Changes: Oseram

Revision as of 16:50, 20 July 2018

"The Oseram believe in many things. The forge's hiss, the charcoal's crack, the creak of the fermenting barrel."

The Oseram are a human tribe in Horizon Zero Dawn. They are known for their excellent metalworkers and craftsmen, and as such, their steel and powerful weaponry. They are more technologically advanced compared to the other tribes.

History

The Oseram are said to be the first tribe to delve into the ruins of the Old Ones, which are plentiful in their homeland. Due to their loosely defined government, numerous Oseram traveled beyond the Claim for work: Oseram work gangs were responsible for the construction of Meridian's elevators.

Red Raids

The Oseram were one of several tribes attacked by the Carja during the Red Raids. Countless among their tribe were either slaughtered or brought to the Sun-Ring to be enslaved or sacrificed.

To counteract the Carja threat, many Oseram banded together to defend their land and their people. Notable warriors included Dervahl, a genius tinkerer and warlord who had lost his family to the raids; Ersa, a fierce warrior who had survived the Sun-Ring and escaped enslavement; and her brother, Erend.

Approximately ten years after the start of the Raids, Avad, the second son of the Mad Sun-King, came to the Claim in hopes of ending his father's brutal reign. Ersa, remembering Avad's role in helping her escape, gathered Freebooters loyal to her and joined Avad's cause. Thus, the Oseram would play a crucial role in the Liberation of Meridian, and the end of the Red Raids.

Politics

The Oseram are divided into loosely-confederated clans inhabiting the land to the north of the Carja Sundom, known as "the Claim."^[1]

Governing structure

The tribe as a whole is made up of independent villages maintained by family clans. These clans are loosely united into a larger nation-state, although the day-to-day lives of Oseram are governed by his or her clan's ealdormen.

Each clan elects a council of ealdormen to provide governance to the tribe, although this is typically done on a case-by-case basis. Oseram citizens with requests for marriage or policy proposals for the village will wait in line for hours each day for an opportunity to pose their question to the ealdormen.^[2]

Culture

In many ways, Oseram culture is distinct from other tribes. They do not wear any form of face paint, have no organized religion, and design based on practicality rather than take inspiration from their surroundings. The Oseram place a high value on independence and freedom of expression, making arguments a vital part of Oseram culture. Similarly, honesty is a key virtue, and cheating or deceiving a fellow tribe member is considered a crime sometimes punishable by death.^[1]

The Oseram's greatest known cultural achievement is their practical craftsmanship, which many of their tribe, including Erend, can be heard boasting about. Their armors are claimed to be very resilient and their weapons are advanced and powerful despite their lack of the Old Ones knowledge, with some particularly notable examples being the Oseram Cannon which was key in defeating Jiran during the Liberation of Meridian. Other apparatuses, like sonic devices, safe doors, and voice recording devices are proof of their technological aptitude, which so far can only be surpassed by those bearing knowledge of the Old Ones. They are the only tribe to forge their own alloys, which they will use over raw machine parts. According to Ralert, Oseram use all the parts from machines, considering it wasteful to do otherwise.

According to Erend and Aram, the Oseram are heavy drinkers.^[2]

Architecture

Oseram structures are sturdy in design, comprised of stone and reinforced with lumber and metal. Most of their smaller buildings tend to be circular or cylindrical in shape.

Beliefs

The Oseram believe that the world functions as a large and intricately crafted mechanism, and all the forces of nature are accounted for by this mechanism. They believe that the Old Ones were once the caretakers of this "world-machine", and their civilization fell due to their failure to maintain it.^[3]

Aside from this myth, the Oseram are largely agnostic or athiest, and scorn the idea of priests or shamans. They are generally critical of tribal religions, especially when they interfere with common sense.

Women

"In the Claim, where we come from, we don't own property, we become it."

