Aloth Corfiser

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2

Diplomacy 2
History 2
Insight 2
Metaphysics 2

Engwithan Digsite

The Painted Masks

**Aloth Corfiser** is an elven wizard and one of the companions in *Pillars of Eternity* and *Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire*. Obsessive and dutiful, Aloth can be found in Gilded Vale near the entrance to the Black Hound Inn. If you sort out his little problem with the locals, he'll join up with you. In the sequel, he's found at the Engwithan dig site, masquerading as Engferth, a young animancer.

## Background

Aloth is a 62-year-old slender Wood elf with pale skin and straight, dark brown hair. He is from the Cythwood, part of the mainland of the Aedyr Empire, and brought up in a servile family employed by Aedyran nobility, the Erl of Cythwood.

Although surrounded by wealth and prosperity, young Aloth's home was not a particularly healthy one. His father worked hard as a steward to an erl, but it was his mother who supported their home through a haemneg to another man (an Aedyran institution derived from the human-elf imperial concubinage, allowing for a married human and elf to formalize a relationship, ostensibly for the purposes of politics and administration). Hers was to a landed thayn that was a five day ride away from Cythwood. The income was enough to support her family, but she was away from home most of the time. Aloth's father considered this to be shameful; not only was his wife the primary breadwinner of the household, but her absence led him to believe that she was involved in an affair with the thayn. The rage drove him into alcoholism and frequent outbursts directed at his wife, whenever she was around, and at Aloth in her absence.

Aloth studied as an arcane knight at Bragganhyl Academy, where he hoped to gain patronage and employment by one of the lords, erls, or thayns in Aedyr, with little success. At the academy he was caught up in several illegal animancy experiments, run by a group of novice students known as the *Spellwrights' Gilde*, one of which had left a fellow student in a debilitated mental state. He lost favor after trying to inform instructors about a student-run experiment that would eventually kill a dozen students, though this would later lead to his discovery of the Leaden Key.

### Iselmyr

Five years into his training, his father's beatings came to a head and resulted in Aloth's Awakening. It occurred when his father learned that Aloth was struggling with magic missiles and flame shields. As he kicked his son, curled up in a fetal position on the floor of the kitchen, Aloth retreated into himself. The trauma caused Iselmyr to emerge, taking over his body and filling the parts of his soul he retreated from. Iselmyr lashed out, breaking the father's arm in three places. He never raised a hand against Aloth again.

On his mother's advice, fearing that he would become an outcast, Aloth hid Iselmyr and his awakening. In no small part due to the fact that Iselmyr was an uncouth provincial from a very long time ago (judging by her Hylspeak vernacular). She tended to surface in stressful situations and take control of his body. Worse yet, she acted without thinking, escalating even the most minute of encounters. As such, Aloth developed an almost pathological need for control in every aspect of his life. He dropped his guard in very few instances, as was the case when he avoided a romance with Ymir, a fellow student from the academy that Iselmyr attempted to pursue.

### Leaden Key

During his final year of training, one of Aloth's instructors introduced him to the Leaden Key. He joined because it would provide postings far away from the Cythwood, Aloth's father, and his erl. Additionally, several of his colleagues had abandoned their studies to pursue animancy, which Aloth felt needed to be stopped. The Leaden Key seemed to offer solutions to these problems and Aloth "sincerely believed they wanted to keep kith from the folly of their own foolish ambitions".

Aloth's work in the Leaden Key required espionage. He arrived in the Dyrwood in 2822 AI to observe animancy and its spread in the region. His handler met with him every few months to receive his reports and issue new leads. His last assignment was to Gilded Vale, to keep an eye on the events surrounding Raedric VII. At that point he lost contact with his handler and the Leaden Key, whether due to reassignment, death, or sacrifice of his handler, he doesn't know. By the time he met the Watcher he was on his own for several months. He joined the Watcher seeking direction, correctly surmising that they were on the trail of the Leaden Key.

### *Pillars of Eternity*

Aloth often voices his concerns over animancy. He is initially strictly opposed to its practice, viewing it as an affront to the gods. But, he becomes conflicted during his travels with the Watcher.

Aloth doesn't initially disclose his ties to the Leaden Key. However, the Watcher opens his eyes to their true nature and their activates related to Waidwen's Legacy. He reveals his relationship to the group after the Animancy hearings. At which point, the Watcher can decide to either forgive Aloth for his secrecy or banish him. This choice affects his ending. If the latter is chosen, Aloth's story unceremoniously ends; finding himself with nowhere he feels he belongs, he decides in his desperation to head to Eir Glanfath, where he tracks down one of the ancient machines, ending his life by sacrificing his soul to it. Should he remain with the party, the Watcher's influence (see Endings) on Aloth expresses itself in his ending slides.

The Watcher can choose to help Aloth come to terms with his awakening during his personal quest Two-Sided and later influence his choice to either accept or suppress Iselmyr (see Iselmyr resolution).

