Avowed walkthrough route for the main story

TL;DR

  • Avowed features 11 main missions in the Living Lands with significant choice consequences
  • Player decisions unlock permanent abilities and alter world state throughout the campaign
  • Regular equipment upgrades through side quests are essential for survival and progression
  • The game is set in Obsidian’s Eora universe with deep Pillars of Eternity connections
  • Completion time varies significantly based on optional content engagement

Embark on a comprehensive journey through the mystical Living Lands with this complete mission guide for Avowed. While not as expansive as some open-world RPGs, having a detailed main story roadmap proves invaluable as you confront the mysterious plague threatening this vibrant region and unravel the secrets of its enigmatic deities.

Avowed represents Obsidian Entertainment’s return to the rich Eora universe, previously explored in their acclaimed Pillars of Eternity series. As an imperial envoy dispatched from the Aedyran Empire, your primary objective involves investigating a bizarre botanical blight corrupting the island territory called the Living Lands. This assignment quickly escalates into a much deeper mystery involving ancient powers and cosmic threats.

The core narrative of Avowed unfolds across eleven carefully crafted main missions that guide your progression through the Living Lands. Each mission builds upon the last, creating a cohesive storyline that gradually reveals the truth behind the region’s affliction.

Primary Story Missions Include:

  • Our Dreams Divide Us Still
  • The Heart of the Living Lands
  • Additional missions continue the narrative arc, though specific titles beyond these initial chapters remain discovery elements best experienced during gameplay. Mission structure typically involves investigation, confrontation, and revelation phases, with each segment introducing new gameplay mechanics and narrative developments.

    Avowed incorporates sophisticated choice-and-consequence mechanics where your decisions tangibly impact the game world and narrative direction. Numerous quests feature branching outcomes that can alter character relationships, faction standings, and even environmental conditions in the Living Lands.

    Critical decision points throughout the campaign grant permanent abilities that remain active for the entire playthrough. These capability enhancements often stem from moral choices, alliance decisions, or problem-solving approaches you adopt during key story moments. Strategic consideration of these permanent rewards is essential for optimizing your character build.

    Practical Tip: When facing major decisions, consider both immediate combat benefits and long-term narrative implications. Some ability unlocks provide significant advantages against specific enemy types or environmental challenges you’ll encounter later.

    Your completion timeline for Avowed’s main story heavily depends on engagement with optional content and side activities. The game practically mandates regular equipment enhancements to overcome increasingly formidable adversaries, making side quest completion not just optional but fundamentally necessary for survival.

    Common Mistake: Attempting to rush through main missions without adequate side content engagement often results in being underpowered for critical encounters. Budget approximately 60-70% of your playtime for exploration and side objectives to maintain appropriate power levels.

    For players seeking purely the central narrative experience, this walkthrough provides comprehensive story coverage while acknowledging that supplemental activities significantly enhance both capability and contextual understanding. The Living Lands contain numerous hidden locations, optional bosses, and collectible elements that enrich the overall experience.

    Remember that this guide contains complete spoilers for Avowed’s storyline. Utilize the table of contents for targeted navigation if you wish to avoid premature revelations about later game developments.

    Your journey begins with a significant power decision that will impact your entire playthrough. When presented with the mysterious gift, you face a tactical choice: accept the Godlike ability Thorn of Sapadal or reject it for a bonus ability point. The Thorn ability unleashes an energy projectile that penetrates multiple targets, inflicts substantial damage, and immobilizes enemies through magical rooting effects. This crowd control capability proves invaluable against clustered opponents, particularly in the challenging encounters ahead.

    Alternatively, selecting the ability point provides greater long-term build flexibility, allowing you to customize your character’s development path. Consider your current party composition and preferred playstyle—if you lack reliable crowd control, the Thorn offers immediate combat advantages, while the ability point supports specialized build optimization. Many players overlook that this early decision influences dialogue options and faction reputation later in the questline.

