More than a year after Avowed launched in February 2025, Obsidian Entertainment's fantasy RPG remains a notable case study in how a studio can narrow player choice without narrowing its world. The game lets players create only a human or an elf, a decision that frustrated some fans expecting the race menu of Skyrim or Baldur's Gate 3. Yet Avowed still draws heavily from the deep lore of Eora, the setting it shares with the Pillars of Eternity series, and one of its most distinctive peoples is the Aumaua.

A Semiaquatic People With Deep Roots

According to established lore, the Aumaua are semiaquatic beings who have existed in Eora for more than 20,000 years. They have spread across the planet and founded many colonies, but most belong to two major categories: the Island Aumaua and the Coastal Aumaua. Both share general body types and defining physical features, including semi-webbed hands and toes, pointed ears, and sharp teeth. The clearest visual difference is coloration. Island Aumaua tend to have dark green, yellow, or brown skin, while Coastal Aumaua often display bright blue or green skin.

Two Sub-Races, Two Ways of Life

The names of the two sub-races point directly to their origins. The Island Aumaua come from the Deadfire Archipelago, while the Coastal Aumaua live in towns, cities, and settlements across the coasts of Northern Eora. Although the Aumaua have a good deal of personal agency, each sub-race tends to find itself working in the same occupations from generation to generation. Island Aumaua gravitate toward seafaring work such as fishing or sailing, while Coastal Aumaua often become mercenaries or soldiers.

Sub-race	Common homelands	Typical occupations	Skin tones
Island Aumaua 🌊	Deadfire Archipelago	Fishing, sailing, seafaring trades	Dark green, yellow, or brown
Coastal Aumaua ⚔️	Coastal towns, cities, and settlements of Northern Eora	Mercenaries, soldiers	Bright blue or green

The table helps explain why the Aumaua feel less like a single monoculture and more like a widespread people shaped by geography. Their shared physical traits mark them as Aumaua, but their homelands and inherited trades give each sub-race a distinct identity within Eora.

Mechanical Identity in the Pillars Series

In the Pillars of Eternity games, Aumaua characters receive an inherent +2 Might stat as well as a unique ability based on their sub-race. These mechanics belong to the Pillars series rather than to Avowed's player options, but they remain useful context for understanding how Obsidian has treated the race in its shared world.

• 🛡️ All Aumaua: +2 Might.

• 🗼 Coastal Aumaua in Pillars of Eternity: Towering Physique grants +20 defense against stun.

• ⚓ Island Aumaua in Pillars of Eternity: Armed to the Teeth grants +1 weapon sets.

• 🛡️ Coastal Aumaua in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire: Towering Physique adds resistance to Might status effects.

• 🌊 Island Aumaua in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire: Among the Waves grants immunity to the Slog Zone status effect, which affects movement.

These traits reinforce the idea that the Aumaua are physically imposing and adapted to demanding environments. The Coastal Aumaua's stun resistance and Might-effect resistance suggest a sturdy, frontline presence, while the Island Aumaua's weapon-set bonus and movement immunity point toward a flexible, seafaring combat style.

Kai Brings the Coastal Aumaua Into Focus

Obsidian kept much of Avowed's companion roster under wraps before launch, but Kai emerged as one of the most visible companions. A member of the Coastal Aumaua, Kai narrated the very first Avowed gameplay trailer in June 2023. Much like many members of his sub-race, he has a military background, which he can use to aid the player character in countless battles.

In 2026, Kai remains a recognizable face for Avowed and a clear example of how the game uses non-playable races to enrich its world. The restriction to human and elf player characters may limit the creation menu, but it does not flatten Eora. The Aumaua, with their 20,000-year history, two distinct sub-races, and strong cultural patterns, show that Avowed still engages with the broader diversity of Obsidian's fantasy setting.

For players who wanted more race options, the Aumaua are a reminder of what could have been playable. For world-building fans, they are proof that Avowed continues the Pillars of Eternity tradition of treating races as cultures rather than cosmetic labels.