Horizon Zero Dawn: A Lore Dive Into The Shadow Carja
The Shadow Carja, specifically the Eclipse, are antagonists in the main story of Horizon Zero Dawn. Though their numbers don’t come close to the primary Carja tribe, they have a strong military arm. Not to mention, they have machines on their side.
That said, to understand what the Shadow Carja stand for and their role in Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s necessary to look into their history. Before Aloy arrived in Meridian, the City of the Sun faced many internal conflicts under the reign of the Mad Sun-King Jiran, and it’s because of him and his son Avad that the tribe has been split.
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Under the 13th Sun-King, Jiran, as well as with many of his predecessors, the Carja tribesfolk lived in relative peace. There had been skirmishes with invading tribes but, aside from these, the City of the Sun was untouched. Neither were there any dire internal conflicts. However, things would change after the Derangement of machines. The machines’ growing hostility spurred Jiran to begin the Red Raids — a bloody campaign wherein Carja troops raided other tribes for human sacrifices. Jiran believed that these offerings were the only way to appease the sun and calm the machines again.
Not everyone was happy with Jiran’s brutality, including his own sons. Prince Kadaman and Prince Avad were against the Red Raids, and when Kadaman tried to reason with his father to stop them, Jiran had him sacrificed as well. Upon learning this, Avad fled from the Sundom to Oseram territory, where he began gathering allies. After some time, he marched back to Meridian with a band of Oseram warriors and Carja followers, then usurped the throne from his father, killing him in the
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