#aspid hunter

[flame-shadow]

February's zine! Each scene is a 4-page spread making up a 16-page booklet. Originally, I was just going to draw one bug per page, but I got more than 16 bugs, and I am fond of making scenes and telling stories anyway, so that's what I went with. :)

Bonus flat view of the zine below the cut

[fly-sky-high-bug-games]

DAY 3: COWER

We all have our low points in life goals and there is no shame in that.

[reksink]

Miscellaneous Foes of Hallownest

[hollow-knight-fights]

[quirrelfan]

for the ask game: this is Smokey :>

Aspid Hunter

[motheline]

Hunter's Journal #7 <Aspid Hunter>

"Bests its prey by spitting corrosive liquid. Often hunts in packs."

"Cunning predators that will try to pick you off from a distance. Don't give them any space, just charge in and cut them down! You'll find they're not so cunning once they are dead." - The Hunter

[malwarechips]

my hot hollow knight take is that primal aspids arent that bad . CRYSTAL HUNTERS are the bastards of hallownest . i HATE those fuckers

[sammylatindeath]

Here are some of the enemies you can find in the forgotten crossroads. Generic enemy designs will be more simple compared to the bosses and other characters. On another note, thanks for all the likes and reblogs on my previous post! Y'all have done made my day :3!

Be sure to expect a gijinka for the False Knight soon!

[rocktavian]

One of the things I appreciate about Hollow Knight is the subtle distinctions in the design of each area of the map, and the way that those differences have such an impact on the moment-to-moment feel of being in those places.

What particularly resonates with me is the shades of difference between the three remotest major regions of the map: Deepnest, the Ancient Basin, and Kingdom's Edge. All three share an overall hostile and unsettling feeling, but their respective airs of menace manifest in different ways:

Deepnest wants you dead. Its tunnels are dark, mazelike, and claustrophobic, and when you're in them you're being hunted. Dirtcarvers attack from the ground, Little Weavers attack from the sky. You can't trust the floor to hold beneath your feet. You can't trust a corpse to stay dead. You can't trust your own reflection. Deepnest wants to back you into a corner and eat you and it will not let you forget it.

The Ancient Basin is dead. Airless, nearly empty, nearly silent. In most of the region, the only life you will see is Shadow Creepers, slow and mindless creatures that (per the Hunter's Journal) have never been known to eat or drink. If you dig deep enough you can find the vestiges of life – a lighthouse long abandoned, the vast emptiness where a palace once stood – but even these are few and far between. If the Ancient Basin were to blink into nonexistence, who but you would ever notice?

Kingdom's Edge does not care whether you live or die. Everything in this region is primal and inexorable. It's carved out of irregular cliff faces and yawning chasms over pits of acid. The Hoppers march incessantly forward, turning around occasionally but never stopping or changing their behavior; the Colosseum is equally perpetual, a continuous baying for blood that dumps its corpses ceaselessly into the pits below. Kingdom's Edge will not attack you, but nor will it protect you. Faced with the onslaught of Aspids and Belflies and stalactites, you can carve out a space (as Oro did), or you can get overwhelmed and succumb (as Markoth did). Either way – whether you live or you die – it's your own fault.

The experiences of being in each of these places is totally different. But all three give me that skin-crawling curiosity of "I'm not supposed to be here, but I can't look away."

[goodmode]

random hc ask: some ppl think of some of the enemies like pets. ex., hollow getting a pet tiktik (which i happen 2 love). got any sort of bug pet hk headcanon?

my thoughts go to god tamer first! she's like the only example of anyone canonically having a pet that i can think of so i'd springboard off there and say Alright Let's Talk Sapience First

[feel free to skip to the readmore if you already have a solid idea of what's sapient and what's not. i doubt i'm saying anything other people haven't already picked up on]

we know the dream nail picks up thoughts of things like tiktiks and they display as words even if they're not obviously an upright walking talking bug, so i'm voting anything with god tamer's beast's dream nail dialogue set:

is probably petworthy. as in, not Some Guy. animal tier intelligence i guess.

according to the wiki this exact dialogue set applies to:

