#I have a pic of Sylens saying that but I don't have time to grab it rn

[horizonzerodawnaesthetic]

Thank you for finding those lines! I'm always too caught up in the moment to ever mark anything down, even by my fourth playthrough. Oops this is long af, cut time.

I had also completely forgotten about Laulai and her family, I was actually writing the words "there's no mention of having a father among any Banuk" when I remembered her whole thing. And I hadn't thought about how her family/Werak must stay in the region in order for her to play. It may be for specific ceremonies though. She also mentions that her father played them to rally warriors during the Red Raids, which of course kept a steady number of Banuk at the border (Song's Edge) to defend their lands and people.

Also I realized I forgot to mention something in my last reply, but you touched on it a bit! It seems you are not born into any Werak, you have to test into them. Now, some tests may be as simple as being able to take down a watcher or provide the ingredients for a simple goat stew, but you still must pass in order to enter a Werak, no birthrights here. I wonder if there's a specific age in which children are considered adults and expected to test into the Werak that raised them or another group? Similar to the Proving of the Nora. Of course Banuk can leave their Werak to join another, it seems to be as culturally significant as leaving your job in modern day (every now and then is totally fine, but it would probably be a little sus if you're constantly moving Weraks).

I love that you found that line about true Banuk being closer to machines, I hadn't even thought about that when I wrote about machines having utility beyond their parts. I was drawing off symbiotic relationships between animals and humans throughout history. Perhaps Snapmaws break the ice to reveal the lake water underneath -not providing water for the Werak, they can melt ice to drink- bringing in local animals the Banuk can hunt for food.

That's really cool that you found some lines about Weraks getting together beyond politics and war parties, I bet there ain't no party like a multi-Werak party!

Back to the courting rituals, I 100% agree that it would be based on gift giving. I also think it's less of a public event such as a wedding, and more of an agreement between the two people. Though I'd imagine there would still be an announcement of some kind. I think bluegleam is the perfect choice for a truly dedicated proposal, I don't remember anything about it being Shamans only (Ourea's apprentice tells Aloy to take some from the Shaman's path, but I see that it just happens to be there and she may as well take some) and Banuk hunters are notoriously bad at carving machines. Perhaps larger or more pure pieces are more sought after. Though I wonder if their gifts would be on the more practical side? A spear inset with bluegleam, rather than a necklace of some kind?

Also, I remembered that the Burgrend specifically says the Banuk burn their dead (when they can recover the bodies). Obviously this comes from the fact that you can't really bury people on a glacier or in snow, but I wonder if there are more spiritual reasons for it as well? The idea of coming from warmth (the mother) and returning to warmth (the pyre) as an example. I'm just spitballing here, it's not really related to anything else it's just a bit of Banuk lore I remembered.

And about the H3 thing, When talking about Aloy's ability to override machines, Sylens says that it's not far from Banuk Shaman tactics (WHAT?!? Geurilla explain PLEASE) so I would love love love to see that come into play in the future. Also I feel that the derangement must have shaken the Banuk faith to some degree, and perhaps they Conclave is splintering and there's turmoil in Ban-Ur (come on Geurilla just let us 5 Banuk fans write your next game) which would be cool (although bad for them) to see.

Headcanon time! Banuk edition

So we already know that there are many many different Weraks within the Banuk tribe. We also know that they all have their own way of going about things, with different levels of intensity. The White Teeth (the werak associated with Ikrie's questline), for example, is very strict about the survival capabilities of its members, as new recruits must be able to survive four days and nights alone on a glacier. It's doubtful the White Teeth are the only werak with these ideals.

So with that in mind, that leads me to this question: what happens to the babies? Now it's fairly simple to imagine that a member of these weraks who could not keep up with the extreme lifestyle would either be ostracized or die trying to keep up (and in some cases left to die). But I feel that a baby would be treated (slightly) differently. Yes, a child is incapable of many of the actions required by the werak they were born into, but they have the potential to grow. Their weakness isn't a failing at this point, it is an inherent aspect of children which (in the eyes of the werak) can be overcome. I doubt many weraks would leave infants to die (though it's not unheard of) and that's where this headcanon comes in.

It is a common occurrence (at least to the degree that it isn't considered strange in Banuk culture) that the children of these extreme weraks are left in the care of other weraks. Some may know their heritage, others may not, depending on their birth parents and the werak that raised them. Should they wish to become a member of their parent's werak they are usually just as welcomed as any other Banuk.

Some weraks have many of these orphaned children because their land borders that of several extreme weraks. This may even become a part of their identity. Other times there may be only one due to one or both of the groups being nomadic. I believe the extremist weraks would want to be rid of a child as soon as possible, if a nearby werak recently had a birth then they're in luck, they won't have to wait for the infant to be weaned off of milk if they are able to pay the mother to raise the child. Otherwise they will have to wait.

Additionally, the parents of the child could be shunned by their werak as well. Obviously such a werak is no place for children, but people are people and sometimes babies happen. If the child becomes a large burden on the werak, I could see both parents being shunned until the problem is solved. (There's also something to be said here about how childbirth isn't something you just bounce back from and go back to roughing it on a glacier, but this headcanon is about orphans.)

Long story short, it isn't uncommon for weraks to raise the children of these extreme weraks. Many of these kids will remain in the werak they were raised by, some not even knowing they weren't born a part of it to begin with. Others will strive to join the werak of their parents, even if they don't know who they are. And yet others will feel abandoned, not feeling as though they belong to either werak. They might choose to strike out on their own or join a completely different werak.

A/N

WHYYYYY don't we know ANYTHING about Banuk family units??? do they even stay with their parents or is it a group thing??? literally the only people who mention having alive family is Ourea and Aratak and they're siblings. Do parents actually raise specifically their kids or is it like a whole gaggle of moms and dads working together on shifts? Are there weraks that function as giant daycares/boarding schools? I'm just trying to make some sense out of all this. One thing is for sure though: the White Teeth are not gonna keep kids around but kids are still gonna happen. That's life (literally).