#or shellwalker?

[hzdtrees]

Valleymeet

[robo-dino-puppy]

coastal calm

[mr-jaybird]

miniature of the day: daemonic shellwalker

[admiralkrafto]

[ayaitch]

Don't know why, but this dead Shellwalker has a grumpy bunny face on it.

[west-tokyo-incidents]

redesigning torment and like not to make him even more of an urgot rip off and not to like engage in carcinization of my own characters (Become Crab)

but like what if Torment had like. spidery legs.

[thatbeeagain]

i hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sonyi hate sony

[ravensilversea]

The heck is this “Max number of traps/tripwires placed”? If I can’t turn a narrow passageway into a death trap, what’s the point of having traps

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 31

Mother’s Crown

Left Mother’s Crown before first light, riding north toward the Grave Hoard. I came across a Nora hunter taking a beating from a Bellowback and its Watchers. Pierced the beast’s sacs to set it on fire as the hunter dealt with the Watchers. He wasn’t particularly thankful; to him I’m still the motherless girl. Well, if I ever see him struggling again I won’t bother stopping. 

My mount was destroyed by the Bellowback so I had to go on on foot. Sunrise through the ruins of Devil’s Grief. Climbed a ridge to avoid a large Shellwalker convoy.

Another Nora hunter in distress, stranded on a rock mound while a group of Watchers took shots at him from the ground. He had the decency to be grateful when I saved him. 

The lands grew colder fast, snows falling thicker as I went. Thankfully I came upon a Strider herd on the edge of the drifts, but I broke cover and got kicked to the ground. Ice everywhere, and this outfit is too exposed. I should buy myself some Banuk furs first chance I get. 

Traded with a merchant I found at a small campsite, then set off on my new mount into the deep snows. 

Further north I found the Banuk camp that Vilgund, that gambler in Meridian, told me about. The rumour he told me was true—I was expecting it to be an exaggeration, but the machines were completely docile, as if they’d been overridden. From what I’ve heard about the time before the Derangement, even then the machines weren’t so calm. They would spook when hunters came close and try to protect themselves, but these ones just stood there, listless and quiet. There was even a Ravager. Hard to let my guard down in this place. 

I spoke to some of the locals, picking up some warmer Banuk garb along the way. I met Tikuk, a Shaman of the camp. He told me about how he found a dying Thunderjaw in this place, which even as it fell silent remained calm, blue-eyed. As other machines gathered to harvest it, they fell under the same trance. He gathered other Shamans here to study what he calls the machine song, the language of the spirits of the blue light. I’ve never heard of a tribe who reveres the machines as they do. Tikuk and all the other Shamans I spoke to shared the blue cables threaded through their skin. Was Sylens a Shaman then, long ago? Wonder if he wore the big hat too. 

I spoke to a huntress who was resentful of the docile machines. She’d chased a Ravager into the area only to watch the fight leave its body. A strange attitude, but I could sort of understand. Whatever was happening to the machines, the Banuk were just as clueless as I was. 

My Focus picked up a signal from higher on the mountain behind the camp, one that all the machines were receiving. I took a climbing path to reach it, passing a pair of docile Glinthakws on the cliff’s edge. Not as scary when they’re not spewing ice. 

I found a couple of Oseram delvers tied up by their excavation gear, shouting at their fellows. Must be Vilgund’s men. I freed them and they told me how they’d objected to their boss’ orders to dig out an Old World artefact to sell for scrap. If the Oseram were going to destroy whatever was sending the signal, then the Banuk were about to be in trouble. I raced down the path of the Oseram’s excavation site. 

I was too late. Their hammers and picks had already damaged the device beyond repair, and the calming signal fell silent. The Oseram didn’t seem to care, they were just worried I was trying to steal their bounty. They cleared out quick when I threatened to make them.

The device had been emitting that signal for twenty years, calling out to the mountain below. Something in its log about detecting a corrupted piece of code. I guess the code told it to flee, or the corruption made it flee…maybe to protect itself? Could it be the same corruption infecting the machines and the door inside All-Mother mountain?

I couldn’t stay to investigate, just collected all the data it could give me before its life fizzled out. The screams of clashing hunters and machines were already sounding from the encampment, so I leapt from the mountain and joined the fray. I concentrated on the Ravager, keeping it off the other hunters as they took on the smaller machines, using what was left in its cannon after downing it to finish them off.

Thankfully no one was too badly injured. Tikuk was shattered though. Seems he’d found a safe haven here on the edge of the outlands. The Banuk leaders are reacting to the worsening conditions of the world in their own cruel manner, casting out those who won’t follow the changing ways. Some of the people here were hoping to escape that fate. 

Vilgund won’t be pleased, not that I care. Whatever secret was found here, it’s lost now. Nothing to sell, just a new mystery.

