#im gonna add IDs in an edit cuz i don't want tumblr to eat this thing in case i mess up something somehow

[flame-shadow]

OKAY im gonna ramble about Mossy Fool, my beloved. this will not be comprehensive, and some of what i've said about him previously has been adjusted or changed. no big deal. it's good to develop characters and reassess parts that might've been a bit rough in a previous pass. i'll try to include images occasionally but they'll mostly be reused from stuff i've already posted

yahoo here we go!

a few quick facts:

- he was a moss knight devoted to unn. he cared [and still does care] deeply for his god and his kin.

- he has always been prone to violence but not in a malicious way. he is enthusiastic, energetic, strong, and can get carried away easily.

- he took in the Infection willingly to get a size and strength buff while he was in the Colosseum. this also affected his moss cloak.

- he had a name, but he doesn't remember it. he is The Mossy Fool and most people just call him Mossy. he doesn't seem bothered by this. [depending on who he interacts with in the "postgame" and how they bond, he can start to be bothered by this lack of a true name. i have explored this via RPs but i don't know how it would manifest in a no-other-people's-characters version of his story]

- between the Infection, the Colosseum, and head injuries, mossy doesn't remember a lot of his past, and he has a hard time remembering things in the short term either. he's had bugs he teamed up with in the Colosseum, but he doesn't remember them now. he's probably made commitments and promises that he no longer remembers making nor who they were made to. he doesn't remember much of his culture. it is mostly through routine that he has managed to remember unn - after every battle, he repaints his shield, both to cover any scratches and as a calming ritual and reminder.

Sometimes I'm a bit vague on the details of how he's managed to not be consumed by the Colosseum. It's sort of a plot contrivance but whatever. I explain it as Unn calling to him like she does for all her other children based off some of the dream nail dialogue we get in the game.

mossy is a self-indulgent character who sometimes gets special privileges because i like him a lot heehee

okay but what im kinda emo about today is how his life would've been so much different [and arguably better] if things had gone a little bit differently while he was still a moss knight. because if he'd been able to develop better self control earlier, he wouldn't have accidentally killed a fellow knight in a minor scuffle and been sent out. that had been the final straw after many warnings and attempts at helping him and training him to be more careful. if he couldn't keep from harming his kin, then he couldn't be trusted to protect them.

and that's what sends him seeking places to fight where he doesn't have to be as careful and can actually go all out and have fun. he finds that in the Colosseum. oh, he had a lot of fun there...

but! if he'd managed to rein himself in. if he'd managed to control his tendencies a little better...

he was well suited to become a paladin. he's always had strong devotion and connection to unn. he could have become something more than a knight. he wouldn't have let a rank like that get to his head. he'd have been happy and proud of his duties and responsibilities. he'd have had a positive impact on his tribe. his affinity with plants could've developed well and he could've had a less invasive connection.

....also, he could've been a boss fight akin to hive knight guarding vespa. Moss Paladin. he'd have two phases, and the second phase would have vines and thorns and be very cool.

however, because he was kicked out, he had the opportunity to explore more of Hallownest than just Greenpath, he was able to meet other bugs and be exposed to other languages and cultures. he suffered a lot at the Colosseum, but it also fulfilled him in many ways.

and now that he's older, a tiny bit wiser, and a good deal less likely to accidentally kill another person, he can interact and bond with people he never would've had the chance to otherwise.

and although it's awkward for a while, he can visit his home. and once he has shed his fool's armor, he'll be welcomed back. The Infection did a number on the ranks of the moss knights, and having someone who has so much battle experience would be helpful to both protect his home and people and to help build up the ranks again.

i had something else i said, but then tumblr ate it and some of what i had typed just above, so that's cool. i'll just end here before more stuff potentially disappears. bleh

final fun fact! i used to draw moss knights with four eyes, and mossy had two of his injured from a slash which went diagonally across his face. i decided to simplify his design to only one pair of eyes, so now he's only got one eye.

i love this man idk how well this comes through cuz rambling on tumblr feels a little hit and miss on how much my excitement comes through [and fighting with the site to not eat what i write is frustrating] but yeah! here he is! if you wanna read more, here are some old posts where ive also talked about him, and i think most is still accurate

this post where i talk about his cloak and their relationship in more depth

and this one which is sort of an overview of a few things about him plus another depiction of his low health state where the moss takes over self defence [the post also includes stuff on cyra and jerome which is a bonus because i also love them a lot]