Avowed sets a new standard for RPG lore by weaving intricate world-building seamlessly into its storytelling, and the quest “Dawntreader” perfectly showcases why this approach works so well. Instead of overwhelming players with info dumps, Avowed uses elegant dialogue systems and optional deep-dives into its rich fantasy universe, making lore feel alive and integral to your adventure in the Living Lands. This quest exemplifies how the game balances immersive narrative, meaningful player choices, and captivating voice acting to create an unforgettable experience that both lore enthusiasts and newcomers can appreciate.
While there are plenty of books to read, for most players, it’s the elegant conversation system that will jump-start their lore education. At any time, the player can pause a conversation to click specific, highlighted keywords of lore to learn more. This has the added benefit of keeping most of the dialogue free of clunky info dumps.
But all that lore wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t relevant to your quest, and while the main story is more about the Living Lands, it’s the side quests that teach you about greater Eora and your place in it. These optional missions range from serious explorations of tangible, real world issues to. less serious subjects, but the most illustrative of Obsidian’s approach was “Dawntreader.”
[Warning: The rest of this article contains full spoilers for the quest “Dawntreader” and descriptions of some mid-game discoveries from the second chapter of the game. Here’s a comprehensive guide to completing this quest.]
“Dawntreader” is centered around an Oracle of the god Eothas named Sargamis. Pillars of Eternity players would immediately be familiar with Eothas, and in Avowed you can read a book or click on the word mid-conversation to learn he’s not a very popular god at the moment. But just from your conversation with Sargamis, impeccably voiced by Matthew Mercer, you quickly learn a lot of lore that’s directly relevant to your player character.
As Godlikes, your character and Sargamis have something in common. You can see for yourself just how different each god’s Godlike looks, learn how the Godlikes are dying out, and consider how strange it is that you don’t know who your patron god is. All of this primes you to wonder even more about the voice in your head.
No matter how familiar you are with the lore of Eothas, this quest eventually flips your expectations. Yes, Sargamis is a religious fanatic who’s murdered innocents, but no, he’s not doing that to resurrect an evil god – it’s part of his plan to punish Eothas for his sins. You see firsthand how a Godlike wrestles with the crimes of his patron. You think more about that voice in your head.
While later you can eliminate Sargamis for the crimes he readily admits to, offering to assist him leads to some wild choices. The game will let you literally obliterate yourself in order to help Sargamis create a god prison, and your reward is a game over and a hilariously named achievement. Alternatively, you can convince Sargamis to sacrifice himself. which also doesn’t work.
But in a final twist, the voice in your head – whom you later learn is the god of the living lands – requests the statue for their own devices. If you follow through on this request, this time the machine. works! Ironically, Sargamis’ theory was correct, he just had the wrong god. Even before you know the truth about the voice in your head, this hints at how different the adra is in the Living Lands, and how detached it is from the rest of Eora’s pantheon.
Whether you go into this quest knowing everything there is to know about Eothas or you’ve refused to ever read a book in-game, “Dawntreader” itself will teach you a lot. Depending on your choices, you may even see a callback to this quest at the very end of the game. The best part is that the amount of lore you need to enjoy it is entirely up to you.
How does Avowed’s lore enhance the player’s connection to the story
Avowed enhances the player’s connection to the story primarily through its innovative lore system, which includes a dialogue lore button that allows players to instantly access detailed context and background information about key terms and topics during conversations. This feature eliminates confusion and the need to consult external sources, making the lore feel immediate and relevant, thereby deepening immersion and emotional engagement with the game’s world and narrative.
Moreover, the lore is intricately woven into the game’s setting-the Living Lands-where cultures, politics, and magic are thoughtfully designed to reflect a living, breathing world with distinct identities and histories. This intentional world-building, including unique cultural traits and the presence of gods and souls, helps players understand the motivations and values of factions and characters, further enriching the narrative experience.
The game’s storytelling also integrates the player’s choices and interactions with a mysterious entity called the Voice, whose evolving relationship with the player character adds layers of personal and mythic significance to the lore. Through spirit journeys and heroquests tied to the world’s folklore, players gain a deeper emotional and intellectual connection to the story, as their decisions influence how the lore unfolds and is interpreted.
Together, these elements make Avowed’s lore not just background information but a dynamic, accessible, and integral part of the player’s journey, enhancing engagement and investment in the game’s story.
How does the lore button in Avowed deepen my understanding of key conversations
The lore button in Avowed deepens your understanding of key conversations by allowing you to instantly access detailed explanations of highlighted keywords and terms as they appear during dialogue. When you press this button, a pop-up provides concise lore entries about characters, locations, concepts, and even unique slang or curse words, which helps clarify the context without breaking immersion or forcing you to pause and search external sources. This feature acts like an in-game encyclopedia, making complex lore accessible on demand and enabling you to engage more fully with the story and world-building as conversations unfold.
Additionally, the lore button supports cognitive accessibility by helping players who might have memory or processing challenges keep track of important narrative details. It also prevents awkward exposition dumps by letting NPCs speak naturally, while you can explore the lore at your own pace. This seamless integration of lore into dialogue enriches the narrative experience, making every conversation more meaningful and immersive, and helping you feel more connected to the game’s universe and characters.