I found another painted climbing path nearby with a figurine at the summit, then rode east toward the Grave Hoard. Ran into a group of bandits hounding a Banuk huntress along the way. I helped her turn the tide and take them out.

Riding north, I left my mount behind and climbed a road of rusted vehicles in the shadow of a frozen Horus. At the top I found more Banuk flags and beacons, along with a climbing path. Must be the way to the Cut that Ohtur told me about. If I don't find the answers I need here, I plan to make the trip.

More Eclipse and corrupted machines patrolled the entrance to the Grave Hoard. Shows I’m on the right track—maybe Hades has his soldiers searching for Elisabet's weapon here. I took them out and explored the ruin.

Old projections scored the walls: Operation Enduring Victory. From the frozen corpses preserved in the ice, curled up where they fell under the Metal Devil’s might, I think the name was more wish than fact.

Exploring the ruins of US Robot Command. By the time the Faro machines spread across the world, there were no robots to command here, just people. Their bodies remained here at the site of their final battle, along with the recordings and personal logs—messages for loved ones that never left the walls. Their commanders forced them to keep the truth of their battles a secret so the others of the tribe wouldn't grow hopeless. These soldiers moved from village to village, putting weapons in the hands of their people and leading them in an attempt to hold back the swarm. It was never a question of defeating them, only delaying their passage onto the next city, and the next, eating everything in their path.

The soldiers lit the waters on fire, set off explosions powerful enough to levels mountains and cities, poisoning the lands beyond repair just to slow the spread of metal death. Did Elisabet's weapon come too late? Even the soldiers here didn't know what project Zero Dawn was.

Here is where they finally fell. I suppose it's the equivalent of Mother's Watch—the last barrier of defence. The home of their War Chief and ranks of metal-armoured Braves.

Late in the night now, though I'm far below where any light could reach. Resting while I can, but there won't be any sleep tonight. I can hear the Eclipse blasting further on, carving another path inside.

[thessalian]

Thess vs The Armour Contest

There's always something in these side quests...

Okay. Finally found the stitcher in the Thornmarsh-- waitwut.

I mean, you have gorgeous armour that I must have, but you have even better armour. I just ... need to kill an Apex Dreadwing first. Okaaaay...

Upgrades for the gorgeous armour first-- Aaaaaaaaand I need to murder an Apex Dreadwing and a Slitherfang for the best upgrades. Good thing I'm pretty sure I trip over one of those in the next bit of main questline...

Right. Finally going to finish this last bit of Danur's salvage jobs. Hoping to find some campfires or something on the way. A few accessible points on the far west coast would be good to have.

None yet, buuuuuut Apex Acid Clawstriders in my way. Slow-time aaaaaaaaaand ... BOOM. I do not believe I forgot that mechanic for so long. Or that I did so well without it.

Okay, here we are. So I have to ... let the Spikesnouts reinforce the Behemoth ... and then kill it? Huh. Okay. That means ... not quite out of hiding, but hit someplace damaging but not one-shot kill. And ... here we go.

...Wow. Okay. This armour really is the best for stealth. And I got my bits. The one shot I used to take out the Behemoth even did massive damage to the Spikesnouts, so won't take much to finish them.

Right. CAMPFIRE.

...Shellwalker convoy! ...Convoy of one, but never mind.

Two campfires, two Shellwalkers, and a shelter later, I'm back over to Danur. Oh, you want me to see the competition? Cool; I can do that.

.........I have no idea what I'm going to do if they make me pick. Because something is going to go wrong--

Ah. So the problem is "Keruf is attempting to scam all of you". NOT ON MY WATCH, ASSHOLE.

So ... they all piece their designs together to make the best of all possible worlds, Keruf pays them all a portion of the winnings for the new design, and ... I get the armour as a selling point? Well. There it is. Thanks, guys. I could not have chosen.

Now, going to settle down near where I know a Dreadwing site is. I ... should get an Apex one eventually, right? Plus I need Stormbird too.

But for now, work.

[thunderjawsandlightning]

COTM Bingo (aka we're frothing at the mouth for lore and meta implications)

*EDIT: included new squares (indicated with *)

**Edit: strikethrough squares that did not occur in-game

Three days out from the release of Call of the Mountain, and one of my friends will very kindly be streaming their gameplay, so to have some fun alongside the exciting new gaming experience, some friends and I from the niloy-hell discord have compiled some things to stick into a bingo card! Feel free to generate a card with this BingoBaker link.

**For obvious reasons, if you get a card that has contradictory fulfillment requirements (i.e. Urid lives/ dies) go ahead and generate another card. Remember, it's all just for fun!

For a bit of clarification on the squares:

Free space: game is gorgeous (pretty self-explanatory).

