#Architecture: Utaru

[horizon-series-details]

A while ago, I stumbled upon an abandoned Utaru settlement placed between The Oldgrowth and Plainsong. It’s unnamed, and only has a fast travel point, so I went ahead and marked the location on the map.

I originally came here to talk about some of the ways Utaru display plants, and since this location isn’t actually coded in-game as a settlement, that means I actually have full camera control and can get lower to the ground where needed. I wanted to talk specifically about these pots, but that may be for a later date, as it occurred to me that I haven’t actually talked about this place yet.

As I begun looking for any sort of clues as to what this settlement could have been, I started picking up on some things. One of them is these- I had assumed at first glance that they were more elaborate plant holders, however, compared to the ones from Riverhymn (Right), they actually may be closer to ovens or furnaces

While I was exploring other settlements, I noticed something. The unnamed settlement (left) is one of the only two that has a room like this. The only other one I found was located in Plainsong (right), where it seems to be used as a means to display offerings, likely for the Land-Gods.

My original thought was that it was actually an earlier version of Plainsong due to the similarities with the offerings room and the location, but some quick research, as well as a few things I found in the area quickly shot that idea down. Despite that, I can’t shake the feeling that it has some sort of connections to Plainsong specifically, perhaps an expansion was planned? Or alternatively, due to the close proximity to it, maybe it was part of the Oldgrowth, just from before the events of Forbidden West.

[robo-dino-puppy]

plainsong walkways

[tare-otome]

Stone's Echo 2/2

Thoughts: I want Zo's perfect complexion lol. The Utaru architecture and decoration is so warm and earthy, i love it so much. I love their relationship to the Plowhorns, they are my sacred cows.

[madameocotillo]

Playing Horizon: Forbidden West for the first time (I KNOW), wizard high, and CANNOT STOP MARVELING at the insane Utaru basket-woven buildings & floors & furniture.

I had no idea before today that that was an architectural feature that I could aspire to having IRL, it's simply gorgeous

[coreypettengillconceptart2]

One of the big challenges I'm going to face with my Major Study project is finding cohesion between the disparate elements of the world I'm trying to build. Because there will such a huge divide between economic classes in my project, there will naturally also be significant differences in their aesthetics. While making these differing designs I want to make sure they are in communication with each other. That way I can make something that feels like one world with divisions, and not a menagerie of conflicting designs, like we saw with the game Concord.

To try and help with that I decided to take a look at some concept art for Horizon Forbidden West. The Horizon games manage to balance the futuristic designs of robotic animals with designs for cultures that don't understand technology, and forbidden west goes on to introduce a new batch of high-tech/high-society characters.

Among the new factions in Forbidden West who occupy different spaces on this spectrum are the Zenith (Left) and Quen (Right). Comparing character designs from these factions done by Ilya Gilitsyn I stared to notice the way color palettes, and repeated shapes, can help connect them. Whites and blues are not only prominent in both these disparate cultures, as well that of the familiar PC Aloy. The larger forms of both are broken up with curving lines and organically shaped holes. Similar enough to connect but unique in ways that communicate something about them. The seafaring Quen sport woven fabrics and softer blues, while the advanced Zenith are sleek and guilded.

In Forbidden West the Quen's understanding of advanced technology is somewhat above that of the other cultures of this world. So they sort of act as a point between the Zenith and others. This is also shown in their designs which also bare familiarities with characters we are more accustomed to. My project will be broken up into the haves in the sky, and the have-nots on the blighted land, then the Pirates who are not rich, but are in the sky. So it may be possible for me to find elements form the other two to implement into the pirates to help bridge that gap.

Looking at Rutkowski (left), and Potums' (right) environment designs I also noticed shapes from the characters carrying through here. The designs are also further connected by having the Zenith buildings exist among others. Even having some more primitive cities built on top of high tech, pre-zenith structures. This might be another technique I could implement by mixing architecture on the pirate (sky) island. Or having islander outposts present among surface settlements. A post made by Karakter Studio displaying Rutkowski's work also contains a video highlighting the 3D model used as a bases for the designs of this environment. While the model is intimidatingly extensive it also seems like a way forward for my own work. I've experimented with 3D in limited capacity, and if I dive deeper into kit-bashing it should prove a valuable tool to find ways to integrate surface and sky architecture.