Tiktiks, Vengeflies, Crawlids, Gruzzers, Goam, all Aspids, Mosscreeps, Mossflies, Moss Chargers, Squits, Obbles, Durandoo/Duranda, Aluba, Ambloom, Fungling, Fungoon, Pilflips, Belflies, certain Flukes, Crystal Crawlers/Hunters, Glimbacks, Dirtcarvers, Dirtcarver Hatchlings, Garpedes, Corpse Creepers, Deeplings, Deephunters, Lesser Mawleks, Mawlurks, Infected Balloons, Booflies, Primal Aspids, [...]

i can't continue this list it's going to take me all day. you get the gist. there are a Lot of enemies that share the "probably not a sapient person" dreamnail pool. will be leaning heavily on that for What Can Safely Be Written As A Pet Without It Getting Too Weird

we probably can't include Flukes even though they also share the dialogue pool, because they're implied to grow into Flukemon which have separate dialogue and an obviously-sapient NPC (Fluke Hermit) so disregard those. there are also likely other exceptions i haven't covered so please use your head and apply a liberal pinch of salt.

we CAN probably include Vengefly King, Gruz Mother, and Brooding Mawlek since while their DN dialogue is different to their children it still doesn't seem to imply any higher-functioning thought than basic instinct, just a Big Parent Of The Same Thing

ok so individual character/pet ideas behind the cut bc i think this is a rly funny and charming thing to look at

zote. sorry he's first he's the funniest

zote is not one of those guys who would get a Big Dog thinking it makes him look cool and intimidating. he is the guy who puts a collar on a fucking coyote and thinks it makes him look cool and intimidating until it bites him in the dick.

it doesn't happen often, but sometimes he drags something back to Dirtmouth that is foaming at the jaws and insists it's his new faithful pet/steed that obeys his every command and will tear his enemies to pieces. it starts with a vengefly that he boasts about while it is actively chewing on his arm. it escalates from there.

the one thing preventing these beasts from tearing him to pieces is hornet coming in to truss up/confiscate the damn things before they can do any damage to the town

myla.

myla is familiar with glimbacks! she's a miner by trade even if she didn't come from hallownest originally, and i think these things are used as pit ponies in a lot of places. they're big sturdy beasts of burden that can be made to drag carts and carry heavy tools and they're described as "docile and slow" - no sudden movements and take well to handling.

she's never owned one but a living post-infection myla could adopt one of the surviving glimbacks from crystal peak and just kind of keep it like one keeps a rescue horse. horsegirl novel starring myla

cornifer & iselda.

they're married and do not currently have any kids for whatever reason - totally valid, this says nothing about them. however i do think it would be cute they get a dog instead and that's their placeholder baby. they get a mossfly and iselda spoils it with treats and it keeps her company while cornifer is gone. cornifer sometimes takes it for LONG WALKS (doesn't come back for 3 days).

sometimes they have that awkward moment where they're walking it in dirtmouth and it pees on something and they just have to smile and wave like "what can you do haha" while elderbug looks in in supreme disapproval because he has never owned a pet in his life and can't they just stop it from peeing there :/

millibelle.

owner of a yappy dog type crawlid, full-on grandma style. it has a solid shell like she does isn't that cute! she babytalks it and calls it sugarplum or whatever and insists it could never do a thing wrong in its life. it will savage your hand if anyone else tries to pet it.

emilitia.

she does not give a shit about anything that she thinks she'll outlast. Which Is Everything. however, millibelle has a crawlid, and boasts about it, and emilitia can't have that. she gets a tiktik in retaliation and it is exactly like a handbag chihuahua. hornet may or may not have to confiscate this one for the tiktik's sake

hornet.

everything still alive in the kingdom is under her protection, even if it bites. she is ambivalent to their responses to her. (they like her. when she comes back from pharloom playing silk music they like her even more)

lemm.

anti-pet person. i'm so fucking sorry. you bring a single thing into his shop that could pee or chew or scratch or leave tracks and he is going to kick up such a fuss. that said: he would have liked to feed maskflies in the park like your typical old man feeds pigeons

[flame-shadow]

bonus points if you paint a word picture of the battle and/or victory

[bluegekk0]

The "with a non-infection fluid" of the Aspids, what kind is that? Just like food that Honeypot Ants have or something else?

