Outcast

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Teersa: "It may be hard for you to accept, Aloy, but the practice of shunning is, relatively speaking, humane."
Aloy: "Oh, is it? Try it out for eighteen years, Teersa, and then let me know what you think."

Aloy wearing her Outcast outfit.

The term outcast refers to members of the Nora tribe that are shunned by the tribe for breaking its laws.

Overview

When a tribe member is accused of a crime, the Matriarchs are called upon to judge and sentence them. The crimes of an outcast can range from minor infractions like fighting other tribe members, to crimes such as stealing or murder, to entering ruins of the Metal World without the appropriate blessings. Outcasts are given a term for which they are to remain shunned; ranging from a few months to a life sentence.

Outcasts are banned from entering most Nora settlements until their sentence is complete. They are expected to fend for themselves, without any help from tribe members or other outcasts. Tribe members are forbidden from speaking with outcasts, and similarly outcasts are also forbidden from speaking with other outcasts. However, some outcasts and tribe members either choose to ignore the law, thus risking to break the law themselves, or find clever loopholes, as in the case of Odd Grata, she appears to indirectly speak to Aloy by praying to All-Mother.

The only time an outcast is permitted to speak to others is when allowed to do so by a High Matriarch.

Children

Children can become outcasts. Outcast children are subject to all the same rules of an adult outcast, plus one clause that specifically applies to them: when an outcast child reaches 18 years old, the child is allowed to join other Nora children in the Proving. If the child completes the Proving, they are no longer an outcast and made a Brave. Aloy is the only known child outcast to exercise this right. During the celebration before the Proving, the child outcast will be allowed into Mother's Heart, join the celebrations and speak to other tribe members.

The only known child outcasts known to Teersa are Aloy, whom was motherless, was cast out at birth, and a thirteen-year-old boy that was cast out after killing his mother, but he didn't attend the Proving the year he was old enough to.

Exiles

Any Nora who leaves the Sacred Lands without a Seeker blessing are exiled from the tribe. Exiles are treated similarly to outlanders. If an exile attempts to enter the Sacred Lands, they will be deemed as trespassing, an offense punishable by death. Some outcasts, such as Yun, become exiles upon being cast out, forsaking the tribe altogether.

Attitudes towards Outcasts

The attitude towards the system of banishment in place of other punishments varies: some such as Teersa view the practice as relatively humane, as other tribes would resort to execution for certain crimes. Others, such as Aloy, believe it can be too harsh, as in her case when she was made an outcast for presumably not having a mother. Even outsiders like Erend, a member of the Oseram tribe, consider the practice cruel after Aloy tells him about her status.

Most Nora adhere to the rule forbidding communication with outcasts, openly shunning them. For some, this is also an invitation to be hostile and violent towards outcasts; Bast throws a rock at Aloy's head and calls her 'No-Mother' when they encounter each other as children. However, some are at least tentatively accepting of outcasts coming to their aid, as Olara, Thok, and Arana are with Aloy.

Even after an outcast is allowed back into Nora society, they may still face hostility. Resh and Lansra, for example, are antagonistic towards Aloy even after she is made a Seeker, and Bast openly mocks her on the night of the Proving. Still, others may be accepting, as Teb and Vala are to Aloy.

Among some outcasts, despite the tribal law prohibiting communication, there exists a sort of camaraderie; a willingness to help those who are in need, such as Aloy and Rost were with Grata, who was too old to hunt for herself. Even after he was received back into the tribe, Karst continued trading with outcasts.

History

The origin of the Nora practice of shunning is unknown, but given that it is a well-established custom, it is likely to have been around for several generations, if not centuries.

After the Proving and War Party massacres, the Nora's warriors were wounded and stretched thin, allowing bandits to sneak through the border. At least two groups of outcasts formed for the sake of survival. One group was led by Jom, comprised mainly of outcasts with life sentences. With Aloy's permission, the group took shelter in the Devil's Thirst Bandit Camp once it had been cleared out. The other group was led by Kurnst, made up of outcasts with lesser offenses (none of them were murderers), and were located west of Mother's Crown.

In the Eclipse's assault on the Sacred Land, Teersa and Jezza allowed all of the Nora, including outcasts, into the Sacred Mountain for the sake of survival.

Known Outcasts

• Cren
• Fens
• Jom
• Kam
• Kurnst
• Odd Grata
• Yun

Former Outcasts

• Aloy (formerly, won Proving)
• Brom (formerly, term completed)
• Karst (formerly, term completed)
• Rost (deceased)

Trivia

• Many outcasts use brown and white pigments in their face paints as opposed to the traditional blue of the Nora.
• In Ancient Greece, the Athenians had a practice called 'ostracism.' Citizens would write an undesirable person's name on a shard of pottery and place it in a large public container; if a citizen's name was written enough times, they would be banished from the city for ten years.
• Alternatively, outcast may have been adapted from 'time out' technique from their life in ELEUTHIA-9, which many of them were given such punishment.
  • Like 'time out', the outcast would be being exiled outside of the settlement, yet close enough for other members to keep a close eye on them.