How Avowed’s Dreamscourge Compares to Pillars of Eternity’s Hollowborn

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How Avowed's Dreamscourge Compares to Pillars of Eternity's Hollowborn

Key Takeaways

  • Avowed will focus on the disease known as the “Dreamscourge” as part of its core campaign.
  • The Dreamscourge appears to mirror the first Pillars of Eternity game’s Hollowborn Crisis in some ways, while differing in other aspects.
  • Avowed’s Dreamscourge promises to potentially call back to the Hollowborn event, while continuing to expand on the complex lore and setting.

As a dedicated fan who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich, complex world of Eora, I eagerly await the release of Obsidian Entertainment’s masterpiece, Avowed. The intriguing narrative surrounding the Dreamscourge promises to delve deeper into the mysterious lore that has captivated us since the first Pillars of Eternity game.

Despite multiple updates and clarifications from the developer since its unveiling in 2020, Obsidian Entertainment’s “Avowed” continues to generate excitement among gamers. As the studio’s entry into the dark fantasy first-person shooter RPG genre, the anticipation for “Avowed” is certainly justified. Originally scheduled for a Fall 2024 release, this date has been moved to February 18, 2025, implying that fans will have to be patient before diving into the world of Obsidian’s next game.

It has been confirmed that the game Avowed is built upon the foundation of Obsidian’s previous CRPG series, Pillars of Eternity. This means it will significantly develop the world of Eora. In particular, players will explore a new region called The Living Lands, where they will be assigned to investigate a strange sickness spreading throughout, known as the Dreamscourge. Interestingly, the original Pillars of Eternity also features an unsettling disease, the Hollowborn Crisis. Comparing these two storylines offers an intriguing examination and hints at potential directions for the future of the series.

Spoilers Ahead.

Comparing Avowed’s Dreamscourge Disease and Pillars of Eternity’s Hollowborn Crisis

The Hollowborn Crisis in Pillars of Eternity

In the game “Pillars of Eternity”, players delve into the troubled Dyrwood region, a place grappling with the Hollowborn Crisis, or Waidwen’s Legacy. This crisis is a profound and unsettling occurrence, arising from the complex interaction of magic, technology, and the essence of souls in the “Pillars of Eternity” universe. The Hollowborn are infants mysteriously born without their own souls, exhibiting no sense of self or others, and lacking any instinct for survival. Effectively hollow vessels, they rapidly decay and perish without the vital force of life. As the story unfolds, the turmoil and despair sparked by the crisis have left the populace tense and on the brink of violence or despair.

In an attempt to find a remedy, Animancers infused animal spirits into the afflicted individuals. Initially, this appeared to grant them some form of character and health, but sadly, things took a turn for the worse as the children matured. They began exhibiting increasingly wild behavior, eventually devolving into an unmanageable bestial state that forced many to be euthanized. In the midst of this dire situation, the player character steps in, unearthing a startling secret about the link between the world’s deities and human souls. This discovery dismantles an ancient conspiracy that had been at the heart of the Hollowborn Crisis. Although the crisis was brought to a halt, it left the survivors struggling to come to terms with its aftermath and the shocking truth behind its origins and purpose.

After adhering to the stated resolution, the game titled “Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire” centered around the pursuit and prevention of godly menace, namely Eothas, a significant deity within the realm of Eora.

How Avowed’s Dreamscourge Has Been Described So Far

In the realm of Avowed‘s Living Lands, the Dreamscourge serves as the catalyst for the main character’s mission. Dispatched by the mighty Aedyr Empire, their task is to explore this region, locate the cause of the Dreamscourge, and if feasible, halt its progression. The Dreamscourge is described as a manifestation of a more profound and dangerous decay, suggesting it could be interconnected with the Crisis, potentially triggered by hidden malevolent forces at work.

Unlike the Hollowborn Crisis being limited to affecting infants, the Dreamscourge disease appears to impact all plant and animal life in the Lands, transforming whatever it touches into peculiar fungal growths. Interestingly, this seems to have a similar effect on sentient beings as the Hollowborn Crisis, making them behave erratically and aggressively. This shared trait, along with the strange growths, makes the Dreamscourge in Avowed resemble the cordyceps infection from The Last of Us.

In both instances, the scenarios share a basic structure, but the Dreamscourge in the game “Avowed” versus the Hollowborn Crisis in “Pillars of Eternity” could present unique and perhaps unexpected differences. Given that “Avowed” occurs later on the timeline and takes place in an entirely new, secluded area, Obsidian Entertainment has ample opportunities to explore this topic further. It’s unclear whether the Dreamscourge will be linked to the maneuvers of a clandestine group, gods, or something else entirely; only time will tell. However, it’s likely that “Avowed” will expand upon the overarching narrative through its Dreamscourge mystery, which may even offer new insights into past events such as the Hollowborn Crisis.

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2024-10-22 00:05