This is a sponsored post courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment.
If anything neatly defines the classic RPG, it’s a band of adventurers sharing the burden of saving the world. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is classic in all but the year it was created, and thus features a plethora of characters that can be recruited and commandeered during your quest.
If you wish to learn their faces so that you’re sure to spot them on your travels through the Archipelago, this guide to the cast will help you out. So, without further ado, let’s gather your party before venturing forth…
New Pillars of Eternity II companions
Pillars of Eternity II features seven companions but only four of them will be able to accompany you at any one time. Of these seven adventurers, four are brand new to Deadfire – the others starred in the first game. So, for the first time, you will get to meet:
Maia Rua
Maia is an aumaua, and yet, despite her race, she is not actually a native of the Deadfire Archipelago. Rather than of the Huana tribes, Maia hails from Rauatai – a huge aumaua nation located to the north of the Ixamitl Plains. Acting as a ship’s captain for the Rauatai navy, she has arrived in the Deadfire in order to broker a deal with the Huana.
A ship’s captain could certainly prove useful to you in Pillars of Eternity II – this is an RPG in which sailing the seas is a core mechanic. But Maia will prove just as useful on land: she’s a proficient ranger, and makes use of her eagle-like companion Ishiza to prowl the world for secrets.
If the name Rua rings a bell that’s because you’re familiar with Maia’s brother, Kana; one of Pillars 1’s recruitable companions. Alas, Kana is not returning for the sequel, but Maia promises to be a more than adequate replacement for her chanter sibling.
Serafen
Born into slavery and forced to be a “powder monkey” aboard various pirate ships, Serafen began life with little going for him. Yet, thanks to a little determination, he broke free of that fate and carved out his own destiny among the waves of the Deadfire. These days he’s a pirate counted among the ranks of the Príncipi sen Patrena, and feared by his enemies for being a highly proficient ship hunter. He’s the perfect addition to your crew.
As an orlan, Serafen is a short, hobbit-like creature with a blue furry face and mogwaii-like ears. But don’t let his pet-like nature deceive you: Serefen is a multi-class hybrid warrior, trained as both a barbarian and a cipher. This means he can cleave you in two with a blade, or manipulate your soul with his psychological magic. An unusual, but undeniably handy, combination.
Tekēhu
Serafen is not Pillars of Eternity II’s only multiclass companion: Tekēhu is a chanter/druid, making him a flexible support unit who’s ideal for buffing and enhancing your party’s abilities. As a native of the Deadfire Archipelago, and renowned among the indigenous peoples, he will no doubt come in useful for navigating the complex hierarchies of the ruling Huana tribes.
Tekēhu is a marine godlike, a new form of the blessed sub-race for Pillars II. With thick blue skin and tentacle-like dreadlocks he already looks fairly aquatic in nature, but he is able to transform into a towering hybrid of man and hammerhead shark in an instant. His professions may suggest that he’s a gentle giant, but we won’t tell the enemies who run shrieking from his beastly form that.
Xoti
Originally from a farming family in Readceras, Xoti fled her homeland as a child due to the devastation caused by the vorlas blight and the Saint’s War. Her journey has brought her to the Deadfire, where you may meet and recruit her as a companion.
A monk/priest hybrid, she is dedicated in her worship of Gaun; the aspect of the god Eothas that is responsible for the harvest and the seasons. Gaun is often portrayed as a farmer with a scythe, and thus Xoti also adopts this guise. Her religious beliefs naturally mean she’s intrigued by Eothas’s new manifestation, but this will lead to clashes with Edér, who has his own strong beliefs when it comes to the god of light and renewal.
Oh, and talking of Edér…
Returning Pillars of Eternity characters
Not all of Pillars of Eternity II’s companions are shiny new faces. Three of the seven companions were major characters in the first game, and their stories can be continued in Deadfire. The trio of returning heroes are:
Edér
Edér has had a harsh life. A fighter-class human of the meadow and dedicated worshipper of Eothas, the patron god at the head of the losing side of the Saint’s War, Edér has spent much of his existence being persecuted for his beliefs. Eothas’s defeat led to Edér spending much of Pillars 1 questioning the nature of his beliefs. Towards the end of that game, he is able to choose between becoming the leader of a group of Eothasians, or reviving the town of Dyrford – a choice between faith and country.
Regardless of his decision, Eothas returned to the mortal world at the conclusion of the game. Does that redefine Edér’s position in the world, or simply reinforce it? Only your journey through the Deadfire Archipelago will reveal the answer. That’s provided Edér is alive, of course – if he died under your command in the first game, there’s no resetting that decision here.
Aloth
An elven wizard from a background of domestic abuse, Aloth is a conflicted character struggling with a pretty horrific curse: he shares his body with Iselmyr; a shadow of a former life that he has great trouble suppressing. By the time the events of Pillars II comes around, though, Aloth has had a change of heart: he now embraces Iselmyr and all the strange effects she provides.
The rest of Aloth’s personality will very much depend on who he became in Pillars 1. If you followed through on his opposition to animancy – the science of soul manipulation – and helped him dissolve the Leaden Key, then he’ll almost certainly be a much different person than if you encouraged him to become the leader of the society instead.
Pallegina
Paladins are known for being benevolent holy warriors, and there’s no better example of this than Pallegina. As a godlike she is automatically revered – or feared – by society, but Pallegina is an avian godlike; a rarer form that sprouts feathers in place of hair, thus providing her with a striking, graceful silhouette.
Pallegina was, in Pillars 1, an ambassador for the Vailian Republics. Over in the Deadfire Archipelago, the Valiant Trading Company is exploiting the volcanic islands for luminous astra, and so it’s no surprise to discover that Pallegina has found herself in the region just as you yourself arrive in Pillars of Eternity II.
Who she is these days will, naturally, depend on how her personal quest concluded in the first game. Is she now a decorated and respected champion of Vailian, or a disgraced soldier infamous for disobeying orders? Or, y’know, dead, since that’s a thing that can happen with Pillars companions.
Pillars of Eternity II sidekicks
In Pillars of Eternity II, there are two forms of recruitable characters: companions and sidekicks. You’ll be familiar with the concept of companions, not just from the first Pillars of Eternity but from the RPG genre in general.
Sidekicks are new for Pillars II and best thought of as ‘companions light’: they can be recruited to your team, they have names and personalities, but you can’t forge a deep connection with them. While they have backstories, you won’t be able to embark on a personal quest with them, and your status with them won’t be evolved by the relationship system.
There are four sidekicks in Pillars II, although you’ll need to find and recruit them to discover what makes them tick and see what they bring to the fight. There’s Fassina, a human wizard apprentice of the Vailian Republics; the dwarven chanter Konstanten of Dyrwood; Rekke the fighter; and Ydwin, the elven scientist and cipher.
With all companions and sidekicks recruited, you’ll have a total of 11 souls ready to do your bidding. That’s practically an army in RPG terms, and so your journey into Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire should be an explosive/stabby/magical one. Find out which companion is your new favourite when the game releases on May 8th.