#there's nothing in there for zote so this is what shows up

[ratcandy]

oh tumblr i don't need your new fancy communities. i have my zote community here. my followrs

[bluegekk0]

Did Hornet or Grimm ever tell FPK about Ghost? I feel like he would merit some mention from either of them, (I will ask vessel related questions till the day I die or think of something else)

They did tell him! It was one of the first things they told him about since he was curious about the infection stopping. And of course he was, I mean, Grimm told him that he could sense that The Radiance was dead (they were siblings so he would be able to feel her absence), so naturally FPK was really curious as to who succeeded where he failed.

Of course, no one knew what exactly happened, but it was easy to connect the dots and assume that Ghost had something to do with it, so they were seen as the savior. Hornet would have the most to tell him since she met them multiple times, but because at that point she was still angry at him, he didn't want to bother her too much, so he didn't learn the full story until a bit later when Hornet toned down her anger. He did eventually hear from her that they went down into the Abyss and that they were going to face their sibling in the temple but never showed up, suggesting that they found another way to stop the infection.

Grimm didn't know as much about Ghost as Hornet, he only met them once when he gave them the charm that would summon his Grimmchild form, and he never saw them (or the charm) again. But he did notice that they were determined, plus he saw that they had both Kingsoul fragments, so he also suggested that they must have been the one to wake FPK up. So that was another clue that helped FPK piece the story together.

I imagine he also asked around the town, since he heard many mentions of them and the fact that they saved everyone. Elderbug, Cornifer, Iselda, even Bretta and Zote, they all had something to say about them that painted a clearer picture of the vessel. Quirrel eventually visited the town as well, and he also had quite a lot to say about Ghost and their journey, such as confirming that Monomon was in fact dead, as well as some information about where they traveled, since he bumped into them many times.

So while he may never learn everything about the Ghost of Hallownest, he knows enough to feel proud of them. He also found some comfort in knowing that his plan wasn't all a failure. Of course it doesn't excuse the cruelty, but at least it wasn't all for nothing like he thought before. It was, after all, one of the vessels who stopped the terrible infection, just not in the way he anticipated.

There's also the fact that, unintentionally, they allowed him to find his family again and live a happier life. They freed Holly from the temple, they led Hornet to wait there for them, allowing her to meet Holly and take them to Dirtmouth, they summoned Grimm's troupe to Hallownest for a ritual that never finished, and, of course, they woke him up from his slumber. So he visits the shrine made in their name quite often, to apologize for all the suffering he made them and their siblings go through, and to thank them for the second chance he was given. He never met them in person, so this is the best he can do to show that he's proud and grateful.

[manofmanymons]

I know this sounds somewhat hypocritical as someone who loves Survive and Hollow Knight very very very much, one of the biggest things that puts me off from series is when there's too much death and/or general carnage. And it's not even that I'm sensitive to gore or can't handle some death.

It's that once everyone starts dying, I stop having fun! I'm not enjoying cool action scenes because everyone I liked is dead, but I'm not even properly sad about any of the deaths anymore because goddamn everyone else is fuckin dead am I supposed to be surprised now? You can only cram so many emotional scenes into a short period of story before I completely stop feeling anything at all.

The reason I like Survive anyways is because there's a truthful route where everyone lives, and even if there wasn't, there's still the moral route where most of them live. If it was JUST the wrathful route or JUST the harmony route I'd fuckin hate it! The fact that that would be a dreadfully short game notwithstanding, I'd be pretty pissed if I spent so much time gaining affinity with these characters and watching them bond with each other and the mc just for the game to end with half of them dead and the other half living in a post apocalyptic hellhole. As full games those routes are ass! But existing as they are as just extreme hypotheticals of what could have happened to these characters if just a few more things went wrong and they weren't as strong of a team, and we get to learn more about them by seeing how they act when pushed to the brink...yeah that is fun. It's like "well I know that this character is okay but it's cool seeing what COULD have but did not happen to them." And you know what despite Ryo literally being one of my favorite characters, I still would've loved Survive just fine without the truthful route because the moral route is a very good stand alone story of a bunch of kids who were met with tragedy but only became closer because of it and still managed to find a happy ending for themselves.

And Hollow Knight, well. For one it's largely helped by the fact that it is a video game and not a show, therefore the fact that it is just INCREDIBLY fun to play goes a long way in making me mentally insane about it. But it's not just that! From the very start of the game you KNOW you're playing through something sad. The sad doesn't sneak up on you, it's always there. Rather than playing through the downfall of a kingdom, you're exploring the ruins of a once-beautiful kingdom, learning what happened to it, meeting the inhabitants, befriending the last little glimmers of hope in this dying world, and fighting to save them. And yeah depending on the player's actions you lose a few of them along the way, but a) as I said some of them only die depending on what the player does, and b) I feel like enough of them have satisfying endings that I'm not too fixated on the ones that die. Ofc Quirrel being probably dead bums me out, and it sucks that you can't do anything for Myla, but hey, your homie Elderbug is fine, Cornifer is fine, you can save Cloth and even Zote if you'd like. Your Mantis buddies are still around. Brumm can be having a silly good time OR you might have a son now. Idk to me HK is finding hope and happiness amid despair rather than losing hope and falling into despair.

Unlike series that are like whee we're a fun action adventure--just kidding everyone is dead.

Oh well we started sad but if everyone works together then maybe there's hope that--psych they are all in fact still dead.

What a silly goofy show about kids having a fun--lmao you fell for that? Nah they're dead too.

Obviously other people are into that otherwise there wouldn't be so many popular series that do that but my god do I hate it literally every single time I have never once gone "you know what this story IS better now that none of my favs are in it and whoever's left has been doing nothing but fighting nonstop without an ounce of the playfulness or humor that originally drew me into this series."

[dragoler]

Embrace the Void - An Optimistic Outlook

This is a theory post about Hollow Knight and contains spoilers, so if you haven’t completed the game you should probably not read this post. This was originally posted to Reddit but i’m putting a copy here too. It is my belief that the Embrace the Void ending does not spell doom for Hallownest as is often believed, and here I want to present the evidence as to why. Much of this information will be common knowledge, but I've included it to support my greater point.

Firstly I want to establish that the Shade Lord (or Bill if you're so inclined) is indeed the Knight and not a dormant god or amalgamation. The ancient civilization that predates Hallownest is said to have worshiped no god, instead worshiping the void itself, taken from Lemm's comments on the Void Idol:

Inspired or mad, those ancient bugs. They devoted their worship to no lord, or power, or strength, but to the very darkness itself.

Lemm is not the most reliable of source, but this is supported by the Abyss statue that holds the void bowl when the Knight dream nails it before acquiring the Void Heart:

...Void... Power... Without unity...

Void here is considered a power, but without unity void becomes nothing more than a writhing pool of liquid with some very interesting properties. Now, I have seen it argued that void has a mind of it's own due to some of these properties, but the game actively tells us that it does not. The original description for the Hall of Gods reward statue depicting the Embrace the Void form used to read ‘Void Given Mind’, but ‘Mind’ was quickly changed to ‘Focus’ in a patch. This makes it clear that Team Cherry wants to avoid the association of void having a mind, at least when it comes to an ‘untarnished’ entity. So what causes that weird mind-like behavior? Well, lets talk about what it naturally does first. Void is naturally adverse to light, this is evidenced by a lore tablet found in the king's void workshop:

VOID, yours is the power opposed.

The king is a being of light, so it makes sense for him to consider it opposed to him. It is also evidenced by the lighthouse in the Abyss being used to suppress the void sea, preventing it from lashing out. Void also consumes soul, evidenced by the apparent need for the lighthouse keeper to be kept supplied with the stuff (though most bugs cannot utilize it for spells, if a bug were to become low on soul this may be a way to top up without the use of a hot spring), but also naturally shown by the Knight's capabilities (this could also be attributed to their status as a higher being) and how the shade cloak consumes soul projectiles that pass through it. The soul totems built by the civilization who worshiped the void are another possible avenue of evidence, they were likely constructed from void in its solid form and are used to contain soul. As soul is said to be found in the air, it's possible these totems would be able to extract it as well. From the Deep Focus charm description:

Naturally formed within a crystal over a long period. Draws in SOUL from the surrounding air.

Going back to the Abyss lighthouse, the strongest piece of evidence for the void having its own mind comes from the lighthouse keeper's dream nail dialogue:

...Turn it off?... Cannot...

My King. I'm sorry... The sea calls...

It is apparent that the void had exerted its will over this bug, but here I get into the most important property of void: void is impressionable. Void starts empty but it does not necessarily stay this way, the king used molds to shape void to his will for the creation of the kingsmoulds and wingmoulds, but it can do this organically as well. The most obvious example of this is the Hollow Knight who was "tarnished by an idea instilled", which is strongly hinted to be the bond formed between it and the king. A more extreme example of this exists in the Collector, a seemingly rogue, armourless kingsmould who for whatever reason spent a lot of time around another bug who imprinted upon it. Evidence for this comes from the dream nail dialogue of the husk you find the Love Key on:

Too long... spent together. We become as one...

This is all evidence for void being shaped by others, so what of the lighthouse keeper? Well, this bug was in the unfortunate situation of being right next to an ocean of the stuff. Husks found in proximity to void have void in their eyes, giving evidence that the void manages to get inside of them. Although usually it's just a small amount it is enough to kill them, and in this case, also influence them. Void is opposed to light - void vapor infiltrates the mind - void tells bug to turn the light off.

Okay that was a bit of a tangent but back on topic. After the Knight acquires the Void heart it gains control over the void. Shades no longer attack, tendrils no longer lash out and the Abyss statue changes its dream nail dialogue:

...Lord of Shades...

Furthermore, Bardoon has this to say:

Ohhhmmmm... Tiny thing... It evolves beyond that Wyrm. Such union in a single being. A strength before unseen. Would it too challenge nature? It could perhaps defeat it.

Pretty much everyone agrees that the Wyrm is a god, so if the Knight has truly evolved beyond the Wyrm, that should make it a god at this point as well. Gods in Hollow Knight are not very clear-cut from other bugs, they tend to be more powerful and longer lived, but still remain mortal and vulnerable to the ravages of time (at least when in the physical realm) and physical harm. The Godseekers in particular muddy the water on what can be considered a "god", but even without them there is a contrast in power between the higher beings. Despite not gaining any additional physical prowess, the Knight attaining godhood at this point, particularly as it was already the offspring of higher beings, would not be a far-fetched concept.

So if it is already a god, why did the Godseekers not notice? Because they weren't looking for it. The Godseekers attune through the dream realm by connecting to the minds of bugs, but the Knight is mindless. The Godseekers were only able to find the Hollow Knight because of the Radiance within:

O Gods of Hallownest, graciously thee open the way to this greatest of Pantheons! Thy voices grow closer and thy resonance draws Us ever higher!

Pray will We, Attune will We, until that spark of divine light shines from the deepest darkness!

And still they fear it for its silence:

O bound one, thy silence nearly deafens Us. Foolishly we feared thee, yet only by thine providence shall We find the one We seek. The God sleeping within...

Which is their deepest fear of all, taken from the tuner memory dream nail dialogue:

What gods, to save Us of Our silent mind?

