Strategic guide for Avowed’s Ancient Soil quest: Analyzing refugee settlement choices to maximize survival outcomes
Introduction: The Weight of Your Decision
In Avowed’s branching narrative system, the Ancient Soil quest presents one of the most consequential decisions you’ll face early in your journey through the Living Lands. This fifth main quest not only advances the central mystery but places you in a position of authority over vulnerable survivors.
The attack on Fior Mes Iverno by the Steel Garotte leaves displaced animancers looking to you for guidance. Your choice here isn’t just about immediate logistics—it shapes future questlines, companion relationships, and your overall reputation across multiple factions.
Before the refugee decision, you’ll face another critical choice: whether to accept Sapadal’s mysterious power offer. This earlier decision sets the tone for your character’s relationship with divine forces, but the refugee settlement choice has more tangible, far-reaching consequences for the game world.
Emerging from Naku Tedek’s ruins, you witness the aftermath of violence against Fior Mes Iverno’s people. The survivors’ fate rests entirely in your hands—a responsibility that tests both your strategic thinking and moral compass in equal measure.
Thirdborn Settlement: Short-Term Appeal, Long-Term Peril
At first glance, Thirdborn appears ideal for the displaced animancers. The location offers continuity for their research without attracting undue suspicion—a seemingly perfect environment to rebuild their community and practices.
However, experienced players recognize this as a classic narrative trap. The apparent safety masks catastrophic future events triggered during Shadows of the Past, where your earlier decisions compound with devastating effect.
Strategic Insight: Sending refugees to Thirdborn essentially guarantees casualties regardless of how you handle subsequent quests. The death toll varies based on your Shadows of the Past choices, but some loss is unavoidable—a harsh reality many players discover too late.
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The refugees become collateral damage in Thirdborn’s escalating conflicts. While they initially establish new lives, the community becomes entangled in regional violence that ultimately claims lives from among their number.
Advanced players should note: Choosing Thirdborn affects companion approval ratings, particularly for characters with strong moral stances against unnecessary risk. This secondary consequence influences dialogue options and loyalty quest availability later.
Paradis Settlement: Strategic Survival Choice
Paradis presents immediate social challenges but offers superior long-term security. The settlement’s suspicion toward outsiders creates integration difficulties, yet this very isolation protects refugees from Thirdborn’s coming turmoil.
Practical Consideration: Refugees must conceal their animancy practices and navigate Inquisitor Lodwyn’s watchful presence. This requires subtle gameplay approaches—avoiding magic use in public spaces and completing certain quests discreetly to maintain their cover.
The geographical distance from Thirdborn’s conflicts proves decisive. While life in Paradis demands compromises, it ensures community survival through upcoming narrative events that devastate other regions.
Comparative Analysis: Unlike Thirdborn’s deceptive calm, Paradis’ challenges are transparent from arrival. This allows for strategic adaptation—refugees can establish contingency plans and safe networks rather than facing sudden, unexpected violence.
For completionists: Choosing Paradis unlocks unique dialogue trees with local factions and creates opportunities for refugee-related side quests unavailable with Thirdborn settlement. These additional narratives provide deeper lore about animancy traditions.
Though refugees live cautiously, their sustained presence creates narrative possibilities for future expansions and DLC content focused on cultural integration stories.
Advanced Player Strategies and Optimization
Roleplay-First Approach: Align your decision with your character’s established personality. Pragmatic characters might choose Paradis despite its challenges, while idealistic ones could risk Thirdborn hoping to change its fate through subsequent careful choices.
Companion Synergy: Consider your active party composition. Certain companions offer unique dialogue options during the decision scene that can reveal additional narrative context. Kai, for instance, provides military assessment of both locations if recruited beforehand.
Future Quest Preparation: Your choice here influences difficulty in later missions. Paradis-settled refugees may provide intelligence or resources during specific quests, while Thirdborn survivors might become liabilities or tragic narrative elements.
Difficulty Setting Considerations: On higher difficulty levels, the resource management aspects become more pronounced. Paradis offers more predictable challenges, while Thirdborn’s uncertainties can strain resources unexpectedly during crisis moments.
Multiple Playthrough Strategy: For achievement hunters, experience both outcomes across different saves. Each settlement location offers distinct side quests, character interactions, and world state variations worth exploring separately.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Rushing the Decision: Many players choose based solely on immediate dialogue without considering long-term consequences. Always exhaust all conversation options with both refugee representatives and your companions before deciding.
Ignoring Faction Standing: Your reputation with the Steel Garotte, Paradis authorities, and animancer groups affects available choices. Check your faction screens before deciding—certain standings might make one option practically unavailable.
Overlooking Environmental Clues: The game provides subtle hints about each location’s future. Thirdborn shows signs of impending conflict through environmental storytelling that careful observers can detect during initial visits.
Missing Companion Input: Each companion has unique perspectives on this decision. Failing to discuss options with your full party means missing crucial narrative foreshadowing about each location’s dangers and opportunities.
Assuming Reversibility: Like many of Avowed’s major decisions, this choice locks in consequences. Manual save creation before this quest is essential for players who might want to experience alternative outcomes later.
That’s all there is to know! Make sure to get the lowdown on the best builds for Wizards, Rangers and Fighters, depending on which class you’ve chosen. We also have a companion tier list, so you know exactly who to bring with you and when.
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