Yeah I imagine it's something similar to that, the Aspids likely live in colonies so they would share the food stored inside their bodies with other Aspids. With female Aspids, the fluid provides nutrients to the young within its body before they leave it.

But it has another function, Aspids have venom glands in their mouths, and they can combine it with the sticky fluid in their body and spit it at any threat - the sticky substance is difficult to get off, and so it can deal more significant damage. In large amounts, this combination can leave lasting burns and even melt through hard shell and clothes, so disturbing an Aspid colony is ill-advised. However, regular Aspids aren't as difficult to deal with if you catch them in small numbers, they can only spit a few times before they have to replenish the venom, so baiting their attacks and then killing them swiftly is a popular strategy among hunters. Primal Aspids are much more dangerous - they're bigger and more aggressive, and on top of spitting venom, they also possess spikes at the end of their tails which they use to attack their enemies.

However, the substance in their bodies by itself isn't corrosive and can be consumed safely. It has a very sweet taste, so it's a particularly sought after treat used in desserts and as syrups. I could even see some bugs keeping Aspids as "farm" animals in order to collect the substance without killing them (though I can't see this practice being very popular, as Aspids are known to be quite aggressive).

[hallownest-in-minecraft]

A list of mobs and their insectoid counterparts

And, happy fiftieth post. This is the collection that I have deliberated on in regards to what mobs will be made into what as I progress with the resource pack. One such example has already come to fruition, though it is up to you to determine which, until I have more to show for this.

As of yet, this list is incomplete, as it does not officially include the new mobs of 1.19. I will need to review the additions to 1.19 and see what other ideas evolve. Based on everything else, I may consider a lifeblood butterfly for the allay and heavy fool or somesuch for the warden. I don’t have ideas for frogs yet, and I don’t remember if there were other new mobs aside from those three. If there are other non-1.19 mobs that I am missing, please let me know.

I am open to suggestions and feedback on ALL OF THESE IDEAS! Especially the ones with question marks or multiple options. Or, if you have questions about my thought process, I would be more than happy to answer.

It means I am indecisive but am also not sure what else I could do. I’m confident about most of these, but there are also a number that I’ve simply pulled out of a hat. Otherwise, the mobs may or may not be exactly like their Hallownester counterparts, but rather inspired by their design. I can simply make more stuff up if it comes to it, but please allow me to pick your brains first before it reaches that point.

I apologize, as I did intend to add links to every mob and enemy together for quick reference, but Tumblr took issue with it. Please note the focus is on creatures that are in or were supposed to be in Hollow Knight and nothing from Silksong.

The full list is under the cut!

Axolotl -> ???

Bat -> Belfly

Bee -> Hiveling

Blaze -> Either Grimmkin Master or Grimmkin Nightmare, depending on the palette

Cat -> Grub

Cave spider -> Deepling or Deephunter

Chicken -> Grounded vengefly or grounded crystal hunter

Cod -> Flukemon lower half

Cow -> Boofly

Creeper -> Volatile mosskin, fungified husk, or violent husk, again depending on palette and unique features from the other mobs

Dolphin -> Pilflip?

Donkey -> Blundering Obelisk

Drowned -> Flukemon

Elder Guardian -> Uumuu

Enderman -> Void construct, soul twister, or soul warrior

Endermite -> Shadow creeper or Mistake

Evoker -> Volt Twister

Fox -> Tiktik or Crawlid

Ghast -> Fungoon

Glow squid -> Ooma

Goat -> Great Hopper

Guardian -> Charged lumaflies

Hoglin -> Moss charger or flukemunga

Horse -> Great Stag

Husk -> Entombed Husk

Llama -> Giraffe weevil

Magma cube -> Infected balloon

Mooshroom -> Fungified elder baldur

Mule -> Some kind of horned beetle that looks similar to Stag but isn’t Stag

Ocelot -> Grub mimic

Panda -> ???

Parrot -> Maskfly

Phantom -> Vengefly King? Aluba?