So where am I going with this? Well if the Knight was already a god, then why should its behavior change so dramatically just because it gained a bigger, scarier form? I want to bring attention now to the Dream No More ending. The start of the cutscene that plays during this ending is very similar to the void breaking out of the Godseeker during the Embrace the Void ending, but here it comes from the Black Egg instead. If the scene had cut before showing the void dripping down from the lanterns then anyone would be forgiven for fearing the worst, but it doesn't. After the Black Egg dissolves into void, we see a pool of void disappear from around Hornet, then Hornet wakes up alive and unscathed. Why doesn't it consume her? Because the Knight is in control of it. Later, we see the siblings in the Abyss peacefully returning to their rest, giving us a bitter-sweet ending.

Now to add onto this i'm going to start analyzing the Knight's character. Not much direct characterization is given besides ‘it is empty’, and obviously everyone's Knight is going to act differently depending on how it is played, but there is characterization that can be inferred. Firstly, from what the Knight does regardless of what we want it to do. The Knight always slows to a walk when around Dirtmouth, NPCs and certain sites of significance, I interpret this as it being respectful (interestingly it also slows down around the Radiance statue at the top of Hallownest's Crown, so it seems to understand the religious significance of the site even though it is opposed to the deity). Also in this category are the endings, one of which I've already gone into and i'll get to Embrace the Void and Delicate Flower later. Next would be actions the player can chose to perform, and most players will for gameplay reasons. These include saving Sly, saving Bretta, freeing the grubs and placing the Grey Mourner's delicate flower on her dead lover's grave site. Lastly are choices you get that you don't have to follow and there is no benefit to doing so, these would include giving flowers to other NPCs and sitting beside Quirrel at the Blue Lake, and Marissa at the Pleasure House. The Knight is also a rather aggressive character, but with a few exceptions it only attacks creatures who are infected or insane. The exceptions to this would be if it is attacked first (Hornet, Dung Defender) if it challenges a boss to combat (Mantis Lords), is requested to attack (Nailsmith), it enters a non-lethal dream fight, or the one being attacked really deserved it (Millibelle).

The Knight is not incapable of performing bad actions however. It can leave Zote to die to the Vengefly King (though it cannot kill Zote actively), it can cause Hornet to be trapped with it inside the Black Egg, it can dream nail away passive ghosts and the worst crime of all - it can murder Menderbug! On balance however, the Knight is a generally benevolent character.

I think it's time to address the Vessels in the room, literally - the cutscene you see after completing the Pantheon of the Knight for the first time. This one is strange, it depicts the siblings as though they are alive alongside the Knight and young Hollow Knight before an exchange occurs - the Radiance roars, her light is revealed above, and then the void rises up to meet her. What is odd about this scene is that the Knight can see it without having the Void Heart, but I think I have an explanation for it. When the Knight defeats the Pure Vessel for the first time it becomes attuned with it, by proxy of relation this attunes it with the minds of its other siblings as well. in Godhome, characters attuned within the dream are represented in living form unless they become "gods" while dead, such as the dream warriors and various animated husk bosses. The Knight seeing the siblings together, followed by the void rising up to pursue the Radiance is an indication that they all share a common desire to snuff her out, even when the Knight doesn't have control over them. This can be taken as evidence that the shades are a part of the Shade Lord but I do not think this is the case. As mentioned above, characters attuned to the Godhome enter in best form and none of these siblings are attuned as shades, so they show up in Vessel form (The Hollow Knight presumably shows up in this second form only due to the Knight's attunement with it). Furthermore, no shades show up to assist the Knight in defeating the Radiance at the peak of the Pantheon of Hallownest, meaning the Shade Lord could only be composed of the Knight and the raw void you see rising up during the fight.

So now for the Embrace the Void ending itself. Upon defeating the Radiance we see the Shade Lord descend from above and wrap the Godseeker up in void tendrils, then the scene cuts to her physical body leaking void before the void bursts out of her violently. We cannot know exactly what the entity was doing here, but it's likely that embracing the Godseeker was a means for it to escape into the physical world. The Godseeker does not seem to be afraid of the Shade Lord but rather in awe of it, and there is evidence that despite how devastating its emergence appears, like with Hornet, she survived the ordeal:

Punish this shell, o God of Gods! Blast Our frail, worthless form to ash. We welcome thine fury! Desire beyond desire!

This dialogue is taken from the Godseeker game mode which is set after the Embrace the Void ending, she also thinks this in dream nail dialogue:

We bequeath our all. Our shell. Our mind. We are naught but vassal before thee, o glorious God of Gods!

The Godseekers are a collective hive-mind contained within the body of a single individual. The Godseeker you interact with in Godhome is the lead Godseeker and her shell is her own, so when she refers to ‘Our’ shell she is almost certainly referring to the physical shell they all share. Unless the Godseekers have lost all touch with reality and now only exist within the dream, this indicates that they still have a living body. Although their attitude towards the Knight has shifted... dramatically, they still appear to be perfectly aware of everything that is happening.

After the above mentioned scene we see Hornet watching the infection wither from the Black Egg temple, and then she is startled by the emergence of the Hollow Knight, now free from it's restraints. The Hollow Knight being alive as its own entity serves as further evidence that the Shade Lord is not composed of the siblings shown in the Pantheon of the Knight cutscene, as the young Hollow Knight was a part of that. At the end of this scene, the player gains the Embrace the Void achievement which has the description ‘Ascend the Pantheon of Hallownest and take your place at its peak’. Your place, it is the Knight specifically who is at the peak.

Possible counter points:

You cannot leave Godhome in Godseeker mode, which could be taken as evidence that Hallownest was destroyed. The Knight's physical form has been irreversibly altered, however just like Godseeker their dream form can be different, so they can only exist as the Knight within the dream world now.

Why did the Embrace the Void ending cut away from Godseeker when it did if not to imply something terrible happening? Dramatic effect, uncertainty, possibly you are meant to draw parallels with the Dream No More ending yourself. I'm only here to shed doubt on the Shade Lord being a malevolent entity, not to definitely state that nothing bad will happen.

Why can the Knight bring the Godseeker a delicate flower if not to protect Hallownest from what would emerge? The Knight doesn't know anything about the delicate flowers, as mentioned in dialogue from the White Lady:

There is rare power hidden in those frail petals.

To hold it so close, one must surely be unaware of its nature...

It is my belief that up until this point the Knight had been protected from the flower's power by its ‘holy shell’ born from the White Lady and Pale King. Upon shedding this shell and becoming one with the void, the flower reacts by banishing the Shade Lord along with the Godseeker who still harbors it.

What about the roar of the Shade Lord we hear in the scene after the Pantheon of the Knight? If it hadn't been pointed out to me that this was a roar and not just the noise of the void rising up I wouldn't have even noticed honestly. You have to take information found in the game files with a grain of salt, this can be foreshadowing or the ‘voice’ of void even when not united, though void having a ‘voice’ at all is a rather contradictory idea...

So in conclusion, given what we can extrapolate about the Shade Lord and the nature of the player character, I don't think there is good enough evidence for it to become a malevolent entity within Hallownest. Thank you for reading and please tell me if I've missed anything!

Tl;DR: Bill is the Knight, Bill is a cool guy, please don't be scared of Bill.

[vynnyal]

dumping my random thoughts, comic ideas, and wildly misinformed theories abt hk onto my victims: part 2!!! p clear what I was doing in some of these, lmao

btw if you have any input im very, super interested please feel free 2 share

"So who's the mother?" Grimm: "Mother? No, there was no mother." "Then how--?" grimm: "Mitosis, obviously." Cut to two panels of the person dissociating over what they imagine the process to be.

FUCKIN... ASEXUAL PRIDE GRIMM

Hornet yelling shaw instead of yeet or koby.

Hornet yelling git gud at inappropriate times in place of like... Actual Advice. Alt: jdghghf or when she gets nervous, as a distraction.

Her thinking of something cool to say while waiting outside the black egg temple. alt: her thinking so hard she almost misses her cue, making her flub; aka the reason she says somn more like "geddun" in-game. alt alt: thk and ghost sharing a blank look (mid-battle) and thinking "she flubbed" in disbelief.

Hornet and something with the "spidersilk paper" lemm mentioned, maybe using it to """document""" her day when she has time to spare. She insists it's not a diary, so don't even try.

Hornet grieving the little weavers.

(speedrun) "You wanna fight? Huh? Huh? Well I dont, bye"

Zote "I only saved you for the money" joke.

Quirrel pretending not to understand modern slang.

Quirrel... Dad jokes... Holy shit

FUCKIN... DAD BOD???

conifer appearing in increasingly absurd locations.

Quirrel playfully commenting on the uh... "information"... The tablets display. alt: he can actually read it just fine, but is coy abt telling ghost what it says.

rather than just appearing, Quirrel and ghost walk through the archives together, the mood bittersweet.

Hollow knight passing the time in the black egg lightheartedly.

Wyrm and root trying to argue but the height difference just makes them both laugh.

ghost appearing before Root, expectant, only for them to slowly realize she doesn't actually... care about them. or any of the vessels, really. she expects them to do their duty, her claims of shame apparently not deterring her away from the fate they were created for. alt: she acts like that not out of any kind of malevolence, but out of pure ignorance. It doesn't occur to her how much it costs the little vessels... Or that they even have anything to lose, at all.

Cut to the future after the bad end, as yet another fragile vessel appears before the queen, far too late to save anyone now.

Godmaster traitor lord battle, ghost walks in looking very nervous. Traitor looks smug, asking if they're afraid (of him), only for the next panel to show ghost sweating profusely as they have Fragile Flower Flashbacks. alt, they're imagining/being pressured by the ghost girlfriends glaring at them/wailing "WAIIII" in tendem.

Ghost asks how thk got so big, only for them to reveal their body is still the same size, and they're just controlling a big suit of armor like false knight. Jdbfjfgjr

its been pointed out the bee knight doesnt... actually have any wings to buzz with. the noises are entirely vocalized. The reason buzzy baby makes buzz noises is because he felt left out when he was a kid; the queen, seeking to comfort him, explains how he can create his very own buzz sounds using an alternative method, instead. Despite his battle prowess, his mind never matured, continuing up to his very last moments to make the habitual noises of his childhood.

(godmaster) having soul left over and fuckin SCREAMING in the faces of the nail masters just before the bench.

Defeating bee boy by one mask, relaxing for a sec, before realizing the bees are stILL COMING ACTUALLY,,,,

The aftermath of the sheo fight, ghost just DRIPPING with rainbow-colored paint.

ze'mer and her lover meeting in their dreams.

flower lesbos hanging out with the thorn husbos (nailmaster/sheo hfshh)

Team cherry hid the gays behind some of the hardest missions because, let's be honest, no homophobe would put that much effort into anything.

Quirrel saying "I've only had ghost for a day, but if anything happened to them I'd -" Cuts to ghost, shade over their body Quirrel: "..."

Messing with the hot springs... geysers? Idk 3 heads things. whats in there? How were they made? By the ancient civilization, maybe pale king? alt: finding quirrel relaxing casually inside one of the eyesockets instead of in the spring, lmao.

