The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is filled with stories — both from the old world and the one Aloy finds herself in. Some of these stories are found in the world’s many quests and datapoints. Others, however, are hidden away in the game’s collectibles.
One example of this is found in Horizon Zero Dawn’s Banuk Figures. These are a set of manmade dolls scattered around the map. While it’s easy to brush these off as a regular game collectible, closer inspection reveals that the dolls have a story woven into them.
Finding the Banuk Figures in Horizon Zero Dawn
There are a total of six Banuk Figures scattered across the explorable world. They are found near colorful, geometric illustrations painted onto rock formations. As for the figurines, they’re small, wooden sculptures taking the shape of a Grazer. To have an easier time hunting for all the Banuk Figures, the player can buy a special map from any regular merchant which marks the in-game map with the collectible’s locations.
After collecting all the Banuk Figures, the player can give them to Cantarah, a merchant in Meridian, and she will reward them with special Treasure Boxes. Talking to her also reveals why she’s so interested in these collectibles. According to Cantarah, the wooden sculptures were crafted by a legendary Banuk hunter named Arnak.
Arnak was banished from Ban-Ur — the homeland of the Banuk — for killing the chieftain. During his exile, he left the Banuk Figures in locations that reminded him of his homeland. Much later, however, his tribe found that he was innocent all along, and now see him as a wandering hero. Since Cantarah works as a Carja envoy to the Banuk, she’s committed to getting all the figures back for them.
Of course, there’s more to Arnak’s story. Should the player do a little digging, they’ll find that each collected Banuk Figure comes with a letter addressed to Tektuk. These letters were written by Arnak himself and contain his musings as he traveled the world outside Banuk territory. It’s in the letters that the player can find the full story of the lone Banuk wanderer.
The Story of Arnak
Arnak was a Banuk tribesman who lived in Ban-Ur. There, he pined for a woman named Ili, though she did not return his affections. One night, however, Ili consented to spending the night together with Arnak, but this only ever happened once. Despite this, Ili became pregnant with Arnak’s child. Soon after the night with Arnak, Ili entered a relationship with Signak, the chieftain of their group. Though it’s also possible that the two were already together when Ili slept with Arnak.
Regardless, Signak was found dead not long after Ili gave birth to the child. The tribesfolk knew of Arnak’s love for the chieftain’s mate and, thus, accused him of the murder. They stripped Arnak bare and left him in the snowy lands alone to die. The exiled Banuk didn’t perish, however. Instead, he began traveling the world and crafting the Banuk Figures. With them, he left letters to his son, whom he named Tektuk, even though Arnak knew that his words would never reach him.
Years after his exile, Arnak’s Banuk companions decided that he was wrongfully accused. There’s nothing that hints at how they came to this decision or whether it ultimately reached Arnak. Though now, the tribe sees him as a hero of legend in Horizon.
A Man’s Message to His Son
In his first letter, Arnak confesses that he knew immediately that Tektuk was his kin, not Signak’s. He writes that it was “clear as the color of the sky, painted in your eyes, and mine.” The exiled Banuk also laments that the two would never form a bond between father and son. This is why he took to creating the Grazer sculptures and writing the letters — to leave a mark for his Tektuk.
In the following messages, Arnak firmly states that he did not kill Signak. Though, for a time, he thought of doing so. But he couldn’t bear seeing Ili in pain from the death of her mate, so he ultimately decided against it. He also did not speak of her son’s true father as this would likely cause trouble for Ili’s new family. And on the night of Signak’s death, Arnak writes that he was alone in his tent, drunk and dreaming about his beloved.
In one of Arnak’s last letters, he confesses that the desire to perish overtook him during his travels. He lost his will and purpose but stayed alive because of a vision. In this vision, he saw an unending plain covered in snow, with only his son standing there, waiting. Arnak knew that he’d get to see his son again. Thus, he got up again and continued on his travels, brimming with hope.
Arnak’s last letter to Tektuk is the most telling. He admits that while he cherished the night he spent with Ili, she looks back at the memory with dread — “a burning coal of guilt she carried in her belly.” In the letter, he ruminates about what might have happened when Signak was killed. Perhaps he found out that Ili’s son was not his and attacked his mate, who then killed him in self-defense. Arnak laments that he wasn’t there for Ili, that things might have been better if he had killed Signak. If that were the case, then he might have been a worthy mate and a worthy father.
This is where Arnak’s letters end. There aren’t any more Banuk Figures to find, meaning the exile’s fate is unknown. Perhaps he caught word of his tribe’s overturned accusation and made the journey back to Ban-Ur. Perhaps he finally got to meet his son and forge the father-son bond he’s always longed for. But then, it’s also possible that he never did.
The Banuk Figures hide a gut-wrenching tale behind the game’s unassuming collectibles. It also ends in mystery — did Arnak ever get to see Tektuk, or were they simply destined never to meet again? Whatever the case, Arnak’s story is a poignant one that will be remembered by the Banuk for ages.
Horizon Zero Dawn is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
