Aloy's Farewell to Rost: Aloy shares an emotional goodbye with Rost, who advises her to seek out High Matriarch Teersa in Mother's Heart. He gives her a special trinket and tells her he must go where she cannot find him, emphasizing that she must embrace the tribe.
Entering Mother's Heart and Meeting Teersa: Aloy is initially met with hostility from guards at Mother's Heart but is welcomed by Teersa, who invites her in and promises to speak later.
Reunion with Tab: Aloy encounters Tab, an old friend she saved from machines years ago. Tab, now a stitcher, thanks Aloy by gifting her a new outfit, which offers better protection.
Meeting Karst: Aloy finds Karst, a vendor, who offers her supplies and expresses his support for her in the Proving.
The Blessing Ceremony: Aloy attends a blessing ceremony where she observes the arrival of envoys from the Karja tribe, who have historically been at war with the Nora. An Asaram explains the history of the Karja's "Red Raids" and the new Sun-King Avad's efforts for peace. Aloy participates in the lantern lighting ritual.
Conversation with Teersa: Aloy questions Teersa about why she was made an outcast and the whereabouts of her mother, but Teersa states she cannot reveal these secrets due to oaths. Teersa explains the matriarchal structure of the Nora tribe and mentions that Aloy is the first child outcast to exercise the right to run in the Proving.
Discussions with the Asaram Vanguard and Sun-Priest: Aloy speaks with an Asaram vanguard member (Aeron), who explains the Karja's past and present, the nature of the "Derangement" of machines, and introduces her to the concept of Meridian. She also talks with the Sun-Priest, who explains the Karja's faith and the role of the Sun-King.
Encounter with Olin: Aloy confronts Olin, another person with a Focus device, about his strange behavior and where he obtained his device. Olin is evasive and dismissive of Aloy's questions.
Confrontation with Bast and Vala: Aloy enters the Hunters' Lodge, where she is confronted by Bast, who taunts her about being an outcast. Aloy stands her ground. She then meets Vala, a fellow competitor in the Proving, who acknowledges Aloy as a strong contender.
Preparing for Sleep: Aloy reflects on her first day in Mother's Heart and prepares for the Proving.
