The best RPGs are usually those that properly immerse the player in their world. And the most effective way of immersing players in a game’s world is usually by merging together both gameplay and narrative, where players get to engage in unique mechanics that have serious lore implications. Avowed does exactly this.
From the moment Avowed‘s cinematic introduction begins, players are thrown into the deep-end of the game’s lore. Set in the same world of Eora as the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed‘s story builds itself atop a decade’s worth of lore, and players are immediately bombarded with an onslaught of fantastical jargon the second they load into the game. This can be rather overwhelming for franchise newcomers, but in all honesty, there are only a handful of key pieces of lore that new players need to be aware of, and one of those is the field of scientific research known as Animancy.
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The Lore of Avowed’s Animancy Explained
What is Animancy?
In very general terms, Animancy is the study of soul energy. While in most fantasy universes soul energy is examined, extracted, and manipulated using magic, in Pillars of Eternity and Avowed‘s world of Eora, Animancy is a strictly scientific venture. The vast majority of Animancers consider themselves scientists and inventors, and they’re only able to control souls using their advanced technologies.
Animancy is like any other science in that its usage isn’t inherently evil or good, but it can be used for both purposes. While many Animancers desire to use soul energy as a way to cure mental ailments and learn how to better communicate with animals and nature, there are those who would prefer to use Animancy as a tool for power. Naturally, those very different schools of thought have led to a bevy of social and political issues in the world of Eora.
Animancy Is Still a Controversial Field of Science
When Animancy was still in its infancy, a group of scientists transferred a soul into a dead body. That experiment resulted in the creation of a violent monster, and Animancy was subsequently banned by the Aedyr Empire. Over time, Animancy became a slightly more accepted field of science, albeit one that needed strict regulations and oversight.
But while the lawful restrictions surrounding Animancy were slowly lifted, that didn’t do much to persuade the general public that Animancy was a safe science. To many, Animancy is still deemed to be an unnatural and even sinful practice. Many religions in the Aedyr Empire condemn the science, believing the ability to manipulate souls post-death to be blasphemous.
Those fears are not entirely without warrant, either. Though Animancy has become more widespread since its legalization, it’s still very much a dangerous field of science, and accidents are frequent. And when dealing with the science of souls, these accidents can often be catastrophic. Many of Eora’s most dangerous monsters have been a result of Animancy experiments gone wrong.
Avowed’s Giatta is The Party’s Resident Animancer
In Avowed, players will eventually encounter an Animancer by the name of Giatta Castell. Hailing from the colony of Fior mes Ivèrno, Giatta Castell’s parents were some of the earliest Animancers to seek refuge in the Living Lands. In Fior, the Castell family practiced Animancy together, until a tragic laboratory accident killed Giatta’s parents. Giatta agrees to join the Envoy’s party, where she uses her Animancy abilities to heal her allies.
- 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