scarletswarmhktheorizer

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

We apologise for the lack of updates. We have no excuses except: “my bad and whoops.”

We do wish to continue theorizing, just at a much slower pace.

With that we have recently discovered Graphic Ginger’s toyhouse. Which may help us glean more information on the lore in their HK AU.

We are still digesting these new tidbits of data (Including the new two face animation). One thing we can say for now is one of our previous theories may be incorrect. Vagrant’s past with the Grimm troupe doesn't seem to correlate him being an ex troupe member as on his toyhouse all instances of Prevara are listed under a separate AU tab.

AU tabs can still be useful to us however which we may take advantage of in the future. AUs stem from a general premise of putting a character in a new setting. Though the characters in general remain the same at their core, like personalities or relationships just at a new perspective. Which may help us grasp more interesting details about a character based on commonalities between AUs. For example, Vagrant is multiple times depicted as a hunter-type character in two AUs. And as an active destroyer in another. This could perhaps help us infer things about canon Vagrant.

We might return with a new theory soon.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

Graphic Ginger has posted a new animation? Lets have a closer look… 📝

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

👀

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

Vagrant was a troupe member

Graphic Ginger recently posted some art! And it reveals some interesting details on the relationship between Vagrant and Grimm.

The biggest reveal is that Vagrant was at one point part of the Grimm troupe as some form of performer. Utilising his red string to do stunts.

The means in which he was indoctrinated isn't surprising, Grimm offered him a position in his troupe. What is interesting is how Grimm seems to have convinced him by weighing options to him. Saying he has “a choice to make”.

Grimm says that Vagrant could either “keep running.” or “change” which is being taken into the troupe. What Vagrant is running from or what is unclear as we don't know where in the timeline this interaction takes place. It could be his guilt that his astral form discusses when he says “I’ve done things I am not proud of”. However, that guilt seems to stem from his past as with the troupe. Maybe as a member he did something he regretted.

But now we know how Vagrant is connected to the troupe, he used to be affiliated with them. We just don't know when this takes place. In his early life or much later. As its possible that a major part of his story are the consequences of being an ex troupe member.

Interesting extra detail to note is that troupe Vagrant has a phase 1 Grimmchild charm buttoning his capelet. It could be a replica to show his devotion and affiliation to the troupe. Though if it was the real charm it could demonstrate his status as a troupe member. As Grimm would possibly have someone he deems trustworthy to hold the charm of his child, which would be a high ranking member or a ritual participant.

Another detail we noticed is that the second slide seems to mirror or be in reference to the blood moon shot in the God animation meme. Grimm loves being silhouetted by the moon!

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

We awake from our slumber

Stuff from last night and this morning <3

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

FAR FROM HOME AND DEEP BELOW, WHERE SHADES OF LAPIS BLED.

ONCE FORGOTTEN FALLEN GRACE. NOW BOUND BY SCARLET THREAD.

Graphic Ginger has a new website! Go check it out!

It's a wonderful centralized spot to support Graphic Ginger and for them to show and sell they wonderful work!

We hear you ask: “ dear scarletswarmhktheorizer, why are you mentioning this? This is a commercial website, nothing more. You can't possibly find Scarlet swarm clues.”

My dear reader you are WRONG. We have found a splendid nugget of a clue! At the bottom of the page of the Graphic Ginger website there is a link called ‘characters’, and pressing it leads you to this image!

In true Hollow Knight fashion, a poem. Get your literacy analysis hats on, let's dive in! VERSE BY VERSE!

This poem is very reminiscent of the opening poem in Hollow Knight, “Eledgy for Hallownest”. It's a poem reminiscing about the Pale King’s humble beginnings of building his kingdom. It's a mournful reflection of glory days.

We can apply a similar principle for this new poem. This poem is possibly about a character. Then who is the poem about? And what does this poem tell us about this character?

