Avowed Food Theft Quest Guide: How to Handle the Hungry Farmers Dilemma

Yo, fellow Envoys! Let's talk about one of the first real moral gut-checks you'll face in the Living Lands of Avowed. It's not all about slaying Dreamthrall and uncovering ancient secrets, you know? Sometimes, the biggest challenges are the human ones. I was just exploring around Fior mes Iverno, minding my own business, when I stumbled upon a farmer named Sielo Piannini who looked absolutely desperate. Dude was practically on the verge of tears, and let me tell you, in a world as harsh as this, that's saying something.

He's set up his farm directly east of the southern entrance to Fior mes Iverno, but it's not blights or angry wildlife that's got him down this time. Nope. It's bandits. Can you believe it? Some lowlifes made off with months' worth of his family's food stores. We're talking about survival here, not just a minor inconvenience. He points you north, towards a stream, saying that's where the thieves likely went. Honestly, my first thought was, 'Alright, let's go teach these jerks a lesson.' But oh boy, was I in for a surprise.

So, I followed the stream west of Fior mes Iverno, past the creepy Abandoned Farms, all the way to the northernmost point. And what do I find? A cave. Not just any cave—the Riverside Cave. And guess who's holed up inside? The rebels from Dawnshore! Yeah, those rebels. This is where your choices from the main story come back to haunt (or help) you. Remember Ygwulf, their leader? How you dealt with him in Chapter 1 totally changes the vibe here.

• If you let Ygwulf go: The rebels are... kinda hospitable. They're not throwing a party for you, but they'll at least talk.

• If you didn't: Well, let's just say the atmosphere is a bit more tense. 😬

Inside, I met Erlinn Matishell and Ortrud (who mostly just stood there looking tough). After some talking, they fessed up. They're the thieves. But here's the kicker—they feel terrible about it! Erlinn explains they have a whole battalion of people to feed, and they're desperate. It's a classic 'greater good' dilemma: one farmer's family vs. an entire rebel group fighting for... whatever they're fighting for. She straight up said if she has to choose, she'll choose her rebels. Man, talk about a heavy choice.

🤔 The Big Decision: Who Do You Help?

This quest basically gives you two paths, and neither feels 100% 'good.' It's all about who you think deserves the food more.

Path 1: Side with Erlinn & the Rebels

You basically tell Sielo, 'Sorry, buddy, the food's gone.' He gets super upset (obviously) and tells you to get lost. It's the peaceful, non-confrontational ending, but you leave a family to starve. The reward? 289 EXP. Feels a bit dirty, but it's quick.

Path 2: Get the Food Back for Sielo

This is the trickier route. You have two sub-options here:

1. The Persuasion Route (The Smart Play): You can actually talk Erlinn into giving the food back without a fight! But you gotta choose your dialogue options perfectly. Here's the exact sequence that worked for me:

   1. "I’m here for the food you stole from the farmers."

   2. "You could hunt game to survive. There’s no need to resort to theft."

   3. "Give back what you stole, and we won’t have a problem."

   4. "I let Ygwulf escape, didn’t I? I’m clearly not your enemy."

   5. "All I ask is for one more gesture of goodwill."

   If you nailed the Ygwulf choice earlier, this appeal to goodwill can work. She'll reluctantly hand over the supplies.

2. The Violent Route (The Hard Way): If persuasion fails or you're just in a murdery mood, you can fight the entire camp. Fair warning: this is a TOUGH fight. They outnumber you, and some hit hard. It's a serious brawl.

Regardless of how you get it, once you have the food, you just haul it back to Sielo. The poor guy is eternally grateful, and you get your reward: 205 XP.

💎 My Take & Final Thoughts

Let's break down the rewards real quick:

This quest is a masterpiece in showing how Avowed handles choice. There's no clear "good" ending. It's all about perspective and what you value. Do you prioritize the individual (Sielo) or the collective (the rebellion)? Is the rebellion's cause worth a few starving civilians? The XP difference is minimal, so the choice is purely roleplaying.

For me? I talked them down. It felt like the most Envoy-like thing to do—solving problems with words, not swords, and finding a sliver of compromise in a broken world. But I won't judge if you make a different call! That's the beauty of Avowed. Just be ready to live with the consequences. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more of the Living Lands to survive... and more incredibly depressing moral quandaries to face. Wish me luck! 😅

What did you all choose? Let me know in the comments!