Obsidian’s upcoming RPG Avowed shares its world with the Pillars of Eternity series, and exactly when it takes place is a massive factor in the story…
Avowed is an upcoming action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. The studio is widely known for its library of well-regarded RPGs. In particular, for his work on the Fallout series, 2010’s New Vegas is often cited as the standout work of the series and the genre. Obsidian then turned around and announced their new epic fantasy IP, Pillars of Eternity. A CRPG that was the most funded Kickstarter game at the time and was released in 2015. A direct sequel, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, followed in 2018.
Avowed will take place in the world of PoE, rooted in its lore and history, which will, of course, influence much of what players will experience from that point of view.
Avowed also marks a return to open-world first-person design. However, Obsidian was careful to keep Avowed on a smaller scale than similar titles like Skyrim. If only to temper expectations. Still, the studio is renowned for its highly detailed and elaborate worlds, characters, and storylines. This arguably rivals The Elder Scrolls et al. At the Xbox Developer Direct yesterday, they showed more of Avowed’s mechanics and quest design. However, little detail has been given about where it fits into the larger PoE tale. Specifically, in the time frame, so they gave room for speculation in this area.
Avowed is scheduled for release this fall, possibly in November, based on previous information, and is confirmed for Day One of Game Pass.
The possible location of Avowed in the Pillars of Eternity timeline
Both Pillars of Eternity titles take place in Eora, a sprawling land of various kingdoms and free states. With all the colourful backstories, intrigues and political manoeuvring that usually go with Obsidian’s narratives and set-up. The narrative also explores the implications of a fantasy world powered by magic and spirit. Also, their morality. The original PoE took place in the former colonial outposts of the powerful and influential Aedyr Empire.
While in Deadfire, fans could explore an island world made up of various local societies and foreign government interests occupying it and overseeing their own ambitions.
Pillars of Eternity Aedyr’s Empire is one of the most advanced and longest-reigning monarchies in his world. Avowed is said to take place in the region of the Living Lands that the Empire controls. But which the players have not visited directly before. It is not yet clear when this will be in Eora’s time, and this factor is perhaps more important than usual due to the established events of PoE.
After the revelations in Deadfire’s shocking ending, the stakes remained high enough for a sequel. The consequences are not local but likely affect all of Eora. Given this, Avowed has a bigger task than most in balancing this while accommodating newcomers who may not be familiar with Pillars of Eternity. A perhaps safe but sensible choice would be to place Avowed in the middle of the events of PoE.
This would allow it to introduce some already-seen events and consequences while leaving plenty of room for the story to take place before Deadfire’s colossal cliffhanger.
Alternatively, Avowed could be set far in the past or centuries in the future. Meanwhile, the Aedyr Empire is somehow present, offering many exciting and plausible possibilities. In this case, it could show the rise of the Empire and how it rose to prominence. Or, in the latter case, how he handled the aftermath of Deadfire’s outcome. While the exact timeline remains unclear for now, fans can likely expect more details about Avowed before its release later this year, which could eventually shed more light on the matter.
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