"I'd sure like to be a shade, like heck- they can fly, they can do that weird teleport thing, and they have-", turns to it, "- ALL MY MONEY!!!"

Ngl I still don't fully understand the relationship between ghost, their shell, and their shade, and should prolly read up before blabbing, but what is it that separates ghost's body from their shade? Or their shade from ghost, themself? We see in the dnm ending they can very much "control" their shade, as they voluntarily rip off their shell to release it. Or... Oh shit am I dumb? Did ghost kill themselves right then? Oh fuck did ghost die to let their shade kill the radience. Please tell me I'm wrong I'm really upset now yfjfihrufhgi

Gonna be honest the previous one was me trying to contextualize the concept of ghost being able to fly like shades do but now I'm just thinking abt ghost, fuck. Still. Imagine ghost n thk just, like, hovering towards people with their funky tentacle legs. Or better, no tentacles, they can just Do That. Establish your dominance, little vessels.

Ghost doing the superman "ripping off your shirt to shift into super-mode" thing except they just tear apart their shell. Alt: hornet: "that looks painful"

Broken vessel was stuck. Out of all the dead vessels we see- the one in greenpath, those hung in nosk's den, the floor of the abyss, even ghost themself- not one retained their body after death. Except, that is, for broken vessel. Something, somehow, was anchoring their shade to their shattered shell and keeping it there, unable to seep away and reunite with their siblings below. They weren't just another corpse. That was ghost's sibling.

Just what is a vessel's coak? From what I've seen of the sprites, it's clearly attached to their shells; some in nosk's den are even hung from them, with their shells dangling below it. It seems biological- by which I mean, not some sort of clothing or ambiguously god-based substance- which makes its selective decay rather odd. On one hand, in greenpath, nosk's den, and some specific corpses within the abyss, their cloaks have stayed firmly attached. On the other, we have countless shells left naked all over the place- even ghost's shell is like this. Of course we have to keep in mind ari prolly just didn't wanna animate that, but that's no fun. I don't really have a prompt or theory here, as nothing I come up with quite fits the bill... Just more of a thinkpiece, I suppose.

Nyooming past quirrel at blue lake, freeze frame of ghost and q sharing a startled look.

Ghost distracting sheo by making him gush over his artwork. alt, "winning" the battle by showing him something they made, and/or just having a paint-off. Ghost wins no matter what, obviously.

Ohhh... Ghost learning to express themselves through art...

Lurien secretly has multiple eyes, fit neatly in the one socket.

Appreciating the genius of the mimic grub room (the real grub's location is hard-coded. im still mad)

Hearing Hornet say "get down" instead of "git gud" and the connotations of that. alt: hearing "git gud" when she's actually saying "get down", being offended or otherwise reacting to that, before being promptly smacked in the face by whatever she was warning them abt.

Hornet doing weird, obscure spider things.

Ghost: WHAT is THAT?? uumuu: uumuu emoji face

Where does the shade get its sword? Is it a void-sword? Did they scavange it? Did they make it???

The actual guttural horror of falling into the centipedes in deepnest.

The irony of feeling incredibly sad and hurt at thk's pain, but absolute bloodlust for pure knight.

What was written upon the journal found with the corpse in ash at hollownest’s edge. Alt: h. how did ash even get up there.

[cotillion-the-rope]

Hallownest Hero Chapter Five: Tiso Again (Godhome Part One)

The Dreamer Lurien floated there in the middle of the Dreamscape. He… wasn’t going to fight? He was going to just sit there and let Ghost kill him? After what he and the other Dreamers had done to try to stop Ghost from doing this, he was now going to just let it happen?

Ghost went closer, drawing their nail to point at him. But even when they stood right before him, nail centimeters away from poking him, he still didn’t make any move to defend himself.

“… For King beloved… To sleep. To serve… Bonds must remain… Remain…” He clearly wasn’t even fully here; he’d been asleep too long.

Killing someone who couldn’t even chose to try to fight back of defend themself was wrong. Even Grimmchild, as ever eager for violence as he was, seemed to know that as he hovered by Ghost’s shoulder chirping confusedly instead of spitting fire.

But… Ghost needed access into the Black Egg so they could kill the Radiance in the Hollow Knight’s mind to save them as well as save everyone else from the Infection. And to do that, the Seals needed to be broken. Waking the Dreamers wasn’t an option, Ghost had tried that upon entering the spire to no avail, so death was the only option. Better they die after already sacrificing themselves to this cause than Hollow remain trapped and the Infection allowed to continue.

So, they drew back their nail, ready to strike. … They… couldn’t bring themself to swing it though. Killing people in cold blood was wrong even if done for good reasons.

Stepping back and sheathing their nail on their back, Ghost would’ve sighed if they could. They would just have to try their best to find another way to either get into the Black Egg or gain access to the Radiance through different means even if it did seem impossible. They were going to try to save everyone, including the Dreamers no matter what it took. … Hopefully there was a way.

 -

Up in Dirtmouth, Zote was still talking to himself on one side of town while Cloth, Bretta, and Myla, chatted amongst themselves on the other side. Sitting on the bench in the middle next to Elderbug and Lost, with Grimmchild resting at their feet, Ghost could hear both conversations pretty clearly and it made it hard to think. Though, given the problem they were trying to solve, they’d have trouble coming up with a good answer regardless.

There had to be a way though, right? Maybe they could try to burrow underneath the Black Egg somehow? Or break through one of its sides? Hmmm… They started rummaging through their pockets, searching for anything that might help or give them a good idea.

They had a lot of stuff, more than they’d thought, it was mostly charms though, some more useful than others, and interesting junk picked up along the way that they hadn’t had a chance to sell to Lemm yet or didn’t want to. One thing though stood out when they pulled it out. It was similar in size to the charms and could’ve easily been mistaken for one if they’d been paying even slightly less attention. It was the gold thing they’d found next to the bug they’d freed from the coffin in the Junk Pit.

They’d forgotten about that and about the Dream Realm they’d entered when Dreamnailing her. Ghost had poked around the place a bit but hadn’t stayed long. But they’d learned the place was called Godhome and the Godseekers were all about seeking gods and communing with them via combat or… something along those lines. They hadn’t been paying the most attention in the world because the Godseekers were rather rude and they didn’t like that.

But the Radiance was a god, probably the most influential one in all of Hallownest. And Godhome was in the Dream Realm so perhaps it would be possible to access her through that and kill her there instead. It was worth a try anyway and the only thing even remotely plausible that Ghost could think of.

 -

In Godhome, the Godseekers still saw Ghost as nothing. They recognized Grimmchild as the Nightmare King despite still being little more than a hatchling. But nope, not Ghost; despite everything they’d accomplished, all the power they’d gained both in Hallownest and during their wonderings outside of it, they were worthless; a ‘cringer’. Well, they were going to prove that notion wrong. They were something and they were going to save the world… or well, Hallownest at least. Possibly the world too because theoretically the Radiance could extend her influence outside of Hallownest to other kingdoms, right?

The place split up into what the Godseekers called Pantheons. To gain access to what looked to be the final one behind a metal gate, Ghost had to best the first three beforehand. That shouldn’t be too hard, they could easily defeat a few Dream foes, especially with Grimmchild at their side. They went straight for the first one because it was logical to expect it to be the easiest and therefore done the quickest.

And… they were right, it was easy; Ghost barely suffered a scratch. At the top though was… Oro!? They hadn’t seen him in ages. Their fault really for not visiting as often as they should.

They ran over to say their version of ‘hi’; a simple hand wave. They didn’t get a ‘hi’ back though. Instead Oro pulled out his nail roared a mighty battle cry. Right, this wasn’t fully him, just a Dream version of him summoned by the Godseekers. Like the foes Ghost had vanquished to get to him, he was bound by the rules of Godhome and that meant combat was eminent.

Ghost was ready though, easily dodging his first attack and retaliating with their own. He was good with his nail… but Ghost was so much better. Victory was assured. …. Until Mato joined the fray anyway. It was nice to see him again too but he made it a bit harder. Ultimately though, Ghost triumphed.

Grimmchild chirped with joy as Ghost, leaking a bit of void, bowed to the brothers as they bowed to them; it had been a good fight. They held that position until the Godseekers’ light filled the room, fading to reveal them outside the first Pantheon’s door once more. There was now a symbol above it, signifying that it was complete. After a short rest, Ghost would move onto the next one.

 -

The second Pantheon was a bit harder but not by much. Sheo was at the top this time. True to his nature, he no longer wielded a nail, even in the Dream Realm, but a paintbrush instead. An interesting weapon that was surprisingly effective. He didn’t stand a chance against Ghost though. They would have to visit him and the nail smith later too when they got the chance.

The third Pantheon was even more difficult. Ghost barely made it to the top and when they did, they were met by Sly, unsurprising. The battle was over in seconds as Sly took them by surprise with a heavy nail right between the eyes, breaking their already damaged shell.

Ghost was sent back to the Pantheon’s door, lying face down on the ground. On the bright side, being in the Dream Realm meant they didn’t need to worry about reuniting with their shade after dying. That didn’t make it hurt any less though. But it wasn’t the first time they’d died, nor was it likely to be the last, so they got back up and went right for round two.

On the fifth attempt, they came out victorious at last. A great feeling. Honestly, Ghost was having fun. The thrill of a good battle was irresistible.

After resting a bit more on the bench in the middle – they would’ve slept just for the sake of it despite not feeling sleepy but it was impossible in the Dream Realm – it was time for the final Pantheon. The Radiance had to be at the top… right? They were about to find out.

The climb up was the most difficult of them all, as predicted. But after everything else they’d been through up until now, Ghost was more than capable of handling it.

At the top was a dark room. Which didn’t seem right at all, wasn’t the Radiance supposed to be… radiant? So shouldn’t her room be bright? Even more concerning though as the tall figure standing with their back to Ghost wearing a long silver cape, no way that could be her, could it?

They threw aside their cape and spun to face Ghost, letting out a voiceless battle cry. The Hollow Knight!? They were much taller than when Ghost had last seen them and their horns more prominent with an extra point but there was no doubt it was still them. But… they weren’t cracked, seemingly not even a little. This was them before they’d taken on the Radiance, probably just before considering their…

They charged. Ghost couldn’t lift their nail in time to parry and ended up impaled through the chest by Hollow’s longer nail. Void gushed out of the wound as Hollow yanked it back. Ghost couldn’t recover as Hollow swung again, slashing Ghost’s shell in half.

Suddenly on the ground outside the door to the Pantheon, Ghost didn’t get up right away. Instead they lay there waiting for the shock of pain and surprise of seeing Hollow there to fade. What kind of sick freaks were the Godseekers to pull up this pure image of the Hollow Knight? Didn’t they know about the real Hollow Knight’s plight? Broken by the Radiance, chained within the Black Egg by their very own father in a doomed and useless attempt to save a dying kingdom from a stupid feud the Pale King had started. And the Godseekers had the gall to show Ghost this version of them?

Grimmchild chirped above them, his tone worried. Ghost didn’t move though. They couldn’t recall a time when they’d been this mad and distraught before. Maybe they were overreacting. It wasn’t really Hollow, just the Godseekers’ idea of them when they’d been in their prime before taking on the Radiance. But it just felt so… disrespectful to revere the memory of what the Hollow Knight used to be when they were currently suffering because of what they’d been. If they hadn’t been deemed ‘pure’ and ‘truly hollow’ they never would’ve ended up where they were now.

