The setting for the second entry in the Pillars of Eternity series, the Deadfire is an archipelago of volcanic islands that’s home to incredible Engwithan treasures, fearsome sea monsters, and various nations fighting for control of it all. Isolated from the rest of Eora, all eyes now rest on the Deadfire, as the events that take place here could determine the fate of not only multiple empires but the rest of the world.
Located south of the Eastern Reach continent where the first game was set in, the Deadfire Archipelago marks the eastern edge of the known world of Eora. Its islands are populated by Island Aumaua, who make up the various tribes of the Huana. While mostly decentralized, the tribes all share common values steeped in mythology and a sense of guardianship over the isles. This has led to most tribes becoming part of a confederation that, while self-governing, is led by the Kahanga, who are considered the most powerful tribe in the entire Deadfire. Many of the tribes follow a rigidly enforced caste system, with the Ranga as the highest class and the Roparu as the lowest. The capital of the Huana and the rest of the Deadfire by extension is the city of Neketaka, which has slowly become the region’s central hub of commerce, culture, diplomacy and intrigue.
While the islands and seas of the Deadfire hold great wonders, they can also be incredibly dangerous. Destructive storms sometimes wrack the oceans, sinking ships and flooding island villages. The most infamous of these storms is Ondras Mortar to the east, for which no ship that’s entered has ever returned. Various aquatic monsters like the Kraken have been known to attack and sink unsuspecting ships. And since it’s nearly impossible to patrol all of the waters of the Archipelago, piracy and slaving run rampant. Just below Ondras Mortar is a stretch of volcanic islands occupied by the mysterious yet terrifying Rathun, servants of Margran who use longships with magical cannons that shoot fireballs from afar.
For over three thousand years, these islands and the tribals were left to their own devices. However, the past few centuries have seen outsiders from nearly every corner of Eora make their way to the Deadfire. The first to arrive were noble families fleeing the collapse of the Old Vailian Empire, whose descendants would form the Principi sen Patrena, a loose alliance of pirates that raided ships and villages they came across. Losing their homeland, they sought a new one somewhere in the Deadfire. While the Principi was a constant nuisance for the tribals, the real trouble came with the arrival of representatives to the Vailian Republics and, later, the Great Kingdom of Rauatai.
Rauatai is a powerful empire founded over two thousand years ago by Aumaua refugees who chose to leave the Deadfire after the cataclysm. The land these refugees settled was racked by storms and had no fertile soil to grow crops, making daily life difficult. However, it was also abundant with resources and materials needed for war, making their kingdom prosperous by conquering nearby lands. It now seeks to conquer the Deadfire so that its islands’ fertile soil can serve as a breadbasket for the rest of the kingdom, which was always plagued by food shortages. Rauatai chose to use a militarized trading company called the Royal Deadfire Company as a vanguard.
Despite stiff resistance from the Huana, the RDC was still victorious in most battles. As a reprisal and a demonstration of power, the Huana crown dispatched watershapers to sink Rauatai’s flagship, forcing the RDC to engage in diplomacy and instead focus on islands that weren’t already inhabited. Meanwhile, the Vailian Trading Company would expand their operations through a combination of intimidation and manipulation, primarily by exploiting the Huana and their unfamiliarity with the concept of land ownership as understood in the west. This would lead to many tribes unwittingly giving up the rights to their lands or signing unfavorable pacts with the VTC.
Another turning point for the Archipelago came with the discovery of Luminous Adra and its unique properties, making it far more powerful than regular Adra elsewhere in the world. Seemingly only found in the Deadfire, Luminous Adra has attracted Animancers from the Dyrwood and Vailian Republics to study and experiment on. Ancient legends tell of a great city that disappeared after the cataclysm known as Ukaizo, the original capital of the Huana. Many have been quick to call Ukaizo just another myth. However, the Huana and every other main faction in the Deadfire all hold an interest in finding and taking the city for themselves. Rumored to have incredible treasures and Engwithan artifacts, whoever does find Ukaizo first will ultimately control the rest of the Deadfire.
By the events of Pillars II, the Archipelago is now a core element for both the Republics’ and Rauatai’s economy. This, in addition to continued raiding by the Principi and the threatened domain of the local Huana, has left the Deadfire on the brink of total war. This fragile power balance became even more volatile with the arrival of the reincarnated Eothas, as well as the Watcher of Caed Nua in close pursuit. Whether or not the Watcher can save the Deadfire as they had saved the Dyrwood previously remains to be seen.
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