### 5 Year Interlude

The choice he made at Sun-in-Shadow defined his life over half a decade. Aloth visited Aedyr for the first time in years, visiting either his father (if he favored authority) or his mother (if he favored autonomy) and comes to terms with their actions.

If Aloth did not suppress Iselmyr, they come to an agreement where she can partake in battle.

Aloth focused on his goals with the Leaden Key. His drive to help kith as strong as ever. However, after having followed someone else's lead for so long, the task proved to be more challenging than he thought. As was the case with a little village in Old Vailia, where influence from a past heretical cult had left the village with a practice of ritual bloodletting.

* ***If he decided to dismantle the Leaden Key***, Aloth thought to end the ritual by assassinating the tyrannical priest who presided over it. So he arranged for the priest to have an 'accident'. The villagers took the death as an ill-omen and began bloodletting every single week, turning on neighbors for giving too little... villagers began to die.
* ***If he decided to lead the Leaden Key***, Aloth thought to end the ritual by inserting a new ruler. He "adjusted" some of the deeds pertaining to the ownership of the land. However, the comtessa who inherited the land did nothing to stop the blood letting ritual. Even worse, she taxed the villagers to pay for a new plantation and conscripted half of them to defend it.

He decided to track down an ancient and remote Leaden Key sect in the Deadfire Archipelago so he could observe their workings and use that knowledge for his goals. For this purpose he created the persona of Engferth, a talented pupil with a tragic past, to ingratiate himself with the Vailian animancers at Port Maje. Since animancy is a subject of interest to the Leaden Key, he figured this would lead him to the sect.

### *Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire*

The Watcher meets Aloth at the Engwithan Digsite outside Port Maje. Aloth may have earned a few new scars, but he's no worse for the wear. He asks the Watcher to help him find the ancient Leaden Key sect known only as "The Painted Masks".

Aloth reveals he struggles with feeling responsible for the incident in Old Valia. After investigating the mysterious sect, the Watcher either convinces Aloth that he isn't responsible (allowing him to continue is work) or that he is responsible (causing him to drop his pursuits). See Deadfire endings for more info.

## Interactions

### *Pillars of Eternity*

#### Companion

* Aloth is the first companion you can recruit. However, if you don't recruit him before the animancy hearings (thus starting Act 3) he will leave Gilded Vale and become unrecruitable.
* He is first and foremost a powerful wizard, making him one of your highest sources for damage. However, his focus on magical firepower has left him less than optimal for melee.
* The Collector's Edition Guide describes him as "obsessive, detail-ortientated, deferential, instructive, dutiful, imperturbed by violence."

#### Companion quest

* Aloth's companion quest is Two-Sided which can be obtained by speaking to him after completing Never Far from the Queen. Aloth will also open up about his involvement with the Leaden Key after the Animancy hearings.

#### Iselmyr resolution

Although not a factor in Aloth's ending slides, the player can guide Aloth to either accept or suppress Iselmyr. If Iselmyr's favor is 1 or above, Aloth will accept her. If her favor is 0 or negative, Aloth will suppress her.

* The first dialog that affects this choice happens after completing Never Far from the Queen when Aloth first speaks about Iselmyr.
	+ "She seems reckless." → -1 Favor
	+ "Sounds like you could take a few cues from her." → +1 Favor
* The second dialog happens during Two-Sided when speaking with Bellasege.
	+ "You can't let her make these decisions for you." → -1 Favor
	+ "I think she's trying to help you stand up for yourself." → +1 Favor
* The final dialog happens just after speaking with Sîdha and Rîhenwn in Twin Elms.
	+ "I can't imagine having her in my head." → -1 Favor
	+ "She's not that bad" → +1 Favor

#### Endings

Aloth's endings change depending on which trait is higher, Autonomy or Authority. There are several conversations where the player can influence these traits:

* During Two-Sided.
* Speaking with Aloth after completing Two-Sided will provide additional dialog about Iselmyr and his parents:
	+ "Not necessarily. Most people have more sense than that." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "That's true. People are too easily led." → +1 Authority
	+ "She shouldn't have abandoned you like that." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "I'm sure she was trying to take care of you in her own way." → +1 Authority
	+ "Nonsense. You accomplished that on your own, and you would have been fine without him pushing you." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "It's hard to see it at the time, but sometimes pressure is useful." → +1 Authority
* Selecting "As long as you don't forget who's in charge. I'm keeping a close eye on you from now on" after the Animancy hearings provides +1 Authority.
* After speaking with Sîdha and Rîhenwn in Twin Elms:
	+ "Like it or not, she's part of you. And she could be a source of strength if you learn to work with her." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "Your whole life, you've been taking orders. If you can't assert your authority over her, you'll never have it anywhere else." → +1 Authority
	+ "That's how it's supposed to be. You search for answers elsewhere and find them in yourself." **OR** "I've been with you the whole way. I still am." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "Most people need that kind of guidance. You don't." **OR** "You haven't been on your own. I got you through Brackenbury, remember?" → +1 Authority
	+ "I'm sure we'd find our way on our own." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "Let's just hope that's not the case." → +1 Authority
* After speaking with Iovara in the final act:
	+ "Thaos is wrong. Most people are fundamentally decent. Knowing the truth can only make them better." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "It's an outrage! There's no excuse for misleading people like this." → +1 Autonomy
	+ "People need something to believe in..." → +1 Authority

