#Hallownest Walking Tour

[ospreyeamon]

a seal of slowing

When the Pale King sealed Hallownest away from the rest of the world, I think that it wasn’t just that he ordered its gates, stations, and elevators locked to physically shut away his kingdom. I think he also placed a powerful Seal of Slowing over some parts of Hallownest, disconnecting the kingdom in time as well as space.

Some characters have wildly different relations to the timeline of the world than others. Hornet, Quirrel, Eternal Emilitia, the Midwife, Ogrim, and Ze’mer were all born before the fall of Hallownest. They are old enough to remember the Pale Kingdom’s glory; Quirrel, Ogrim, and Ze’mer were all certifiable adults during it because they had important jobs.

Elderbug, on the other hand, tells the Knight that Dirtmouth’s Stag Station has been locked since before the earliest memories of his childhood. He has only heard stories of Hallownest, the kingdom that fell before his birth. Relic Seeker Lemm looks at Hallownest with the eyes of an archaeologist, gleaning information about how the Pale King was viewed by his subjects in the same way as about how the Ancient Civilisation viewed the Void. (Of course, this is complicated by the fact that different species of bug might have different average lifespans.)

The level of decay in Hallownest’s environs also varies considerably. The Knight can batter their way through the great gate in the King’s Pass but will only blunt their nail trying the same thing with the gates of the City of Tears. As magicalballerinaprincess has pointed out, you can discover the broken remains of a tramway that once connected the Crystal Peak to the King’s Pass; the tramway between the Crossroads and the Resting Grounds and the line from Deepnest to the Kingdom’s edge are not only intact but operational.

This supports the idea that time has been flowing different speeds in different parts of Hallownest. Much more time has passed in Dirtmouth, where whole generations have lived and died and the kingdom beneath the town has moved from living memory to distant history, than in the Royal Waterways where Ogrim doesn’t know of the fates that have befallen his friends.

The Pale King presumably did this to improve the odds of being able to wait out the Infection until the death of the Radiance. Maybe after sealing the Radiance away inside the Hollow Knight and the Hollow Knight inside the Black Egg Temple, one more seal in a plan that involved many seals; maybe when it became clear that his plan had failed and he was desperately scrambling for another solution and acting to protect himself by shifting the White Palace into a dream.

This gives us an explanation for why certain areas were inside the Seal while others were not. The Crossroads – where the Radiance was – needed to be outside the Seal. Deepnest, Fog Canyon, the City of Tears, and the Ancient Basin – which housed the Dreamers and the tether leading to the White Palace – needed to be inside the Seal. Another important reason for having population centres like the City of Tears inside the Seal was that those areas were net importers of food and cutting the trade routes through the Crossroads impacted their ability to feed themselves.

‘SO while studying the map I noticed something cool!’, magicalballerinaprincess, 8 July 2021, https://magicalballerinaprincess.tumblr.com/post/656202148765433856/so-while-studying-the-map-i-noticed-something

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Hallownest #Dirtmouth #the City of Tears #the seal of slowing #a wild headcanon appeared

[cotillion-the-rope]

Shade Lord Ghost Drabbles: Quiet

Probably unsurprisingly news of a new god who was more powerful than any god Hallownest, and possibly the world as a whole, had ever seen before brought curious folk. Some of whom arrived so soon after the event that only supernatural knowledge could explain how they’d known to come. News of Hallownest being freed of the curse of Infection brought even more folk who were eager to venture below in seek of now much safer to acquire treasures. All these people of course came to Dirtmouth first, many taking up temporary or permanent residence.

Elderbug did his best to continue to greet everyone who came; most were polite and greeted him in return, others were indifferent, only a small few were actively rude. The trickle of folks was slow enough to allow for it but… there were still so many more than before. And they stayed. Before the vast majority of travelers would arrive and soon go below and never return; a sad fate that Elderbug had long since given up trying to convince folk not to do. But now people just livedin the Dirtmouth, one could practically call it a bustling town at this point.

A younger Elderbug would’ve enjoyed the excitement and endless company greatly. Now though, he hated it. His quiet little town was ruined by folk walking around at all times of day, quite a few of whom were loud chatters. Elderbug almost would’ve preferred the circus instead because it had at least stayed in the town’s outskirts, easily ignored. His spot by the bench, being in the center of town made it the main hub of where these new folk liked to gather when they weren’t descending down into the well to explore Hallownest proper. Many of them seemed to think he was some kind of tour guide, standing there to answer their questions. The number of times he’d had to explain the story of the Shade Lord ascending to kill the Radiance to save Hallownest was starting to make him feel like he was going insane.

He was quickly nearing the end of his rope. He liked a little company, not this much. Part of him was tempted to leave at times, go find a quieter place that was more settled and not currently in the process of rebuilding. He couldn’t though… could he? He’d hatched here and spent his whole life here, always assuming he would die here too. Besides where would he even…

Something tugged at hem of his robe, making him flinch and jump a little. He looked down to see it was just Buddy. Looking up at him, they tugged at his robe again and pointed off to where the circus used to stand.

“You want me to follow you?”

Buddy nodded just once before turning and walking in that direction. With nothing better to do and tired of being surrounded by young excitable folk, he followed.

It was a short walk, a short distance past where the circus tents had once stood, comfortably within the shade of the cliff overlooking Dirtmouth but not close enough that its looming presence was uncomfortable. Somebody, possibly Buddy with some help from friends, had put a bench here. It was visibly older and more beat up than the one in town but should be no less comfortable for that. There was even a lumafly lantern pole placed next it, not as bright as the one in town but it didn’t matter.

Buddy sat on the bench and looked up again at Elderbug, tapping the seat next to them a couple times in an obvious invitation. He hesitated for only a second or two more before sitting down, letting out a sigh of relief he hadn’t known he’d been holding in. It was quieter here and only the two of them right now. But still close enough to town that it wasn’t a journey.