We believe this poem is about Vagrant (and Astral). The poem mentions ‘scarlet thread’ which is a signifier of Vagrant’s influence or presence as seen in multiple sketches and animation memes. Then the poem mentions “shades of lapis bled”. The only mention of blue blood we have seen in this AU is in the God animation meme. There is a shot where a pair of white hands - which could only possibly be vagrant because he is the only bug with a white shell - cut themselves with a knife in a sacrificial manner. We also know based on his Wiki that Vagrant is a character who is “far from home”.

Then if this poem is about Vagrant what does this tell us about him? Based on the line “once forgotten fallen grace” we can infer this is probably about Astral. Vagrant’s true form - his grace- has been forgotten and has somehow diminished in power. This form or maybe vagrant is “bound by Scarlet thread”, tied in his own strings. The nature of these strings has always been interesting as red is usually a colour of the Grimm Troupe. Based on this poem is it possible that Astral/Vagrant is cursed by these strings and that it isn't a weapon he now uses willingly? If so, who cursed him?

Based on the scene in the God meme we mentioned previously and other pieces of evidence we have previously talked about. We believe Vagrant has taken (partially) part in the Grimm Troupe ritual but something went wrong and now he is cursed and bound to these “Scarlet thread(s)”. Why would the ritual go wrong? Maybe Vagrant’s true form conflicted with the ritual. We speculated previously that he could be a pale being. It is possible his powers got in the way of a delicate ritual.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

We have some confirmation that Astral is indeed vagrant! Interesting to note that Astral is the form that is considered his “true form”. Makes sense due to Vagrant’s character design, they are concealed in a cloak suggesting he has things to hide. Maybe they are trying to hide the giant ass light he has for a face. 💥

Or to hide his guilt…

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

“I’ve done things that I’m not proud of.”

Graphic Ginger has released a new short! Although it's mostly a comedic video, there are small things we can glean.

The video uses an edited audio of the “Freddy, you are supposed to be on lockdown.” scene from the game Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach. Where instead of Freddy responding with his usual line he says - well in this case it's Astral saying it - “I’ve done things that Im not proud of, Vannessa.”

This is meant to illustrate that during possible QnAs on the Graphic Ginger discord server, Astral dodges questions about himself.

What has he done that would justify this guilt and avoidance of talking about it? We are not on the Graphic Ginger discord server, so we don't know specifically what subjects Astral avoids. It would be useful, but we would rather use the publicly available evidence to craft our theories.

In our case we know he doesn't like talking about himself. He feels guilt or regret for something he has done. What did they do?

We think this action has to do something with the Grimm Troupe. As in the video, when Astral says his line, the background shifts to red and his signature red strings appear once again. The red string can be seen around the Troupe often. It's on Ameise’s hand, a character we know has some involvement with Astral. We know this red string signifies the influence of Astral AND Vagrant. As the string appears in Vagrant’s animation meme: Everyone is Dumb and behind him during the God animation meme.

What did he do then? And why does he feel shame for it? We don't know all the details at this point but we can speculate. We think it could be his involvement with the Troupe. On his wiki, there is a quote from Vagrant that he mentions not having met the troupe ever, we can assume for now because of this new video that this is an avoidance tactic to not talk about his involvement with Grimm. What was his involvement with the troupe? He isn't affiliated with the Troupe, so was he a ritual participant? What is his business with the Nightmare Heart?

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

Vagrant’s NEW form?

There are some interesting things to note in Graphic Ginger’s new YouTube community post. The post mostly consists of sketches and joke drawings which we think aren't meant to be taken too seriously. Though there is an appearance of a character we already know, Vagrant. However, he looks a little different now. He is depicted in (a quite elegant might we add) dress and a light for a head. We can be sure this is Vagrant due to how we have previously seen Vagrant like this in “unofficial artwork” from the wiki. Plus in the same page of the sketch there is a drawing of Vagrant in his signature hood with the same red string pattern on his neck and chest just like on his new form right next to it.

