The sun illuminated through the windows of the Hunter's Lodge in the majestic city of Meridian. Meridian was in a state of recovery after the apocalyptic attack at the hands of the Eclipse, and every citizen was doing their part to aid in the city's recovery, including Sun-King Avad himself. Even foreign tribes such as the Nora and Oseram sent their aid to the city. Inside the Hunter's Lodge, a crowd of Hunters, children and parents alike gathered underneath the ancient Thunderjaw. In front of them was Aloy, a young red-haired Nora Brave and Seeker highly revered among the Carja tribe, because she was responsible for the downfall of HADES. Beside her was Talanah Khane Padish, Sunhawk of the Hunter's Lodge, as well as the one who slayed the mythic Thunderjaw Redmaw. After shaking the hands of the children in front of her, Aloy got herself comfortable on her chair, and saw a young boy looking up at her, awestruck. His mother gently grabbed his hand and brought him back to her side.

"Hush, young one. Listen." The mother told her son.

Aloy smiled at the young boy, and began to tell her story...

I arrived at the Hunter's Lodge, early in the morning before the sunrise, eagerly awaiting Talanah's arrival. I went to the chef, and got my breakfast of berries and boar meat. I found boar meat to be a little bland, but when I mixed it with the berries, it added a little bit more flavor. I looked up to see the sun rising over the nearby mesa. It reminds me of the sacred lands, I thought to myself, as I picked at the boar meat on my plate. Myself and Rost would watch them every morning. I eventually finished my meal, and returned it to the chef. After sitting down, my sunrise viewing session was interrupted by Ligan, the former Hawk who lived at the Lodge. He had an urgent look on his face, and seemed really concerned about something.

"Aloy, do you have a moment?" He asked, with a concerned tone of voice. I got up from the table, and made eye contact with him.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked. Ligan shifted his eyes around the Lodge after I asked him.

"Perhaps we should take our conversation to the upper balcony." He inquired, as he beckoned me to follow him up the stairs. I followed him up the stairs, and looked at the Thunderjaw skeleton.

How Ahsis killed that that Thunderjaw is beyond me. I thought to myself. How he lasted as long as he did during the fight against Redmaw eludes my understanding even further.

We arrived at the balcony a few moments later, with the sun halfway up in the sky.

"What is your great matter of urgency?" I asked with urgency, as I placed my arm on the balcony's railing. Ligan looked over to me, with that same look of concern on his face.

"Hm?" I said, still looking at him.

"I know you were awaiting the arrival of Talanah this morning." He replied.

"Yes I was, but that doesn't answer my question." I replied back to him. "What is your matter of urgency?"

Ligan frowned.

"My matter of urgency involves Talanah. She went missing last night."

My jaw dropped, and I gasped, covering my mouth.

"Sun-King Avad wishes to speak with you in the Palace of the Sun. He knows more." Ligan continued. "It would be best not to keep him waiting."

I placed my hand on Ligan's shoulder.

"Thank you. I will go speak to him right away." I replied, as I left Ligan and walked down the stairs.

I exited the Lodge and walked through the core of Meridian. I smiled at all citizens who were doing their best to help the city recover. As I approached the Carja guards guarding the long pathway towards the palace, they moved their pole arms, allowing me to pass. Walking along the bridge was long and commanding, but the view of the areas surrounding Meridian was well worth it. At the end of the bridge, a familiar face greeted me. None other than Blameless Marad. He flashed a smile towards me.

"Greetings, Aloy." Marad greeted. "Radiant Avad wishes to speak with you about an urgent matter. He is waiting up the stairs."

Marad extended his arm towards towards the stairs to his right. I nodded my head as a sign of thanks, and began to ascend the stairs. After ascending a second flight of stairs, I met Avad himself sitting on his throne, watching over his city. His ceremonial robes remained uncreased, until he got up from his throne. He smiled upon seeing me.

"Greetings, Aloy. It is good to see you again." Avad greeted me, with a bow of his head. I bowed my head back to him, and smiled. I turned my head to accompany him in looking out over Meridian, with the Spire towering over the city in the horizon.

"A heartwarming sight, isn't it?" Avad asked, as he stroked his chin. "It is astounding to see all tribes working in unity, to help rebuild our ravaged city. But, there is a matter that has been concerning me."

"What might this matter of concern be?" I asked, with a concerned tone of voice. "Does it involve Talanah?"

A sad look came across the Sun-King's face.

"Yes it does." He replied. "One of my Elite hunters came back with the news that Talanah went missing on a routine hunting expedition last night, and hasn't returned. I summoned you up here to ask a favor of you. Would you look into her disappearance, Aloy?"

"I'll do what I can." I replied back without hesitation, with a reassuring nod of my head. He nodded his head back with approval, and a heartwarming smile. I descended back down the way I came and walked past Blameless Marad, who was keeping an eye on the young Itamen, Avad's younger half-brother. As I was walking across the bridge to the main city, I got thinking.

I should pay Avad's elite hunter a visit. Perhaps I should return to the Lodge and see if he is there.

I began my walk back to the Lodge, to search for Avad's hunter. Upon entering the Lodge, I spied a man, sporting similar armor to mine, but with armor covering his midriff. He had his helmet off, and crying. I approached the table and sat in front of him, moving his pitcher of beer off to the side. He looked up, and saw me sitting in front of him.

"What can I do for you, fellow hunter?" He asked between sobs.

"I'm looking into Talanah's disappearance. Sun-King Avad told me you could give me some insight into what happened last night on that hunting trip." I inquired.

After wiping away his tears, he straightened himself up in his chair.

"All right, hunter. I will tell you what I know." He said. He then cleared his throat.

