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The capital of the Underground Empire, Hearth-Under-Stone, was settled by a migratory band of Noxfolk near the end of the cooling period. Convenient water sources, fertile soil, and the ease of defense due to the sheer mountains allowed the settlement to flourish within a few generations. And with a permanent settlement, the tribe grew in both size and levels of expertise, leading to evolution along all fields of study.

The traditional masks and sandals were kept through this era, although the materials and craftsmanship evolved. Masks became better fitted and gained distinct expressions, with the loss of the mouth cutout. Agriculturally produced dyes were often applied to the masks as a form of self-expression, with some examples showing several layers of dye as they were passed from one to another.

Advances in leather treatment saw the main garment evolve from a raw leather loincloth to a tunic consisting of a treated leather belt fastened high on the waist, with drapes of spun cotton at the front and back. Due to the colder climate, cotton was highly seasonal and in high demand, leading to a lot of variation on the dimensions of the drape. Thicker leathers were tailored into coats, which were worn any time a Noxfolk member of the settlement could expect to be exposed to the Sun, such as during trade excursions, military excursions, outdoor farming, or hunting. Due to their visibility, the coats and tunics were often dyed in either blues to represent the settlement or purple to represent the burgeoning organized faith.

In times of conflict, laminar torso armor was worn over the normal tunic to protect vital organs. The design was probably inspired from one of the nearby trading partners due to its sudden and refined appearance in the record. However the people of H.U.S used wood bands instead of metal, leading to a heavier garment that did protect sufficiently well against peer-level weaponry, such as flint arrows or clubs, but would ultimately be replaced quite quickly.

Shields were local wood with leather stretched over both faces and two arm straps on the back face. Warriors would often paint personally important iconography on the face, with this replica bearing a symbol of Hearth-Under-Stone settlement.

The end of the First Athropocene Epoch left substantial amounts of plasteel in the mountain range, but with no ability to process it the craftsmen of H.U.S had to utilize properly sized shards of the metal as the cutting edge of wood short spears. The irregular surface made their use difficult, but skilled spearmen could easily switch between delivering disabling cuts for taking captives and devastating slashes to take a life.

Early bows didn't benefit from imported advanced designs of the body armor nor the material windfall of plasteel. Self bows of a single piece of carved wood and flint-tipped arrows were the primary hunting tool, and would be the primary line of defense at home. Stories of early battle often begin with a hail of arrows to bait out enemy forces before entering into pitched melee combat.