What does this mean? In the post, this new vagrant is referred to as Astral. This new name does not give us much insight except that it gives him some connection to stars or space which we believe is meant to reinforce his connection as a higher being or just a being with power. This would make sense as we see him depicted along side the Nightmare Heart, a higher being and the God of Nightmares. Their relationship is unclear however we can get an idea that the two are at a negotiating level. The second image on the community post shows Astral probably in the nightmare realm speaking to the Nightmare Heart. We don't know why he is there or what he might have said though it can be suggested by the Nightmare Heart’s response: “My apologies… We’ll make things right…” that Astral came to them with an issue and now the Nightmare Heart looks to resolve it.

This can tell us that this ‘issue’ has to do with the Grimm Troupe. The Nightmare Heart respects Vagrant to some level to resolve his ‘issue’. And that Vagrant is at some standing among the higher beings of Hollow Knight.

Another thing to note is the sketch of Ameise being held by Astral. Confirming that something is happening between the two.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

The Centipedes of Scarlet Swarm

While exploring the Scarlet Swarm wiki page we noticed an interesting detail about one of the Grimm Troupe characters. Chanterelle is a character created by @brennustheskeleton and shows up in the most recent animation meme ‘God’. In her trivia section it is mentioned that “Chanterelle is the Nightmare Heart's favourite troupe member.” Looking to the Nightmare Heart’s page there is a little more detail. It explains that the Nightmare Heart takes a liking to her due to her devotion but also because they are a similar species: centipedes.

What does this mean? Is this important in some way? How important is Chanterelle in Scarlet Swarm?

The wiki mentions how the Nightmare Heart “…favours some members more than others…”. Just as having the favour of God - in this case the Nightmare Heart - is to be given good fortune, assistance or power from a higher being, is it possible then that Chanterelle has more power than we originally believed?

We aren't fully given what the Grimm Troupe hierarchy system looks like. Though we get a few hints. Grimm and the Nightmare Heart are the obvious leaders of the group and we are told that Ameise is Grimm’s right hand man, giving him high authority. With this tidbit of information, it may suggest Chanterelle also holds lots of power, both from being the Troupe’s second ever member and also the worship leader. Could her connection to the Nightmare Heart put her on par with Grimm? Maybe not in raw battle or magic power but maybe in status in the many eyes of the Nightmare Heart?

Edit: The Scarlet Swarm wiki page does actually contain an official hierarchy! We aren't as proficient with websites as we think we are! We just like talking about lore! Though it doesn't change the conclusion of our theory much. Chanterelle is a high ranking member as a “Elder Member” though perhaps due to the Nightmare Heart’s favouritism she is given more authority or power.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

The Moth, The Wyrm and The Centipede

The Higher Beings in Scarlet Swarm.

Most events in Hollow Knight can be traced back to the actions of a higher being. The Pale King created the vessels. The moth tribe and the infection were born from the Radiance. And the mission goal of the Grimm Troupe centers around the Nightmare Heart (NH).

This is also true for the Scarlet Swarm AU. Though things a slightly rearranged but more personality and motive is put on the 3 central higher beings in this universe. This includes: The Radiance, The Pale King (PK) and The Nightmare Heart (NH).

The Pale King is currently the least developed higher being on the list, or we have yet to know more about him yet. In Scarlet Swarm the Pale King more serves as a narrative tool, as opposition to Grimm and to create the main vessel characters: Vestige and Fervid (Ardentia). His main motive - much like in the original game - is to keep his kingdom standing. Though in this timeline is to save it from the destruction of Grimm instead of preserving it away from the Radiance. We have yet to know his association with the Radiance and NH in this timeline.

The Radiance is the most disconnected from the Scarlet Swarm story so far. Or at least we don't know her purpose yet. Though she seems relevant as she possesses her own page on the Scarlet Swarm wiki - though we don't have a design for her just yet. Just like (assumingly) in the main game, The Radiance is the God of Dreams and is in full control of her domain, the Dream Realm. She can also enter the Nightmare Realm, though seems to avoid that as much as possible (The Nightmare Realm seems to be an entirely separate Realm in which the Radiance has no influence). In terms of personality she is described as “strong and arrogant”.