With a louder chirp, Grimmchild settled down on the ground beside them. Turning their head to look at him, they lifted a hand to pet him on the head on the spot he liked. He nuzzled into it, making happy sounds for a few seconds before lifting off the ground with a flap of his wings. He then grabbed Ghost by the back of their cloak with his mouth and yanked them up too, forcing them back onto their feet. Wow, Ghost wasn’t particularly heavy but Grimmchild was still stronger than they’d thought.

He was right though. Ghost couldn’t just lay there feeling bad about what the Godseekers were doing. They were going to do something about it. They’d defeat this Pantheon and then hopefully the Radiance would be on the other side.

 -

The Hollow Knight was the strongest foe Ghost had faced yet. They were still angry about this long-gone image of their sibling being viewed as a god but… their battles against each other were fantastic. They were thrilling and glorious and… a way to get to know Hollow a bit better, not as much as they would like but it was more than they’d had before. Which, as was always the way with such things, only made them want more. Hopefully, after all this was done, that desire would be attainable.

Ghost ascended and was forced back down from the top of the Pantheon many times, they stopped counting after ten. They’d almost felled Hollow a number of times but always hesitated to deliver the final blow, not wanting to hurt their sibling for real even if it wasn’t really them. I was just a fraction of second but that was long enough for Hollow to defeat them instead. But with each battle Ghost adapted just a bit more and got just a bit better until finally…

Following a shadow dash through Hollow’s thrown daggers, Ghost slashed into Hollow’s abdomen, already leaking a substantial amount of void. Their shell would’ve broken, releasing their shade if this was in the real world. But it was wasn’t. Instead they collapsed forward.

It was an odd time for it but a memory of Hollow, forgotten due to leaving Hallownest’s bubble, returned to them. Before the void had proved too much for many of their sibling’s shells to contain, before the Pale King had summoned them all in search of his ‘pure’ vessel, they’d heard the cry of the Radiance. The void in them and in their siblings and all around them hadn’t liked it, answering with a mindless roar of its own. The Radiance’s light was abhorrent to the void’s darkness, one could even say they were opposing forces.

This memory had to mean Ghost was on the right track though as outside the fourth Pantheon’s door once more, they sensed something unlock above. There was more here than just the four Pantheons. The Radiance was here and she would be at the highest point in Godhome. Ghost was going to go up there and kill her.

 -

It very quickly became apparent that Ghost would have to fight every single foe strong enough for the Godseekers to deem as a god that they’d ever come across before they could battle the Radiance. Which wasn’t surprising given how the other Pantheons had gone. It might’ve been an exciting prospect except for the fact that there was no joy in defeating the weak foes at the bottom. It was almost monotonous, they barely had to even try.

That monotony was broken all at once with the sudden appearance of Tiso upon ascending to a new level. He let out a battle cry of course because that’s how this place worked. But it was still great to see a friend even if…

A large shape moved off to side, leaping high into the air and towards them. More like towards Tiso who wasn’t paying attention. Ghost dashed forward and shoved him as hard as they could, knocking him back – his stance had been unsteady too, seriously who taught this guy to fight? The large thing that Ghost was now sure was the Brooding Mawlek landed a second later, crushing Ghost because there was no way they could’ve gotten out of the way in time. Their shell shattered with a thankfully brief but intense flash of pain.

“What the fuck was that?” Good, Tiso had been knocked to the bottom of the Pantheon with Ghost the same Grimmchild always was. Though that also meant for sure that he wasn’t here by the Godseekers’ summons.

Ghost pushed themself back up to their feet to look up at him. Never before had they wanted to speak more than now both to scold him for not paying attention and almost dying again and to ask him why and how he was here. Nothing about this made sense.

Tiso flinched. “Didn’t you just die? We were going to duel at last and then…” he made a vague confused gesture. “And now we’re here.”

Ghost nodded. They then pointed at him and gestured all around before tilting their head; the closet they could get to asking a question. He didn’t seem to understand though.

“If you died then how are you here? Also… did you really just die pushing me out of the way of whatever that thing was? I had it handled, I was going to take it down all on my own. I didn’t need your help again.”

He was kind of an idiot, wasn’t he? That was okay though, not everyone could be smart and Ghost didn’t see him as any less of a friend. But regardless of that or how he’d gotten here, he didn’t need to be here. This wasn’t a place for normal bugs. How to get him out though? … Well there was always the exit, if they could get him to follow.

Ghost pointed to Grimmchild and then to Tiso then themself before gesturing in the general direction of the exit. Tiso might not want to come with them and in that case, Ghost was going to need Grimmchild’s help to get Tiso out of here because reasoning with him would take too long with Ghost’s inability to speak. Grimmchild nodded and chirped an affirmative, seemingly understanding the request.

“What are you gesturing about?” Tiso asked.

Ignoring him, Ghost took his hand and started pulling him towards the exit. He resisted of course but before he got a chance to voice a compliant, Grimmchild spat fire at his feet making him jump before swooping around to push him in the direction Ghost wanted him to go, hissing all the while.

“Okay, okay, fine, I’m moving. You’re lucky you’re a baby though otherwise I wouldn’t hesitate to swat you out of the air, fire or no fire,” he said instead. Grimmchild responded with a huff. “Where are we going that’s so important anyway? Though… I guess neither of you can answer so never mind.” Good, he was learning.

When they finally reached the exit, Ghost stopped and let go of Tiso’s hand. Before he could ask what was up, they went around behind him and pushed him onto it; they didn’t want to leave themself until the Radiance was dead. He vanished immediately and Ghost Grimmchild turned away to head back to their quest.

***

Tiso’s eyes opened to the sight of a large pile of junk. That had been a rather strange dream. Why would he even dream about the pale wanderer and their moth baby saving him again. But it had felt so real, if he hadn’t just woken up from it, he might’ve mistaken it as something that actually happened.

With a groan, he sat up, rubbing the ache on his head and reaching to grab his shield where it lay beside him. The last thing he remembered was getting lost in the Fungal Wastes and then coming upon a large open space. Interested, he’d explored a bit before slipping on a wet bit of rock and plummeting to what he’d been sure would be his death. But getting knocked unconscious and have a strange lucid dream aside, he seemed to be mostly unscathed, lucky him.

He stood up and… froze as he turned around. There was a large golden bug right next to him. Her sheer size was intimidating, making him instinctively take a step back. She wasn’t paying him any mind though, instead her gaze was focused what lay at her feet; the pale wanderer and their fire moth baby.

They both seemed to be asleep, cuddled up together with the moth baby’s wing draped over the wanderer’s body like a blanket. It was… actually really cute, though Tiso would never say so out loud, he had an image to maintain. But under the gaze of a stranger and in the middle of what looked to be a junk pit was no place to sleep. He should go wake them up, they were supposedly his ‘friends’ after all. And the wanderer had saved his life twice… no once, the second time was in a dream and thus didn’t count no matter how real the dream had felt. So just once and that meant Tiso owed them at least one favor.

Trusting the strange golden bug to continue to pay him no mind, Tiso approached and crouched down beside his ‘friends’. He lay a hand on the moth baby’s back – it was far warmer than any bug he’d ever touched before, not that he’d touched many but still enough to know this was strange, though it probably had something to do with the whole fire thing – and gave it a small shake.

No response. So, he shook a bit harder, enough to jostle the pale wanderer as well. Neither of them stirred.

“They can’t be woken. Leave them.”

Tiso jumped back up to his feet. The golden bug hadn’t moved though, she wasn’t even looking at him. “What do you mean? Did you do something to them?” If she had, he was going to have to kill her. That way he’d pay back the debt he owed the wanderer in full, either through saving their life or avenging their death. The former would be best of course because then the wanderer would know of it.

“No.” The golden bug still refused to look at him. “We are not seeking to harm them. We told them to leave but they insisted on staying. You however, thine intrusion upon our Dream was most unwelcome, leave.”

Tiso opened his mouth to make an angry retort but… paused. It may just be a dumb feeling but he got the sense that there was something going on with her and just here in general that he’d rather not have anything to do with. So he should just count his blessings and get out of here while he still could. And while no one else was around to witness his retreat.

He glanced at the pale wanderer and their moth baby again. They apparently wanted to stay and their actions in the dream had indicated that as well. Not that that was much to go by because it was a dream and thus couldn’t be real… could it? … If it was then Tiso definitely didn’t want anything to do with this whole situation because supernatural shit was not his thing.

So… without further word, he turned and left, heading toward the wall that looked like he might be able to use to climb up and out. He was going to pretend this whole thing, starting with slipping and falling, never happened. Heck, it might be time to just bail out of Hallownest completely and pretend he’d never visited because this whole place was proving more and more to be an absolute disaster. Surely he could find better glory and success in a kingdom not filled with insane people and lifeless husks wandering around attacking everyone.

[of-bug-and-beast]

Okay, before we go anywhere with this, I do not wish MatPat any actual harm. He may have annihilated the last of my brain cells with his most recent theory (as of 2:27 PM, 07/07/19, when I started writing), but I will not advocate actually hurting him for all that. His channel is run for fun, and dare I say, attention. And I can understand that to an extent.

But with that said, he pissed me off this close to my birthday and I am having none of that shit.

Second, I will be calling the player character (the Knight) Ghost, as this is how Hornet has named them, and it has more or less become their name at this point.

So, are we good? Then let’s get started with this.

There is no way Ghost is the Pale King’s reincarnation.

I will concede that, as @take-a-bug​ has brought up here, this would make an excellent AU. But as a theory, even by MatPat’s standards, it literally has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese.

First and foremost, Ghost is literally seen about five feet away from the Pale King himself in the flashback cutscene, as most of the comment section of the video has brought up.

If Ghost really was simply the reincarnation of the Pale King, there would have been no reason for them (who is clearly moving and doing things without him) to be in the same room as the clearly-living Pale King. Quite in fact, it solidifies that we were indeed a rejected vessel.

But let’s pretend this never happened, as MatPat clearly had. Surely the “theory” holds water now?

No. It sure doesn’t.

Let’s progress as he had.

Point #1: The Lore Tablets.

The tablets indeed refer to “Higher beings.” Now, the answer to what are the “higher beings” is a subject that, as far as I’m aware, has not actually been closed, especially with the Wanderer’s Journal that was published. But the one most seem to follow- including myself- is that the Higher Beings are the god-like beings of Hallownest, as this is supported by Team Cherry’s dev notes and AMAs[1] as well.

The Pale King is among the ranks of the Higher Beings, then. But how would Ghost be able to read these tablets, if they weren’t officially called such? Godseeker sure doesn’t recognize them as a god, at least not until they become the Shade Lord. This fact also makes the “theory” very suspicious; if they really were the Pale King’s reincarnation, where’s the godly aura? She should have recognized them as such.

Admittedly, her behavior as a whole kinda throws everything for a loop. But in the end, there’s still this.