### *Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire*

#### Companion

* Aloth is found at the Engwithan Digsite, posing as Engferth among the animancers. He will rejoin you quite promptly, though before you embark on a dungeon crawl, you can listen to the glowing recommendation he received from Selona and the backstory he crafted for himself in order to ingratiate himself with the animancers.
* If you do not recruit him at the digsite, he will be found in front of Governor Clario's Estate in Port Maje Harbor.
* If you do not recruit him at all, he will make his way to Ori o Koīki, but will be killed by the Wahaki tribe.
* He comes with the unique Keybreaker Scepter or Thaos' Headdress (depending on whether he rejected Thaos or took his place respectively) and his old leather armor, which now has a blue Aedyr sash.

**Class**

* The class options available to Aloth are wizard, battlemage (wizard + fighter), or spellblade (wizard + rogue).

#### Reputation

* Aloth likes:
	+ **Autonomy:** Believes kith should have the freedom to determine their own futures and appreciates efforts that support this principle (if he decided to dismantle the Leaden Key in Pillars of Eternity).
	+ **Stewardship:** Believes in benevolent authoritarianism (mutually exclusive with Autonomy).
	+ **Dutiful:** Admires people who take responsibility and don't shirk the tasks presented to them.
* Aloth dislikes:
	+ **Irresponsibility:** Finds it distasteful when others do not take their duties seriously or attempt to evade their rightful responsibilities.
	+ **Pride:** Is put off by people who proclaim their own merits in defiance of all decorum and decency.
	+ **Traditional:** Is wary of traditionalism for its own sake and distrusts those who adhere rigidly to old habits and rituals.

#### Relationships

* Xoti and Maia's dutiful approaches results in a natural increased reputation for Aloth.
* Tekēhu's carefree attitude and hubris greatly vex Aloth.
* If Aloth became Grandmaster of the Leaden Key it causes some negative reputation with Edér.
* The Watcher can romance Aloth if your reputation is 2 and you pass a dialogue check (give Aloth his space).

#### Deadfire endings

Aloth's endings change depending if he feels responsible for the consequences of his actions or absolved. The endings are decided in one of two ways:

* Choosing a specific dialog option at the end of The Painted Masks. This will outweigh his absolution or responsibility traits, unless you let Aloth decide for himself.
* If you don't complete the quest, or don't decide for him, whichever trait is higher (given during certain conversations) will dictate his ending.

## Statistics

**Note:** This section applies to *Pillars of Eternity* only!
### Bonuses

**Attributes**

* +1 Dexterity (Race: Elf)
* +1 Perception (Race: Elf)
* +1 Resolve (Culture: Aedyr)

**Skills**

* +2 Lore (Class: Wizard)
* +2 Lore (Background: Gentry)
* +1 Mechanics (Class: Wizard)

**Abilities**

* Arcane Assault (Class: Wizard)
* Distant Advantage (Race: Wood elf)
* Second Wind (Athletics > 1)

### Initial points

Aloth's initial skill, talent, and ability distribution depends on the level of the Watcher when he is first added to the party, but only if the "Auto Level Companions" option is checked in the difficulty settings.

With auto-levelling enabled, companions will be levelled following a preset point distribution. The player is still free to distribute points into whatever skills, abilities, and talents they desire when a companion levels up, and they may be completely retrained at an inn. Aloth always starts at a minimum of level 2 (the stats above are before he joins the party).

With auto-levelling disabled, companions are not levelled, and the player may choose their own point distribution. Aloth starts at level 1 with the requisite experience to level him up to the current player level or level 2, whichever is higher.

## Behind the scenes

* Aloth was written by Carrie Patel.
* He is voiced by actor Matthew Mercer, who also voices Edér.
* Aloth has the unique background "Gentry", which is not available to players. It provides him +2 Lore.
* Before PoE 1.03, Aloth had the following Attributes: Mig: 12 Con: 10 Dex: 11 Per: 16 Int: 16 Res: 13.

## Gallery

* Early concept
* Aloth in his unique Leather armor.
* Icon of Aloth's unique Leather armor.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pillars of Eternity Collector's Edition Guide, pg. 120
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Two-Sided
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ymir
4. ↑ *Until He Started Screaming*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 POE1 dialog after the animancy trials
6. ↑ Iselmyr says, *"Aye, he lets me in on the bashing, and I leave him the jawing."*
7. ↑ http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/74557-companions-who-wrote-what/#entry1622138
8. ↑ https://twitter.com/matthewmercer/status/581136312964489216