We question if the Radiance is going to be involved at all in Scarlet Swarm. At present does not seem to be involved in the war between Hallownest and Grimm. Though she may still hold grudges against the Pale King (and passive dislike of NH). We have no evidence to prove otherwise that the event of the Pale King convincing the Moth Tribe to leave the Radiance from the original game didn't happen in Scarlet Swarm. This can suggest the Radiance could still have negative intentions or a grudge against the King of Hallownest. Maybe she may even not provide assistance to the King when Grimm comes along to start a war or she may even help Grimm destroy the kingdom. However, this would put her old people in danger and at risk. And in addition to that the Radiance seems to dislike the Nightmare Realm and avoids it, suggesting that maybe she could not work with Grimm.

The Nightmare Heart is the centre point of the Grimm Troupe’s life. The heart is at the centre of it all (excuse our pun, very much intended). Though it may not be fully the case. From the wiki, we learn that the Nightmare Heart is actually quite a passive deity and doesn't fully approve of Grimm’s violent misdeeds. However, they make no effort to correct the behaviour due to indifference or maybe lack the power to do so. The Nightmare Heart is the other side of the coin from the Radiance, sporting an opposite personality: “humble and quite disposition” which is said to “clash” with the Radiance’s “strong and arrogant personality”. But no conflict seems to be created by the two gods of sleep and they seem to passively avoid confrontation with each other. It seems the Nightmare Heart Will also not be majorly involved in the conflict between Grimm and the Pale King due to how indifferent they seem to act with Grimm’s pillaging. Though the Radiance could be a bridge between the Pale King and the Nightmare Heart for communication during this scuffle or even Vagrant as we have speculated before could be a pale being much like PK. Perhaps multiple attempts were made by the Pale King to contact the Nightmare Heart to stop Grimm’s War on his kingdom.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

GOD HAS FOUND US

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

Who THE FUCK is Vagrant?

We excuse ourselves for our foul language, this is a question that is driving us insane recently!

Who is he? What is he? What does he want? We won't have an answer just yet. BUT! We can speculate!

Vagrant is a character that has debuted in the ‘Everyone Is Dumb’ meme. And has made a second appearance in the most recent ‘God’ meme. This tells us this character is significant in some way. But HOW? And WHY?

We can get extra tidbits of information from his wiki page. It isn't much! But it's all we have! (For now!)

It says he is a beetle that comes from an unknown small town in search of “something better”. Presuming looking for something to spice up his life? Does he have a “something” in mind?

Even though he denies it, Vagrant has made contact with the Grimm Troupe before! We speculate that maybe he partook in a ritual with the troupe. Since we (assume) to see him harm himself during the ‘God’ animation meme and stand with a nightmare torch.

‘But doesn't Scarlet Swarm Grimm not do rituals?’ We hear you ask. Yes, he doesn't perform them… anymore. We speculated previously that maybe Vagrant’s involvement in the story is before the Hallownest and Grimm war. What if the events with Vagrant are why he doesn't perform them anymore?

However, Grimm’s aversion to rituals can also be explained by Grimm’s desire to not die or be rebirthed. It's not very clear what the Grimm Troupe ritual actually does to Grimm in the canon game. But it doesn't seem like a pleasant outcome, which could be a motive for him not to perform them.

Back to Vagrant. Another interesting fact is that he is a Cyphochilus beetle. Or a white beetle. In Hollow Knight lore all characters who have white bodies are associated with Hallownest’s royalty (not including the vessels and Hornet who have black bodies): The Pale King, The White Lady and all their servants. The White Lady and the Pale King are confirmed to be creatures called “pale beings”. This is not to just comment about their complexions, mostly. We mostly don't know what this title means for the late rulers of Hallownest but it can be assumed to give them special attributes. What if vagrant is also a pale being?