Pig -> Golden jewel scarab beetle

Piglin -> Generic godseeker (Meaning, not the character of Godseeker, but a godseeker)

Piglin Brute -> Void-touched generic godseeker

Pillager -> Sturdy fool

Polar Bear -> Glimback

Pufferfish -> Hwurmp

Rabbit -> Hopper

Ravager -> God tamer’s Beast

Salmon -> Flukemon upper half

Sheep -> Large mosscreep

Shulker -> Sporg

Silverfish -> Dirtcarver

Skeleton -> Leaping husk

Skeleton horse -> Void-touched Stag

Slime -> Lifeblood balloon

Spider -> Corpse creeper or little weaver

Squid -> Uoma

Stray -> Slobbering husk

Strider -> Durandoo

Trader Llama -> Grimmsteed

Tropical fish -> Flukefey

Turtle -> Bluggsac

Vex -> Aspid hunter

Villager -> Various NPC characters ie cartographer -> Cornifer etc

Vindicator -> Shielded fool

Wandering Trader -> Brumm

Witch -> Salubra, Seer, or Jiji

Wither Skeleton -> Siblings

Wolf -> ????

Zoglin -> Infected moss charger or flukemunga

Zombie -> Wandering Husk

Zombie Horse -> Infected Stag

Zombie Villager -> Infected NPCs (or infected elderbug if I can’t do variants. Sorry elderbug, I love you, but you Are the face of generic villager types, and basic husks are already in use elsewhere. :( )

Zombified Piglin -> Infected generic godseeker

[bugcrimesbracket]

Live from the heart of Hallownest, this is Announcerbug reporting for Radio HNST!

It's been a while since we've done a Weekend Recap, and the rounds have been doozies. Let's see where we stand in the Bracket of Fools!

First, Quirrel conquered the False Knight. We hear Macebug is taking a relaxing vacation to a beachside resort near the Blue Lake. He will be facing The Hunter, who proved himself just a bit hungrier than Midwife.

Friendly cartographer Cornifer continues his journey, while far-ranging Mister Mushroom heads on to destinations unknown. Meanwhile, Willoh and Bretta's match concluded in a tie, and they'll be moving on as Team Fun Gals.

Greenpath's own deity, vast Unn, prevailed over the Snail Shaman, and the Seer continues to chase her dreams while Songstress Marissa returns to her stage. (Be sure to see her in her one-bug revue, Wyrm! The Musical.)

Darling miner Myla moves on, while the Last Stag returns to overseeing the Stagways. Ah-- we hear he may not be the last after all, and we're sure he will be an excellent guardian and mentor to the new generation.

In a clash of queens, Hive Queen Vespa defeats Hallownest's White Lady, who says she would have loved to continue participating in the tournament, but she's a bit tied up at the moment...

The silent little Knight triumphs over the unsettling mimic Nosk. Meanwhile, its bigger sibling, The Hollow Knight, easily shreds Grey Prince Zote, who was nothing but a writer's dream.

Troupe Master Grimm has declared that Blue Child Joni has no future in showbusiness, while industrious Menderbug shoos out the ghost of Poggy Thorax.

The Traitors' Child continues on, while the Godseeker must do her seeking elsewhere. Shield-spinning Markoth, meanwhile, tells the loyal Hive Knight to buzz off.

The battle of the Nailmaster brothers results in Mato progressing while Oro heads home. He'll be facing the third brother Sheo, who has sealed Lurien the Watcher's fate.

Speaking of seals, Monomon the Teacher defeats Herrah the Beast, making her the only Seal left in the tournament!

Tiktik would like to wish everyone a happy Pride Month, though team ShrumeCreep may not be feeling so proud right now.

Little Weaver's strategy of staying in the shadows until the right moment to strike has earned it the victory over the flashy Charged Lumafly.

Born of Void, the Sibling proves untouchable to even the feared triple-spitting Primal Aspid!

Even laser beams weren't enough to keep the Moss Knight from triumphing over the Crystal Guardian. Speaking of guardians, Mossy the Massive Moss Charger bucks the bumbling Hive Guardian!

Something finally goes right for orange-oozing Broken Vessel, who has beaten The Radiance herself!

