- "Right through the Blood Choke. Let's do it."
- ―Atekka
The Blood Choke is a side quest in Horizon Forbidden West.
Synopsis[]
At the Lowland Tenakth capital Thornmarsh, Aloy finds the clan's commander, Atekka, attending to a sick girl named Zella. Atekka explains that the girl is the latest victim of the "Blood Choke", red algae growths that have sickened the clan for months. While much of the Lowland has cleared (thanks to Aloy's retrieval of POSEIDON), a single river that feeds into Thornmarsh is still poisoned. Atekka has sent out her best squad to investigate, but has yet to hear back.
Aloy agrees to help Atekka search for the squad, and the two begin their search at the mouth of the poisoned river. The two follow the river upstream and eventually find the squad in battle with Clamberjaws: after dispatching the machines, Aloy realizes the machines were overridden by rebels. The squad's leader, Shakella, shares their discovery: a dam of machine chassis atop the waterfall leading into the river. When they attempted to climb up and investigate, the squad was attacked by the machines. Atekka sends the squad back to Thornmarsh, leaving she and Aloy to ascend the waterfall. Atop the falls rests a rebel camp, with an overridden Fireclaw on patrol.
After clearing the camp, the two investigate. Aloy determines that the site was originally used as a testing ground for machine overrides, with the dam being comprised of failed attempts. After the rivers began to clear of the Blood Choke, the rebels realized the dam was preventing clean water from flushing out the algae and thus stayed to protect it and weaken the Lowland Clan. However, Aloy finds a machine energy cell within the dam: using her Pullcaster, she holds it open, allowing Atekka to shoot it with the camp's ballista and destroy the dam.
Aloy returns to Thornmarsh, now clear of the algae, and finds Atekka recounting their deeds to Shakella and Zella, with the latter making a speedy recovery. Atekka gives Aloy a reward for her deeds and wishes her farewell.
Objectives[]
- Follow the Red River
- Kill the Machines
- Talk to Atekka
- Climb up the Waterfall
- Kill the Rebels and Their Machine
- Investigate the Rebel Camp
- Destroy the Dam
- Talk to Atekka at Thornmash
Collectables[]
Text Datapoints - Side Quests[]
Trivia[]
- If you go to the Melee Pit in Thornmarsh before you complete this quest, Atekka will fight your enemies for you.