Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Community Q&A #14

For the fourteenth installment of their customary weekly community Q&A, the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning’s developers give replies on subjects such as the title’s “fateweavers”, cutscenes, sidequest failures and more. Here’s a generous excerpt:

Can you tell us more about Fateweavers? So far, I think all we know is that Fateweavers can read the Fate anyone with certainty, and alter Fate for a person who has none (at this point in the story, only the playing character qualifies.) What is the general public perception and relative station of Fateweavers? Are they feared and avoided for the most part, or are they respected like an oracle or soothsayer would be?

Are there any spiritual mechanics that prevent a Fateweaver from abusing their gifts to manipulate or become wealthy and powerful? Is the power of Fate alone the energy that fuels their power, or is there a spiritual or godlike source?

Are the Fateweavers’ abilities becoming increasingly less reliable due to the playing character’s disruption of Fate? (And as a result, do certain Fateweavers hate the PC for this reason?) Or, does this mean their visions are equally reliable but can change rather than being static? By Kazee

A: The power of the Fateweavers is not absolute and they are viewed with skepticism by many. Their readings are often murky and metaphorical and often seem to say things entirely different from what actually happens. In fact, many mortals doubt the existence of the Tapestry of Fate at all, since the Fateweavers are the only people that can view it and only the Fateweavers claim absolute knowledge of Fate’s existence.

Fate itself is viewed much in the way that religion in the modern world is viewed: There are some who have an unshakable faith that it exists and guides all mortal actions, while others consider Fate to be a foolish concoction meant to sooth troubled minds in times of crisis. The difference is: Fate’s weave does exist as a quantifiable force that directs and compels the actions of mortals. Although the Fateweavers can see, feel, and tap in to the Weave, even their view of it is often unclear.

During a reading, a Fateweaver taps into the weave and allows the magic of Fate to guide her hand through her focus (most Fateweavers use cards, although the cards themselves vary by order). She then interprets the reading as best she can. A proper reading is always accurate but because the interpretation of the focus is subjective, a Fateweaver doesn’t always interpret things correctly. Among the Fateweavers, the ability to accurate interpret the reading is what separates a good Fateweaver from a bad one.

Although they are the only ones who can see the weave, the Fateweavers do not claim to know who (if anyone) it is that has woven the Tapestry. This is perhaps the greatest issue of debate among them. Some Fateweavers claim that the Tapestry is the product of the eternal struggle between the gods Mitharu and Telogras. Other Fateweavers argue passionately that the Tapestry is born of the natural struggle to force chaotic beings into order. Yet others argue that the Tapestry was set at the beginning of time and is itself, purely random. However, it is all speculation. No one, not even High King Titarion, who taught the first Fateweavers how to glimpse the Tapestry, knows for sure.

The subjective nature of the readings has lead society at large to vary wildly in its view of Fatewavers. Some rulers hold the predictions of the Fateweavers in high regard. In some areas of the world, they are outlawed. Each land, kingdom, and person views Fate and the Fateweavers differently.

In the settlements of the Faelands, and the cities of Rathir and Adessa, Fateweavers are largely accepted and in cases such as Agarth, viewed with affection among the general population, even if their predictions are not always taken seriously. As far as what will happen to them as a result of the Player’s existence? Well, we don’t want to give it all away, do we? By Erik “DoctorSpooky” Caponi, Principal Narrative Designer