Almost nothing is known about Vagrant’s association with the Grimm Troupe. But we might be able to gleam some guesses from the available art and it’s imagery. As said before, he seems to be an outsider and not interested in joining the troupe. The wiki suggests that Vagrant has some influence over Grimm. Seen with how he has tangled a troupe torch with his red string. Which could symbolise how Grimm is figuratively tied or attached to Vagrant. Vagrant also seems to have some influence over some troupe members. As seen with Ameise who has red string decoratively wrapped on his hand.

Vagrant also seems able to be able to cause some violence. He is no passive Wanderer. In ‘Everyone Is Dumb’ he is seen having blood on his cloak. He is also proficient using a knife on a red string, presumingly as a weapon.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

What will the plot of the Scarlet Swarm AU be?

Going through all the publicly available scsw outlets: such as the Graphic Ginger YouTube channel and the fandom wiki. We can conclude the story will be told through two different eras - and a possible third era which could explain the appearance of an out of place character.

The main difference which drives the plot of Scarlet Swarm differently from the canon of Hollow Knight is Grimm’s behaviour. In this alternate universe, Grimm is a lot more violent. Instead of performing rituals like in the original game, he pillages and destroys kingdoms to gather nightmare essence. This is what drives the Pale King to make the vessels and use them as soldiers against the Nightmare King.

This is the basis of the first half of the story of Scarlet Swarm. A war is waged between Hallownest and the servants of the nightmare realm. An important character to focus on will be Fervid. Fervid is a regular vessel made to fight the war but will be unfortunately captured and indoctrinated into the Grimm Troupe, which gives them their new identity as Ardentia.

We speculate that possibly in the first half of Scarlet Swarm it will explore Ardentia’s new life in the Grimm Troupe and it’s members.

Then this will eventually lead to the second half of the plot. Ardentia’s abandonment after the Grimm troupe wins their war against Hallownest, leaving it in ruins. Grimm discards Ardentia, either because they are of no use to him anymore or out of absentmindedness. This will leave Ardentia distraught, leading them into a blind bloodlust into Hallownest.

The main character of this section of the story is Vestige. A young vessel looking to explore Hallownest much like Ghost in canon (in Scarlet Swarm Ghost served as a knight during the war, we don't know if they are still alive). Which leaves Ardentia as more of an antagonist to threaten Vestige’s life.

We speculate that there may be a third section to the Scarlet Swarm story. We think it could possibly be a prequel section of the Grimm Troupe before the war. We think this because there is a character that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else in this timeline, Vagrant. Vagrant is a cloaked white beetle of mysterious motives and origin. Though they are clearly important as they appear ominously often with the Grimm troupe. They don't seem affiliated with the Troupe it seems as on the wiki page he states he doesn't ever remember meeting a troupe. Though he has clearly met them, as seen in the animation memes. Another thing to note about Vagrant is his association with knives and red string. In the God meme, he is seen with a nightmare lantern tangled in red thread and in concept art on his fandom page his main weapon is a knife on a red string. Red string can also be found tangled on the hand of Ameise the fire ant. Which may suggest Ameise is associated with him in some way.

Although we don't know what his motives are, we can assume the section of the story he will be included in is before the war due to how uninvolved the troupe are in the story after Ardentia’s abandonment. Vagrant is only depicted with the Troupe (not being a member) it would be odd if he entered the story when the Troupe is no longer involved in the story.

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

Scarlet Swarm : God

HAS RELEASED

📝WE WILL START ANALYSING SOON📝

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

HEADS UP!!! NEW SCARLET SWARM ANIMATION IS RELEASING IN 40 MIN

📝START NOTE TAKING 📝

[scarletswarmhktheorizer]

HELLO INTERNET WELCOME TO SCARLET SWARM THEORY

This is a dedicated blog page to theorise about the lore and story of Graphic Ginger’s titular Hollow Knight AU: Scarlet Swarm.

ALL ART WE USE IS CREATED BY GRAPHIC GINGER!

This blog will do its best to form conclusions or speculations around the plot of it’s characters and themes.

This is an AU created by Graphic Ginger, go check them out!

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Majority of the content this blog will analyse will be the official Scarlet Swarm fandom page and the graphic ginger YouTube channel.