Ghost, along with every other vessel to exist, is child of the White Lady and the Pale King. Or perhaps the term might be was, as they were kind of dumped into the Abyss, and the Void kinda seems to hate the Pale King’s guts and likely his kids too. But may they be a reanimated corpse filled with void or simply a product of not one, not two, but three incredibly powerful entities, the White Lady claims Ghost as her own spawn. This is directly stated with her stating that “Your companion's eyes burn with a familiar flame... Success then for the scarlet heart, and irony, to use my spawn to grow its own.”[2]

Likewise, Hornet- daughter of Herrah and the Pale King (the White Lady confirms this by bringing up how she was born of a dalliance between the two aforementioned parties)-  refers to the Hollow Knight as “Our birth-cursed sibling.”[3]

Not “my.” “Our.”

She is the vessels’ half sibling, sure, but this shows she recognizes them as the children of the Wyrm as well.

And being born of such powerful beings, it would be strange if they couldn’t read the text at all.

Now, the alternative possible meaning of “higher being” is those given mind by the Pale King, or similarly originated from Hallownest. Ellina from the Wanderer’s Journal book had shown no signs of being able to read the tablets in the Basin[1], which begins with the same phrase as those in the cliffs.

That in itself means nothing; after all, she is no god. But there is a lore tablet in the Howling Cliffs that rather supports this.

Higher beings, these words are for you alone.

These blasted plains stretch never-ending. There is no world beyond.

Those foolish enough to traverse this void must pay the toll and relinquish the precious mind this kingdom grants.[4]

It seems odd that the gods would so heavily rely on the narrow range of Hallownest, and since none (save for maybe Grimm, who has definitely not been here the entire time, judging from the looks of things but also has a very good knowledge of what has transpired) actually seem to have left, it seems near pointless to have the tablets.

However, we do know a bug that has left Hallownest, and came back with impaired memories besides Ghost themself: Quirrel. Now, perhaps it has to do with Monomon’s mask as well, but most likely being of Hallownest himself, he could have easily have been affected by the beyond. Those who were implied to have come from elsewhere (such as Tiso[5], Cornifer[6] and Iselda[7], Cloth[8], Ze’mer[9], and Zote[10]) have also shown no signs of memory loss despite having to have made the trek through the wastelands.

Now, Ghost has been out there, and apparently has memory loss, which does support that the wastelands do indeed strip the minds of some. Being born in Hallownest (or the Abyss, to be a little more specific), they would have been among those that would have a mind originating in the kingdom.

“But no mind to think!” you may cry, if you are one of the few people who actually think Ghost is a pure vessel. “They don’t have a mind!”

Au contraire. All the other vessels have shown to be imperfect, so they must have had at least one of the traits they were supposed to lack: will, voice, and mind. The Pure Vessel- later Hollow Knight- was tarnished by “an idea instilled”[11], which is likely tied to the cutscene at the end of the Path of Pain. But even then, the moment they had paused to glance back at Ghost, they were clearly impure; a creature without mind would have not hesitated to follow its master, yet they did. And they were judged the purer one between Ghost and themself.

In addition, if we take into consideration what we do in-game, they have made strategies to defeat enemies (or just rammed headfirst into fights until it finally worked out, which requires will and mind as well) and can choose to listen to what others say and retrain the information for their own use. They have a mind. They have a will. And what memory and knowledge they had was locked away, only able to be unlocked by some more forceful means.

So, conclusion to Point 1? Ghost can read the tablets not because they’re the Pale King, but because they are inherently tied to him and the kingdom. This can still be wrong, but it seems likelier than the suggested alternative.

Point #2: SOUL

While the Pale King has been suggested[12] to have a great ability of SOUL manipulation, it’s not far off to suggest that his kids might be able to do something similar. Hornet’s silk, as shown by the Silksong demo, seems to have a parallel to the SOUL meter back in Hollow Knight, mainly in part that it takes blows against enemies to fill it up.

But let’s ignore that for now, because there’s a more pressing thing at hand.

Guess where Ghost learned most of their spells from!

The snail shamans.

Hell, Ghost didn’t even know anything related to SOUL besides Focusing (healing), and it was only after meeting Mr. Snailman in the Ancestral Mound did they have any combative use for it. But even after getting all the spells (and out of these, Howling Wraiths, Shade Soul, and Descending Dark are likewise given by Snail Shamans, albeit dead ones), it doesn’t compare to what the Pure Vessel has.

Why do I bring them up? They were the one to be raised under the Pale King. SOUL manipulation seems a likely part of training. And between the “Focus” attack and the two “light lances” attacks, they do seem to have a firm grasp on SOUL. In fact, Ghost’s spells like quite untidy in comparison. But they weren’t the Pale King, either, and likely his abilities outshone their own. So, as the Pale King was likely a master with SOUL, why would he fall so low to be worse than his void child? Losing memory might at least leave him with something more than a rather sloppy heal.

So, as shaky as my arguments are here, it seems a little more plausible that Ghost just has the ability to manipulate SOUL because they are the Pale King’s child, and Hornet seems to support this as well, as mentioned before.

Point #3: Elegy for Hallownest and Ghost’s First Appearance

I’m not going to deny that the poem is directed to the Pale King. I mean, it clearly is.[13] But that being said, while MatPat’s logic seems at first glance slightly plausible, I remembered something that reftes this entirely. The first thing we see directly after the poem is actually the Hollow Knight in their prison, not Ghost.[14] Does this mean the Hollow Knight is the Pale King? No, it doesn’t, and don’t you dare suggest otherwise because the Pale King sure as hell locked up the kid with the Radiance in their head. It’d be kinda dumb to also be in the Hollow Knight beside his enemy, and as messed up as he was, the Pale King never struck me as that stupid.

As for the cutscene, I know this for a fact, because besides seeing the many videos of the game on YouTube, I’ve spent a lot of them playing this game, and I have seen a lot. The intro is no exception to this. So screw you and your misleading words.

Point #4: Usage of the Word “Dream” and “Ghost”

Surprisingly the most solid of his work, it’s a little harder to refute.

But this said, Elderbug may very well be meaning “dream” of grandeur, not the Radiance’s, or even the Pale King’s. His usage of the word “ghost” for the vessel is not unique either, as Ghost is given this moniker by Hornet as well[15]. Since her first pieces of dialogue in Greenpath, she refers them as “ghost” or “little ghost,” before eventually even calling them “Ghost of Hallownest.” While she gives no real explanation for the name, Ghost’s silence could easily be a main part in this.

Dreams and ghosts are also not always tied to the Radiance or the Pale King, either, as the Pale King’s palace is in the Dream realm (yet still away from the Radiance), and there are a lot of ghosts in Hallownest, if you know where to look.

So, do these words really have a deeper meaning? Not necessarily.

Point #5: Being Compared to the Pale King

Also a little hard to refute, but I’ll do my best.

The lines used to support this idea were “I almost feel like I'm once again in the presence of my beloved Wyrm,” from the White Lady and “Your noble bearing reminds me of our dear King,” from Ogrim, the Dung Defender (or White Defender, if you’re picky).

Let’s start with the first. Now in full, it actually goes “Ahh! So it bears our once-fractured soul, now complete. Such strength, such resolve, such dedication! Is it more than simply a Vessel? I almost feel like I'm once again in the presence of my beloved Wyrm.”[16]

She refers to the Kingsoul, the charm symbolizing the holy union of two higher beings[17], in this text first, before saying she almost feels like she’s in the presence of her husband. The Kingsoul would, by some degree of logic, have something that reminds the Queen of the Pale King, as half of the union was him. Besides that, Ghost has the Wyrm’s heritage, which could hypothetically amplify the effect.

But most important is still the Kingsoul. Half of it is based on the King, and that’s enough reason to remind the blind White Lady of the Pale King.

Quite in fact, she recognizes both Grimmchild and Carefree Melody to be linked to the Grimm Troupe (she tells them that “[… Ghost has] been consumed in the ritual of that scarlet clan.”[2]), so the actual presence of the primary higher being linked to the charm is unnecessary.

As for Ogrim, he says, “How funny that I see you in my dreams too, little one. Your noble bearing reminds me of our dear King. When he returns, I'll ask him if you can become a Knight! What jolly adventures we will have...”[18]

Noble bearing. Ghost literally could literally be holding themself up as if they were noble. In addition, Ogrim also recognizes Ghost as a vessel like the Hollow Knight, as he realizes that “...So there were others...” and even apologizes for the “cruel means” the Pale King used, despite his otherwise near-blind loyalty to the King.[19]

As for the Royal Retainers bowing to Ghost, there’s not much to say. While, yes, they do bow to you regardless of having the brand or not, it’s not far off to think they would have still bowed to the Hollow Knight back when it was a child, as it was the product of their beloved King. Ghost resembles the Hollow Knight, so it could easily be that. That said, since most would actually have the Brand by the time they go to the White Palace, it could also be a coding oversight. With the King’s Brand, Ghost is the King. This does not mean the Pale King, of course, but the King as in the ruler, as the brand has marked them as such.

And what does their Hunter’s Journal say about them, as MatPat so clearly points out? “The most loyal and devout servants of the King.”[20] Not even the Pale King, but simply the King. Doesn’t argue against the aforementioned points much, does it?

So, does it have to be that deep? No. Absolutely not.

Ghost’s heritage and the fact they hold the Kingsoul could essentially cover all the bases here.

Point #6: The Pale King Can Transform

This is a true fact. However, the most damning evidence here is that the King’s Brand in the Wyrm’s corpse seems to be on an egg, as Ellina states in the Journal.[21] This is likely the place the Pale King “hatched” from. Since we find no such egg near his corpse in the White Palace, it appears he’s pretty damn dead and isn’t coming back.

Bardoon may say that the death of a Wyrm may lead to “More transformation methinks,”[22] but that’s not quite solid enough to say that the Pale King had molted again. Bardoon also shows no signs of thinking of Ghost as a Wyrm, despite recognizing the Pale King and his brand being linked to such.

Point #7: Void

Let’s make this simple. The Void hates all forms of light, as seen by the lighthouse. The Pale King was using Void as well, and the Void hates his guts for that. To be reborn as a being primarily made of Void? He would probably self-destruct.

The Pale King also left the Kingdom in stasis, as Hornet states,[23] which could easily explain the “But yours is potential, eternity potential, force that could deny Time,“[4] quote.

MatPat also said he believed the egg near the throne room is where the Pale King hatched, and I think this has already been mentioned to likely be otherwise.[21]It’s more likely a failed attempt to hatching vessels in his little lab, as this resembles the egg Ghost had presumably hatched from.

Point #8: The Nursery Musicbox

This one’s also hard for me to explain, but it could also be MatPat made it illegal that leitmotifs are apparently not allowed to just be a callback.

I’m one to hate refuting a theory with another theory, but it has been suggested (and mentioned above) that the vessels may be the reanimated corpses of children of the Pale King and the White Lady. In this case, it would mean the children they had once been may have heard the song long ago, and the Shade remembers this past life.

Alternatively, the way Ghost and the Hollow Knight’s tales are entwined may also explain this, as it could have been the Hollow Knight’s room, once. But it’s shakier than the theory above.

Point #9: No Cost Too Great

This is the man who sacrificed millions, if not more, children just to contain a problem he caused. The cost was never directly tied to himself. Also, sure, maybe he’s redeemable somewhere, but I really cannot see him reincarnating into an even shorter entity.

