In Avowed, players take on the role of The Envoy. The Aedyran Empire sends them to the Living Lands to expand its influence of power and investigate what’s going on with the Dreamscourge. Of course, The Envoy has never been to the Living Lands before, and they’ll need a guide. Somehow, somewhere, that’s where Marius comes into play. Avowed features four companions: a former soldier named Kai, a scientist of the souls named Giatta, a talented wizard obsessed with history named Yatzli, and the one who guides the Envoy through The Living Lands’ wilderness: Marius.
Marius is a mountain dwarf, hailing from the Pargrun keep of Solace deep in the Galawain’s Tusks region in the Living Lands. If that sounds deep and buried, that’s because it is. Galawain’s Tusks is the most uninhabitable region of The Living Lands, forcing anyone who takes up residence there to know the land on an intimate level or die. Marius did just that, quickly learning how to thrive not just in Galawain’s Tusks but across The Living Lands. However, he is so accustomed to the wilderness that he does not get along well or easily with practically anyone, including Avowed‘s companions. Recently, Game Rant spoke with senior narrative designer Jay Turner, associate narrative designer Katie Tenney, and narrative designer Paul Kirsch about what exactly makes Marius tick.
Making Marius
As Turner explained, Marius had very humble beginnings. He was initially imagined “as a hunter/warden character with rogue abilities, and that was it.” Over time, the developers fleshed out his character. He became someone who is the absolute best at what he does, being a guide in The Living Lands, but is also uncomfortable working outside that specific wheelhouse. That, in turn, grew even further, with Turner explaining that,
“He became a character whose line of work took him outside of society, and eventually, he came to feel most comfortable away from other people. Marius’ character arc is a very personal one for me, and I hope players find him as interesting and complicated as I have.”
In tandem with his role in The Living Lands developed his overall character, his personal storyline, and his overarching role in the plot. As Turner explained, each companion’s personal storyline weaves directly into the main plot. For the most part, the critical path in Avowed‘s story is part of each companion’s personal quest. Given how the Dreamscourge affects the various lands Marius guides people through, it’s easy enough to see the connection there. Of course, there’s a little more to that for most companions, but generally, Turner explained, “the companions are all there because they care deeply about the Envoy’s quest.” Now, whether an early Marius shows how much he cares is another story.
While a lot of his functional roles were decided early, he gained a lot of depth throughout the writing process. One of the biggest instigators of his growth was the other Avowed companions. After all, a loner-style character is best defined by those they set themselves apart from. Doing so, especially when pairing Marius with others, led to a lot of discoveries in terms of how they’d react, what they’d care about, and so forth. Indeed, as Turner explained,
“My main concern was having Marius be a deadpan smartass without being unlikeable, and that became a lot easier once the other companions were in the mix.”
Marius and Other Avowed Companions
With so much of who Marius is defined by those he interacts with, we of course had to ask how Marius gets along with the other Avowed companions. Turner explained how Marius feels about the other companions:
- Kai: “Marius and Kai are old “buddies,” having worked together before in Marius’ work as a wilderness guide. Marius wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he has a lot of respect for Kai, even if the aumaua soldier can be a bit talky and overly curious from time to time.”
- Giatta: “Marius and Giatta have a sort of distant respect. Marius has no idea what to make of souls or animancy or any of that, but he knows Giatta’s a whiz with that stuff, and that’s all he needs (or cares) to know. Giatta can tell that Marius has some old wounds she can maybe help him with, but she respects him enough not to pry further than he’d like.”
- Yatzli: “Marius has no idea how to handle Yatzli. She’s curious, nosy, inappropriate, and quick-witted, whereas he’d rather be left alone. If you listen to them banter in camp, however, you might find a curious friendship between them (and some fun interactions).”
Tenney and Kirsch also added a few details about how others felt about Marius. For example, “Yatzli likes to poke at Marius,” Tenney explained. She described it as platonic teasing, as Yatzli tries to support Marius in her own way. Meanwhile, Kirsch explained that “Giatta is concerned about Marius,” going so far as to say that, “She sees in him a vibrant soul weighed down by old scars.”
All of that said, Turner also explained that Marius would win “Most likely to give you the cold shoulder after you stole his digestive cheese” in a personality contest. So, he has layers.
- 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