Gildun is a minor character in Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds and Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores.
While he doesn't make an appearance in the base game, Gildun is the author of A Dam Shame, a datapoint found in Horizon Forbidden West.
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.[1]
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.[2] Gildun seems to have had a better relationship with his father, who liked to call his son 'Gildling' and taught him how to delve, although Gildun disagreed with his father's attitudes towards delving.[1]
At some point, Gildun had a pet crab named Garun, which he misplaced.[2] Whether Garun was ever found or what happened to them is unknown.
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.[1]
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, which Gildun saw no value in. 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.[3]
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".[4]
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.[2]
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. However, when Gildun fell overboard during a tempest, Olvar carried on with Gildun's precious looking glass. After washing up on the shore, Gildun searched for Olvar and was beginning to assume him lost until he found Olvar's camp atop the ruin. Searching within for his friend, Gildun became trapped behind a locked door after carelessly pulling a lever.[2]
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Aloy eventually found Gildun and freed him from behind the door. Elated to reunite with her, Gildun asked for her help in finding Olvar. As they journeyed further into the ruins, Gildun recounted the events that led up to him getting trapped, which became clear to Aloy that the falling overboard had been orchestrated by Olvar in an effort to steal Gildun's looking glass, which Aloy was able to recover from Olvar's dead body, having been killed by Burrowers that were drawn to him by his explosives while Gildun wasn't able to reach the room.
As Aloy was about to tell Gildun her conclusions about Olvar's intentions, Gildun believed that Olvar held onto the looking glass because of how special it was to Gildun and kept him in his thoughts until the very end.[5]
Despite her conflicting belief, Aloy told Gildun that she believed he was right and that is how he should remember Olvar. While sad about Olvar's death, Gildun remarked that it's better a delve ended than never began, but was sad that he felt he finally had found a friend.
Aloy talked over the events that led to Gildun getting trapped, pointing out how Gildun said that he fell off the boat as soon as the ruin came in sight. Gildun countered that it was a happy accident. Aloy pointed out that instead of helping him, Olvar abandoned Gildun, along with how Gildun's looking glass is worth a small fortune and that Olvar knew it. While he initially continued to deny it, Gildun agreed with Aloy, and was upset with himself for having another pathetic day.
Aloy, frustrated with Gildun's obliviousness, told Gildun what she believes happened, that Olvar used Gildun to find the ruins, stole from him and tried to have him killed. While he initially continued to deny it, Gildun agreed with Aloy, and was upset with himself for having another pathetic day.
As Gildun opens up about his loneliness and that he should be used to losing people that matter to him, and that he's worried that no matter what he does, he's going to spend his whole life alone. Aloy assures him that that is not true, and that he will always have her. Even if they aren't together all the time, she has a way for them to stay in contact, using a Focus she gifts him, and offers to put him in touch with some other friends of her's. Touched by her kindness, Gildun is left speechless as he hugs Aloy, and presents her with a gift of his own before sharing another fond farewell.[5]
As she leaves the ruins, Aloy askes GAIA to patch Gildun into their network and to check in with him now and then. GAIA agrees and invites Gildun to talk to her on another frequency, to which Gildun eagerly expresses his excitement.[6]
Later on, Gildun has taken up residence in Olvar's camp and 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. He also mentions that GAIA never tires of listening to him.[7] GAIA also mentions that Gildun has been making the most use of the communication function on the Focus of everybody, and that she enjoys listening to him and finds him amusing.[8]
Personality
Gildun is an energetic and good-natured man, albeit somewhat bumbling and reckless. He is incredibly talkative, often regaling his stories of delves and his family to anyone who will listen (including many who don't). Gildun considers the joy of delving to be the adventure that comes with it, rather than the bounties at the end.[1]
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.[2] 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.[5]
Gildun appears to have a particular fear of Snapmaws.[3][2]
Associated Quests
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Trivia
- Gildun is one of the handful of people to have interacted with GAIA. However, he appears unaware of her nature as an AI.
Gallery
Behind the Scenes
Concept Art
Screenshots
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 As mentioned by Gildun during Waterlogged.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 As mentioned by Gildun during A Friend in the Dark.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Waterlogged
- ↑ A Dam Shame
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Friend in the Dark
- ↑ After completing A Friend in the Dark.
- ↑ As mentioned by Gildun after completing A Friend in the Dark.
- ↑ As mentioned by GAIA after completing A Friend in the Dark.
| Oseram tribe | |
|---|---|
| Ealdormen | Elgrund |
| Vanguard | Erend Vanguardsman (captain) - Aldur - Ersa - Fendur - Joruf - Telga |
| Tribe members | Abadund - Arnuf - Asera - Bajund - Beladga - Belna - Brageld - Boomer - Burgrend - Corend - Danur - Delah - Dervahl - Dorgeld - Dorund - Elkend - Fernund - Garnund - Gera - Gildun - Gilvarn - Hakund - Hakurt - Handa - Hegeda Bladewife - Jelda - Jorgriz - Jorund - Kaeluf - Karhn - Kendert - Keruf - Korduf - Korl - Korvend - Larend - Lokuf - Lora - Lorund - Luf - Lunda - Marsa - Menuf - Milduf Boarbroiler - Minda - Morlund - Mystery Boxes Merchant - Odund - Odurg - Ohlgrud Smithsson - Ohtur - Olin Delverson - Olin's son - Petra Forgewoman - Porguf - Radel - Ragurt - Ralert - Rasgrund - Raynah - Runda - Salga - Salma - Silga - Stemmur Wordsmith - Thorden - Thurlis - Tolland Cleanbroker - Ulvund Freeholder - Varga - Vilgund - Volma |
| Pets | Garun |