With how big a story development the Steel Garrote’s burning down of Fior Mes Iverno in Avowed is at the end of the “Ancient Soil” mission, it’s easy to think there’s no way to save the city, but there thankfully is a well-hidden solution.
If you have been utilizing Avowed’s generous save-and-load system, and you happen to have a manual save set before you complete Ancient Soil, you can change Fior Mes Iverno’s fate and save the city from being razed to the ground.
You’ll just need to go to one key location with the option to complete a particular side mission that’s the center of the Steel Garrote’s plot to burn it down.
How to Save Fior Mes Iverno in Avowed
The only way you can save Fior Mes Iverno in Avowed is by clearing out the hidden base of Steel Garrote soldiers who are planning the attack, hidden in a waterfall cave to the west of the city as marked in the image above. It’s just to the west of Fior Mes Iverno itself by the river. You need to do this before completing the Ancient Soil mission in the campaign.
Enter the cave entrance that’s shown on the right of the above image and then make a right to turn into the second lit entrance that will have the prompt “Travel to Waterfall Cave” for you to enter.
There are four groups of Steel Garrote soldiers for you to kill before you can prevent Fior Mes Iverno from being destroyed. The first will be the two soldiers you speak to at the hidden base’s entrance, a larger room of soldiers upon entering, another pair of soldiers in the north of the cave, and the final large room of soldiers, including Captain Weyth, behind a barred door.
You’ll be able to enter the room behind the barred door by climbing some hidden stone platforms on its right.
The Steel Resolve Side Mission
The Steel Garrote is originally able to execute its burning of Fior Mes Iverno in Avowed due to a traitor you can track down during the side mission, Steel Resolve, which can be started by approaching the Ranger Tower in Emerald Stair marked in the image above.
You can simply go to the Steel Garrote’s hideout in the waterfall cave without completing the mission and save the city regardless. However, the hunt for tracking down the traitor, Ranger Dorso, is very satisfying if you disagree with her plans to help Lodwyn and her fanatics. Seeing the mission through completely will also have you earning lots of extra valuable loot and XP, making it worth seeing through.
Biggest Reward for Completing Steel Resolve
Most notably, the quest-giver, Ranger Acierno, will reward you with a useful weapon called “One Last Trick”. This Exceptional Quality Unique Arqueboss has two handy abilities: “Ricochet” for having bullets bounce off a target onto an additional enemy, and “Gunnery” for a +20% boost to Reload Speed.
Bounty: The Trantons
What’s more, while the “Investigate the Ogre’s Cave” objective is the main path that will lead you to Ranger Dorso, the “Investigate the Abandoned Homestead” will lead you to the Trantons—the triplet leaders who have a bounty on them back in Fior Mes Iverno. Be sure to pick up proof of the kill, along with their distinctive Trant-themed gear for unique loot, and you can go back to turn their bounty in for an extra 750 Skeyt and 319 XP.
When to Start Steel Resolve
Due to the Essence Generators you find during Steel Resolve, it’s best to take this mission on between the end of the ‘The Animancy Method’ mission and Ancient Soil, right after you unlock Giatta as a companion with her Spectral Jolt ability. You can still use Electric Lily Seeds, but it’s far easier not having to worry about a finite resource.
What Happens When You Have Saved Fior Mes Iverno?
You will know you have saved Mes Iverno in Avowed when you exit Naku Tedek and see the city in the distance, there will only be small fires visible along with a purple glow, instead of it being engulfed entirely in flames.
In addition, you will instantly earn the achievement, “Fior Extinguisher,” a well-named accolade given to you specifically for saving it from being razed by the Steel Garrote.
Instead of going to meet survivors in a makeshift refugee camp at the Abandoned Farms like you would have done before, you’ll go speak to Vidarro, Quilicci, and Yatzli at Piaza mes Vidarrp within the saved city’s walls.
Before you enter, a ranger named Tezallo will have captured a Steel Garrote Lieutenant for you to interrogate as well, if you feel like an extra fun cutscene.
The New Ending to Ancient Soil
The following scene with Vidarro, Quilicci, and Yatzli will play out almost exactly the same as it did if Fior Mes Iverno was burnt down, except for the surprising amount of gratitude from Ivarro for saving their home. Due to concern for their safety, you will still need to decide whether the citizens should relocate to Paradis or Thirdborn for the time being, but this time with the promise that they can return home with its buildings intact.
As you later meet Captain Aelfyr during the “A Path to the Garden quest as you make your way to Shatterscarp, she’ll express her and Lodwyn’s dissatisfaction with you for spoiling their plans, but it won’t ultimately change your conversation at this point of the story much.
Being such a drastic change to this part of the narrative, however, we expect a fun altered twist to the game’s final chapters as well. Nevertheless, we will update this guide as soon as we know more.
Now that you know how to save Fior Mes Iverno from being razed in Avowed, find out if there is a way to save Brentis or Pod. If you feel like trying out your One Last Trick gun, take a look at the best weapons loadout combinations in Avowed so you know what arms to use with your new Arquebus, and become even more of a threat as you take on the rest of The Living Lands.
Published: Feb 18, 2025 05:01 am