Given Avowed's emphasis on the metaphysical conceit of the soul and the Dreamscourge (fitting Pillars of Eternity storytelling), it should really come as no surprise that the metaphysical poets of the 17th century influenced the game to some degree. These poets focused on conceits and the spoken element of delivery, not the lyrical quality. This is embodied in Avowed companion Marius, whose entire concept revolves around a quote from John Donne's Devotions: "No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main."