#i think i like them best with nora and utaru armor

[kobbers]

K, M, and S for the ask meme?

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

For Horizon, I think this would go to Aloy as the main (though not only!) character who undergoes significant development. I just love how the combination of the plot and world opening up slowly shift her focus from internal desires to external duty. I dig the premise of what Forbidden West was probably going for (wait that's too external, you need to take care of yourself and connect to others), but the execution was pretty lacking, to say the least.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

It's probably a shorter list of named characters I don't want as friends, but for the sake of an answer I'll shout out rocksteady pal Varl. I like to think we'd have a lot in common.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

The Derangement has had variable severity based on the behavior of local human populations. This goes back to HEPHAESTUS' purpose of protecting his sphere of influence. Thus the Carja, who had developed a full-on cultural institution around sport hunting, saw the worst effects in their lands, and saw some of the big nasties first.

Similarly, the Tenakth have a high demand for weapon/armor crafting and viewed the suddenly-hostile machines as another outlet to prove their martial strength, so the machine power creep happened quickly here, too.

The Nora have been spared somewhat by the luck of their local Cauldron's firewall successfully keeping HEPH out, but machines can travel in convoys and he's only bothered to send Sawtooths (iirc) by the point we start the story. I think the Nora mostly hunt machines for materials and safety, the latter of which is a feedback loop after HEPH becomes independent.

The Utaru have been pretty respectful of the machines, particularly the Plowhorns. Their assistance with the field crops project encourages HEPH to leave them be, though this is shifting. Could be the Blight threatening to alter their pacifist behavior, could be the AI's increasing anger toward humanity as a whole.

The Banuk are a special case, because until recently they have been very respectful, but the younger generation is really getting into the idea of machines as challenges to prove their combat and survival skills. There is a reason HEPHAESTUS assumed direct control here first - harsh discouragement, perhaps even punishment if he thinks of it that way.

[robo-dino-puppy]

new facepaints new facepaints!

quen officer (2), quen imperial, and quen light-weaver