Horizon Zero Dawn: The Red Raids Explained
The Carja play a central role in Horizon Zero Dawn, helping Aloy in her quest to fend off hostile machines and defeat HADES. However, the tribe and its leadership did not always act so benevolently. Before Avad’s rule as the 14th Sun-King, the Carja were responsible for one of the bloodiest campaigns in recent history: the Red Raids.
Though not featured during the events Horizon Zero Dawn, the effects of the Red Raids are very much felt as Aloy traverses the world. Other tribes, particularly the Nora, are mistrustful of the Carja, and even those in the Sundom lament their bloody history. It all stemmed from the 13th Sun-King and his obsession with bloodshed and sacrifice in the name of the sun.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Story Behind Aloy's Vantage Points
Jiran was the 13th Sun-King of the Carja tribe, and he had inherited a strong military force from his father, the former Sun-King. He then further strengthened Carja forces by sending soldiers to the northernmost region of the Sundom — a place known as the Sandwhisper Valley, where they were to train amid fearsome sandstorms. These trained soldiers would become Kestrels, who then served as Jiran’s personal guards. In fact, Helis was among the first to rise to the title.
With such a strong military arm, the Carja tribe easily defended against hostile tribes. Even the Derangement of machines posed no threat to them — at least in the beginning. Jiran and his forces managed to protect the Sundom and its people from the deadly machines. Thus, the 13th Sun-King was lauded as a strong leader. However, Jiran would come to believe that the only way to stop the Derangement and appease the sun was through human sacrifice. Thus, he ordered his military forces to go forth and invade other
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