The Foresworn could have been so much more interesting, but the writers straight up villain batted them.
Admittedly, Devos deciding the Path was flawed simply on the basis of Utherâs memories revealing an agent of the Maw existed in the mortal realms never made sense. Her knowing that changedâŠwhat exactly?
NothingâŠexcept her arbitrarily deciding by herself to irrationally claim the soul of someone she had no previous connection to, entirely bypassing the Arbiterâs judgement, and straight up throwing him in the Maw on her own authority.
In doing so, she ironically proved the Archonâs point loud and clear about why it is so vitally important for the Kyrians to remain impartial concerning their duty. Because when Devos lost her objectivity, look what happened and then consider the grave consequences of what it could mean if the Foresworn had taken over BastionâŠinstead of impartial arbitrators, souls would have been at the mercy of emotionally unstable Kyrians who could act as judge, jury and executioner and arbitrarily cast them into the Maw just because they were having a bad day or because the soul had the misfortune of being someone they had reason to hate.
In my mind, Devos came across as excessively irrational and far more bloodthirsty than she had any right to be. Being sympathetic to Utherâs plight is one thing, using that as an excuse to suddenly decide on a violent full scale rebellion and a pact with the Jailer is entirely another.
There was no greater depth to the rest of the Foresworn either. Rather than being sympathetic, they became nothing more than violent a-holes who killed their kin when they werenât forcibly brainwashing them to their side.
Devos didnât even have a realistic much less altruistic goal for why she created the Foresworn. Take over Bastion by force and thenâŠwhat exactly? Souls were still flowing to the Maw without the Arbiter and she didnât seem to have any real plan for changing that situation.
The whole thing was just badly done and very much looked like a product of lazy writing.
In my mind, the Foresworn SHOULD have been sympathetic and, if anything, peaceful and misunderstood outcasts instead of violent rebels.
Uther could have still been the catalyst, but instead of violence, it should have triggered a deep introspection in Devos who began to lose faith in the Path and subsequently disappeared with Uther.
In time, more Kyrians could lose faith over the drought and the fact that souls are being condemned to the Maw despite being innocent and desertions could become more obvious, leading to the Archon becoming alarmed and fearful of what it presaged.
A lack of understanding of the Foreswornâs motives and opportunistic theft of anima and even souls could see the Archon reach the conclusion that they may have been tainted by the Jailer given Devosâ words and could present a threat to all of Bastion, leading her forces to start trying to track them down and crack down more harshly.
Into this volatile situation the player emerges onto the scene and is tasked by the Archon with finding out where the Forewsworn are hiding and bringing them and in particular Devos to her for judgement.
So the player gets to work following clues and trying to track down the Foresworn. As more of the story emerges from clashes between the Kyrian and Foresworn, it becomes increasingly obvious that while there is indeed something different about the Foresworn, they are not violent and seem to be trying to protect something.
After saving a Foresworn from an overzealous Paragon who promises retribution for your actions, your bravery and willingness to save their life sees the Foresworn decide to lead you to Devos herself in hopes her story, through you, might be able to bridge the gap between her and the Archon and preserve the âgreat work.â
You finally are brought before Devos and she thanks you for your kindness before telling her side of the story. She reveals that once she understood the crippling of the Arbiter and the Archonâs insistence on the Path, that her pity for Uther overrode her blind loyalty and she realized something had to be done.
She then reveals the truth of the âgreat work:â she and other Ascended Foresworn have in fact been taking as many souls as they could save from the clutches of the Maw and bringing them to the massive lost Bastion city of Karro-beth.
To the playerâs astonishment, she further reveals the city once functioned as the âpurgatoryâ of the Shadowlands as before the coming of the Arbiter a different system of judgement once held sway in a time long forgotten by most.
Souls used to be judged differently and via a slower process which necessitated such a vast city where the souls of those waiting to be judged would be housed. But upon the ascension of the Arbiter, Devos explains, such a process became unnecessary and so Karro-beth was abandoned and had been forgotten for eonsâŠuntil Devos and Uther happened upon it during their exile.
Seeing the suffering of innocent souls condemned to the Maw shook Uther out of his sorrow and gave him, and by extension Devos, a new purpose: they would save as many souls as they could and recruit as many Kyrians to their cause to do so.
The theft of souls, equipment and anima was all in fact to safeguard and feed the many souls now under their care.
Just then, a Foresworn frantically runs into the chamber yelling about how the Kyrians found them as the doors burst open to reveal the Archon and her Paragons.
The Archon is at first astonished at the re-discovery of Karro-beth and the countless souls housed within, but quickly becomes furious and charges Devos with usurping the Arbiterâs authority and betraying her sacred duty to Bastion. Ignoring Devosâ protestations, she and the Paragons attack.
As the player, Devos and Uther battle against hopeless odds, the souls therein rise up and lend their anima to them, greatly empowering the 3 of them and enable them to fight back.
Finally, Devos stops the fight which surprises the Archon and makes her finally willing to listen. She continues to insist that the Path must be followed lest it lead the Kyrian into temptation as it once led the Jailer to abandon his duty, but Devos states that with the Arbiter crippled, the Kyrian have a responsibility to expand their duties.
They could no longer afford to simply play the role of impartial arbitrators, they HAD to do more. Seeing the many souls saved from the Maw by the Foresworn and moved by the passion of Devos as well as the support of the player and Uther, the Archon finally relents and concedes that perhaps blind loyalty to a system was in fact doing the Jailerâs work for him.
Returning with everyone to Elysian Hold, the Archon announces a new purpose for the Kyrian: they will now serve the cause of justice by ferrying souls to the now restored city of Karro-beth. No longer will they stand idly by, shackled by tradition, as the Jailer usurps the Arbiterâs judgement. Until the Arbiter can be restored, she says, the countless mortal souls will be ferried to the safety of Bastion until such time as they are once again ready for the Arbiterâs judgement.
She then praises the 3 of you, stating that it took the courage and selflessness of 2 mortals and a stubborn Paragon to show the Kyrian a new future and purpose and that their deeds will forever be remembered.