Golitsyn, I. (2022). Horizon Forbidden West - Zenith Character Concept Art. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/PeND8B

Golitsyn, I. (2022). Horizon Forbidden West - Quen Character Concept Art. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mzl4JY

Karakter. (2022). HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST - Utaru village. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/6bQB80

Noel, J. (2017). Aloy costumes concept art, Joseph Noël. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/L986v

‌Potums, O. (2022). Horizon Forbidden West - Far Zenith Base. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/qQYe3D

Rutkowski, G. (2022). HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST - Utaru village. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/eJZnAZ

[shawad-photography]

A Look at the Western Wilds

By Shawad Photography

Forward

I love people. Above all else, I truly do love people and all the myriad ways they come to exist. I love the fact that every culture around the world has their own dance, their own style of dress and architecture, their own games that they play. People today are divided by all kinds of silly things, including such concepts as invisible territory lines or ownership of certain ideas or thoughts, but what delights me overall is that, despite our best efforts, we are united by so much. I see that. Whenever I look at people, I see first among them their dazzling humanity, flavored so beautifully by their individual fashion, customs, behavior, and so on. The next thing I see is whatever they deem appropriate to show me. And what an honor it is, to be given the privilege of such intimate insight into the life of another so far outside your own. Even among those we might count as having lived fairly similar lives to our own, there is still and always will be immeasurable hidden nuance to their experiences. These infinities of experience both highlight the differences between two individuals and, perhaps paradoxically, draw us closer together in terms of the things we all do as people.

That is how I see the world: full of beautiful, expansive, and limitless ways for a person to be a person. Thus I began my mission to try and translate this wonder I feel to any audience curious enough to engage with my work.

The inspiration to document the lands of the infamous Forbidden West started first with one Savior of Meridian, the Nora Seeker Aloy. When she saved us from certain doom on that darkened day that the Shadow Carja struck, what blossomed within me soon after could be described as nothing lesser than divine revelation: I was born into this world to change it for the better, much like selfless Aloy did. However, how was one to go about changing the world? Unlike Aloy, I had not the body of a warrior. As a Meridian native, I was raised on the scholarly pursuits befitting a nobleman of my social class. It was a work I dearly loved, but in time my curiosity outgrew the stagnant scrolls of our magnificent libraries. I could not be satisfied on rampant rumors and baseless gossip alone. No, the urge within me to experience the truths of that which we knew little about, and the even greater urge to prove to my fellow scholars that we separate tribes have more in common with each other than we think, prompted me to petition Aloy as my guide to the Forbidden Lands of the Untempered West.

Part 1: Aloy

My Key to the West

As mentioned above, I formally petitioned Aloy to be my guide for my expedition into the west. Although I will not go into the details here, let us just say that Aloy is not an easy woman to reach. I was lucky she agreed to accompany me at all. As much as she might exude an air of barely-concealed tolerance for all the shenanigans political and social pressures push onto her, I trust that, deep down, much like me, she has an innate desire to treat all with the same respect as is given her.

"Aloy...only ever posed for a picture once. This was when the camera was new and novel to her, making it an interesting phenomenon to play with. After I revealed the finished pictures to her though, she soon lost interest in my work, claiming it did little to benefit our world. In reality, I think she was perhaps self-conscious of her teeth, because afterward she smiled very rarely in my presence. Though that could also be attributed to her brusque and forthright nature."

- Excerpt from an interview with Shawad Photography

"When traveling with Aloy, there was always this sense of apricity with her…the same feeling of the sun warming one’s skin during winter."

Part 2: The Utaru

The Simple Life

Tales from the West are usually sensationalized around the Tenakth tribe, renowned for their violence and enthusiasm for war. Seldom does news of their quite diametrically opposed neighbors, the Utaru, leak through. While on my journey to document the peoples and cultures of the west in their natural environments, I was as pleased as I was baffled to discover a nation of peaceful farmers who refused to eat meat living next to one of the most ruthless tribes in the known land. The Utaru know enough of warfare to defend themselves if the need arises, but for generations they have struck a truce with the Tenakth that somehow results in them being left alone. If only such peace accords could be had in our own crowded city of Meridian!

Unfortunately, the period within which we arrived was not a good one for the Utaru. A blight had swept through their lands, shriveling up their food supplies and poisoning what little fresh growth they could make blossom in the sickly soil.

The tenacity of the Utaru people is nothing to sneer at—certainly one must have tenacity when neighboring with one of the fiercest warrior tribes to ever exist—but I wondered, as I watched them scurry to salvage what little crops they could rescue from the torrential downpour, if they were perhaps starting to regret their reliance on stalwart tradition. Because in order to be an Utaru, one must reject other food sources such as those found in fishing or hunting. Though, in hindsight, it probably would not have served them much better, as the animals that swam in the poisoned rivers and ate the withering crops grew infested and sickly themselves. No doubt there was little they could have done to escape their grievous situation.