―Gera

The Oseram have a patriarchal society in which women are not permitted to own property; rather, according to Gera at Hunter's Gathering, they are treated like property. Women who wish to become soldiers must shave their heads. Married women will have "Wife" as their title's suffix (ex: Alewife, Forgewife, Bladewife). Gera says that this results in strong families, or treacherous bandits.

The patriarchy is even stronger in the Claim than in the neighboring Sundom, especially after the recent reforms of Sun-King Avad. Following the Liberation, many Oseram woman have left the Claim in hopes of finding independence.

Foreign Relations

Carja

The Carja are the Oseram's southern neighbors, whom they share a long history with. Based on glyphs, the Oseram may have begun trade with the Carja as early as the reign of Sun-King Juwadan.^[4] It is likely that the two tribes had cordial relations prior to the start of the Red Raids, as Oseram work gangs played a large role in the construction of Meridian's elevators.

During the Red Raids, the Oseram were hit especially hard by the Carja due to their proximity; however, their technological prowess allowed them to put up a solid fight. While some Oseram, such as Dervahl, hated all Carja for the Raids, others acknowledged that Jiran's actions did not represent all Carja. The allegiance between then-disgraced Prince Avad and Oseram Freebooters was a vital component of the Liberation of Meridian, and the freebooters that marched with Avad became the first members of the Vanguard, which in term became not only a crucial part of Meridian's part, but a symbol of unity between the two tribes.

Oseram tend to criticize Carja culture for its opulence, and are suspicious of the Sundom igniting war with them again. On the other hand, many Oseram, particularly women, have immigrated to the Sundom due to the comparatively greater freedom, forming a considerable minority.

While the alliance between the two tribes is uneasy at best, it is nevertheless the strongest inter-tribal relationship seen within the known world. The free trade between the tribes has proved mutually beneficial.

Banuk

While not antagonistic, the relationship between the Banuk and Oseram is far from cordial. The differences between their two cultures is a large factor. Some merchants from the Oseram have even traveled to sell their items to the in The Cut, with little success.

Nora

While interactions between the Nora and Oseram are limited, the Oseram display a basic knowledge of Nora customs. Some Oseram, most notably Gera, have come to Hunter's Gathering following the Red Raids, engaging in trade with the Nora tribe for the first time in either of their histories. However, there are indications that the Oseram, like the Carja, view the Nora as primitive: several Oseram have referred to the Nora as "savages".

Known Members

NPC Archetypes

Elite Mercenary
Mercenary Forgesmith
Mercenary Gunner
Mercenary Heav
Mercenary Warrior
Merchant
Odund's Marvel Outlander
Oseram Elder
Oseram Freebooter
Oseram Guard
Oseram Outlander
Oseram Worker
Vanguard Regular

Known Settlements, Outposts, and Gates

Trivia

The Oseram make use of bynames, which are last names derived from occupation, gender, marital status, or familial relation. Examples include Petra Forgewoman and Olin Delverson.
The Oseram's culture is loosely based on that of the Cossacks.^[5]
- Their clothing and architecture style, however, were original designs, conceived by determining how they would interact with their environment.
Scrappersap, considered to be the finest Oseram brew, is derived from corn.

Gallery

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Horizon Zero Dawn Strategy Guide (Collector's Ed.), Future Press, 2017.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 The Claim (Datapoint)
↑ The Old Ones (Datapoint)
↑ The Sun-Kings
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_S7aNyEMc

[book-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Horizon Zero Dawn Strategy Guide (Collector's Ed.), Future Press, 2017.

