Breith Eaman is an ancient Engwithan ruin beneath the Burial Isle district of Twin Elms, in Pillars of Eternity.
Background[ | ]
This is Breith Eaman, the Court of the Penitents, and the focal point of Thaos' inquisition two millenia before modern times. The disciples of Iovara - and eventually the Apostate herself - were brought to the above-ground facilities on what's now known as the Burial Isle, where they were subjected to horrifying torture. Those who did not break were cast down beneath the earth, buried far from the surface and locked inside adra cells that rendered them immobile. Souls were then confined there until they repented. To achieve release, they had to beg the forgiveness of a god, pledge their soul to them, and then they would be lifted from this place to the world above. In truth, they received leniency but not true mercy. The spite of Woedica is eternal and so the souls would linger above, at the site of the old Court, not permitted to leave the island, forever severed from the cycle.[1]
Exposition[ | ]
The following text is shown after (successfully) jumping into the pit in Burial Isle, alongside a narration:
After what seems like an eternity, your rapid descent comes to an abrupt end. You remain still for a moment while your heart settles and your eyes adjust, breathing in stale, forgotten air.
Before you, a narrow and eroded walkway becomes faintly visible in the dim light, cutting a winding path through a cavern so expansive it seems a world unto itself. In the distance you can make out the cold gleam of living adra veins that spike and fork in and out of view from the murky depths beneath, their glow a faint and fleeting guide along the ancient trail.
You look above at the opening you jumped through, now barely a speck of light like some distant star, alone in the cosmos and forever out of reach. Your only way lies ahead.
Points of interest[ | ]
- The area is reached by jumping into the pit at Burial Isle, after securing the support of the gods. Otherwise you splatter all over the place at the bottom. While falling, you will need Resolve 16 or Athletics 7 to avoid injuring yourself against the wall. If you are overleveled, the game will allow for scaling the encounters to match your power.
- The soul prison is divided into three sections. Your landing point, simply called the Pit, is filled with the shattered remains of "heretics" from millenia ago. The bridge leads to the platforms surrounding soul prisons from adra, flanked by a variety of specters (the exception is on the northwestern platform, filled with animats that attack you as soon as you come into view). Your goal is to reach the northeastern platform and talk to Iovara for a variety of revelations, including one that gods were created by kith.
- The exit to Sun in Shadow is just past Iovara.
Characters[ | ]
- Iovara ix Ensios, the last prisoner and the original Apostate.
Enemies[ | ]
Loot[ | ]
Notable loot[ | ]
- Daybreak: Unique morning star, in the locked chest to the south.
Containers[ | ]
- Camping Supplies
- Random accessory
- Random potion/scroll
- Random gem
- (TE_Accessory_7_8)
- Camping Supplies
- Random weapon
- Random gem
- Random currency
- (TE_Lg_Weapons_9_10)
- Random potion/scroll
- Random gem
- Random currency
- (TE_Consumable_9_10)
- Daybreak
- Random accessory
- Random potion/scroll:Random gem
- (TE_Accessory_9_10)
- Potion of Major Recovery
- Random weapon
- Random potion/scroll
- Random currency
- (TE_Med_Weapons_9_10)
- Random exceptional armor (Armor_Exceptional)
- Random weapon
- Random gem
- Random currency
- (TE_Sm_Weapons_9_10)
- Random potion/scroll
- Random gem
- Random currency
- (TE_Consumable_9_10)
Behind the scenes[ | ]
The Court of the Penitents, Breith Eaman, a prison for souls, and a temple dedicated to Woedica. This final layout was first put in place by Matt Perez, one of the designer that joined Obsidian to work on Pillars of Eternity. The render itself was handled, I think expertly, by April Geron.
This location became really important to the main story, and since development progressed. Originally it was just supposed to be its own temple detached from Burial Isle, to which you travel after arriving to Twin Elms. I see it often happens in game development on the realities of the tight schedule prompted us to move it to Burial Isle, making it part of Woedica's temple and placing it right next to an underground shortcut that lets you discover the buried city of Sun in Shadow.Gallery[ | ]
The halls of Breith Eaman
