Factions and Choices#
The politics of Avowed are not complicated, but every side has a legitimate reason for what it does. Your position is not chosen with a single button; it accumulates out of a string of concrete decisions.
The Major Powers#
| Power |
Position |
Representative regions |
| Aedyr Empire |
The suzerain that sent you here; wants to run the Living Lands through order and law |
Paradis, Northreach |
| Steel Garrote |
An order of knights devoted to Woedica, imposing rule in the name of oaths and reckoning |
The whole island, especially Shatterscarp and the finale |
| Paradis resistance |
Assassins and locals who oppose the oppression of the Empire and the Steel Garrote |
Paradis |
| Animancers |
Scholars who study soul technology and want to run their own town in peace |
Fior |
| Ekida |
Ancient settlers who vanished mysteriously several centuries ago |
Shatterscarp, Emerald Stair ruins |
| Pargrunen |
An explorer branch of the mountain dwarves, long settled in the Living Lands |
Galawain’s Tusks |
| Rauataian immigrants |
Immigrants from the east, residents of Thirdborn |
Shatterscarp |
| Figure |
Identity |
| Falsen Helgard |
The ambassador the Empire posted to the Living Lands |
| Inquisitor Lödwyn |
Leader of the Steel Garrote; died elsewhere yet returned in another form |
| Ygwulf |
Leader of the Paradis resistance and a well-known assassin |
| Ignasi Vidarro |
The governor of Fior |
| Pere Quelici |
An animancer from overseas and Giatta’s mentor |
| Sanza |
A widely known cartographer who asks you to find missing colleagues |
| Temerti |
The leader of Thirdborn |
| Ryngrim |
An archmage famous for terrifying magic |
| Ilora |
The prisoner you meet at the start; freeing her or not is a small fork |
What Each Side Actually Wants#
| Power |
What they want |
Their reasoning |
| The Empire |
To absorb the Living Lands into its territory |
It sees local order as broken and foreign rule as necessary |
| The Steel Garrote |
To impose order through oaths and reckoning |
It follows the teachings of Woedica and holds contracts above everything |
| The local resistance |
To keep the island self-governing |
They have lived here for generations and reject outside rule |
| The animancers |
To do their research without interference |
Their discipline is routinely suppressed elsewhere |
| The Ekida |
To leave clues behind |
They are already gone, leaving only ruins and warnings |
Three Typical Tensions Behind the Choices#
| Tension |
What your choice decides |
| Order or self-rule |
Who governs the island in the end |
| Whether the Dreamscourge is suppressed, exploited, or coexisted with |
The direction of the ending |
| How to live with being Godlike |
Your relationship with the voice in your head and with the Ekida legacy |
These tensions run through every side quest rather than being concentrated in a single chapter.
Key Choices and Consequences#
| Choice |
Possible consequence |
| Working with the Steel Garrote |
You can be granted knighthood, but companions may leave as a group because of it |
| Saving Fior |
Prevents the town from being burned and affects the animancer ending |
| Your attitude toward the resistance |
Affects the Paradis quest lines and your reputation on the continent |
| What you do with Ilora |
A small fork at the start that gets brought up in later dialogue |
| What you do with the prisoner at the end |
Maps directly onto different ending achievements |
Reputation and the Ledger#
The game has no traditional reputation bar; your position is kept as a ledger of concrete actions. The test is very practical: are key figures of a given faction still willing to trust you and still willing to give you quests?
| Action |
Result |
| Completing a faction’s side quests |
Its people offer more dialogue and more opportunities |
| Taking a strong side in dialogue |
Figures on the other side grow noticeably colder |
| Taking an extreme side |
A chain reaction may follow, with companions leaving |
Spoiler-Friendly Advice on Choosing#
| Your goal |
Advice |
| See the most content |
Avoid extreme sides and finish each faction’s quests first |
| Get every ending |
Keep a save before the final chapter, then walk different routes |
| Get every achievement |
You need both an alliance route and a confrontation route, so at least two runs |
| Just play through the story once |
Choose the side you actually agree with; the game will not punish you |
How Side Quests Map to Factions#
Most side quests are scoring points for one side rather than pure errands.
| Region |
Powers mainly involved |
| Dawnshore |
The Empire’s administration, local Paradis powers, the resistance |
| Emerald Stair |
The animancer community and local immigrant neighborhoods |
| Shatterscarp |
Rauataian immigrants and researchers tied to the Ekida ruins |
| Galawain’s Tusks |
Pargrunen traditional guardians and outside extractors |
Three Key Forks#
| Fork |
What you decide |
| The crisis at Fior |
Whether you step in to stop the Steel Garrote from burning the town |
| Handling the Ekida legacy |
Whether the power they left behind is a tool or a warning |
| What to do with the prisoner at the end |
Release it, destroy and absorb it, or arrange something else |
These three decide more than the ending screen; they also decide how companions judge you and whether some achievements stay reachable.
FAQ#
| Question |
Answer |
| Does taking a side affect the main story |
It never blocks the main story, but it changes the exact direction of the finale and companion endings |
| Is there an optimal solution |
No; every side is written with a legitimate case, and that is one of the strengths of the writing here |
| Can I miss faction content |
Extreme sides shut off part of the other side’s content |
| Will companions leave over my position |
Yes, and it is required for one achievement |
| Can reputation be recovered |
There is no separate reputation bar, so you keep rebuilding trust through later actions |
| Do I need to switch sides on a second run |
If you want all endings and all side-taking achievements, yes |