"When that which we pride ourselves upon fails...what else are we left with but the rawest realization of ourselves?"

Hidden Strength

It would be careless of me, as a self-proclaimed illuminator of truth, to leave the audience with the impression that a nation centered around peace cannot prosper. The Utaru, after all, have prospered for many a healthy generation. Furthermore, they have learned enough from their warfaring cousins to find ways to defend themselves if need be.

During my stay, I was given the unique opportunity to observe their trained warriors in a live demonstration of their warcraft: bows, spears, clubs, machetes, and more. Much how a tree bears the scars of its youth, the Utaru people have learned from their own history the basics in tactics and weaponry. And, as it turns out, farming equipment can be quite deadly in a pinch!

Unsurprisingly, the Utaru are keenly skilled in the art of weaving. Almost everything they build, they make out of plant material: their clothes, their architecture, their figures of worship. When once I asked if they made some weapons out of plants as well, a farmer looked me dead in the eyes and announced, "Of course. Petrified fruit makes for the deadliest of clubs." Only later was I informed that this was a joke.

Part 3: The Tenakth

As Human As You or I

At last we come to what I'm sure many of my readers are looking forwards to the most. Contrary to all the gossip, I was not forced to drink blood or fight wild animals to amuse my subjects. If anything, the Tenakth seemed relieved when I announced that my interest in them was purely academic, a kind reserved exclusively for peaceful communication and education for all. The Carja's unfortunate history with the previous Sun King and his Red Raids have made the Tenakth rightfully wary of any foreigners, let alone those clad in Carja armor. But with Aloy's help, and with much embarrassing gesturing to my own, poorly-muscled figure, the Tenakth deemed me non-threatening, and afterwards had much to show me.

Although I am more a photographer than an academically-appointed anthropologist, I feel the need to address the comparisons between "us" and "them." First and foremost, the Tenakth are no more brutal and bloodthirsty than we Carja are. We have had our gruesome wars, our insufferable infighting and classicism. Many Tenakth go through the same. But similar to us, Tenakth rear their children with love and fierce determination. They engage one another in games of sport that also teach them valuable life skills necessary to survive in the harsh desert where they live. Many share the bonds of brotherhood and kinship that go beyond that of blood relations, banding together in groups of "soldiers" that startlingly mimic our own clubs and factions within Meridian, such as the Hunters' Lodge. Ergo, it is my wish that if you must read my words with room for only one new enlightenment today, it is that people, no matter how different and frightening they may seem, often go through many of the same trials and tribulations as you do. So approach that which you fear with kindness, curiosity, and respect. A little goes a long way, in my experience.

Inked Histories

Most Tenakth had never seen a Carja that was not engaging with them in battle. Many were curious about me, as well with my photography equipment. It took me several long hours of associating with them before they would stop glancing awkwardly at the camera. Soon, I became as much of a hindrance to them as any stray vulture might be.

While I was there, I was approached by some Tenakth who expressed their desire for literacy. For Tenakth, they write the deeds and histories of personal achievements on their bodies, engaging in elaborate tattooing rituals year-round. Unfortunately, as one Tenakth put it, when they die, their histories die with them. This is different for us privileged Carja in Meridian, who have the benefit of scrolls to record our long and complicated histories far more accurately than any word of mouth surely could.

Architectural Design

Notice the difference between Tenakth achitecture and, say, the Utaru's. While the Utaru employ rounded shapes conducive to their traditional art of weaving and fabric-making, the Tenakth prefer sharper angles, with jutting teeth and jagged geometry. When considering the cultural values of each tribe, it becomes apparent why they made these aesthetic choices. For the Tenakth, “might is right.” The Tenakth, made up of three smaller sub-factions called “clans,” have waged war with each other for centuries, as part of a traditional competition to see who is strongest and therefore deserving of the most respect. It only makes sense that they would design clothes and architecture around an intimidating, armored approach. Have you ever felt the sting of a porcupine? Likely you haven’t, because you have seen the creature’s spikes and known instinctively to stay well away. The same applies to the Tenakth.

