In Dragon's Dogma, the Bestowal of Spirit is the name given to the process whereby pawns become more like in appearance to their Arisen masters over time, eventually potentially becoming human.
...For you see, I myself was once Arisen. And this girl Selene...was my pawn. The soul of an Arisen cannot but affect their follower. Given time, the pawn will assume the Arisen's very form....But see well Selene. See how she resembles me...
Sofiah
Overview[]
The concept of Bestowal of Spirit is introduced during Selene's questline - it is a natural process whereby an Arisen's pawn becomes increasingly like the Arisen over time.
The process and name of the term are introduced by the ghost of Sofiah at the end of the quest Witch Hunt. Ultimately, the pawn may become fully human through the influence of the Arisen's soul on the pawn. On becoming human the pawn's pawnprint will disappear.
- Selene becomes fully human after the conclusion of the quest Witch Hunt.
- The Fool has become increasingly like The Dragonforged - on the death of the Dragonforged, the Fool remains at Hillfigure Knoll; though still a pawn, they will then appear to claim to be the Dragonforged, though in a confused manner. The Fool describes the process as well, not only a physical change, but a mental one as well :
- "I had a different look the day my master pulled me from the rift. But o'er the ages I have spent together with the Dragonforged change has taken me. His thoughts have come to fill my head, his feelings my breast. In time, even my form has grown to mirror his. [...] Just so, it may be that we pawns come to take the form of our masters."
Notes[]
- It's probable that the Arisen must die for the pawn to become human, since, both Selene and Sofiah state that the process involves gifting of the Arisen's heart or soul :
- [Sofiah] "The bestowal of spirit granted you my heart."
- [Selene] "Gran gifted me a portion of her very soul."
- The process causes the pawn to become like in appearance and manner, but not in age - Selene is much younger than Sofiah.
- The Arisen's Main Pawn becomes human and takes on the Arisen's appearance at the conclusion of the quest The Great Hereafter on the death of the Arisen by the Godsbane. They then fall to the ocean and are washed ashore at the beach at Cassardis and are met by an old friend of the Arisen. It's not known if this is a form of the bestowal.
- It may be that the Selene's questline and the bestowal of spirit is intended to foreshadow this final event. Alternatively, it may be that pawn's transformation is a logical loop, allowing New Game Plus to make some sense lore wise.
- A similar process to the above takes place in the story of Dark Arisen where a consciousness (or a ghost) of slain pawn named Olra possesses and revives the body of an Arisen of the same name. The resulting entity consists of consciousness of the Pawn inside the body of the Arisen, though the original consciousness is still present and takes over during the final cutscene.
- The process does not have any in game effects on appearance over time of the Main pawn.