“Thanks.” Elderbug would’ve preferred the town stay quiet as a whole but that wasn’t something he had control of. So, if a quiet spot off to the side was the best he could get, he’d take it.

#my writing #hollow knight #shade lord ghost drabbles #elderbug #lost kin

[buglife]

How about festivals and celebrations? Not only the regal, noble type, but the ones of common bugs too.

Here are a couple I figured out with a quick overview. I may expand on these later with illustrations or more depth depending on time and interest.

PART 1 - Pre-Infection Holidays

The Cast Off Festival: Something akin to a new years resolution. Once a year the citizens of Hallownest make an effigy of something they want to ‘cast off’ of themselves so they can improve. Example, they may make a figurine that represents self laziness or something that represents a nasty temper. Some folks may make tokens or figurines to sell that people can purchase if they cannot or don’t want to make their own. Celebrations include food and rituals indicative of purifying yourself to allow the new you to get a foothold over the old. Everyone gets together at the end of the celebration to throw said effigies into a communal fire and let the wind carry the ashes away. Just like how the Pale King cast off his previous form of a Wyrm to walk among the people and lead them to a much better existence, so too would common bugs follow that example to better themselves as well. Bugs may just have one effigy and some may have a whole box of them, the point is to give yourself a fresh new start and leave your old baggage holding you back as mere ashes. In general, it’s a very happy celebration in that you have a new chance to make the changes you want and if you have to do the same thing again next year, that’s okay. It takes time to change. The important part is that you recognize something about yourself that does need improvement and make a promise to work on it. 

Feast of Fellowship: It’s not far fetched to imagine that even after granted Sapience, some bugs that were regularly preyed upon may have lingering instincts that may make interacting with carnivorous citizens a big nerve wracking. To counter act this, there is a yearly feast where folks are encouraged to share company and food with each other to not only celebrate the bounty from the harvest, but also the fact that many different kinds of bugs worked together to produce it. Spiders, Millipedes, Flies, Moths, ect ect, can all have a feast together and enjoy each other’s company. Takes place after the biggest harvest of the year so there is an abundance of food to go around that can be eaten up fresh before they must be preserved. Entire villages would just have one communal feast where everyone can share and enjoy. In big cities, usually these are more private with friends and colleagues being invited but I wouldn’t put it past a crown funded feast for everyone in the Capital. Citizens that are happy after all, are less likely to cause any trouble when they are busy sleeping off the biggest meal of the year. Lol.

Life Festival: A celebration for those wanting to be parents, those that have children, and those that have parents they love. It’s a day of fond wishes and hopes to be able to have healthy young. Different species have children in different ways, but it all comes down to the same thing, the want to reproduce. The day is spent lighting candles and leaving little offerings in the hopes to become gravid if trying to be. It is also a day for current parents to honor their offspring and be grateful to be blessed with them. Some take this day to grieve and honor any lost children and thank them for being there, even if it was for a short amount of time. Parents to be take the nights to be ‘extra sure’ their wishes will stick, if you know what I mean ;3. It can be rather bittersweet but it is important to many people. Children, however, take the day to honor the parents that gave them life, and there’s usually gift exchanges between parents and children. In general, it’s a celebration of life given and the gratitude of it all. 

Birthdays are dependent on species and specific culture. Some celebrate when the egg actually hatches as a birthday. Some celebrate the day they emerge from their pupa an instar molt as the ‘birthday’. Still, there would be some sort of celebration where a child gets a celebration to mark another year of life. Complete with sweets and presents. It’s a big deal, as bugs before rarely made it past the nymph stage of life. It certainly is something to celebrate. 

Celebration of Flight: For flying species, where the young take their first ritual flight to mark an important moment of their development. Non flying bugs are present as well and participate by offering support to their friends and family taking their first flight without any help. 

Celebration of Weaving: For Spiders to show off their very first silk weavings and crafts and getting the praise they deserve. Primarily a Deepnest holiday. 

Celebration of ____: If a species is known for a thing, you better believe they are going to have a cellebration around it! Digging, rolling, fighting, spitting, climbing, ect ect. There’s so many different kinds of bugs!

Mate Day: Bring your mate offerings so they don’t get cranky and try to bite anyone. Especially you. You better make them feel like the most special bug in existence. 

King/Queen’s Day: Two days at different times of the year to celebrate the King and his lovely tree wife. Queen’s day is in ‘Spring’, and King’s day is ‘Winter’. Think of ‘Captain Picard Day’ in the TNG for the idea. Kids make little dolls and pictures and costumes and run around while parents buy them little King/Queen shaped sweets and participate in events run by the crown. Tours of the Palace take place in order to bring more transparency to the public. Both days would involve charity work depending on the ruler’s taste. Example, the Queen might sponsor a beatification effort by planting flowers and bushes around the kingdom and the King may just ask for groups to go around and clean up litter. Citizen bugs outside the Capital/major cities still would have their own home celebrations, perhaps just saying prayers of thanks or just cleaning around their village. Dolls and plushies are typically sold a lot and it’s not uncommon for children to have at least one doll of either the King, Queen, or both. There is a lottery where any citizen can participate, where winners may go before the Royals without having to fight through normal court to request some sort of help for either themselves or another organization. Royalty and Nobility have a separate feast afterwards, where there is a lot of ass kissing and the monarchs just want to eat their din dins and go the hell to bed please.

Day of Spirits: A day to honor and remember the dead. Offerings are set out for deceased loved ones and graves/memorials are carefully cleaned and put to order. It’s a time to remember those you love that are gone and give them honor by showing that you are continuing to live and remember them. There are usually parties where representations are included so the spirits of those gone are invited to participate in said party. It’s a day for laughter and love, not for grief. It’s said on this day the veil between the living and dead and thin, so you can directly tell your gone loved ones whatever you like and they have the greatest chance of hearing it. 