On the other side of the spectrum lies the Utaru. One of their strongest cultural values is the honor and worship of the natural circle of life. Each Utaru carries a person seed pouch on their person at all times, so that when they die, their body may become the fertilizer for new life. These circular, organic motifs are present throughout all of their beliefs, language, and aesthetic choices, including but not limited to their own style of dress and architectural design. [] Understanding and appreciating differences like those I have shown in this comparatively brief photo series is key to becoming more open, well-rounded people. This series was never meant to shock or exaggerate; there are plenty of sensational articles available today that will achieve exactly that. Instead, by looking past our perceived differences, I hope to show the world the overturned rock of wonders that reverberates throughout all human life and culture. United, we are, through the very same things we often claim separate us.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I hope to instill in my audience the same sense of wonder, curiosity, and appreciation for the diversity of the human experience. What a privilege it is for me to not only experience these delightful experiences of human variety, but to get the chance to communicate that wonderment to those who might not have otherwise interacted with something so far outside their comfort zone. I only hope my construction of the images, narrative, and overall composition of this project ends up effectively achieving my goals for this collective. Most importantly, I hope you have enjoyed this journey to the West, and carry the sense of amazement with you when you next explore something unusual or different to your experiences.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the help of my Meridian patrons, the Oseram Delving Guild, and of course, my fiery-spirited and good-natured wilderness guide Aloy. May the sun always light the path of everyone who worked hard to make this dream project come true.

[xasadnerdx]

me, viciously trying to claw my way out of the shackles that horizon has me in so I can be interested in overwatch in time for the archives event

[row-of-roses]

Utaru architecture/aesthetics 🌿

I noticed in Riverhymn a woman collecting honeycombs from these hanging baskets and people collecting water from the river to water the flowers - love the details in this game 🥺

[system-threat-detected]

Hello yes this is my gut reaction post to the new Horizon Forbidden West trailer. Ya know, besides the crying and dying. I will not be freaking out about the new machines here, that will be reserved for a different post, probably. Story elements and character stuff ONLY!

Anyways. Here we go.

HELLO miss Utaru woman, for some reason I thought you would be in the east and not the west, but I’m glad you’re here anyways. 

Looks like she is having some problems growing her crops because of this mysterious red plant. Who do we know is in charge of mysterious plants? That’s right! Our good friend DEMETER! I’m a little surprised we’re seeing such aggression from this flora-loving subfunction, especially since (I can only assume) it developed Corruption Glaze Root found ingame specifically to combat corruption poison. 

Speaking of subfunctions, who do we know is in charge of the weather? AETHER! It would seem we will be dealing with at LEAST two of the subfunctions we didn’t cover in Zero Dawn! I for one am excited to see how this is handled, since AETHER has always been a little nebulous to me. Maybe we’ll see some kind of airship base designed to help it monitor the atmosphere, or some tall mountain base. That landmass in the right of this screenshot looks suspiciously like it’s floating, but it could also simply be perched on top of something blocked by the scary red plant tendrils. 

Hello there. And who are YOU? Not enough blue to be Tenakth, too much armor to be Utaru, not enough red handprints to be a bandit, though it could be some kind of bandit superclan. Are those cannons on your arms? Whoever you are I love you. 

Are those palm fronds on your shaman friend in the background? I’m excited to meet you. 

Is that halfdome? Are we in northern California, Yosemite? This could be the new tribe’s territory, or possibly part of the Cut. 

But I think I’m going to have to go with a new tribe. Oseram do not dress like this, and they for SURE don’t know how to override machines. (yet)

The Bastard man Sylens has returned!!! And he’s watching something mysterious fall from the sky! What do we know that exploded on launch? That’s right kids! The spaceship Odyssey! In 2065, Elisabet Sobeck sent a message to the other Zero Dawn Alphas that Odyssey failed, presumably destroying everything on the ship, including the Alpha build of APOLLO *eyes emoji*. Could this be some debris from the ship, falling to earth from orbit?

Another theory is that AETHER has some kind of space station in the upper atmosphere, as that is its job. These could be energy bursts from it trying to cause some cool storms, like we saw earlier in the trailer harassing that poor Utaru woman. 

But back to Sylens. Looks like the Bastard Man himself is teaching this new tribe how to override machines. We saw in the end-credits scene that he recaptured HADES, and the red tendrils tell me that HADES is being forced to cooperate with Sylens’ plans, so now Sylens has an army, I guess. We know he’s only after knowledge, but will do anything to get it. So I’m interested to find out what he wants an army for. 

AND he took his lance back from the HORUS processor that HADES was occupying, and the Master Override with it. This scares me. Like a lot. Things are not looking good for the other subfunctions, or Aloy, who now has no way to purge them. Though I suppose since Sylens doesn’t have Alpha privileges, neither can he. 

Thanks buddy, I’m sure that won’t backfire on you or Aloy. My mans likes causing problems on purpose, apparently. 

Hello what’s this? Architecture like we’ve never seen before, or the arms of a Metal Devil. New dungeons to explore, or capital of the new tribe? 

The lightning and aspen trees suggests this is in Yosemite, so my best guess is this is an entrance to the new clan’s territory/their main city proper. I’m loving the painted(?) designs though. 