[claim-2] 2.0 ^2.1 The Claim (Datapoint)

[old_ones-3] The Old Ones (Datapoint)

[sunkings-4] The Sun-Kings

[5] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_S7aNyEMc

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ===Red Raids===
-The Oseram were one of several tribes attacked by the [[Carja]] during the [[Red Raids]]. Countless among their tribe were either slaughtered or brought to the [[Sun-Ring]] to be sacrificed.
+The Oseram were one of several tribes attacked by the [[Carja]] during the [[Red Raids]]. Countless among their tribe were either slaughtered or brought to the [[Sun-Ring]] to be enslaved or sacrificed.
+To counteract the Carja threat, many Oseram banded together to defend their land and their people. Notable warriors included [[Dervahl]], a genius tinkerer and warlord who had lost his family to the raids; [[Ersa]], a fierce warrior who had survived the Sun-Ring and escaped enslavement; and her brother, [[Erend]].
+Approximately ten years after the start of the Raids, [[Avad]], the second son of the Mad Sun-King, came to the Claim in hopes of ending his father's brutal reign. Ersa, remembering Avad's role in helping her escape, gathered Freebooters loyal to her and joined Avad's cause. Thus, the Oseram would play a crucial role in the Liberation of Meridian, and the end of the Red Raids.
-To counteract the Carja threat, many Oseram banded together to defend their land and their people. Notable warriors included [[Dervahl]], a genius tinkerer who had lost his family to the raids; [[Ersa]], a fierce warrior who had survived the Sun-Ring and escaped; and her brother, [[Erend]].
 ==Politics==
-The Oseram are a large tribe of loosely-confederated clans inhabiting the land to the north of the [[Carja]] [[Sundom]], known as "[[the Claim]]."<ref name="book">[[Horizon Zero Dawn Collector's Edition Guide|''Horizon Zero Dawn Strategy Guide'' (Collector's Ed.)]], Future Press, 2017.</ref>
+The Oseram are divided into loosely-confederated clans inhabiting the land to the north of the [[Carja]] [[Sundom]], known as "[[the Claim]]."<ref name="book">[[Horizon Zero Dawn Collector's Edition Guide|''Horizon Zero Dawn Strategy Guide'' (Collector's Ed.)]], Future Press, 2017.</ref>
 === Governing structure ===
@@ Line 28: / Line 33: @@
 == Culture ==
+In many ways, Oseram culture is distinct from other tribes. They do not wear any form of face paint, have no organized religion, and design based on practicality rather than take inspiration from their surroundings.
 The Oseram place a high value on independence and freedom of expression, making arguments a vital part of Oseram culture. Similarly, honesty is a key virtue, and cheating or deceiving a fellow tribe member is considered a crime sometimes punishable by death.<ref name="book" />
-The Oseram's greatest known cultural achievement is their practical craftsmanship, which many of their tribe, including [[Erend]], can be heard boasting about. Their armors are claimed to be very resilient and their weapons are advanced and powerful despite their lack of the [[Old Ones]] knowledge, with some particularly notable examples being the [[Oseram Cannon]] which was key in defeating Jiran during the Liberation of Meridian. Other apparatuses, like sonic devices, safe doors, and voice recording devices are proof of their technological aptitude, which so far can only be surpassed by those bearing knowledge of the Old Ones. Their craftsmanship seems to contrasts sharply with the Carja, who prefer an artistic (and often, opulent) approach, with members of the tribe remarking on the silliness of the Carja army's feathers and choice of machine parts.
+The Oseram's greatest known cultural achievement is their practical craftsmanship, which many of their tribe, including [[Erend]], can be heard boasting about. Their armors are claimed to be very resilient and their weapons are advanced and powerful despite their lack of the [[Old Ones]] knowledge, with some particularly notable examples being the [[Oseram Cannon]] which was key in defeating Jiran during the Liberation of Meridian. Other apparatuses, like sonic devices, safe doors, and voice recording devices are proof of their technological aptitude, which so far can only be surpassed by those bearing knowledge of the Old Ones. They are the only tribe to forge their own alloys, which they will use over raw machine parts. According to [[Ralert]], Oseram use all the parts from machines, considering it wasteful to do otherwise.
 According to Erend and [[Aram]], the Oseram are heavy drinkers.<ref name="claim" />
