Avowed: How Watchers Could Play a Role in the Lore

gamerant.com:

It's been almost two years since the first announcement of Avowed, a new first-person fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. In that time, very little information about the game has been released, forcing fans to theorize based on the original trailer. Fortunately, Avowed is set in the same world as Obsidian Entertainment's Pillars of Eternity series, giving several important clues to the theme and lore.

The Pillars of Eternity games are isometric party-based RPGs, which can be played either with real-time or turn-based combat. Despite this, Avowed has been announced as a first-person RPG more in the vein of games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This change of format won't affect the world of Eora however, and players can still expect Pillars of Eternity's unique blend of late-medieval weapons with magic and soul essence. The soul-manipulating art of Animancy is a prominent theme in both Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, and there are no individuals more of interest to the science than Watchers.

Avowed is a Big Project for Obsidian Entertainment, But It Might Not Be the Biggest

The Watchers of Eora are rare individuals gifted (or cursed) with an extraordinary ability to look into the mysterious In-Between and perceive the soul energy there. This ability allows them to both read the souls of living people, but also to see the lost souls that often wander the lands of Eora like ghosts, trying to find their way to an adra pillar where they can be reborn. In combat, the Watcher can use soul energy to buff themselves or weaken their enemies, gaining several unique powers that are outside the normal class system.

Watchers aren't born with their unique abilities, and must undergo some kind of soul trauma