And of course, the underwater mechanic makes me think that we may run into POSEIDON, but the quick glance we were shown of swimming Aloy gave no insight as to where or what that subfunction might be doing.

In conclusion. I am very very very excited for this game. Sony take my money. 

[horizon-series-details]

Unlike most Utaru settlements, Stone’s Echo is located relatively close to the ground, as opposed to all the others having major noticeable elevation for a good portion of the territory. Stone’s Echo is also the first Utaru settlement players will find, although they can’t actually get in until they wind up there for plot reasons.

It’s interesting to note that they actually have a wall made almost entirely using a technique called “thatching” which is done by layering bundles of dried vegetation such as roots or straw, creating a waterproof layer while still providing protection. This technique is incredibly common in Utaru settlements, especially on their buildings, as it’s a way to provide protection that’s drawn from the land itself.

[horizon-series-details]

These archways are quite commonly found not just at the front of Utaru settlements, but also on roads leading to them as well. This particular one was found on the road leading towards Stone’s Echo, a small Utaru settlement located in the southeastern area of the main map. Utaru architecture is quite fascinating to look at, as unlike all the other tribes, there isn’t much stone or metal, just plants. Everything from the supports, to the decorations, and even the archway itself is made of a plant of some kind, primarily wood.

On a side note here, I love how you can actually see the texture of the wood when you actually zoom in closer to these structures.

[horizon-series-details]

So here we have some shots from two separate hunting grounds. On the top, we have the one located in The Daunt, which is Oseram territory. On the bottom, we have one one located in Plainsong, which is Utaru territory. Both of these play to their respective tribe’s general vibe and combat style.

Starting off with The Daunt, the grounds themselves feature wide open space, allowing the player to charge in. It’s unsurprisingly for the more reckless sort, with the only major strategies coming from things such as the bundles of logs suspended in the air, which can be dropped on machines. The architecture is rather nice though, it’s exactly what you’d expect to see on Oseram territory. If I were to say it has inspiration from one particular settlement, it seems to draw a lot specifically from Chainscrape.

The Plainsong hunting grounds are somehow more complex, and yet, much simpler in design. The real complexity comes in with the actual grounds themselves. The most noticeable aspects are the tall pillars, and then the rope on the central platform. These grant the player an advantage by providing not only higher grounds, but also by giving them a means to traverse without needing to even step on the ground. The shelter is much easier to figure out, as it’s basically your standard Utaru shelter. However, unlike most buildings in the settlements, the roof isn’t thatched, and is instead just large bundles of some kind of wood, presumably something like bamboo or sugarcane, held together by vines.

[horizon-series-details]

Once you are able to access the base, over time, you will find more items left by the different characters you meet and team up with. That alone is a nice little detail, but I wanted to talk about what if we’re going off of the contents, appears to be a compost bin of some sort. What really caught my eye about this bin though would be how it appears to be made. While the idea of a compost bin seems more like something that the Utaru would create, the structure and materials are closer to that of an Oseram creation. The biggest giveaway for this would be the fact that instead of being woven, like most containers in Utaru settlements, it is instead made of wood and held together with metal.

[horizon-series-details]

This bridge is located in Utaru territory, which is quite obvious by the structure and materials used. This particular was found between Cauldron MU and Stone’s Echo, although a lot of bridges in Utaru territory look like this. I do find Utaru bridges quite interesting, solely for the fact that they’re made of the same natural materials that their houses, settlements, and even the occasional shelter or camp is made out of, and yet they’re still incredibly sturdy. It’s implied that they’re all hand-woven, so I can’t help but wonder just how much time was put into these bridges alone

[horizon-series-details]

I took another look at campfires tonight, as I noticed that there are at least two variations of the campfires, and I wanted to see if the one on the left was in all settlements or not. The one on the right is from Chainscrape, it’s the default campfire. This is the one you’re most likely to find in the overworld.

This is one of those details that it took me longer to find than I’d care to admit. When I first noticed the elevated one on the left in Plainsong, I noticed two things- It’s elevated using what seems like a fire pit (which makes a lot of sense considering Plainsong is made almost entirely out of plants and other natural, flammable materials) and that it looks infinitely closer to something that the Oseram would build.

The fire pit itself is made entirely out of metal, which is really only seen in Utaru architecture if buildings or structures are built on top of it. A great example of this would actually be Plainsong itself. Everything is built on top of giant satellite dishes, but very little of the metal is actually used in the buildings or anything in the settlement itself.

[row-of-roses]

Lowland clan tenakth architecture/aesthetics

I'll do a post for the sky clan, oseram and utaru as well - it's awesome how different they all are from each other