-In many ways, the Oseram culture is distinct from other tribes. They do not wear any form of face paint, have no organized religion, and design based on practicality rather than take inspiration from their surroundings.
 ===Architecture===
@@ Line 45: / Line 50: @@
 === Women ===
-{{Quote|In the Claim, where we come from, we don't own property, we become it.|[[Gera]]}}The Oseram have a patriarchal society in which women are not permitted to own property; rather, according to [[Gera]] at [[Hunter's Gathering]], they are treated like property. Women who wish to become soldiers must shave their heads. Married women will have "Wife" as their title's suffix (ex: Alewife, Forgewife, Bladewife).
+{{Quote|In the Claim, where we come from, we don't own property, we become it.|[[Gera]]}}The Oseram have a patriarchal society in which women are not permitted to own property; rather, according to [[Gera]] at [[Hunter's Gathering]], they are treated like property. Women who wish to become soldiers must shave their heads. Married women will have "Wife" as their title's suffix (ex: Alewife, Forgewife, Bladewife). Gera says that this results in strong families, or treacherous bandits.
 The patriarchy is even stronger in the Claim than in the neighboring Sundom, especially after the recent reforms of Sun-King [[Avad]]. Following the Liberation, many Oseram woman have left the Claim in hopes of finding independence.
 == Foreign Relations ==
 === Carja ===
-The Carja are the Oseram's southern neighbors, whom they share a long history with. Based on glyphs, the Oseram may have begun trade with the Carja as early as the reign of Sun-King [[Juwadan]].<ref name = "sunkings">[[The Sun-Kings]]</ref> Oseram work gangs played a large role in the construction of Meridian's elevators, which were completed just before the start of the Red Raids.
+The Carja are the Oseram's southern neighbors, whom they share a long history with. Based on glyphs, the Oseram may have begun trade with the Carja as early as the reign of Sun-King [[Juwadan]].<ref name = "sunkings">[[The Sun-Kings]]</ref> It is likely that the two tribes had cordial relations prior to the start of the Red Raids, as Oseram work gangs played a large role in the construction of Meridian's elevators.
+During the [[Red Raids]], the Oseram were hit especially hard by the Carja due to their proximity; however, their technological prowess allowed them to put up a solid fight. While some Oseram, such as Dervahl, hated all Carja for the Raids, others acknowledged that Jiran's actions did not represent all Carja. The allegiance between then-disgraced Prince Avad and Oseram Freebooters was a vital component of the Liberation of Meridian, and the freebooters that marched with Avad became the first members of the [[Vanguard]], which in term became not only a crucial part of Meridian's part, but a symbol of unity between the two tribes.
+Oseram tend to criticize Carja culture for its opulence, and are suspicious of the Sundom igniting war with them again. On the other hand, many Oseram, particularly women, have immigrated to the Sundom due to the comparatively greater freedom, forming a considerable minority.
-During the [[Red Raids]], the Oseram were one of many tribes that fell victim to the Carja's brutal raids and sacrifices; however, they were able to put up a fight due to their armaments. The war with the Carja came to an end when the Oseram forged an alliance with [[Sun-King Avad|Avad]], the son of the Mad [[Sun-King]] [[Jiran]], and mounted an attack on [[Meridian]] that resulted in the defeat of Jiran. The Oseram [[Vanguard]] played a major role in [[The Liberation|the liberation]] of the city.
-Thanks to Avad's alliance, the Oseram can often be found in Meridian and elsewhere throughout the Sundom. Most Carja citizens appear uneasy about the increase in Oseram found in their cities. While the alliance between the two tribes is uneasy at best, it is nevertheless the strongest inter-tribal relationship seen within the known world.
+While the alliance between the two tribes is uneasy at best, it is nevertheless the strongest inter-tribal relationship seen within the known world. The free trade between the tribes has proved mutually beneficial.
 ===Banuk===
 While not antagonistic, the relationship between the Banuk and Oseram is far from cordial. The differences between their two cultures is a large factor. Some merchants from the Oseram have even traveled to sell their items to the in [[The Cut]], with little success.