Honey Festival: All things Honey. The Hive makes SO MUCH GEO during a week long Festival. They may not be part of the Kingdom but boy howdy, does everyone love honey and wax products. 

Remembrance Days: Days to remember any well known person, such as visionaries, inventors, people who generally did a lot of good, and others. Bugs that did a lot of good for bugkind are remembered and honored in their own little celebrations. Usually it means that government offices shut down to give their workers a much needed break. 

OF COURSE: There doesn’t need to be a reason for a celebration. Dances and ‘Ho Down’ style celebrations can spring up for any reason. Some villages have their own little celebration days and all it takes is one person setting up some music and drinks and you got a party.  For moral, it’s common for there to be at least one celebration every ‘month/moon/cycle’ to keep up spirits and have at least a bit of time to relax. 

#Hollow Knight #Hallownest #holidays #celebrations #festivals #world building #speculation #apencilknight #i did my best #twas a lot of thinking lol #i would go to all these celebrations cause i love to eat food

[hollowknightheadcanons]

tell me everything you think about lemm i will sit here and give you my money

You have no idea what you just unleashed I’m typing this in NOTES right now so that my phone doesn’t crash and I lose it all.

Okay so all of you probably know by now how much I love Lemm. There are a lot of Lemm quotes on my other blog, my icon literally everywhere is Lemm, and I have expressed how much I love him numerous times. Along with Mato, he’s my favorite character.

Even though he’s mean, as soon as he starts infodumping it’s like youre his best friend now, and then immediately he goes back to being mean. In all my writing and post/late game headcanons he does warm up to Ghost and the others because he’s going to be their friend whether he likes it or not.

My friend Thunder and I were talking a lot about this one concept of Ghost taking Lemm on a tour of Hallownest because literally if he took a walk outside of his shop he could learn so much. I guess that’s why he’s a “relic seeker” and not just a “historian”. But I’m sure he’d appreciate seeing Hallownest’s history without having to brave the husks and beasts that swarm the kingdom. I was going to write something about it but I lost inspiration :( it works better as a set of comics anyway, I may draw them one day.

Ghost first tries to take him into the sewers to meet Ogrim and he’s like “NO WAY ABSOLUTELY NOT I AM NOT STEPPING FOOT IN THERE.” My friend did draw art of Ghost taking Lemm into the sewers but they didn’t post it, and I won’t repost the art without permission.

You ever think about how he implies that he has seen the palace ruins? When the only way there before Ghost opens up the stag station is a long drop down an elevator shaft? Either he found another way or he actually went down that drop despite not wanting to deal with all the husks to see the statue at the city gate... or he was just told of it by another traveler.

To continue the “Hallownest Tour”, Ghost takes Lemm to the Queen’s Gardens and he finds out the LITERAL QUEEN OF HALLOWNEST IS THERE and has to sit down for a bit. And if they are going to see EVERY one of the great knights, Ghost is going to have to carry Lemm over the acid to see Isma.

Lemm is one of the characters I like writing the most, even though he’s only appeared in one chapter of my works ever. The other character I like to write for is Grimmchild. But the fic where he did appear is the first chapter of my most viewed fic so I’m glad that people get to read the one chapter he’s in. He’s going to show up again eventually, but not yet. I really want to write more with him, but I’m out of ideas. I always want to write Hollow Knight stuff, I just need IDEAS.

It’s not actually possible to happen in the game but I think it would be really funny if you could get the Hornet cutscene and Lemm standing by the statue at the same time. I wish it was possible.

My friend, the one I mentioned earlier (Thunder) and I were again talking about him, this time about how he deals with his beard and how he doesn’t trip over it constantly. Or about how he walks OUTSIDE in the RAIN with it trailing on the GROUND. Why does he do that.

Now for a funny story! During one of my room randomizer runs, I was looking everywhere for Lemm. I couldn’t find the place to drop down and unlock the lever. I spent hours searching. Later, I got the Kingsoul and opened the way to the Birthplace. And there he was. I had FINALLY found him.

I would write more but I need to eat dinner now. If anyone else wants to talk about Lemm some more, please send asks! I love him.

#mikatis #relic seeker lemm #long post

[sharada-n]

I got this request over a year ago I think, which is a testiment to how slow I am with these sometimes. Still, I had a lot of fun writing for a fandom I haven’t tried before, and this request was just too cool to pass up - even if i did butcher it and turn it into more angst than hijinx.

Not sure if you still follow me, Anon, or if you’ll ever see this. But thank you so much for the request!

(Read on AO3)

The Pale King was a busy bug.

Hallownest as a society functioned much like a machine with many intricate parts, each cog turning just as it should individually while still dependent on each other, but keeping them all running properly was not an effortless endeavor. No matter what the denizens of his city might think.

Maybe it was his own fault. He had rather enjoyed playing the part of the detached ruler, taking pride in projecting an image of ease with which he operated, some might have called it superiority, keeping to it in dignity even when the first signs of sickness started to plague his people. Panic posed a danger as much as any actual disease could and he refused to let it spread, determining what needed to be done with level-headed purpose.

Rarely did he stray outside of the palace and if that had granted him the image of a god among his people then so be it. It was something he would neither deny nor discourage. But the truth of the matter remained that there were indeed things that took exertion and ruling Hallownest was one of them. Between tending to the many facets of the kingdom there was precious little time for anything besides duty and if the citizens of Hallownest at large would never realize that, he didn't mind. He had only hoped that those few creatures with the honor to belong to his inner circle and witness his efforts would know better.

Apparently that had been too much to hope for.

"Do tell why you presume to bother me with such inane questions?" he asked, his back turned upon the one stubbornly blocking his doorway. Maybe if he ignored her long enough, Herrah would realize he was preoccupied and did not have the time for frivolous affairs today – or any day for that matter.

"Oh, my dear Wyrm," she drawled back, the words spoken with such fake affection he was more than certain she was just trying to vex him, "however did you come to the misunderstanding that this was a mere question? I was making a demand."

