Hawk — horizon

Hawk is the senior rank in the Hunters Lodge hierarchy.

General Information

The Bylaws of the Lodge mandates the existence of seven Hawks. The Hawk that kills the machine regarded by the Lodge to be the deadliest attains the title of Sunhawk, the leader of the Lodge.^[1]

Hawks may sponsor a Fledgling and appoint them as their Thrush. A Thrush becomes a Hawk upon the death of the Hawk that sponsored them, taking their place. Prior to Sun-King Avad's reign, only noble Carja men could become Hawks,^[1] and prior to Talanah Khane Padish becoming Sunhawk, Hawks were limited to one Thrush each.^[2]

History

The position of Hawk, along with Sunhawk, dates back to the reign of Sun-King Nahasis, who founded the Lodge and held a competition for the proudest men of the noble Houses to prove themselves, and that those who felled the greatest machines were situated the first Sunhawk and Hawks of the Hunters Lodge.^[3]

During Sun-King Jiran's reign, Jiran had many Hawks sacrificed in the Sun-Ring when they publicly opposed the Red Raids and human sacrifices. However this may also be considered to be the Lodge’s greatest period in terms of the heroism and determination of the Hawks, as most of the remaining Hawks jumped into the Sun-Ring and they worked together to kill every wave of machines that was loosed on them, including two Behemoths that broke into the spectator area. They killed the Behemoths, saving many lives, but lost their own lives during the battle or shortly after. This event was later known as the Massacre.^[4]

After the Red Raids ended with the beginning of Sun-King Avad's reign, Avad mandated that the Hunters Lodge must welcome everyone, allowing non-nobles, women and outlanders to attain membership within the Lodge.^[1]

Horizon Zero Dawn

Sunhawk Ahsis forbade all mention of the Massacre and the heroic acts of the Hawks during it because his ego could not abide anyone but himself getting glory. For this, Hawk Talanah made it her sole goal to surpass him and become Sunhawk herself. She succeeded in doing so, with the help of her Thrush, the Nora huntress Aloy, by killing a Thunderjaw known as Redmaw, considered to be deadlier than the one that earned Ahsis his position of Sunhawk, thus making her the first female^[5] Sunhawk.^[6]