"Last night, Talanah led us out north past the Cut Cliffs, to a nearby Longleg site. Upon our arrival, we were ambushed by what looked like Utaru tribesmen. They took out our hunting party, only two of us survived. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was two Utaru dragging Talanah away with with her hands cuffed."

He began to sob again, and wipe tears out of his eyes.

"Who knows what they are going to do to her!"

I placed my hand on his shoulder, as he continued to sob.

"Thank you for telling me what you know." I reassured the hunter. "I will look into her disappearance, and bring her back to the Lodge. To Meridian."

He smiled through his tears, and waved to me as I walked out of the Lodge.

I walked through the city, and after a lengthy jaunt, I made it to the bridge outside of the city. After crossing the bridge and hiking up the hill to the Cut-Cliffs, I turned around to take in the view of the city and its surroundings. I smiled, as the view warmed my heart. I turned back around, and continued to make my way towards the Longleg site, where Talanah went missing on her hunt. I ultimately made it to the site.

It seems the Longlegs were startled, and haven't returned to their grounds. Perhaps I should start investigating.

I turned on my Focus, and had a look around. Upon activating it, I noticed that it picked up a few items, which looked like arrows, and a helmet. I approached the arrows, and examined them. They had exotic yellow feathers on the shaft, and were painted with green and white stripes.

Utaru arrows. I thought to myself. I must bring these arrows to Avad.

To my right, I saw the helmet of a Carja Hunter Lodge Sunhawk, with a delicate golden chain on it. I walked over to the helmet, and examined it.

Talanah's helmet, followed by a trail of blood and tracks to the north. I've got to bring my findings back to Avad.

I picked up the helmet, and began my trek back to the city of Meridian. Just as I began to take a couple of steps towards Meridian, I heard growling from behind me. I loaded up three hardpoint arrows into my striker bow, and turned around to see a Sawtooth lunging at me. I quickly fired the hardpoint arrows into the underside, and quickly rolled to my left. As I got up, I noticed the underside components had been torn off. I quickly loaded up three more hardpoint arrows as it lunged its large, lanky arms at me, as I dodged each potential blow. As the Sawtooth reared up on its hind legs, I fired the three arrows right into its heart. Bolts of electricity danced around the body of the beast, as it fell to the ground, dead.

I dusted myself off, and continued to walk towards Meridian, with evidence of Talanah's disappearance in hand.

As I was winding my way through Meridian, many Carja were stunned to see Talanah's helmet in my hands.

"No! The Sunhawk is dead!" A man cried in the market.

"What could this mean for the Lodge?" An older woman asked. "Fall into the hands of a savage Nora?"

I rolled my eyes as I approached the Palace guards. They moved their axes and let me pass. I nodded my head as a sign of thanks. I looked over to my right to see Marad still keeping a watch over the young Itamen. I proceeded up the stairs, and found Avad sitting on his throne. Upon seeing me, he looked down at the helmet, frowned, and looked back up at me.

"Welcome back, Aloy." Avad said, in a hushed tone. "What have you discovered?"

I held up the helmet. Avad took it out of my hands, and took a look at it.

"The helmet of a Sunhawk." Avad stated, as he pulled out tufts of black hair. "This is Talanah's helmet."

"I found it beside a pool of blood." I replied. "I also found this arrow while I was studying the site."

I handed Avad the arrow I found. He examined the arrow, and firmly grasped it in his hand.

"This is an Utaru arrow, from the Great Plains of the north, beyond the Sundom." Avad muttered. "What brought them this far south just to capture our Sunhawk is beyond me."

I looked down to the ground, and looked back up to the ground.

"I will go to the Great Plains, search for Talanah, and bring her back to us." I said to Avad. Avad gave me a stern look, and looked up to the sun in thought, and then looked back down at me.

"If the Sun commands it, then so be it." He stated, as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "I task you, Aloy, to go to the Great Plains, search for our Sunhawk, and bring her back to us."

I smiled back at him.

"I will. That much I promise." I replied, with confidence. I began to walk away, down the steps, but a voice stopped me. I turned around.

"May the Sun light your path, Aloy!" Avad shouted. I nodded my head, and continued my way down the steps. As I got to the bottom of the steps, Itamen was standing in front of me, with a large smile on his face.

"Bring back our Sunhawk!" He shouted with glee. I gently patted him on the head.

"I will do what I can, little one." I told him, as Marad showed up to pick him up. Marad flashed a smile at me, a thing he rarely did, and grabbed Itamen by the hand, walking up the stairs behind me. I carried on through the city, with people still giving me discerning looks. Nevertheless, after a few minutes of walking, I made it to the elevators at the south of the city. After activating the elevator switch, the door opened for me, letting me pass. Shortly after the gate closed, I was caught off guard by the elevator slowly descending. It was a relatively quick descent down to the village. Upon arrival, I walked through the village, and out through the city gates. I spied a herd of Striders, sifting their heads through the dirt. I pulled out my lance, which was a gift from the enigmatic Banuk man named Sylens. I quietly approached it, using the tall grass as cover. I stuck the override part of my lance into the Strider's side, and began to override it. After a few short moments, it was overridden, and now in my control. I hopped onto its back, and grabbed the reins, and trotted back to the Longleg site.

I arrived back at the Longleg site shortly before sunset. I briefly got off of my Strider, and scanned the area with my Focus. Upon scanning, I observed that the tracks of the Utaru were still here, and beside them were the tracks of an unknown machine. I shut my Focus off, and walked back to my Strider. I hopped back on, and snapped on the reins. The Strider began to trot north, following the tracks.

"Don't worry, Talanah, I'm coming." I whispered to myself, as I began my journey towards the mysterious Great Plains, far away from the Sundom.