"I do recall you're quite good at those," he murmured, unsure if she had heard but finding he cared little either way. To be curt, it was her own ultimatum that had gotten them into this situation to begin with, so it was only fair she would bear the burden. He turned around and added louder: "You know your time with her is dwindling. Why would you want to squander the feeble amount you have left?"

Herrah waited a moment, the reminder of the concomitant of their deal probably unpleasant for her. She made a sound, low and prolonged. "As hard as it will be for you to imagine, I am a queen in my own right. Sometimes that means I have pressing responsibilities to uphold for my people."

"Why do you not just command one of them to look after the child, then?"

"Because..." And he could tell she took great pleasure in her next words, "the child is yours as well. Last I recall you were there when she was created." As if to emphasize this she pushed the thing towards him. It was small, with a cloak that got close to brushing the ground and which had the typical burgundy coloring that the Pale King had come to associate with Herrah's retainers.

The child looked at him, its expression somehow curious despite the likeness to his own children, who had deceivingly unreadable features by design. It titled its head sideways, falling back to remain closer at its mother's side. Seemingly it was as pleased about this new acquaintance as The Pale King himself was.

"What do you want me to do with it?"

"Her name is Hornet," Herrah answered, "and honestly it doesn't matter much as long as you keep her save and alive for the foreseeable future." She turned to leave, the child hesitating for a moment, as if to follow, but eventually being persuaded by practiced obedience to stay where she was.

She stood in the room silently, gaze fixed upon the Pale King as he resumed his work. He ignored her for the time being, bending over the ancient-looking tomes once more. There was a lot of lore on higher beings, most of it unfamiliar even to himself – as ironic as that was – and he had spent too much time already consulting them on anything that might pertain to the infection threatening his people, clearly divine in origin.

After a few moments, his thoughts were disturbed again, this time by the child, who had crept closer to the desk during his distraction. She leaned forward slightly, maybe trying to read the crumbly papers but there was a fundamental lack of understanding on her face. The Pale King closed the book, brushing away the small cloud of dust it blew up.

"Very well," he said, gesturing towards the door, "you are old enough to entertain yourself, I presume?"

"I'm nearly grown," she answered, taking him off guard. His own children did not speak – also by design – but it made sense for this one to not have such restrictions.

"Follow."

They walked along the winding passageways of the White Palace, barely acknowledging the few bugs they met on their way. Hornet stopped occasionally at the large windows, the view certainly very different from how Deepnest looked. The Pale King did not know if Herrah didn't take their child outside often or if she just had a latent curiosity for the world. Regardless, he supposed it would aid her in her future as queen and indulged it for now.

Eventually they came upon the room he was meaning to, opening the heavy door with some difficulty. The vessel stood at attention on their arrival, dark cloak wrapped around themselves securely, though just slightly shorter than Hornet's own. When the king entered, they bowed curtly. It proceeded to stay perfectly motionless and wait for further instructions, though their head inclined slightly towards the stranger now in their room.

"Hornet, this is your-" the Pale King considered his own words. Treading into unfamiliar territory was not his forte. "Your sibling, supposedly." That didn't sound too far of from the truth. "I do believe you two will be able to keep each other company in here."

Hornet looked up at him. "Where are you going?"

Suppressing an annoyed huff – not very becoming of a king, now was it? – he turned towards the door. "Back to more important matters, such as running a kingdom."

He was barely a few feet further or Hornet's hand seizing his cloak stopped him, though he pulled it out of her grasp quickly. "I don't want to stay in here," she said. How she had so quickly transformed from the silent child Herrah dropped at his chambers into this demanding little thing was beyond him.

"Well, what do you want then?"

Though the question was not meant to be answered seriously, Hornet seemed to consider it for a few moments, gaze flitting around the room. He had to admit it looked a bit modest, with far simpler decoration than the rest of the castle and not much in that way of furniture. The crib his queen has placed in the center of the room long replaced by a simple cot with no sheets. The vessel did not sleep – by design, once again.

The theory of its conception had left no need for toys and besides the training it underwent, both intellectual and in combat, supervised by the Pale King himself and his most favorable and skilled courtiers, it did not leave its room. There was no need to. All it was meant to know was the reason for its birth – the purpose it was created with and the duty it had to fulfill – and the skills necessary to accomplish that goal. It would not care for these formalities either way.

But Hornet was different, with a strong will of her own most likely inherited from that infernal mother of hers, and would not be placated by mere afterthoughts. She apparently had mused on his question long enough, for her small hands balled into tight fists and she spoke with conviction. "I want to see the rest of Hallownest. I want you to show me."

"Absolutely not."

Though her face remained impassive, the displeasure she felt at his answer was more than clear. "Why not?"

"Because the city is vast and much too fickle for us to go traipsing around it like fools," he answered, "my time to too precious to waste away on frivolous-"

The vessel had chosen this moment to politely step forward, giving another bow. But in their hands was clasped the purple-covered book The Pale King remembered giving them less than a fortnight ago. Their reading speed was incredulous – something he himself took pride in as one of its teachers – and they had most likely finished it already. Usually, they would wait to be called upon instead of taking initiative like this however.

"Very well, if it can't be helped," he relented, "The library and the sentinel will have to do, so we can abstain from doing the full tour."

He could tell Hornet was not completely satisfied, but such was the life of royalty. It would do the child some good to learn she could not always get what she wants. Her mother too...

How long could Herrah truly stay gone for after all?

The library of The White Palace was truly a marvel in architecture. Even when considering all of Hallownest, its ceiling-height windows and metal-gilded chandeliers alone were impressive enough in their own right to make regular homes pale in comparison.

There was a bustle of activity when they arrived. Scholarly bugs of various occupations eager to consult the vast collection of knowledge stored within these bookcases and artifacts. But as The Pale King made his way to the particular section he had intended to, one filled with texts on the history of his kingdom, many left the room with polite bows and muttered greetings, unable to meet his gaze. It wasn't proper conduct to stay in the room when the king entered.

