Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire via confirming its placement in the series' timeline.

After four years following its initial reveal, Avowed now has a firm release date. While originally it was thought to be releasing in the Fall of this year, developer Obsidian Entertainment recently pushed this window back a bit, and currently fans can expect Avowed to drop on February 18, 2025. Well before this, though, speculation was widespread as to precisely how Avowed would relate to the events and revelations contained in the studio's prior epic CRPG fantasy franchise, Pillars of Eternity, as Avowed is heavily based on it.

One of the bigger unknowns leading up to it was when Avowed would be set relative to Pillars of Eternity. This is especially pertinent as the second entry, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, saw a significant plot development that had major implications for the entire setting of Eora. At Gamescom 2024, developers provided an in-depth walkthrough of one of Avowed's early game quests, "Dawntreader." And within this presentation, it appeared as if an answer to the timeline question had been given. Based on dialogue and interactions seen in the footage, an NPC specifically mentions and confirms Avowed's connection to Deadfire's events, finally settling the matter while opening up a number of interesting possibilities.

Avowed Latest Gameplay Subtly Confirms its Connection to Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Major Spoilers Ahead.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Loomed Large Over Avowed

Obsidian has a longstanding reputation for building interesting and intricate settings, with narrative threads to match. As mentioned, the studio's work on the two Pillars of Eternity entries laid much of the groundwork for Avowed. Over the course of both titles, players are presented with a darker fantasy world populated by a range of diverse characters and cultures, all with complex motivations, and an often morally gray approach to dealing with their various machinations. This was true in the first, but for the sequel, the studio pulled out all the stops for its dramatic conclusion.

After discovering the secret behind the nature of Eora's gods and the mystical "wheel of souls" that acts as its reincarnation cycle, fans were tasked with tracking down one of the major deities, Eothas, as he embarked on breaking this cycle. It was a daunting mission, but regardless of various decisions made throughout, in the finale of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, Eothas achieves his goal and upends the process that had existed for centuries. This act affected the very core of the setting, and while it was previously unclear whether, and to what extent, Avowed would take it into account, it looks like it will indeed directly address it and the changes that have occurred in Eora in the aftermath.

Avowed's Gamescom 2024 Showcase Cements its Place in the Pillars of Eternity Timeline

The studio has previously stated it won't be required for players to be familiar with Pillars of Eternity to enjoy Avowed, as it is set in a new region previously mentioned but never seen. Still, it was assumed that there would be important connections to some degree. The latest information that explicitly outlines how Avowed fits within established PoE elements comes from a character named Sargamis.

In the Dawntreader deep dive, the player character encounters Sargamis, one of Eora's Godlikes. Sargamis explains that his patron is Eothas, and the quest is centered around finding a sacred relic related to him. Sargamis has constructed a crude effigy of Eothas and is seeking to power it via the relic in the hopes of reawakening Eothas to answer for his actions. While this conversation is brief, it does clearly state that Avowed' s plot is in the wake of Deadfire' s ending. Though few other details regarding this aspect were shown, the fact that the preview definitively anchors Avowed's place in the overall timeline sets up further intrigues about how Deadfire's events will be incorporated into the greater tale, and what the future might hold for both series.

The player's character in Avowed is also a Godlike, though of an unknown or as yet unrevealed deity.

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