Fight [x] enemy

Fight a Watcher

Fight a Charger

Fight a Grazer

Fight a Lancehorn

Fight a Scrapper

Fight a Broadhead

Fight a Glinthawk

Fight a Trampler

Fight a Shellwalker

Fight a Bellowback

Fight a Ravager

Fight a Longleg

Fight a Sawtooth

Fight a Snapmaw

Fight a Thunderjaw

Fight a Stormbird

Fight a Behemoth

Fight a Stalker

Fight a hostile Oseram

Fighting bandits

Gameplay

Given a Focus from Aloy

Can override machines

Accidental fall to death (player)

Waterfall views (scenic vista views)

Spelunking in Old World ruins

Climbing tools have durability

Old World holos (interacting with Old World devices)

Team-up with Urid (cooperative efforts with Urid for combat or puzzle-solving)

dies to Thunderjaw (player dies during combat)

dies to Stormbird (player dies during combat)

flying on Stormbird (on its back or in its claws) *

exploring off the path (player exploration) *

Narrative

Fall down a waterfall (narrative)

"Keep steady now. " (Ryas talking to himself)

Chasing after Urid (Urid sent out on the same/ similar mission before Ryas)

Ryas' bow has a name

Don't kill the Stormbird

Machines are docile

Toppling a statue of Jiran

Grumpy old man Ryas (attitude or words towards other characters)

Ryas has a family (i.e. a wife and/ or child/ren)

Visit Ryas' home settlement (expicit mention of "home")

Urid lives

Urid dies

Ryas lives

Ryas dies

Flashback with Itamen (spiriting away Itamen and Nasadi from Meridian)

Ryas face reveal

Blood relation reveal to a known character (anyone previously met in Horizon media)

Guardian figure Stormbird (Stormbird is protecting something and initally non-hostile to the player) *

Ryas swears (full swear word or cut off) *

Any character says "all aboard" *

Ryas called by a moniker (any character refers to Ryas by something other than his name) *

Character & Location cameos

Janeva appearance

Sunstone Rock visit (flashback or present-day)

fucking DeRvAhL (appearance or mention)

Banuk appearance (tribe member)

Nora appearance (tribe member)

Avad appearance/ mention

Erend appearance

Itamen appearance (present-day)

Nasadi appearance (present-day)

Nil appearance (flashback or present-day)

Nil mention

Travis Tate mention

Nil name reveal (true/ birth name reveal) *

[robo-dino-puppy]

horizontober 2023 | 7: pass

[thepandabrain]

LEGO and Horizon Zero Dawn fans, rejoice! A new developer video has revealed epic LEGO builds of the Sawtooth and Shellwalker. Perfect for collectors! #LEGO #HorizonZeroDawn #legohorizonadventures #legoleaks #legonews

[contrivedchaos]

Anon went and chose my favorite fic of yours!! ❤️ Ikrie is so very dear to my heart. As are CaitVi. 😭 I had honestly wondered about an Arcane/Horizon AU before, but in the other direction. Could you imagine the Hextech that could be created from machine scrap??? Like Vi modifying some Shellwalker claws as her gauntlets?? Or Cait making a rifle out of a Ravager gun?? The possibilities are endless. But the anon also proposes an interesting concept. 👀 Hmmmm.

I actually finished "Put Your Spear Beside Mine" recently and 🥹🥹😍😍😍 absolute masterpiece! 🙌, I really hope one day you do an Ikrie x Aloy during/post Forbbiden West, I'll die screaming like a fangirl

AHHHH OKAY I hope it's okay to assume all these asks came from the same lovely person 😂 but I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed Put Your Spear Beside Mine! I still love Ikraloy so much and I still do hope we'll get to see my fave Banuk babe in a future game!

I will unfortunately say that I don't have plans to write a Forbidden West/Burning Shores sequel for this ship. I have too many fic ideas and genuinely not enough time to write, sadly 😭 but I'm so glad that you enjoyed what I did put out there!!

Re: the Banuk painting in Burning Shores -- I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T FOUND IT MYSELF YET. But I had peeked at what some other people had found, and I feel like it's more likely related to Brin, i.e. MY SECOND FAVE DESERT GREMLIN (he's now #2 after my beautiful Drakka LMAO). I'm still sad that Brin didn't appear in the DLC, but I'll keep my Banuk hopes high, especially since they're my second fave tribe after ye olde Tenakth 😂

Re: Aloy/Ikrie Arcane AU? HOLY FUCK YES AHHHHHHHHH. My mind instantly went to Caitlyn and Vi, and I'm already like -- who would be who?? I feel like Ikrie has the more bold and flirty vibes like Vi, but Aloy is TOUGH AS NAILS like our girl Vi 😂 I'm going to throw this one to the incredibly talented and wonderful @contrivedchaos as an idea to add to his pile, esp. since he's written Cait/Vi!!

Thank you for much for thinking of me when it comes to Ikrie and these two babes together!!

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika xoxo

[mr-jaybird]

great horizon diorama update: little crab dude now has Friend :)

[hzdtrees]

Towards the Greenhouse