Only Monomon remained, ever oblivious to the presence of anything or anybody when she was occupied with research. Her student, a young bug the Pale King had seen only in passing before, lingered at her side, carrying books to and fro at the teacher's request.

"Go pick out what you will," the Pale King told the vessel, who had already put the book they had brought back where it belonged. Their memory also was stronger than average. They trotted off to the back of the row of shelves, occasionally stopping to inspect the covers. Hornet hesitated for a second before following them. He could hear her talking to them softly, too quiet to make out what she was saying. They nodded at her in answer.

The Pale King sighed and inspected the pages Monomon was studying, marred in her own scribbled handwriting, and completely illegible for himself. She had ruined an increasing number of the books in his possession in this manner "One only hopes you do progress like this," he said.

Monomon looked up at him, maybe just noticing his arrival but unsurprised either way. She beckoned her pupil forward, taking the remaining book in his arms to lay it open in front of her and then sending him away again in search of something new. "Progress takes time."

"Time that is in short supply."

"We will compensate." The cloth around her form billowed slightly as she moved. "You brought the little one, I see. They are advancing as hoped?"

The Pale King waited, considering the idle meaning of the word hope in such a context. "More or less."

"Less?"

"They are everything we need it to be, surely. Anything beyond that is not of consideration."

Monomon nodded, using one appendage to adjust her mask. "But you might think yourself cruel still?"

All his retainers were carefully selected, their talent undeniable and their merits to Hallownest's progression even less so. Monomon was more knowledgable than most any bug in the known realm. Sometimes a bit too much so – and the Pale King is reminded yet again of her ability to surmise that which is not meant to be obvious.

"Everything we do, we do for this kingdom," he said, "not out of cruelty."

"These are not mutually exclusive, Your Majesty."

He waved his hand, a clear sign this particular thread of conversation was over with. There were many trials still ahead of them, bridges they would need to cross once they got there. But for the time being there were more pressing matters on his mind.

She seemed to take notice, as she closed the book in front of her – took the new one delivered by her pupil, who stepped back and waited patiently for further instructions on what to fetch next – and inclined her head. "And the other one too, I saw. Herrah's offspring?"

This wasn't a subject he wanted to discuss any more than the last one, but at least it left him with righteous indignation about his current circumstances. "She sprung it on me. How does one even take care of a child?"

It was a rhetorical question, he was not seeking Monomon's knowledge, especially since childrearing was probably not among her many areas of expertise. Still, she looked up once more, then behind him. "I do believe not leaving them to fall to their deaths might be a good start."

The Pale King turned around just in time to foresee the disaster waiting to happen. Hornet had climbed one of the ladders used to obtain books held on the higher shelves, balancing on one leg precariously while her small hands reached for her intended prize instead of holding on to anything solid. The vessel stood bellow, pointing to the particular book they had requested. Monomon's pupil was standing next to them, task forgotten and instead observing the spectacle with confusion.

A moment later Hornet was on top of them. It seemed at least the other two had broken her fall with their bodies, now squeezed underneath a flurry of cloak and flailing limbs. She had righted herself in an instant and with impressive agility, brushing herself off and looking away embarrassed. "Are you alright?" he heard the pupil ask as he made his way over.

"I'm fine." Hornet turned towards the vessel, holding out the book she had somehow managed to grab on her way down. "This is the one you needed, right?"

The vessel clasped it to their chest, standing a little straighter. They didn't express their gratefulness outwardly but seemed happy with the acquisition of new reading material. The book was almost too big for them to carry, with a dark green cover and golden lettering. The Pale King didn't think he had ever seen it before, but then again there were probably many objects in his collection he hadn't.

He sighed. "Are you done with your antics?"

"They're not antics," Hornet objected, "I'm being responsible. Mother says responsibility is an important virtue for a queen."

"I'm sure she does," the Pale King said, ushering the two out of the library. They greeted Monomon in passing, back to being completely absorbed in her work. Her pupil waved at them and the vessel waved back.

From this height the palace grounds appeared even more massive than they already were, the walls barely more than faint lines on the ground one could just as easily miss. Beyond them stretched mostly darkness, but the Pale King knew where the gaping pit of the abyss was located, as well as the passageways that would lead you to the City of Tears and the Stag station above them – the direction Herrah had surely taken.

Hornet had pressed herself against the glass, unafraid of heights as she had proven to be in the library. The few bugs moving around far below were nearly indistinguishable, but she seemed enthralled with the sight nonetheless. The view was unique to the palace after all, and not something you'd encounter anywhere else in Hallownest, let alone Deepnest.

The vessel stood motionless. The Pale King could not recall how often he had taken them here, sometimes for lessons and sometimes merely for a change of scenery. He was not one to be emotional – or ascribe meaning where it shouldn't be – but perhaps part of him considered it only fair they got to see the world they were destined to sacrifice their being for, or at least the bit that remained them.

Even now large parts of Hallownest were rendered abandoned by the infection, with many bugs already giving in to its thralls. Dying out quicker than any of them had anticipated.

"It's beautiful," Hornet said, softly, like the unknowing child she was. Some stray droplets of water slid down the window, residue from the city above.

"It is only a small part of many," he answered, "but together they form one whole that is worth protecting."

Hornet looked at him, tilted her head up all dignified and it reminded him of her mother in more ways than one. "That's what a ruler does, right? Protect others, whatever it takes?"

At that moment the Pale King wondered what Herrah told her daughter. He wondered what she had left unsaid.

"Whatever it takes," he agrees, looking at the vessel, mute and waiting, the book still held tightly against the front of their cloak, watching the dying world below.

They stood there for a while longer, before he finally pulled the curious Hornet from the window again. "There is still more of the palace to see," he told her, noticing the vessel perk up at his words. She could also hardly suppress the surprise in her next words.