    Navigate to Thirdborn to initiate contact with the powerful mage Yatzli. Your route will intersect with Captain Aelfyr of the Steel Garrote, who requires conversation before granting passage. This mandatory dialogue sequence offers opportunities to gather intelligence about regional threats and potential rewards—don’t rush through these interactions.

    Before reaching the city gates, you’ll encounter a detachment of Dreamthrall enemies that must be defeated. These psychic-controlled fighters employ disabling mental attacks, making magic resistance and willpower-saving throws crucial for survival. After dispatching these guardians, you’ll formally recruit Yatzli to your party. Her arcane expertise becomes indispensable for navigating the magical obstacles in subsequent areas.

    Strategic tip: The camp located in Shark’s Teeth provides a convenient opportunity to adjust your party composition if you prefer not to include Yatzli in your primary roster. This flexibility allows you to maintain your preferred combat formation while still accessing her specialized abilities when needed for puzzle-solving sequences.

    With Yatzli accompanying your party, travel northeast through Shatterscarp to reach Ryngrim’s Domain. This frozen landscape contains deceptive magical barriers that require Yatzli’s unique dispel illusions capability to bypass. Follow the winding path through the glacial terrain until you encounter the archmage’s spectral projection, who tasks you with reconstructing a fragmented statue.

    The three statue components are scattered throughout the immediate area, often concealed behind environmental obstacles or minor puzzles. Thorough exploration rewards you with additional loot and experience, making the detours worthwhile. Once assembled, the completed statue activates a teleportation spell that transports your party directly into Ryngrim’s tower.

    Prepare immediately for combat upon arrival, as the teleportation triggers multiple assault waves of skeletons and spectres. These undead adversaries possess different resistances—skeletons typically vulnerable to bludgeoning damage while spectres require magical or silver weapons. Area-effect spells and turning abilities prove exceptionally effective against these grouped enemies. After concluding your discussion with Ryngrim, use the newly activated teleportation circle to exit the tower efficiently.

    Your next objective leads north to Naku Kubel, where Yatzli’s presence remains essential for progression. Enter the ancient tower and prepare for three distinct challenges: Strength, Wisdom, and an enigmatic spiritual evaluation. The Strength trial tests combat prowess against increasingly difficult opponents, while Wisdom requires solving complex magical conundrums. The soul assessment measures your character’s moral alignment and previous decisions throughout the game.

    Upon completing all trials, you’ll commune with the ancient consciousness residing within the adra stone. This conversation presents another pivotal power choice, with your selection influenced by earlier decisions in the questline. The consequences extend beyond immediate abilities, affecting endgame content and potential endings.

    Critical timing alert: As you deliberate your choice, the tower begins flooding with endless Dreamthrall spawns. These reinforcements continue indefinitely, making prompt escape imperative. Don’t attempt to fight through the entire invasion—use crowd control abilities to create breathing room while making your way to the exit. The specific abilities available from accepting or rejecting power vary significantly based on your accumulated choices, with some combinations unlocking unique hybrid capabilities not available through single decisions.

    Action Checklist

    • Complete 2-3 side quests between each main mission for optimal equipment upgrades
    • Document major story decisions and their ability rewards for build planning
    • Explore each region thoroughly before advancing main story objectives
    • Regularly upgrade weapons and armor at blacksmiths or through crafting
    • Evaluate party needs before choosing Thorn of Sapadal or ability point
    • Prepare magic resistance gear for Dreamthrall encounters en route to Thirdborn
    • Ensure Yatzli is in party before entering Ryngrim’s Domain for illusion dispelling
    • Gather all three statue pieces while exploring for bonus loot in Ryngrim’s Domain
    • Equip area-effect abilities and bludgeoning weapons for skeleton/spectre waves
    • Complete all three Naku Kubel trials before making final power decision
    • Execute swift escape during Dreamthrall invasion without engaging endlessly

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