Gildun is a minor character in Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds and Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores.
Gildun is the author of a datapoint found in Horizon Forbidden West.[1]
History[]
Background[]
Gildun grew up in the Claim, the son of two delvers. His parents often brought back items they had salvaged from the ruins. One time, his mother brought back an ancient "looking glass" (an Old World mirror), an experience that he would remember fondly. As Gildun grew older, he would follow in his parents' footsteps.[2]
While he has fond memories of her, it seems Gildun had a poor relationship with his mother, as he mentioned that she left because she didn't like him.[3] He seems to have had a better relationship with his father, who liked to call him 'Gildling', and taught Gildun how to delve, although Gildun disagreed with his father's attitudes towards delving.[2]
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds[]
Gildun in Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds.
While delving into the ruins of Greycatch, Gildun thought he noticed another looking glass in one of the storage rooms. In his efforts to enter the storage room, he accidentally damaged the control mechanism for the floodgates, causing the facility to flood. Gildun ventured further into the facility in hopes of fixing his mistake. Unfortunately, a rusting bridge inside began to collapse under his weight. In panic, Gildun retreated back, abandoning a ring to the door's locking mechanism, which he had taken with him, to the waves. However, the door had closed behind him, trapping him inside.[2]
Gildun was found and rescued by Aloy, who had come to the ruin to investigate the sudden flooding of Deep Din. Gildun explained the events that led to the present moment, and convinced Aloy that the storage room would contain the parts needed to fix the mechanism. Gildun led Aloy to two sluice gates, which would lower the water level enough to locate the ring. Having deduced that each gate required two people to operate, he and Aloy worked together to lower them, reducing the flooding enough to locate the ring, allowing them to access the storage room. Much to Gildun's disappointment, the looking glass had been nothing more than a trick of light, and was actually an Old World alarm clock. However, he managed to brush it off. After replacing the control mechanism's power cell, Aloy gave Gildun the honor of reactivating the control mechanism.[4]
Parting ways with Aloy, Gildun chose to spend some time in Song's Edge (before completing For the Werak) before spending some time in Longnotch (after completing For the Werak).
Sometime between Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds and Horizon Forbidden West[]
Leaving the Cut, Gildun eventually wandered to the Forbidden West, where he hoped to delve the ruins of "a gargantuan levee" (the ruins of the Hoover Dam). However, he ultimately abandoned the effort after surveying the site, believing the dam to be impossible to safely loot and unlikely to contain treasures of much value in the first place. Before moving on, Gildun left behind a scroll, reminiscing about his failed delve, as well as his prior exploits with Aloy at the Greycatch, near the Spinebreak's eastern entrance. In it, he also declared his intent to head south to a place known as the "Burning Shores".[1]
Sometime before Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores[]
On his trek to the Burning Shores, Gildun came across some other Oseram on their way there, and he joined them.[3]
After reaching the Burning Shores, Gildun found a ruin to delve, but didn't want to do so alone, so he went back and told Olvar about the ruin. Unbeknownst to Gildun, Olvar caused him to fall off their raft into the water, stealing his precious looking glass, and continued on without Gildun. After washing up on the shore, Gildun continued on back to the ruin, but became trapped behind a locked door after carelessly pulling a lever.[3]
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores[]
Aloy eventually finds Gildun, freeing him from behind the door. Elated to reunite with her, Gildun asks for her help in finding Olvar. As they journey further into the ruins, it becomes clear to Aloy that the falling overboard had been orchestrated by Olvar in an effort to steal Gildun's looking glass, which Aloy is able to recover from Olvar's dead body, having been killed by Burrowers that were drawn to him by his explosives.[5]
Gildun hugging Aloy after being given a Focus.
As Gildun obliviously laments the loss of who he believed was his only friend, Aloy tells him she's his friend and gifts him a Focus so that the pair can remain in contact with her, as well as get in contact with GAIA and the others at the Base. Touched by her gesture and excited by his newfound ability to perceive the holograms of the ancient ruins, Gildun is left speechless as he hugs Aloy, and presents her with a gift before sharing another fond farewell.[5]
Outside the ruins, Gildun can be found exploring the holograms on his Focus, having been given a map by GAIA, leaving him unable to decide where to go next.[6] GAIA also mentions that Gildun has been making the most use of the communication function on the Focus than anybody else.[7]
Personality[]
Gildun is an energetic and good-natured man, albeit somewhat bumbling and careless. He is incredibly talkative, often regaling his stories of delves and his family to anyone who will listen (and many who won't). Gildun considers the joy of delving to be the adventure that comes with it, rather than the bounties at the end.[2]
However, beneath his exuberant exterior, Gildun is acutely lonely and is genuinely worried about spending his whole life alone, having never had a lasting friend. Gildun, in an unheard of situation for him, and was left speechless by the kindness Aloy showed him by giving him a Focus and letting him know that she will always be there for him, prompting him to instead give her a hug.[3]
Gildun appears to have a particular fear of Snapmaws.[4][3]
Associated Quests[]
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds[]
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores[]
Trivia[]
- Gildun can be found in Song's Edge after the completion of Waterlogged and again at Longnotch during and after Firebreak.
- Gildun is one of the handful of people to have interacted with GAIA. However, he appears unaware of her nature as an AI.
- Gildun has a pet crab named Garun, but has since misplaced it.[3]
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Concept Art[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Dam Shame
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dialogue with Gildun in Waterlogged.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Dialogue with Gildun in A Friend in the Dark.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Waterlogged
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Friend in the Dark
- ↑ Dialogue with Gildun after completing A Friend in the Dark.
- ↑ Dialogue with GAIA after completing A Friend in the Dark.
[]
| Oseram tribe | |
|---|---|
| Merchants | Abadund - Danur - Hakund - Handa - Larend - Milduf - Mystery Boxes Merchant - Raynah - Runda - Thurlis |
| Tribe members | Arnuf - Asera - Bajund - Beladga - Belna - Brageld - Boomer - Burgrend - Corend - Delah - Dervahl - Dorgeld - Dorund - Elkend - Fernund - Garnund - Gera - Gildun - Gilvarn - Hakurt - Jelda - Jorgriz - Jorund - Kaeluf - Karhn - Kendert - Keruf - Korduf - Korl - Korvend - Lokuf - Lora - Lorund - Lunda - Luf - Marsa - Menuf - Minda - Morlund - Odund - Odurg - Ohlgrud - Ohtur - Olin - Petra - Porguf - Radel - Ragurt - Ralert - Rasgrund - Salma - Silga - Stemmur - Thorden - Tolland - Ulvund - Varga - Vilgund - Volma |
| Vanguard | Aldur - Erend - Ersa - Fendur - Joruf - Telga |