And again, Ghost had hatched while the Pale King was still alive.[24] So. No.

Point #10: Ghost Can Wake Up Bugs from the Infection

I know we rouse Sly and Bretta from the infection’s clutches. But if we could really do this to any bug, why didn’t we do this with Myla? Or anyone else infected?

The first two seemed in a very early stage, maybe like sleepwalking at most. They could likely have been awaken by anyone else, had not the world been filled with infected individuals already.

Point #11: Monarch Wings

This is more my headcanon territory, but I would like to think that the Pale King could summon his own wings, and that set of wings? Might have been the Broken Vessel’s. Besides, we’re never given the opportunity to see if someone else can use the item.

Point #12: ...Father…?

Cut dialogue should always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, this could be a plea to their father, who Ghost does apparently remind some others of. Their mind has long since fell to the Radiance, so it’d be no surprise if they can’t distinguish the two. But this doesn’t mean Ghost is their father. The Hollow Knight was given a purpose by the Pale King, and they seemed to have loved him, and wanted to please him by being perfect, so to call out to their father in their weakest moment, wondering if he’s even out there…

Well, they were given the World Sense.[4] If they couldn’t find him that way, their resolve might have been shaken, but they’re still trying.

The rest of the cut Dream Nail dialogue[25] reads as if from the Radiance instead of the Hollow Knight, which leads to some interesting things. While “usurper” and “ancient enemy”[26] could hypothetically be linked to the Pale King, the Void is as much her enemy. Through Myla, she calls Ghost “the Empty One”[27] instead of “Wyrm” or some other term. She also states that “...THE LIGHT CANNOT BE CONSUMED...” The Pale King never consumed the Radiance and he is also of his own pale light.[28] But (while it can be held back by light) the Void wishes to snuff such radiance. In both the Dream No More and Embrace the Void endings, the Radiance is literally consumed by the Void. This makes it seem that in the end, she’s not talking to the threat of a Wyrm, but of simply a being of Void, no longer affiliated with Wyrm or Root.

Conclusion:

MatPat is a little shit that really should research more.

This is not to say I’m correct. Hell, I’d be glad if I’m even half correct. But when I can piece together an argument against that without too much issue, there’s something wrong here.

I need a source on this, but I remember seeing a post on Tumblr on how Hollow Knight is a game of acceptance, of who you were, of your past, and ultimately, your fate. It’s not about redemption.

It’s just achieving peace with your regrets and moving on, stronger.

Or at least, that’s how I’ve seen it.

I don’t see myself as right, but at least, I think I wrote something vaguely more solid, and found evidence to back it up. If nothing else, it was an excellent writing exercise. And for that I am thankful for the video.

I hope this was an enjoyable read for you, and I thank you for persisting this long.

SOURCES

1: https://youtu.be/dofQaoqecDk?t=920 – Mossbag brings this up. I do not own the book, nor have dived that far into either code or reddit.

2: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/White_Lady#The%20Grimm%20Troupe – source of quote.

3: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Hornet#Black%20Egg%20Temple – source of quote.

4: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Lore_Tablets_of_Hallownest – source of quote.

5: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Tiso#Dirtmouth – while I have seen all his dialogue, the fact remains he never outright says that he is from beyond. However, his line of “Hallownest... What challengers await in its ruin?” does seem to imply such.

6: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Cornifer#General – the fact he has only recently moved to Dirtmouth and expresses such wonder about Hallownest gives the impression he is from beyond the kingdom.

7: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Iselda#Additional%20dialogue – Iselda likewise supports this with her statement of “Of all the places to end up, we've picked this dreary town. I'd thought it a temporary stop, then my husband became obsessed with that old ruin.”

8: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Cloth#Ancient%20Basin – though vaguest of the list, her use of “this kingdom’s beasts” does imply she’s seen some others.

9: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/White_Lady#Delicate%20Flower – while she herself never said such, the White Lady says, “Not of me that flower, nor of this kingdom. Far it travelled to reach this place, brought by one beloved, fair knight of lands serene.” The Grey Mourner, presumed to be Ze’mer, was the one to give you the flower, and refers the blossoms as hers, with her words of “Che's sacred, precious, one of its kind flower,” at the quest’s fail.

10: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Zote#Colosseum – while the article likewise states he’s from beyond, he does outright say he came to this kingdom. Hard to come into a place you’re already in.

11: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/White_Lady#General – source of quote.

12: I have no memory of a source, but the entire fandom seems to have taken it as at least a headcanon, and it’s bound to have reasoning somewhere.

13: To those who may not remember the poem, it goes as follows:

In wilds beyond they speak your name with reverence and regret,

For none could tame our savage souls yet you the challenge met,

Under palest watch, you taught, we changed, base instincts were redeemed,

A world you gave to bug and beast as they had never dreamed.

- From 'Elegy for Hallownest' by Monomon the Teacher

14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y6DKBqXlmU – intro footage; self-explanatory.

15: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Hornet#Greenpath – the page also has all her other dialogue pieces, but this is the first of her many uses of the name.

16: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/White_Lady#Reacting%20to%20Charms – source of quote

17: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Kingsoul – has charm description.

18: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/White_Defender#Defeats – source of quote.

19: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Dung_Defender#After%20the%20fight – source of quote.

20: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Royal_Retainer – source of quote.

21: https://youtu.be/dofQaoqecDk?t=735 – Mossbag brings it up; again, I do not own the book.

22: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Bardoon#General – source of quote.

23: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Hornet#The%20Abyss – Hornet says, “A difficult journey you would face, but a choice it can create. Prolong our world's stasis or face the heart of its infection,” as seen here.

24: https://youtu.be/kOHdVy1BFNE?t=295 – Birthplace cutscene.

25: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hollow_Knight – the cut dialogue is in trivia.

26: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/The_Radiance – the Radiance’s own dream nail dialogue is found here.

27: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Myla – Myla’s dream nail dialogue is found here.

28: https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/The_Last_Stag#Additional%20dialogue – while I do not actually remember who said “pale light” (I do remember hearing it), the Old Stag also called the Pale King “bright and radiant in visage.” So it works.

[najti-nightmare]

I drowned in this game like in honey and it's no surprise. It's like a child of Ori and the Blind forest and Dark Souls, sprinkled with the atmosphere of Rain World. At first it's cute, then gets to creepy and terrifying super quick. It punishes brutally for mistakes and almost every boss takes many attempts to learn the patterns and moves (unless you watch them on YT ofc, duh). Also, as much as I loved the endings for their awesomness, feels and heartaches, I still had to do my babies justice and make an AU with both fluff and angst. It probably makes no sense but I still like it <3 Welp, spoilers below, don't read of you haven't finished the game yet~

I personally call it a "Family AU" but it's also kinda a "No Radiance" thing? After the end instead of vanishing/being sealed, all three 'knights' wake up in a different Temple yet still the same but without any Black Egg, it just looks like an abandoned alcove. Turns out the world around them is different, bugs of this kingdom know nothing of the Infection or Radiance, the entire Hallownest is full of life, not destroyed and crawling with madness like originally. There is no Radiance, the royal family's alive and full of light but they are different and know nothing about the Vessels. Instead of the Abyss, those lands were used for Resting Grounds while the original ones were replaced with a village. Some inhabitants have scraps of memories which they think were dreams or nightmares while the main trio remembers everything. The one who knows more then others is Grimm who had a slightly faded memory of him and the Knight as well as their 'friendship'. He's the one who helps the confused kiddos and adopts them. Regrets come sooner than expected. The Knight: (Little Ghost) > smol badass kiddo > wanna protecc everyone > still practices the nailarts > looks up to Hornet > looks dead inside Hornet: > big awesome sister > the one to be mature and responsible > actually she protecc everyone > the mom friend > won't let ghost beat her for the third time The Hollow Knight: (Hollow) > biggo badass brother > is still infected (sometimes covers the crack on his head with a bandage) > can't believe dad doesn't recognize him > keeps a king's idol under his bed > is actually pretty calm and nice > his bubbles of infection on body are in the places where he stabbed himself during the fight there are a lot so he usually covers them with bandages Grimm: > regrets > big regrets > doesn't understand at least half of their story but tries to help > is actually a pretty good dad > deep regrets Other stuff: > No one calls the Troupe anymore so they stay in Dirtmouth for now > but the shows still take place, just only in Dirtmouth > Grimm teaches Hornet how to dance > Ghost wants to fight the world for his bro and sis > Grimmchild as emotional support and family pet > their nails are hidden in the basement > no, Ghost, only wooden nails for you > go win with Zote for the billionth time > cheer up, Hollow, tell Grimm what's wrong > he'll keep on nodding like he understands > Hornet and Knight like to explore the kingdom while Hollow stays home

[ratcandy]

Since you already talked about den elder's lore what about zotes father? zotes dad seems interesting and i wonder why he protected zote in the first place. How did zotes mom met the dad? and was the soon to be dad afraid or nervous for being her mate? Also is zotes dad used to be weak like zote and that is why he helped zote because he knows what it feels to be weak?

Oh worm! Okay completely truthfully, backstory-wise both Dad and Mom have little to nothing going for them. I've thought out rationalization for Dad's actions but not quite what their respective deals were when both were younger, so I can't go super in-depth in that regard shdgkjdgh

but!!!! Essentially Dad was a Loser by Nosk standards, but it was a loserness he kept well-hidden. And by that I mean. He's a capable hunter and fighter and stands on his own just fine, but local idiot had the audacity to actually develop a sense of empathy (at least a little bit). Fortunately for him, though, he was pretty decent at keeping that a Secret.

To other nosks he's just a generally unremarkable guy who can provide for himself without issue. Kept to himself most of the time. That Guy who's Off in the Corner. Nobody suspected that underneath that cold exterior there was a little tiny shred of empathy for others going on that he was desperately repressing because we don't do that here.

But when it came to his own children that sort-of-empathy that he'd been doing so well to ignore came forth in a burst of "wait a second child murder is wrong!" because for a split second he experienced a Paternal Instinct. oops

So what ended up happening was a "No hang on wait no don't kill him I uhmmm uhhh ummm I can Fix Him. I can Make him Worthy. I Prommy" to mama, because the idiot who just outed himself for Maybe having emotion had to stomp out the idea of that immediately. Why did Mama choose him to begin with? I haven't the fainted idea i'll be real with u. Maybe she likes that Just Some Guy energy. idk

(also yes Dad was terrified of Mama the whole time because he knew he was in HOT WATER NOW!! He'd been able to keep himself out of harm's way so good so fine for so long but now he's literally one itty bitty mistake away from getting mauled because OF COURSE his mate is a superior like yeah that makes sense. sure. of course)

and then Dad went on to further regret his decision to keep Zote alive because Zote proved himself to be the worst possible example of a nosk to exist . and Dad is thinking to himself "I'm going to fucking die" because now he's gonna be the Guy notorious for having weak offspring, WEAK OFFSPRING THAT HE CHOSE TO KEEP ALIVE, and his mate is going to kill him, and this sucks

and well. then she kill ed him. despite his Efforts to prove himself (the secret Trainings with Zote + arranging the Den Elder's death) because if anything he was just digging himself into a deeper hole showing that he cares way too much about this one (1) offspring that he shouldn't be caring about to begin with and we can't have someone undermine superior authority for That long (it was a miracle he hadn't been killed off the moment he objected to zot's murder honestly)

[sage-nebula]

Okay, since probably no one will send me things from this ask meme, I’m going to just go ahead and fill it out myself because I really want to talk about Hollow Knight some more.

