At the climax of Avowed’s Ancient Soil quest, a critical decision awaits: should you send the Animancers to the distant safety of Thirdborn or the strategically positioned Paradis? Each choice shapes a unique narrative ending-Thirdborn offers a fresh start and stronger bonds with locals, while Paradis brings initial hostility but eventual acceptance through agricultural expertise. Yet, neither path impacts gameplay, leaving the fate of the Animancers-and the story’s subtle nuances-in your hands.
The outcome is influential – though you never get the chance to see it until later. Unlike most of Avowed’s important choices, this one is independent of every other decision in the game, so you don’t have to fret over multiple outcomes.
This Avowed guide explains what happens if you send the animancers to Paradis or to Thirdborn during “Ancient Soil” and when you find out the consequences.
[Ed. note: This guide contains spoilers for Avowed.]
Should you send the animancers to Thirdborn or Paradis in Avowed?
When deciding whether to send the animancers to Thirdborn or Paradis in Avowed during the “Ancient Soil” quest, both choices have distinct narrative outcomes but no gameplay advantages or achievements. Sending them to Thirdborn allows the animancers to continue practicing their craft and fosters a strong bond with the local community, though some animancers may die later in the game due to ongoing conflicts. In contrast, relocating them to Paradis offers safety from random deaths and hostility, but the animancers cannot openly practice animancy there and face suspicion from the locals. However, their agricultural expertise helps improve relations over time. Ultimately, neither choice leads to a severely bad ending, so you can choose based on which outcome you find more fitting for the animancers’ future.
Making this choice is mandatory, and there’s no way to miss it. Governor Vidarro and Pere Quilicci force you to make a choice after the “Ancient Soil” main quest, when Fior mes Ivèrno is either in ruins or barely hanging on.
Despite how urgent the choice seems when Vidarro and Quilicci ask for your input, your decision has no noticeable ramifications until Avowed’s ending. You might hear a few pieces of dialogue about the outcome in Thirdborn or Paradis, and Yatzli mentions her fear for Quilicci’s life if the animancers are in Thirdborn when you decide what to do with the ruins at the end of Shatterscarp’s main quest.
However, you never actually see the animancers in Paradis or Thirdborn, nor can you speak with them about their new home.
Bear in mind that the outcome from this choice is the same regardless of whether you managed to save Fior mes Iverno at the end of Emerald Stair’s main quest. No matter what happens, the animancers have to leave their city. There are no achievements or rewards tied to either outcome, either, so you lose or gain nothing based on your choice. Pick whichever outcome you think is best.
Below, we’ve broken down the narrative outcomes of Avowed’s Thirdborn or Paradis choice.
If you choose Thirdborn in ’Ancient Soil’
If you choose Thirdborn in the “Ancient Soil” quest in Avowed, the surviving animancers relocate to this city in the Shatterscarp region to start anew. Thirdborn is favored by the governor Quilicci because it allows the animancers to continue studying animancy and is farther from the threat of the Steel Garrote, making it seem like a safer option initially. However, later in the game during the “Shadows of the Past” quest, some animancers in Thirdborn suffer random deaths, revealing that this choice has its own risks. Despite this, sending the animancers to Thirdborn promotes more equality between them and the local population and affects one of the game’s ending epilogue screens without causing a severely bad outcome.
You get a special illustration during the ending and learn that the animancers forged a strong bond with the people of Thirdborn by finding common ground in the adversity of scraping a living in Shatterscarp.
If you choose Paradis in ’Ancient Soil’
If you choose Paradis in the “Ancient Soil” quest in Avowed, the surviving animancers will relocate to Paradis, a city in the Dawnshore region close to the home of the Steel Garrote, the faction responsible for destroying their original home. While this choice places them near a hostile area and forbids the practice of animancy, it keeps the animancers safe from the random deaths that occur if they move to Thirdborn. Additionally, the citizens of Paradis appreciate the animancers’ agricultural knowledge, which helps improve relations, though tensions remain regarding their presence. This decision affects the game’s ending and leads to the “Siege of Paradis” final quest, where the governor reveals that some animancers went into hiding or disappeared. Overall, choosing Paradis offers a safer but more politically complex future for the animancers.
You get a special illustration during the ending and learn that the animancers faced challenges upon first arriving in Paradis, where the Aedyrans treated them with hostility and suspicion. However, the animancers’ knowledge of farming and agriculture helped them carve a space for themselves in the region and softened attitudes toward them.
Should I send the animancers to Thirdborn or Paradis for better outcomes in Avowed
You can send the Animancers to either Thirdborn or Paradis in Avowed without affecting gameplay or triggering any major negative consequences, as the choice only influences a narrative epilogue illustration at the game’s end.
Sending them to Thirdborn results in an ending where the Animancers develop strong bonds with the local community, living more equally alongside the natives of Thirdborn. However, depending on other quest choices, some tragedy may still befall them later, as hinted during the Shadows of the Past questline.
Sending them to Paradis places the Animancers near the home of their enemies, the Steel Garrote, and initially they face suspicion and hostility from the locals who disapprove of Animancy. Yet, their agricultural expertise eventually earns them respect and a place in the community. Paradis also offers a more stable infrastructure and may be safer in the short term, though the Animancers must hide their practices.
Ultimately, neither choice leads to a distinctly better or worse outcome, and no achievements or gameplay rewards hinge on it, so you can choose based on your narrative preference-Thirdborn for equality and community bonds, or Paradis for safety and gradual acceptance.
Which option offers a more positive community bond for the animancers in Avowed
Sending the Animancers to Thirdborn offers a more positive community bond in Avowed. In Thirdborn, the Animancers develop strong, equal relationships with the local people, integrating well and living alongside them as part of the community. This contrasts with Paradis, where the Animancers initially face suspicion and hostility due to local disapproval of Animancy, despite eventually gaining respect for their agricultural skills. Thus, Thirdborn provides a warmer, more harmonious social outcome for the Animancers.