"I thought you did not have time."

"A king can make time," he said, leading the way back to the staircase in swift strides, "didn't your mother tell you this also? Perhaps not since she seems to be running late herself. But as it were, I'll take it on myself to make sure you don't get in trouble until then."

Hornet sputtered, quick to defend the honor of both her mother and herself as they made their way down, the vessel following obediently in their wake.

#hollow knight #The Pale King #the hollow knight #hk hornet #Idk what the tags are aaa #my writing #just read it on AO3 honestly it reads way better there

[ospreyeamon]

why so tall, hollow knight?

The extremely marked difference in height between the Hollow Knight and the other vessels is kind of fascinating in that the two most obvious potential causes for it – a) age, and b) lowkey natural variation in size in a population – can be almost immediately ruled out.

In the memory of the Abyss, the Knight – little Ghost – and the Hollow Knight are the same size. Judging by the sheer number of vessels and by the fact the Pale King would have had no reason to wait to select a vessel after they hatched, these sizes are almost certainly the ones they hatched at. Because the creation of the vessels was an experiment, the Pale King can be assumed to have controlled the variables of the vessels’ creation carefully to achieve uniformity. Little Ghost and the Hollow Knight in particular I think hatched from the same egg because the shape of their horns are so similar; I’d call them twins if I didn’t think maybe a couple more vessels hatched from that egg with them.

While we do see variation in the vessels’ height – both the Lost Kin and the Greenpath Vessel are taller than Ghost, for example – the Hollow Knight is a massive outlier. By the time Ghost meets the Hollow Knight again in the Black Egg Temple, it has grown from being the same height as Ghost to more than four times their height. Given they began so close in appearance, it beggars belief that their heights should have diverged so much more than Ghost’s and all of the other vessels as the result of natural genetic variation. Difference in age can’t be a factor because they are the same age. That leaves things like diet and environmental factors.

If the environment of the White Palace could make Higher Beings tall then the Pale King wouldn’t have such a Napoleon Complex. Diet, though, I think is probable.

Being void under carapace, it isn’t clear what, if anything, vessels have in the way of internal organs, or even if they have mouths. We never see Ghost consume anything in the game except Soul. Soul energy can be used to repair a vessel’s body much more rapidly than metabolic energy, but they still could be similar enough that Soul can fuel the growth of a vessel’s body.

If Ghost’s travels outside Hallownest were anywhere near as rough as their travels within it all their Soul energy would have been expended on healing themself. Likewise, the other vessels whose bodies we can find – having suffered danger great enough to kill them – would have been burning any extra Soul they accumulated on healing if they developed that skill.

In contrast, the Hollow Knight – the chosen Pure Vessel – was “raised and trained to prime form”. The Pale King was trying to shape it into its strongest self; feeding it a specialised diet is a logical component of such a regimen. Soul can be gained from living bugs but this, like the manipulation of Soul undertaken in the Soul Sanctum, was probably taboo. However, there is another limitless source of Soul the Hollow Knight could have had access to – the Kingsoul Charm.

The Kingsoul Charm is basically useless in-game because it regenerates Soul so slowly when there are quicker methods and because it takes up so many slots that could be used to equip other charms – it’s a lore item, not a tool. But for a person who was going about its training regimen in Hallownest unfallen rather than battling their way through its ruins, the charm could have been a practical method of, say, trying to expand its Soul capacity or ability to contain energy in general.

The Kingsoul and the Hollow Knight are the products of the same union – that of the White Lady and the Pale King. Symbolically, I think it would make sense that the Hollow Knight was given the charm to hold while it was part of the Pale Court before having it taken back when it was time to seal it in the Black Egg Temple. What I think the Pale King and White Lady’s attitudes towards their mutual offspring were should be its own post, but I would summarise it as pained and regretful. The Hollow Knight’s sealing was a kind of metaphorical death in the eyes of Hallownest and I think breaking the charm in two would have made emotional sense to its parents after sacrificing all their potential children to the plan to save their kingdom.

It might have been more practical to leave the Kingsoul in the Hollow Knight’s possession, but I don’t think either the Pale King or the White Lady were ever truly capable of being perfectly logical where their children were concerned. The Pale King seals the Abyss to avoid being reminded of the other vessels. The White Lady binds herself to be restrained from producing any more offspring; very extreme, when it seems she and the Pale King only engaged in a single fruitful union during their marriage.

(The Hollow Knight also might have spent time it wasn’t training floating in hot spring pools. However, the pink of the water could be caused by mineral traces from the same crystal veins we see in the Crystal Peak. Given those crystals and the singing within them are low key associated with the Radiance, the Pale King might have preferred the Hollow Knight stay out of the springs.)

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #The Hollow Knight #Kingsoul Charm #The Pale King #The White Lady

[ospreyeamon]

It’s odd that the Godseekers have no words or thoughts about the Nightmare King when you listen to them in the Pantheon of Hallownest. Unn, the White Lady, the Pale King even though he’s probably dead, and the Radiance – but not Grimm. And the Knight must have summoned the Grimm Troupe to Hallownest because Troupe Master Grimm is one of the boss battles in the Pantheon of the Sage, and Nightmare King Grimm puts in an appearance regardless of whether the Grimm Troupe’s Ritual has been completed, sabotaged or is still in progress.

So why the snub? He’s the only true god other than the Radiance (and the Shade Lord) willing to be part of their show.

Is it because the Godseekers are searching out the gods of Hallownest specifically and Grimm no longer is counted among them after taking to an existence wandering between kingdoms or remaining in his realm in Dream? Is it because to become fully attuned to the Nightmare King is to join the Grimm Troupe and the Godseekers are only truly willing to adore gods on their own terms, not the gods’? Do they not recognise Troupe Master Grimm for what he is, as they fail to recognise the Knight, because he has left his heart behind in the Nightmare Realm?