🐞 Favourite character?

All three of the royal siblings (Little Ghost, Hornet, and the OG Hollow Knight) have a special place in my heart. Hornet especially, obviously, given that she’s the one that actually gets characterization; I love how seriously she takes her duty to protect Hallownest, but also how she recognizes that perhaps it’s necessary for the seals to be broken after a time, and how she allows that to happen even though it means the death of her mother. There’s so much in Hornet’s characterization, right down to how she calls out Little Ghost (or perhaps the player) for thinking she’s completely cold, even though she isn’t, but instead has had to harden herself to some degree to deal with being one of the few living among the ruins of Hallownest. But I love Little Ghost and the OG Hollow Knight as well. Even though they’re supposed to be completely hollow, we know that the OG Hollow Knight came to love his parents and that’s why he failed at being a perfect vessel for The Radiance. And Little Ghost? We’re meant to believe that Little Ghost is completely hollow, and that that’s why they have the Void Heart, but I can’t help but feel that’s not really the case given the fact that Hornet or other characters will sometimes remark upon Little Ghost being surprised, or other emotions. The White Lady says that she senses nothing from Little Ghost, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they feel nothing; it just means that the White Lady doesn’t sense anything from them.

That said, aside from the royal siblings, I have to give special mention to the Old Stag, because I love him with my whole heart. I love that he gets some hope after finding his nest and realizing that an egg hatched there at some point, and I dearly hope that there are other stags out there that he can connect with. I’m so sad that we can’t give him a delicate flower, because he really does deserve some beauty and happiness. He’s my buddy. ♥

🐜 Favourite enemy?

I think the crawlids and tiktiks are so cute. It almost makes me feel bad for killing them, tbh. So probably them, especially since they’re just minding their own business much of the time and so they’ve never really posed a threat. (Also, props to them for not becoming crazed with infection even after the Forgotten Crossroads changed to the Infected Crossroads. They’re the real MVPs.)

🕷️ Favourite boss?

Probably predictable given what’s above, but it’s a tie between either Hornet or the OG Hollow Knight. Hornet I love because fighting her is really like dueling her; it’s a lot of jumping over and dashing under, and a lot of sword clashing as well. Meanwhile, I love the OG Hollow Knight because of how many emotions that fight instills in me; the moment that the music turns tragic, and he begins injuring himself to try to avoid hurting Little Ghost and instead hurt the Radiance / infection), my heart just breaks for him. I love him. ♥

🏔️ Favourite area?

It’s a tie between the City of Tears, and The Abyss.

The City of Tears is just beautiful; I wouldn’t be surprised if most people said that’s their favorite area. It has such a haunted, melancholic feel to it, on top of being a sprawling area that’s so interesting to navigate. The statue to the OG Hollow Knight delivers as many tugs to my heartstrings as questions it raises, and you can also access Soul Sanctum from the City of Tears as well, which is another fascinating area full of so much interesting lore. The fact that the music in the City of Tears---particularly with the ambience of the rain---is beautiful doesn’t hurt, either.

Then there’s The Abyss. The Abyss is a gruesome, haunted place, but that’s why I love it. There’s so much history there, so much lore---and yes, it’s cursed history and cursed lore given the fact that millions of bodies litter The Abyss because that’s where the Pale King tossed vessels (his children) when they couldn’t hold The Radiance . . . but again, it just gives the entire place such a powerful energy. It’s where Little Ghost was born, after all, and the OG Hollow Knight as well, and there’s just something about that that has a powerful draw no matter how horrifying the place truly is (and it is pretty damn horrifying, let me tell you).

🎵 Favourite music track?

I have to give this one to “Sealed Vessel.” Not only is that build-up great, and not only does it throw itself into the track with epic force once it kicks up, but the way that it transcends into a somber version at 2:15 just breaks my heart. It’s incredible.

That said, Hornet’s battle music also got a fantastic remix in Godmaster, complete with a background chorus, but I don’t think anyone has uploaded the Godmaster tracks yet, alas. It’s still incredible, though. (Honorable mention also goes to the City of Tears music with the rain, which you can listen to in the link in the previous answer.)

🛡️ Favourite charm?

Mark of Pride, bar none, because it was given to me by the Mantis Lords after I passed their trial, and shows that the entire mantis village has given me their respect. Considering what I went through to get it, you better believe I’ll wear it with pride. (Also, the fact that it lengthens my nail so much is also a plus. You have to love that.)

🏃 Favourite ability or upgrade (Mothwing Cloak, Isma’s Tear, etc)?

In terms of lore, my favorite is Shade Cloak, because I feel that it’s the most fitting for Little Ghost. It’s Little Ghost embracing the Void, which is an intricate part of him, and it allows him to phase through things, which is perfect since dodging is such a necessary thing for him to stay alive. However, personally I abuse the hell out of the Monarch Wings, and often use those to dodge even when I don’t need to. (Plus, it just opened so many areas to me; I waited forever to get it, and it was so worth the wait.) So I’m torn between Shade Cloak and Monarch Wings for this.

💥 Favourite spell?

I kind of want to say Focus, since it keeps my reckless ass alive, but honestly, probably Abyss Shriek. It’s super powerful, I love that it comes from the Abyss, and I also love that it’s Little Ghost (and the Siblings?) screaming despite how the Pale King wanted them to have “no voice to cry suffering.” The irony there is delicious.

🗡️ Favourite nail design (Coiled, Channeled, etc)?

The Pure Nail, and not just because it does the most damage (but that doesn’t hurt), haha. I honestly just really love the design; the tight, intricate spirals are very aesthetically pleasing to me.

⚔️ Favourite Nail Art?

I really love the Cyclone Slash, since it reminds me of the Spin Attack from the Legend of Zelda series, and The Legend of Zelda will always be one of my favorite game series. However, the Great Slash is also great for being able to One Shot primal aspids. Anything that takes out primal aspids is excellent in my book.

📖 Favourite Hunter’s Journal entry?

I’m going to be mean and say Zote’s:

“Some rare creatures are so weak, so helpless, so inept and irritating, that hunting them gives no pleasure at all.”

I wouldn’t hate Zote so much if he didn’t absolutely ruin the ambience of Dirtmouth, but seeing as how he has continued to ramble on even after Bretta left, yeah, I take what little victories I can get, and the Hunter dragging Zote in the Journal is one of them.

That said, there are actually a lot of great Journal entries. I like the ones where the Hunter muses about abstract concepts, such as in the entry for the Infected Balloon:

“The infection creeping through the Kingdom’s dead veins . . . does it have a mind? Does it produce soul? Is it truly alive?”

As well as the ones where the Hunter shows that, despite how he wants to kill everything, he actually does have a heart and some feelings. This is evident both in the Oblobble entry, and in the Hunter’s Mark entry:

“Having a mate by your side . . . one that will never leave you until death. Strange. No mate has ever come forth to stay by my side . . .”

“I have no offspring, nor subjects, nor worshippers. The sum of my being, my learning, my instincts . . . I leave it all to you. Good luck, hunter.”

And lastly, the entry for the OG Hollow Knight is also one I love for the sheer feelings factor it brings:

“The old King of Hallownest . . . he must have ben desperate to save his crumbling little world. The sacrifices he imposed on others . . . all for nothing.”

Damn.

🗨️ Favourite dialogue?

God, honestly, there’s too much, simply because the way the characters talk in this game fits my aesthetic perfectly. But if I have to pick one off the top of my head, let’s go with this line from Hornet:

“Then do it, Ghost of Hallownest! Head onward. Burn that mark upon your shell and claim yourself as King.”

Have I mentioned that I love Hornet? Because I love Hornet.

💿 Favourite DLC?

Probably The Grimm Troupe, simply because it felt more like a story DLC than the others have. I will admit to being a bit disappointed that Godmaster is more of just a series of boss rushes than anything else. I was hoping for a whole new story segment, but alas.

🎭 Favourite ending?

Dream No More, as far as the original ones go, but I’ve been spoiled on the new ending for Godmaster (though I don’t know the name of it), and that has me so goddamn excited for the Hornet DLC. I only hope that beating Godmaster is not a requirement for the Hornet DLC, because goddamn . . . I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I’m struggling on the third pantheon right now, and that’s not even getting into the fourth and fifth ones, both of which I’ve read up on and are super yikes. :/ Either way, as heartbreaking as the Dream No More ending is, I do love it a lot (especially because it lets the OG Hollow Knight get revenge on the Radiance at last), but that new ending . . . that new one . . . oh boy.

[ratcandy]

CoGR Abridged/Summarized

Hello hello! My name is Clam, otherwise known as Squeakyclam on Ao3, and this is a heavily summarized/shortened version of my HK fic Camouflage of Great Renown. For anyone somehow finding this that doesn't know what it's about, CoGR focuses on Zote and his story through the game and what preceded it. He recounts his entire life up until the end of what's known in canon, and this includes a whole lot of angst, growth, realizations, and Trauma Revelations.

Oh, and he's a nosk. Zote is a nosk. Yep.

I've had a few requests for a summary, as the work is super long and reading through 130k+ words of Zote dialogue may not be for everyone, hehehe so I've compiled all the important plot points and wrote them out here in order of his story, rather than the plotline CoGR goes through specifically (in which big events in his history are revealed later on).

If I had to recommend reading the fic for anything, it'd be the... impact, I suppose? 'Cause reading the summarized events here will NOT be anything like reading it in CoGR. Seeing as the fic is all in Zote's pov and he actually has to force himself to admit all of this aloud. But I digress!!

Here's a summary of Zote's life according to CoGR.

THIS IS A VERY, VERY LONG POST DESPITE BEING A SUMMARY. I'm sorry, CoGR just has a lot happening! T/W for mentions of death.

A lot more heavy stuff happens in CoGR, but in this summary I do my best to step around those subjects. If you think more T/Ws should be added, let me know, and I'll put them here

Nosks were a species that inhabited Deepnest, specifically living in a den towards the nest's depths. It split off into lots of tunnels and caverns that each nosk lived in. "Society" there was very hostile and unwelcoming, as nosks valued brute strength over just about anything else. Caring for another nosk - be it kin or otherwise - was considered weak. "Burdens" to the den, such as nosks that were badly wounded, would/could not hunt, or were simply getting too old would be killed off. Death in and of itself was very common and hardly anyone would bat an eye at it.

Think the Mantis Tribe but largely feral and without a shred of decency of morals.

Runt donning mask of citizen was born into the nosk den alongside his brother, who would become hunter donning hide of tiktik.

(Before anyone asks, these are just the naming conventions that nosks have. No one but the nosk superiors - the leaders of the den - are granted actual names.)

A third egg was among them, but the brother broke it open and ate the younger sibling not long after hatching.

