Obsidian Entertainment has a specific way of doing things. If you’ve played Fallout: New Vegas or The Outer Worlds, you know the drill: the best writing isn't always in the main campaign. It’s tucked away in some corner of the map you’d only find if you were procrastinating on saving the world. In the Living Lands of Aedyr, that "corner" often involves the quest Avowed Forged of Star Stuff. It’s a mission that basically encapsulates everything the developers are trying to do with this RPG.
It’s weird. It’s celestial. Honestly, it’s a bit of a headache if you don't know where to look.
Most players are going to rush through the Living Lands trying to solve the spiritual plague known as the Dreamscourge. That's fine. But if you do that, you miss the thematic soul of the game. This quest isn't just about loot, though the rewards are decent enough to justify the trek. It's about how the people of Eora—the world Avowed shares with Pillars of Eternity—view their place in a universe that feels increasingly chaotic.
Finding the Fragments: The Mechanics of Forged of Star Stuff
You won't just stumble into this quest in the opening hour. You’ve got to get your boots dirty in the more rugged terrain first. Specifically, you’re looking for a meteor crash site. The Living Lands are geologically unstable, which is the game's lore-friendly excuse for having a jungle next to a desert next to a frozen wasteland.
The quest triggers when you encounter an NPC—usually an eccentric researcher or a desperate scavenger—who mentions the "gifts from the sky." In Eora, stars aren't just balls of gas. They have metaphysical weight. When a star falls, it’s a big deal.
To finish Avowed Forged of Star Stuff, you're tasked with recovering meteoric ore. This sounds like a standard fetch quest. On paper, it is. Go to Point A, kill the Xaurips or the Dank Spores guarding the site, grab the glowing rock, and head back. But Obsidian doesn't really do "standard."
The environment around the crash site is distorted. The developers used this quest to show off the elemental interaction system. You’ll likely need to use a frost spell to cool down the ore or use a specific combination of physical strikes to crack the outer shell without destroying the essence inside. It’s a puzzle. A messy, dangerous puzzle.
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Why Everyone is Talking About the Writing
Here is where it gets interesting. The dialogue in this quest-line avoids the typical "chosen one" tropes. You aren't just a hero; you're a diplomat for the Aedyr Empire, and how you handle the "Star Stuff" matters to the local factions.
Do you give the ore to the researchers who want to study the origins of the gods? Or do you hand it over to the local smith who just wants to make a sword that can cut through a drake’s hide?
There’s no "correct" choice. That’s the point.
The title Avowed Forged of Star Stuff is a direct nod to Carl Sagan’s famous quote, but it takes on a darker, more literal meaning in this universe. In the Pillars of Eternity lore, souls are a currency. They circulate through the Adra veins of the planet. When something comes from outside that cycle—like a meteorite—it’s an anomaly. It’s an "extra-planar" material that doesn't play by the rules of the gods.
The NPC you interact with during this quest, if you push their dialogue tree, will start questioning the very nature of the Engwithans (the ancient race that basically "built" the current gods). It’s heavy stuff for a side quest. But that’s why we play Obsidian games, right? For the existential dread mixed with first-person combat.
Combat and Strategy During the Quest
Don't go in under-leveled. The area surrounding the celestial impact is usually crawling with enemies that have been "mutated" or at least agitated by the energy.
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- Watch the ground. The impact site often has lingering AOE damage. If you stand in the glowing craters, your health will tick down faster than you can chug a potion.
- Bring a shield. If you're playing a purely magical build, the enemies here are notoriously aggressive. They will close the gap quickly.
- Check your inventory for Adra-based gear. Since the star stuff is "alien," weapons forged from native Adra sometimes have a unique resonance effect that deals extra damage to these specific mobs.
The Connection to Pillars of Eternity
If you're a veteran of the isometric Pillars games, you'll recognize the terminology used in Avowed Forged of Star Stuff immediately. It references the "Beyond." It talks about the "White Void."
For newcomers, it might just feel like cool flavor text. But for the lore-hounds, this quest is a goldmine. It suggests that the Living Lands are a "thin" spot in the world where the veil between Eora and the stars is more permeable. This has huge implications for the main story. It’s subtle world-building at its best. It doesn't scream at you. It just sits there, waiting for you to read the item descriptions.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rewards
A lot of players think they’re getting a legendary weapon immediately. You aren't.
What you actually get from Avowed Forged of Star Stuff is a crafting component and a permanent "knowledge" buff or a reputation boost with a specific sub-faction. The real reward is the unlock. By completing this, you gain access to a specific tier of smithing that allows you to infuse other weapons with celestial properties.
It’s an investment.
If you sell the ore for quick gold, you’re making a mistake. The gold is temporary; the ability to bypass the physical resistance of late-game bosses because your sword is literally made of "star stuff" is forever. Well, forever in terms of your save file.
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Dealing With the Moral Choice
At the end of the quest, you’ll usually be faced with a choice. A local group of animancers (soul-scientists) will want the material. They claim they can use it to help cure the Dreamscourge. On the other hand, a nomadic tribe might claim the site is sacred and that taking the ore is a desecration.
If you've played Tiranny, you know Obsidian loves these "grey and grey" morality moments.
Supporting the animancers might make the world "better" in the long run, but you'll have to live with the fact that you trampled on local customs to do it. If you leave the ore alone, you lose out on the gear, but you gain an ally in the wilderness that might save your life in a later scripted encounter.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To make the most of this encounter, you need to be prepared before you even see the quest marker on your map.
- Invest in the "Lore" or "Insight" skills early. This opens up dialogue options that explain exactly what the star stuff is doing to the environment. Without these skills, you're just a glorified delivery driver.
- Clear your inventory before heading to the impact site. The meteoric fragments are heavy. You don't want to be over-encumbered while fighting off a pack of angry forest creatures.
- Save your game before talking to the final NPC. The ramifications of who you give the ore to can change which merchants appear in the next hub city.
- Look up. Literally. The skybox in Avowed changes based on your location. Near the site of Avowed Forged of Star Stuff, the constellations are different. It’s a small detail, but it helps with the immersion.
This quest represents the best of what modern RPGs can be. It’s not just a checklist item. It’s a piece of a larger puzzle that helps you understand the weird, vibrant, and often terrifying world of the Living Lands. Don't rush it. Read the notes. Listen to the NPCs. And for the love of the gods, don't sell that ore to the first merchant you see in the city. You'll regret it when you're facing down a titan twenty hours later and your steel sword keeps bouncing off its hide.