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Godseekers #Grimm #Nightmare King Grimm

[ospreyeamon]

hallownest beyond the pale kingdom

While writing, I keep bumping into the problem of wanting to use Hallownest to mean two different things. Hallownest: the realm ruled by the Pale King and the White Lady. Hallownest: the land which stretches down from the mountains of the Crystal Peak and Howling Cliffs to the Abyss, home to many biomes and territories.

This is obviously the Pale King’s fault.

The second usage of the name is the correct one. Hallownest is an ancient name of an ancient land – the birthplace and home of gods. Unn, the Radiance, the itinerant Nightmare King, the White Lady, and depending on the events of the game the Shade Lord all originate there. It existed long before the Pale King arrived and will continue long after he is gone, for once freed from the Infection its survivors and arriving travellers will build anew there.

What leads the Pale King into villainy is his desire to uplift Hallownest into what he considers a better form of itself. This is not badly meant; the things he wants for his kingdom – the gift of mind for bugs without it, robust public transport, centres of scientific research – are good things.

The problem is that the Pale King’s vision encompasses all of Hallownest. If he had only been content with the regions of the City of Tears, Royal Waterways, Ancient Basin, Crossroads, Dirtmouth, Howling Cliffs and the mushroom tribe’s portion of the Fungal Wastes (no small kingdom) everything could have been fine. Instead, he pushes into the territories of others; annexing the part of Unn’s realm which becomes the Queen’s Garden, attempting to build a tramway without the consent of Deepnest’s inhabitants, constructing a lighthouse the Void Sea obviously resents, and instigating the conflict with the Radiance which eventually results in the death of 90% of Hallownest’s population.

The Pale King isn’t incapable of coexisting with other gods – he and the White Lady are married after all. This is the “no cost too great” mindset. He has a vision of what Hallownest could (should) be and is willing to do anything to bring that vision to fruition.

But this vision of Hallownest is a transitory illusion. Hallownest was never “the last and only civilisation” – Pharloom is out there, as are the Land of Storms and Ze’mer’s former home. Hallownest was already home to several societies before the Pale King arrived. Hallownest never needed to be forced to become a united political entity. The sweetness of imperialism’s fruits always hide bitterness beneath.

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Hallownest #The Pale King #the Pale Kingdom #in~universe imperialism

[ospreyeamon]

twinned domains of the divine

It’s a nice touch that the gods of Hallownest are designated two areas of power rather than just one. The Pale King is Mind and Light, the White Lady is Light and Life, Unn is Life and Dreams, the Radiance is Dreams and Light, and the Nightmare King what else but Fire and Nightmares.

(And the Shade Lord? Darkness, definitely. But for the other – Soul, Light, Battle, Will? Born from the union of two Pale Beings and the Void they dropped their eggs into but born again at the pinnacle of the Godseekers’ pantheons.)

Not only does this help them to avoid feeling simplistic, it opens up comparisons between gods that seemingly share a domain.

The native gods of upper and middle Hallownest – Unn, the Radiance, the White Lady – are centred around dreams-light-life, with the Nightmare Realm having broken away to go on tour and explore nightmares specifically and fire in general. Unn and the Radiance both birth their children, the mosskin and the moth tribe, from dreams. They can also call to bugs through their dreams though the Radiance does this far more powerfully than Unn; however, this may be to a lack of willingness to impose her will over others on Unn’s part rather than a lack of strength.

While Unn and the Radiance’s dreaming aspects appear similar, Unn and the White Lady are associated with different kinds of life. Unn’s realm of Greenpath is lush with plants but the White Lady seems more likely to be fungal in nature, akin to the underground networks of pale root-like tendrils beneath the mushrooms and toadstools we see on the surface. Though the White Lady and Unn both create children, the White Lady’s are children of her body while Unn’s are born from her dream.

(If the Void Entity is a god then I think it must be a god of darkness and life, but life as expressed in lifeblood rather than fungi or greenery.)

The Radiance’s imagery associates her with the sun while the White Lady’s light seems to be that of bioluminescence – ghost mushrooms and maybe jellyfish. It isn’t clear where the White Lady’s original seat of power was but Fog Canyon does feel like the original border of Unn’s realm with another. I agree with Feral’s assessment that the Pale King is linked with artificial lighting; the City of Tears is filled with beautiful streetlamps and it fits with what we know of the subversion of the moth tribe.

Unexpectedly it is not their shared divine domains which bring the Pale King and the Radiance into conflict, or the White Lady with Unn. In both cases it is the Pale King’s aspect of Mind in its manifestations of innovation, planning and industrialisation in additional to his wyrm-foresight which are the catalysts. The Pale King’s vision of an uplifted, industrialised Hallownest united under his rule leads his initial interference with the Radiance’s followers and territory – using his own pale light to aggressively seduce members of the moth tribe away from their creator. The White Lady’s complicity in her husband’s imperialism sees her annex the portion of Unn’s realm which becomes her garden.

‘the pale king is associated with artificial lighting’, feralphoenix (Feral), 27 February 2021, https://feralphoenix.tumblr.com/post/644289276300886016/you-know-ive-seen-a-couple-of-folks-in-hollow

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Unn #The Radiance #The White Lady #The Pale King #gods of hallownest #a wild headcanon appeared #hollow knight spoilers

[ospreyeamon]

Does the Infection actually kill people?

I had assumed it does because Plague + Dead Bodies + Dead Bodies Reanimated By Plague = Dead Bodies Killed By Plague, but then why would Xero, the Mantis Traitors, and the Bees willingly take the Infection into themselves if it was fatal? Xero sounds like he was one of the early Infectees so he wouldn’t have known, but the Mantis Traitors and the Bees were later. Moreover, the Mantis Traitors and the Bees are still alive when the Knight arrives in Hallownest.

So the Infection doesn’t kill the body, only the mind.

