Cauldron

"The lesson will be taught in due time, Aloy. Until then, we wait." This article contains heavy spoilers. Read ahead with caution.

A typical Cauldron door.

"There's a reason the Matriarchs forbid those places - and not just because they're dangerous. We weren't meant to see what's inside."

―Dral

A Cauldron is an underground facility where machines are built. By overriding their cores, Aloy can unlock the ability to override more machines.

History

Background

Cauldron KAPPA, a semi-submerged Cauldron.

Cauldrons are a series of automated underground facilities used by Project Zero Dawn to build machines to rebuild a lifeless Earth. These facilities were constructed and controlled by GAIA using her subordinate function HEPHAESTUS. At least one Cauldron was designated as a Repair-Bay, intended to repair and maintain machines.

The inhabitants of the New World became aware of the Cauldrons, and that they are where machines are built. A few have attempted to venture inside and discover its mysteries, although few have been successful.

After HEPHAESTUS became an independent entity, it began taking control of the Cauldrons in order to begin also constructing Combat Class machines, and even constructed a new Cauldron itself.

Design

The entrances to Cauldrons mostly feature a triangular structure, sometimes guarded by a very bright energy barrier. The interior consists of dimly-lit hallways made up of thick cable-like material, and very large chambers with several elevated, dark-colored platforms, connected by a series of bridges that can only be crossed by overriding a nearby port, or in Cauldron RHO's case, a giant wheel mechanism. The interior is also littered with black and white pyramid-shaped supply crates and medicinal fungi. Entrances between different chambers also feature a triangular structure. Countless drones and magnetic rails carry resources between different parts of the Cauldron. Paths between different chambers sometimes open into natural caverns.

At the very back of each Cauldron is a core situated lower than the ground level. This room features several control towers and triangular doors, likely opening into machine-manufacturing areas. The core itself is pillar-like and retracts into a hole in the ground, guarded by a dome-shaped energy barrier, itself surrounded by two crane-like structures that protrude from the ceiling. Cauldrons also feature recycling rooms with giant melting pots, where machine parts are melted down to be reused. One particular Cauldron, RHO, features a Blaze processing chamber with a giant mechanical 'heart' that pumps Blaze through 'veins' to locations unknown.

In Horizon Zero Dawn, Cauldrons created machines by weaving them out of light. However, this was changed in Horizon Forbidden West as it felt too magical.

Known Cauldrons

Cauldron IOTA

Cauldron KAPPA

Cauldron MU

Cauldron RHO

Cauldron SIGMA

Cauldron THETA

Cauldron XI

Cauldron ZETA

Repair-Bay TAU

Cauldron CHI (inactive)

Cauldron EPSILON (destroyed)

Cauldron GEMINI (inactive)

• Cauldron PSI

Unidentified

Horizon Zero Dawn (comic book)

Amadis and Talanah discover the Cauldron

An unidentified Cauldron is seen in the third issue of the comic series. It is evidently capable of producing Apex Clawstriders, and may also be a Repair-Bay.

Horizon Steel Frontiers

An unidentified Cauldron is located in the Deadlands.

Other Cauldrons

A map of the Cauldron network is shown during The Eye of the Earth, focusing on North America, with South America, Europe and north Africa visible. The same map is brought up again by Sylens during Singularity, briefly focused on Africa before turning towards South America. While difficult to count due to the angle and quality of the map as seen, it appears that the number of Cauldrons on various continents and countries (going by Old World names) number roughly:

• at least 120 on the African mainland,
• at least 101 on the North American mainland and the islands of Canada,
• 86 in South America,
• at least 28 on the European mainland,
• at least 20 in the Arctic Sea,
• 10 in Greenland,
• 2 in Madagascar,
• 2 in the Bering Sea,
• 2 in the United Kingdom,
• 1 in Hispaniola,
• 1 in Newfoundland,
• 1 in Turkey,
• and an indeterminable amount in western Asia.

Notably, according to this map, there appears to be no Cauldrons in the Atlantic Ocean, Hawaii, Iceland, Italy, the Mediterranean Sea, or the North Sea, nor what can be seen of the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean. Additionally, there are none in the Embrace.

Gallery

The Thunderjaw in Cauldron ZETA.

The entrance of the Cauldron ZETA.

Concept Art

Concept art of a Cauldron.

Concept art of a Cauldron at night.

Concept art of a Cauldron by Erik van Helvoirt.

Cauldron tunnels and Blaze room.

Magnetic rails and 3D printer.

Rock formations.

Overgrowth.

Core room.

Storage room.

Recycling room.

Concept art by Lloyd Allan.

Cauldron signal

Animated material artwork by Erik van Helvoirt.

Cauldron entrance concept

Entrance animation concept.

Cauldron core sculpts by Erik van Helvoirt.

3D printer and Core sculpt.

Magnetic rail sculpt.

Door sculpt.

Vent sculpt.

Trivia

• The Cauldrons were designed to be unnatural and alien in appearance.^{[citation needed]}
• All known Cauldrons, except one, are named after Greek letters:
  • ε - EPSILON
  • ζ - ZETA
  • θ - THETA
  • ι - IOTA
  • κ - KAPPA
  • μ - MU
  • ξ - XI
  • ρ - RHO
  • σ - SIGMA
  • τ - TAU
  • χ - CHI
  • ψ - PSI
  • The only exception is Cauldron GEMINI, which is named after the zodiac sign Gemini (♊︎) due to having dual cores.
    • The Greek letters not currently known to be in use as a Cauldron name are:
      • α - ALPHA
      • β - BETA
      • γ - GAMMA
      • δ - DELTA
      • η - ETA
      • λ - LAMBDA
      • ν - NU
      • ο - OMICRON
      • π - PI
      • υ - UPSILON
      • φ - PHI
      • ω - OMEGA
• Cauldrons MU, IOTA, CHI, KAPPA and the cut Cauldron were all named by Dennis Micka. These names were picked as when placed in level order (the aforementioned order), the first letter of each Greek letter spelled out his last name. However, this was somewhat ruined by one of the Cauldrons being cut. The only Greek letter to begin with A is Alpha (α), meaning "Cauldron ALPHA" was likely the name of this cut Cauldron. This is further evidenced by Cauldron CHI at one point having this name.
• In the Horizon Zero Dawn Collector's Edition Guide, Cauldrons are stated to give data about all machines manufactured at that site, however, this appears to be untrue as Cauldron SIGMA produces Bellowbacks, but doesn't give data for them, and all Cauldrons have machines within them that they don't give data for.