Caught in a harrowing dilemma in Avowed’s “Shadows of the Past,” you must choose between Inquisitor Lödwyn’s destructive path or Archmage Ryngrim’s costly sacrifice. Will you unleash ruin to halt the Dreamscourge’s spread or sever the Adra at the price of innocent lives? This choice shapes not only the fate of Thirdborn but also the powers you wield-and the loyalties you keep. Which side will you stand with when every option comes with a heavy cost?
This Avowed guide explains what happens if you side with Lödwyn or Ryngrim during “Shadows of the Past” and how it plays out in the ending as well.
[Ed. note: This guide contains spoilers for Avowed.]
Should you side with Lödwyn or Ryngrim in Avowed?
Choosing between siding with Lödwyn or Ryngrim in Avowed’s “Shadows of the Past” quest is a pivotal decision with significant consequences and no truly happy ending. Siding with Lödwyn leads to the destruction of ancient ruins, granting a powerful Godlike ability but causing disapproval among your companions and some factions, and potentially contributing to a bad ending if you renounce Sapadal. On the other hand, siding with Ryngrim involves severing the Adra network, which stops the spread of the Dreamscourge but results in many immediate deaths in Thirdborn due to the massive Essence cost. This choice also grants a unique active skill called Severed Branch. Ultimately, the decision impacts the game’s conclusion and the fate of the Living Lands, with different narrative branches and endings depending on your choice and subsequent actions.
Despite the appearance of an option that lets you pick nothing, you ultimately have to choose between Lödwyn or Ryngrim.
Both choices have three different possible branches during the Thirdborn section of Avowed’s ending that depend on whether you side with Lödwyn in the finale, hold a grefam, or push for a united Living Lands.
Neither of these outcomes has a consequence over how the rest of the story plays out until the end. You’ll get different ending illustrations and outcomes depending on which choice you make here and then how you decide to handle the crises that unfold in the Garden and beyond.
If you side with Lödwyn during ’Shadow of the Past’
If you side with Lödwyn during the “Shadow of the Past” quest in Avowed, you choose to let her destroy the ancient ruins of Naku Kubel. This decision avoids immediate deaths but results in many people, including residents of Thirdborn like Temerti, contracting the Dreamscourge, a devastating disease. Your companions, especially Yatzli, will be displeased by the destruction of a valuable repository of knowledge, and Sapadal will express dissatisfaction as well. Despite this, you gain the Godlike ability “Scion the Imm Land,” which enhances your damage and health regeneration for 12 seconds, provided you accept Sapadal’s power before leaving the ruins. The choice leads to a grim outcome with significant loss of life and lingering resentment from some characters, but it spares the population from instant death caused by Ryngrim’s alternative plan to sever the Adra, which would have killed many immediately.
If you side with Lödwyn during “Shadow of the Past” and destroy the ruins, here’s what happens, and what Godlike ability you get:
- Your companions, especially Yatzli, aren’t particularly happy with you for destroying a trove of knowledge and supporting the Steel Garrote. Sapadal isn’t pleased either, though from our testing, their annoyance is contextual. You can still side with Lodwyn here and oppose the inquisitor and the Steel Garrote during Avowed’s finale.
- There are no results that affect what you can do in Thirdborn after this decision, but Temerti and a few others in the city will begin displaying Dreamscourge symptoms.
- You get the Scion of the Immortal Land Godlike ability, which increases your damage and health regeneration for 12 seconds. This only happens if you accept Sapadal’s power before leaving Naku Kubel.
If you side with Ryngrim during ’Shadows of the Past’
If you side with Ryngrim during the “Shadows of the Past” quest in Avowed, you choose to sever the Adra network in the Shatterscarp region to stop the spread of the Dreamscourge. This drastic measure requires a large amount of essence, which tragically results in the immediate deaths of many inhabitants of the nearby city, Thirdborn. While this choice causes significant short-term loss of life and leaves dead bodies scattered across the region, it ultimately halts the Dreamscourge’s spread, preventing more prolonged and widespread suffering. Mechanically, siding with Ryngrim grants you the Severed Branch Godlike ability, which boosts your movement speed for 20 seconds. From a role-playing perspective, this option is often seen as the lesser evil, as it sacrifices some lives now to save many more in the future, though it does generate resentment among some companions and citizens who blame you for the deaths.
- Your companions are less unhappy and express hope that the results won’t be as bad as Lodwyn predicted.
- They’re wrong. Three dozen people die in Thirdborn, including Glaedwine, if you helped him and his wife escape Shantytown in Dawnshore. Temerti harbors a deep hatred toward you as a result of these deaths, and you’ll hear citizens commenting about the spate of sudden death around the city.
- You get the Severed Branch Godlike skill, which increases movement speed for 20 seconds. This only happens if you accept Sapadal’s power before leaving Naku Kubel.
Which choice in Avowed leads to the most impactful ending for my character
The most impactful ending in Avowed comes from freeing Sapadal and defeating Inquisitor Lödwyn, which leads to a hopeful future where the Living Lands become a vassal of the Aedyran Empire but retain their freedom and protection, with Sapadal actively involved in guiding the land’s rebirth. This ending allows your character to emerge as a hero who unites the region, sparing lives and shaping the world’s fate positively. Conversely, siding with Lödwyn and the Steel Garrote results in a dark ending where your character is either executed or rules as a feared tyrant, and the Living Lands fall under oppressive control. Thus, choosing to free Sapadal and oppose Lödwyn offers the most meaningful and transformative conclusion for your character.
Which Sapadal choice results in the most impactful and positive ending for my character
The Sapadal choice that leads to the most impactful and positive ending for your character in Avowed is freeing Sapadal and supporting its independence rather than destroying it or fully submitting to external powers. By choosing to liberate Sapadal, you:
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Prevent the Dreamscourge from spreading further, saving countless lives.
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Preserve Sapadal’s unique culture and autonomy.
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Forge a hopeful alliance with the Aedyran Empire as a protector rather than conqueror.
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Position your character as a unifying hero who brings peace and renewal to the Living Lands.
This path not only results in a satisfying narrative conclusion but also grants your character lasting influence and respect, shaping the world in a positive direction. It’s the choice that balances moral integrity with strategic strength, making it the most rewarding and impactful ending in the Sapadal storyline.