The two were born under a superior (their mother) and her chosen mate (their father). They were expected to grow up strong and eventually overtake their mother and become superiors. Or, one of them would, maybe.

The runt (Zote) was immediately scorned by the mother, as he was extremely frail and useless, and she just about killed him off right after he hatched - but his father stepped in, and the runt was left alive.

Zote grew up to be a weak nosk who could barely defend himself in a den full of beasts that would gladly kill him if doing so wouldn't be a direct offense to a superior. His brother was cruel to him, his father berated him constantly, and his mother was hardly in the picture at all. Only ever watching him distastefully from afar.

His father did, however, train him, if only sparingly. The least he could do to keep Zote alive. (Doing so would be a death wish were any other nosks to find out about it...)

However, an elder in the den - hunter donning mask of weaver - gained Zote's attention as she told him fantastical stories from outside the den. This elder had spent a good portion of her life among the Weavers, initially being sent to learn about them (to make them easier to hunt) but growing interested in their culture and choosing to stay. Until she did something to get her chased out.

At any rate, she told the stories from the Weavers to Zote, alongside news of what was happening outside of Deepnest. This caused the runt to become obsessed with the idea of being a knight, as the stories just sounded!! So amazing and heroic and awesome and!!! :D Yea!! He wanted to be just like that!

To the point where he even carved a sword out of the shellwood... with the den elder's help. He named it Life-Ender eventually.

At some point, however, his father found out about all this. His father figured that the only way to eliminate this problem - as wishing to be something heroic that saved lives or whatever was SO unnosk-like (and would get him killed) - was to kill the den elder.

Before she died, the elder told Zote to run away from the den, and not to return no matter what. The idiot did not run, and because of this, he witnessed the Den Elder's death at the hands of his father and some other nosks.

Man! this does, however, cause Zote to be more... "open" about his ideas. By this I mean he begins carrying Life-Ender around instead of hiding it in his nest. what do you mean it's a comfort item what! no he's just rebelliously showing off how much he wants to be a knight. totally. 100% /s

well, anyway, not long after this, the idiot's father dies at the claws of his mother. Zote unfortunately witnesses this as well. When he tries to run, his mother catches him, nearly killing him as well. Luckily(?), this attempt is thwarted by Zote's brother, who was very distraught over their father's death. The brother swears to kill the mother before storming off. Zote runs into hiding (still in the nosk den), and begins devising his plan so to get the hell out of there.

Of the few times that Zote leaves his nest after his father's death, 90% of them ended with him getting pummeled by his brother. The latter was livid, blaming the father's death on Zote and frequently bursting into fits of emotional rage. Rage is great for nosks, other emotions not so much.

On one occasion in particular, the brother goes too far, nearly killing Zote. In the scuffle, Life-Ender is shattered, and that sends Zote into a blind anger (mixed with survival instinct as he's About to Die). Zote then kills his brother.

A crowd had gathered around them during the fight. In that crowd was Zote's mother, who looked to him approvingly after he'd killed off his brother. This terrified Zote, so he gathered the pieces of Life-Ender and fled the den forever.

Stopping at the hot spring in Deepnest, he made a disguise for himself based on the vessels that nosks would often capture. He made a new name for himself, took on an entirely new identity, and decided to abandon the idea that he was ever a nosk. He would just go to the City, be knighted by the King (who he'd heard of from the stories the Den Elder would tell him), and live out his life as a knight. Just like he always wanted. Not as a nosk. because he's not that.

The events that follow now are just very short summaries of things that happen throughout cogr.

- He breaks a statue in the Queen's station on accident after a bug finds him there. as a nosk. oops

- He obliterates the entire uoma population /j and burns himself in the process

- He repairs Life-Ender originally using mushrooms in the Fungal Wastes. Fungal adhesion is real I checked I swear

- He makes it to the City of Tears! and while there, he

Gets caught by Hegemol who mistakes him as a vessel

Drowns in the City's gutters

Purchases a cloth to wrap around Life-Ender

Hears the Pale King talk one (1) time and immediately decides he hates him

- While leaving the City, he finds a grub. That grub never really gets named, but as he frequented calling the little thing "Fiend," and the grub eventually began responding to that title, he just considers it a name for them now.

- Zote travels with the grub throughout the Crossroads until he drops them off with the Grubfather, being rewarded for reuniting them but overall feelings pretty :( about it.

- He then goes to the. So you know the houses that are underneath the Gruzz Mother's lil arena? Yea that place. he goes there and "guards" it, becoming that place's self-proclaimed knight.

- then he starts being paranoid about the grub and returns to the grubfather only to see all the grubs have been stolen. he presumes Fiend is dead from this point on (and dodges around ever using the word).

- Then he goes back to the lil town place only to see everyone's infected :(

- We then spend TEN CHAPTERS!! in Greenpath. In which he

eats a plant and dies

Stands in No Eyes's tomb.

Visits the Lake of Unn (and nothing bad happens)

Sees a nosk at the entrance to Fog Canyon and proceeds to have a panic attack

Kills everything

Gets caught by the Vengefly king

Gets saved!

has a breakdown

Yells at Ghost and then Leaves

- Canon starts!

- He stops in Dirtmouth, listens to Elderbug talk, gets told the Myth of the Great old Nosks who are now all Extinct. The news that nosks are now extinct freaks Zote out a little, but he absolutely refuses to return to Deepnest. He doesn't need to make sure. It's fine.

- In an effort to convince himself not to go to Deepnest, he goes to the City again, thinking it can't possibly be all that ba-- oh no everyone's dead!

- he inadvertently steals a map marker from Ghost and decides to use that as a pin for his cloak

- Zote returns to Deepnest. He's very upset with himself for this, but he just has to know if all the nosks are actually extinct now.

The answer is yes

but before that he gets caught by dirtcarvers and put in a web and has to be saved. this makes him angry

Upon seeing all the dead nosks once he gets to the den, and noticing that the last nosk was mimicking Ghost (evidenced by the mask left behind) before it died, he decides that he's gotta Kill Everything again

- more specifically we're going to the Colosseum now.

- Zote's fear of water evaporates as he goes through the secret passage in the King's Station to get to Kingdom's Edge. He only found it because he saw Ghost go that way

- While at the Kingdom's Edge, he gets caught by the Fools, who he stupidly challenges and then immediately gets caught by.

- sits in dumb baby jail for a while. mean to tiso

- Then the colosseum battle happens! He does not win he then gets dropped down into kingdom's edge with little regard toward whether he's dead or alive

- He grabs a Fool's helmet before leaving, going back to Dirtmouth, and intending to bury that thing

- this goes wrong as he bumps into Bretta. He then sits and talks with her for God Only Knows how Long, spacing out while doing so, and not even noticing when she eventually gets up and leaves him.

- He buries the helmet, shuts himself away in his house, and gets stuck repeating his precepts to himself. At the end of CoGR it is revealed that he hasn't been talking to anyone, and is instead talking to himself endlessly as no one is left to listen to him

and that's it! that's cogr. yeah

[ratcandy]

Guess who finished Wandersong, boys

spoilers under the read more as i have MANY thoughts

Okay 1 where the FUCK WAS AUDREY IN THE CREDITS SEQUENCE? did I MISS HER SOMEWHERE? That feels like. a. pretty important character to show at the end! so I’m assuming I must’ve missed her?? or?? strange unless this is foreshadowing a sequel or somethin. wandersong part 2 electric boogaloo: audrey is back and she’s depressed

oR she’s just fuckin dead after killing the last overseer but dam

Also ok I get why the fandom would dislike her but. i. legit cannot hate her by any means during the whole,,, part,, of act 6, i was just like. oh you’re a human being with emotions! yea i thought so! YEA I GOT YOU. I GOT THIS ON CAMERA

then there was the whole “i lied” to the promise thing which I called shdkgjh My thought process was like “either she’s gonna redemption arc (unlikely), betrayal (likely), or the song won’t work on the King of Hearts and she’ll have a reason to be like ‘VIOLENCE IS THE ONLY WAY!!’ or whatever”

but it was the betrayal one :// which like,, i understand i guess I just wish there was an entire ounce more of reason behind her other than “this is the way it has to be” tell me she’s tryin prove something to someone specifically maybe? At first I thought that would be Eya or Eyala but seeing as... no, then i dunno I get she was a “nobody” before she got deemed Hero but. like. what. was her thought process here? what did she want? other than being... special Which she would have been if they saved the world?? she said “it’s not enough” as her last words but like...... why not. why isn’t that enough

what are you trying to prove. and to whom

I wanna dissect her brain so bad and figure out her exact thought process here ‘caUSE I GET that she would hAVE the “this is the way it’s gotta be” mindset from Eyala, but then Eyala?? Supposedly was like “yo hold up for a sec” and that pissed Audrey off? so i don’t. i mean I guess it could make sense as she had her little epiphany. She doesn’t want to be told what to do anymore. but. like. she’s. doing exactly what she was told to do in the beginning. by killing the overseer

her motivation makes sense to me but like... barely

if we’re not careful i’m going to project onto her and give her stupid family issues or some shit. it’s literally going to be zote all over again! trying to prove themselves to their family for insert reason! got dammit

all-in-all, i really like audrey!! I think her character is epic! I’d get happy whenever she showed up, even most of my playthrough after act 3 was me whispering “please audrey don’t be here” because i knew. i knew it’d be bad news for me BUT!! Still! I just. oogh. she’s complicated and a lot is unanswered and I like that! don’t take any of what I said above here as bashing on her development or the game!! I want,, moRe of her, thatse all! more reasons, more everything. ‘cause she’s still so vague to me

ANYWAY MIRIAM!!!! CAN WE TALK ABOUT MIRIAM... CAN I TALK ABOUT THE ENTIRE SCENE IN THE CRATER AND HOW I CRIED CAN WE TALK ABOUT HER GETTING HIT BY AUDREY’S LIGHTNING AND THEN HAVING TO GO ‘CAUSE SHE’S HURT AND THEN THINKING SHE’S A FAILURE AND I JUST YELLED AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS “NOOOOOOOO” BECAUSE 1) MIRIAM BABY NO PLEASE and 2) oh ngonogn oh noooo oh no oh fuck miriam please don’t be relATEable like that

i want to hold miriam in my arms and tell her it’s going to be okay she’s loved and i love her and i want the best for her and i hope she has a wonderful future now that the world is saved

also irrelevantly am i understanding right that the Baron is the Bard’s. father

did i completely misinterpret that OR

hhrgn this game was so pretty and beautiful and the music got my gay little heart going AAAAA, and then the wholesome ass ending with the HUG and the “thank you for being my friend” made me AUUUGH NOOOO irl see when I deal with overwhelming emotion i take it out on punching things, but this time i had nothing to punch so i just beat the everloving sHIT out of my chest and now it hurts so bad

Mask boy is good I’m 90% sure i got all the dances because I just kePT LOOKING FOR HIM i wanted to hear that funky little groove he does on that note: i choose to ignore that the bard dabs. thanks

also did phil really have to smashmouth - allstar me in the credits. was that thing he had to do

ok i know i had more thoughts than this but it’s very late and i’ll need to be sleepin soon, i’ll properly respond to some things tomorrow maybe hehehee audrey is short. goodbye