The Dreamscourge will be a key plot point in Obsidian’s upcoming RPG Avowed. This infectious, soul-blighting plague will be a major threat in Avowed, as well as the impetus for its story.
The story of Avowed follows the Envoy, an agent of the Aedyran Emperor on a mission to investigate the Dreamscourge, a plague spreading throughout the Living Lands—a region the Aedyr Empire desires a foothold in. This affliction of the soul is poised to be a serious threat to the player and the world of Eora, something Game Rant was able to gain more insight into when sitting down with members of the Avowed team.
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Avowed’s Inescapable Dreamscourge Explained
The Nature of The Dreamscourge
Senior narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde spoke at length about Avowed‘s Dreamscourge, the plague that the Envoy is sent to investigate. Dollarhyde calls the Dreamscourge a “malady of the soul,” but also details how it affects the mind and body:
“In the world of Eora, the Living Lands is known as a strange, wild, and uncontrollable island where plants and animals grow and change in mysterious and sometimes frightening ways. What if the more unruly and dangerous changes taking place on the island were caused by some malady of the soul? COVID-19 had just begun to spread, and we were all working from home. A plague seemed like a natural, even cathartic idea to explore then.”
Dollarhyde went on to discuss how the Dreamscourge manifests within Avowed, stating that the team “looked to sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, nightmare disorder, and other parasomnias, which collectively lent the Dreamscourge its name.” The Dreamscourge’s physical symptoms drew inspiration from Annihilation and the “zombie-ant fungus” cordyceps, the same fungus that inspired the undead apocalypse seen in The Last of Us. Both references are evident within the designs showcased thus far, with the frequent use of an infected bear in Avowed‘s marketing clearly displaying Annihilation roots.
Furthermore, Dollarhyde also suggests that the Dreamscourge is an element of Avowed‘s Living Lands, framing the plague as an act of rebellion by nature. She describes the situation as, “The land is revolting against the settlers in the form of the Dreamscourge, and the settlers are catching the soul plague and turning on each other.” The Dreamscourge infection, something that controls and greatly inhibits the minds of hosts, is seemingly a defense system of the Living Lands, the setting of Avowed. The player’s operations will be truly threatened by this plague, one with a pre-packaged vendetta.
Avowed’s Dreamscourge In Gameplay
The Dreamscourge’s omnipresence as a white blood cell for the Living Lands is embodied through Avowed‘s gameplay. Dollarhyde goes into depth about how ‘inescapable’ the plague will be, and how it will amplify the strength of other threats:
“The Dreamscourge is what the Emperor of Aedyr sent the Envoy to investigate, so it’s the reason the Envoy begins their adventure in Avowed, and it also serves as the jumping-off point for several main and side quests. Many of the residents and creatures of the island are infected with the Dreamscourge, which has caused them to become violent, so the player will encounter many Dreamscourged enemies who have developed unique abilities because of their affliction. The Dreamscourge has also infected the landscape of the island, the plants and stones and soil, which has had a dreadful impact on the wild spaces of the Living Lands. Much like the people of the island, the Envoy will find the Dreamscourge nearly everywhere they turn—and some places they might not expect. Its effects are inescapable.”
The Dreamscourge will be at the heart of Avowed‘s gameplay, a palpitating infection that embodies the conflict of man and nature, as well as the consequences of empire upon the land. This body horror plague has the potential to be the title’s defining addition to the world of Eora.
- Released
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February 18, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Xbox Game Studios