Ryas is the main protagonist of Horizon Call of the Mountain[3] and a mentioned character in Horizon Forbidden West. Formerly a warrior of the Shadow Carja, he allowed himself to be captured alive and imprisoned at Sunstone Rock, where he was offered an opportunity at freedom by Blameless Marad.[1]
History[]
Ryas grew up as the son of a Kestrel alongside his brother Urid. As early as age 8, Ryas and his brother were trained by their father as fighters and climbers.
Ryas eventually became a soldier in the Carja army. His unit initially hunted machines, but during the Red Raids, they would be sent east against the Nora at Valleymeet and Mother's Tears.
Ryas was ordered by his father to transport Prince Itamen to Sunfall during the Liberation of Meridian, earning him the title "Itamen's Shadow". His brother, Urid, defected to the Carja governed by the newly-crowned Sun-King Avad, placing the two on opposite sides of the Carja Civil War.[1] Ryas' unit also sided with Jiran's loyalists, but they would nearly be wiped out fighting against Carja loyal to Avad. His father would also share the same fate.
At some point Ryas allowed himself to be captured alive by the Carja, who imprisoned him at Sunstone Rock. He was spared execution on the orders of Avad, and was later offered an opportunity at freedom by Marad, in exchange for investigating a new threat to the Sundom.
Earning a pardon[]
After being released from Sunstone Rock, Ryas was escorted to the remote settlement of Dawn's Grasp via boat with two soldiers, Hami and Kavad. Along the way, they were attacked by machines and the boat is capsized by a Snapmaw. Swimming to an abandoned dock, Ryas attempted to pull Kavad up but is too late to save him as a Snapmaw drags Kavad underwater.
Making his way up the Brightdawn, Ryas finds an abandoned bow and arms himself accordingly. He also sees Hami, who has survived, but she assumes he means to escape. Continuing to climb up, he came across the abandoned watchtower of Dawn's Watch and a refugee camp containing a Redeye Watcher. Dispatching the machine, he made his way to an overlook to witness Dawn's Grasp on fire from a recent machine attack. It was then Hami finally caught up to him and knocked him out with a rock to the head.