All the corpses died from other causes. Some executed like Xero for trying to kill the Pale King, no doubt, or merely for being Infected once the Pale King realised what the Infection truly was. Others must be bugs killed by Infected bugs, Infected bugs killed by unaffected bugs in terror or self-defence.

And when the gates were sealed even more died. The Pale Kingdom was by that point an industrialising economy importing vast amounts of goods; when the boarders were shut those supply chains were cut. Whatever Spell of Slowing was laid over Hallownest may have prevented enough time from passing for the City of Tears to not run out of food, but the knowledge that they inevitably would must have propelled the city into anarchy.

It might be an even grimmer history than an entire kingdom snuffed out by plague.

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #The Infection #a wild headcanon appeared

[ospreyeamon]

hornet and the giant spider that wasn’t there

Unlike for Monomon the Teacher and Lurien the Watcher, there is no boss fight gating access to Herrah the Beast. This is a source of disappointment for some players, especially since there is a cut content screenshot of a very, very large spider.

What Team Cherry was planning [Image description: The Knight stands on a platform in the foreground. In the background four huge eyes, each larger than the Knight's entire body, are visible. Most of the chamber and the giant spider is hidden by darkness.]

What Team Cherry went with [Image description: Hornet sits beside the altar that held Herrah's body in the central chamber of Deepnest. The room is filled with cobwebs and candles, torn banners showing a emblem with six eyes hang from the ceiling.]

From an out of universe perspective this is probably the result of Team Cherry running out of time/money, not being able to refine the fight to an acceptable quality, wanting to give a different feel to the three Dreamers, and/or prioritising Hornet’s moment of characterisation in a game that has plenty of other boss fights.

In universe, the reason the Knight doesn’t have to battle a spider fifty times their size is because Hornet follows them into Deepnest to call the spider off.

When the Knight awakens from the Dream in which they have killed Herrah, they find Hornet sitting on the altar beside her mother’s body. She knows that the Knight must destroy the three Dreamers to break the Seal on the Black Egg Temple – Hornet is trying to guide the Knight towards the Dream No More ending – and so her mother must die if there is to be a chance of saving Hallownest. It still grieves her. This is the first time that the Knight leaves Hornet rather than Hornet skipping away from them; she remains in the chamber to mourn while the Knight continues their quest.

Hallownest’s glory cannot be renewed, but Hornet is determined to save as many of the realm’s inhabitants as she believes can be saved. After the Knight proves themself in their battle in Greenpath, Hornet begins to offer advice and even a rare instance of help.

Calling off the giant spider isn’t something Hornet does for the Knight’s sake though – she does it for the spider. Hornet by this point has lost her foster-mother Vespa, sire the Pale King, is about to loose Herrah, and has doubtless seen dozens of bugs she has known have their minds destroyed by the Infection or be killed by Infected bugs. There aren’t many survivors left past Hallownest’s fall – only the Midwife, the Mask Maker, a single skittish Weaver, and the not-friends remain in Deepnest that we see, contrasted with the swarms of Infected enemies. Herrah’s guardian must be someone that Hornet knows. Someone who, like the Midwife, was part of Herrah’s inner circle and so part of Hornet’s childhood. If the spider guardian remains unInfected then Hornet can request they stand down rather than risk the Knight killing them; naturally Hornet chooses to do just that.

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Hornet #Deepnest #a wild headcanon appeared #character death cw

[ospreyeamon]

nine shades in a bucket-head mask

Hollow Knight has a bunch of fun mechanics which it does a great job of integrating with its world building. High and bouncy jumping because you are a bug scaled being in a bug scaled world, sitting down to fill in the details of the world map as you explore the kingdom, and meeting a host of the kind of shades you fight when you return to the last place you died at the bottom of the Abyss floating above the shattered masks of the Knight’s fallen siblings.

While the find-your-corpse mechanic makes perfect sense in a video game, translating the idea into other mediums like fic raises some questions. How does the Knight make it back to the bench after they die? If the shade you fight and reabsorb into yourself is the Knight’s shade then where did the new shade inside the Knight’s mask come from? Why can you abandon the shade you left when you died in one area, head off and died in another area, fight and defeat the second shade you left behind and have your Soul gauge restored?

My theory is that the Knight is composed of a group of shades sharing a single mask.

We see that it is possible for a large collection of shades to come together as a single entity with a single will in the Embrace the Void and Delicate Flower endings. The Shade Lord’s ascension is made possible because the Knight has retuned to their birthplace with the Kingsoul charm, transforming it into Void Heart unifying the void under the Knight’s will. The Knight castes off their mask in Dream No More as they revert to shade form to lay their smack down on the Radiance; the Shade Lord is way too big to fit into that mask suggesting it cracks in the Shade Lord’s two endings as well.

The Mask Maker in Deepnest shares some interesting tip bits about masks in Hollow Knight’s world. “A mask! A face! Does it need one? Does it not? To define. To focus. To exist.” Masks can be used to define and focus identity. “To change a face; to conceal it fully within another ... The original mind is destroyed, though those of striking will may still retain a sliver of that concealed self.” The will and mind of the being beneath the mask is subsumed by the personality of the mask. So a mask could be used to hold a group of minds together in the form of one person with one body.

The Knight can remain unified without their mask in Dream No More because they have the Void Heart. Without the Void Heart, when the mask breaks? Splat, shades everywhere. Shades who are choosing to live together as the Knight, so they drag themselves and the fragments of their mask back to the nearest safe haven to piece themselves together again. However, there is always someone who gets lost or goes off in a snit because now they’re an individual again they think that trying that jump was obviously a stupid idea and the Knight must track them down and have a fighty argument before they will slip back under the mask again.

This has the bonus of justifying why the Knight always survives while the broken bodies of their siblings are scattered throughout Hallownest – they have the power of numbers on their side.

#Hallownest Walking Tour #hollow knight meta #Ghost | The Knight #shade siblings #a wild headcanon appeared #hollow knight spoilers