The tribe's internal struggle between tradition (fear of fire) and progress/knowledge (potential benefits of fire), represented by the Old Woman and Za respectively, and later exploited by Kal.

In the suffocating Cave of Skulls, the Doctor’s self-loathing spirals into paralysis as he blames himself for their imprisonment, his despair infecting the group’s morale. Ian, ever pragmatic, clings to …

Kal exploits the Old Woman’s death to fabricate a betrayal, publicly accusing Za of murder in front of the skeptical but compliant Horg. By invoking his prophetic visions—implied to be …