During the Ancient Soil quest, it’s revealed that the voice in your head is none other than Sapadal–a massive long-forgotten god who's kind of half-tree, half-building. It’s a lot to take in, especially as it doesn’t actually answer that many questions yet. Nevertheless, much like the choice to take the Voice’s power earlier in Avowed, you’ll have to decide whether to accept or reject Sapadal’s power.
While it’s technically not a consequence of either choice, be warned that completing this quest step will immediately trigger an important event in the story–one that’s based on your exploration of Emerald Stair. If you’re looking to be the good guy, deal with the Steel Garrote in the region first by clearing their camp in the cave behind the waterfall at River Fork Beacon or by completing the Steel Resolve quest from the Ranger Headquarters.
If you don’t do this before making your choice (or side with the Steel Garrote), you’ll get the bad outcome. Be aware that this guide will contain spoilers related to Avowed's story, so if you're still here and shouldn't be, vamoose.
Should you accept or reject Sapadal’s power in Ancient Soil?
Just like in the Message from Afar quest, the Voice–now revealed to be Sapadal–will offer you their power to help combat the Dreamscourge during the Ancient Soil main quest in Emerald Stair. The immediate consequence of this choice is which Godlike ability you’ll unlock:
- If you accept Sapadal’s power, you will get the Thorn of Sapadal Godlike ability
- If you reject Sapdal’s power, you’ll get the Godlike’s Will ability instead
Thorn of Sapadal fires a blast of energy that penetrates targets, dealing high damage to a whole group of enemies if you can line it up well. This has been incredibly helpful in my barbarian-style build which lacks ranged damage. If you’re a spellcaster or a gunslinger, this won’t be quite so handy.
On the other hand, Godlike’s Will gives you a bonus skill point that you can immediately spend in the Fighter, Ranger, or Wizard skill trees. If you rejected the Voice’s power during Message from Afar, then you’ll recognise that this is the same reward. It’s a shame it’s not unique but you’ll still have an extra skill point to play around with.
Should you accept or reject Sapadal's power in Shadows of the Past?
During the much later quest in Shatterscarp, Shadows of the Past, you'll have this Sapadal choice again. Though your options to either accept or reject Sapadal's offerings of power remain the same, your rewards are also linked to how you handle the ruins of Naku Kubel.
- If you accept Sapadal’s power in Naku Kubel and choose Ryngrim, you will get the Severed Branch Godlike ability
- If you accept Sapadal’s power in Naku Kubel and choose Lodwyn, you will get the Scion of the Immortal Land Godlike ability
- If you reject Sapdal’s power, you’ll get the Godlike’s Will ability as usual
Severed Branch boosts your maximum movement speed for 20 seconds, which is great for dashing across the map and picking up collectibles. It can also come in handy for melee playstyles to get in range easier.
Scion of the Immortal Land increases your damage and grants health regeneration for 12 seconds, making it a great buff for every type of build. Unfortunately, this means you have to side with Lodwyn on this occasion, which plays a part in the ending you receive.
