Ancient Vesselsare one of the collectibles available inHorizon Zero Dawn. To the characters in the game, they’re old-world relics that were used for intricate rituals, but for players, they’re nothing but cracked mugs. Still, this makes for some unique interpretations.
These Ancient Vessels can be found in different places across the map ofHorizon Zero Dawn, and they’re often close to old-world buildings The old-world relics may have been mundane tools to the Old Ones, but in the game, they give players a glimpse of what the world was like before the Faro Plague took over.
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Finding the Ancient Vessels in Horizon Zero Dawn
There are 12 Ancient Vessels scattered across the explorable world, and each can be found in mounds of ancient debris near dilapidated structures. The items themselves are cracked mugs with unique designs that are still decipherable under all the dust. To find all the Ancient Vessels, players can purchase a special map from any regular merchant, which marks the general area where the collectibles can be found.
Once all 12 Ancient Vessels have been found,the player can then travel to Meridianand trade with a merchant named Studious Palas. Palas will offer Aloy special Treasure Boxes in return for complete sets. He says he’s interested in these collectibles because he’s studying the Old Ones and their culture. Aloy can even ask Palas about what he thinks the Ancient Vessels were used for in the past. This reveals how the Carja interpret old-world rituals (and how off base they can be).
Palas will say that the vessels were likely used in sets then cite common beliefs about their supposed usage. Some thought they were for tea ceremonies, while others believed that they held sacred liquids or oils for the Old Ones’ forms of worship. However, Palas thinks that the Ancient Vessels were for the “solemn custom of shaving one’s beard,” where each vessel would hold a different fluid for the process. His explanation also implies that specific vessels were assigned to each fluid, thus they couldn’t be interchanged.
Though Aloy suggests that the Ancient Vessels might have just been used for drinking, Palas is adamantly against this. According to Palas, “such finely crafted earthenware” couldn’t be used for something as mundane as drinking. Absurdity aside, these collectibles provide Aloy withglimpses into the old world.
Remnants of the Past
The Ancient Vessels are mugs that somehow survived even after the Faro Plague and the subsequent reseeding of the Earth. They bear distinct designs that tie them to old-world corporations, giving players a wide view of what companies were present before the time of the Faro Plague. Some of the Ancient Vessels are from familiar organizations,like Faro Automated Solutions(FAS) and the US Robot Command. Others, however, are not as well-known.
For example, the Miriam mug was oncea product of Elisabet Sobeck’s company, which focused on creating green solutions with the help of robotics. On the other hand, the Ancient Vessel with the name “Hartz Wayfarers” emblazoned on its exterior originated from the Hartz-Timor Energy Combine corporation. It’s this company that owned the Chariot line of FAS machines that went rogue and eventually grew into the Faro Swarm.
There are even more lesser-known corporations hidden in these collectibles. There’s the Odyssey mug, which references the spaceship project that would save humanity by bringing zygotes to a distant, livable planet. Another mug bears the logo of Metallurgic International, a corporation closely tied to thestory of Bashar Mati and his Vantage Points.
All in all, these Ancient Vessels are interesting references to ancient organizations in the world ofHorizon Zero Dawn— reminders that there existed a society long before the one in the game. Moreover, some of these organizations tie in seamlessly with the game’s world-building, intertwining with other pieces of old-world lore. It makes for some great, subtle storytelling. Hopefully,Horizon Forbidden Westgives the community morelore like this.
Horizon Zero Dawnis available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