The Mantis Lords, swift with their lances as they may be, were no match for Hornet, whose needle is swifter! She'll be facing her own father next, as The Pale King has trounced the Traitor Lord.

...Whew! That was a lot of action, and there's plenty more action to come. So keep those dials tuned to Radio HNST, bugs and beasts!

[cawareyoudoin]

On the other narrator in the Hunter's Journal:

⚪-in white are the names of the creatures and the first narrator's comments

🔴-in red are the Hunter's comments that don't mesh well or contrast the first entries

🔵- in blue is the text added by me, my observations and comments

Adjectives with subjective connotations:

Grimmkin "playful", "relinquish", "devoted", "terrifying" !!! fear !!!

Husk hive "cowardly"

Mossy Vagabond "lazy, portly Mosskin. Easily swayed by others"

Ambloom "simple-minded"

Moss charger "timid"

Husk miner "precious crystal"

Obble "fat, slow, round", "discharges", "acidic"

Vengefly "pursues its prey relentlessly"

Brooding mawlek "ferocious but extremely social", "mingle"

Gruzzer "simple-minded", "haphazardly", "bumping into things"

Pilflip "odd"

Wandering husk "strange force"

Pale lurker "strange obsessions"

(various words suggest surprise/not understanding something)

Husk bully "aggressively"

Mantis youth "fiercely protective"

Mantis warrior "savage attacks"

Mantis lords "blinding speed"

Bluggsac "placid but putrid"

Little weaver "nimble", "domain", "waits in ambush"

Soul twister "vicious spells"

Fancy words, perhaps suggesting a scientific and/or higher education:

Volatile gruzzer "gruzzer swollen with infection and primed to burst"/"horrible goo and noxious has has started leaking from above. Is there a source of all this pestilence? If so, I haven't seen it" (the Narrator knows more than the Hunter- they have met the gruzzer personally)

Vengefly King "patriarch", "reinforcements"

Entombed husk "enraged by infection"

Maggot "looked down upon", "menial labour"

Squit "proboscis"

Mosskin "foes"

Fool eater "carnivorous"

Husk hornhead "uninfected creature"

Goam "seize prey"

Lifeseed "extracted and consumed", "healthful properties"/"drinking it" (different wording; note that every new skill the Knight gets is described by being "consumed")

Mosscreep "weakling", "amongst", "undergrowth"

Gulka "retracts protectively", "hard spikey balls"

Maskfly "harmless", "favours serene enviroments", "travels in flocks"

Durandoo "simple", "encased" "often found"

Aluba "passive", "prefers", "dwell"

Charged lumafly "generating electricity"/"a sharp, crackling flash" (different wording, also possible the Hunter doesn't know what electricity is, while the Narrator does)

Uoma "smallest Jelly form", "passive", "unaware", "electric charge"/"I have no idea what this is" (the Narrator knows more than the Hunter)

Uumuu "intelligent being that guards the inner chamber of the Teacher's Archives"/"be careful, strange and unnatural things lurk there(no description! The Narrator knows more than the Hunter- they have met Uumuu)

Massive moss charger "family of creatures" (knows concept of family?)

Fungoon "fully grown", "spits built up internal gasses at aggressors"/ "so round!" (the Narrator makes observations and conclusions, the Hunter just goes with the first thing that comes to mind)

Shrumal ogre "corrosive venom"

Aspid hatchling "instinctively"

Soul warrior "learned", "refined", "enhances", "prowess"

Flukemon "worm-like", "prefers damp, dark habitats"/"infest the pipes" (a curious researcher's approach vs an utalitarian one)

Dirtcarver "swarming predator"

Shadow Creeper "has never been observed to eat or drink anything" !!! (Not sure why I added these exclamations- I guess because that's something demanding long-term observation, when the narrator knows it instantly?)

Gorb "mysterious life-form", "distended"

Hopper "sharp proboscis", "drain vital fluids"/"blood it has stolen" (very different wording)

Lightseed "a single-celled organism"

Boofly "docile", "peacefully"

Fungling "passive", "internal gasses cause it to float"/"it drifts" (the Narrator knows more than the Hunter?)

Mistake "once a highly intelligent bug, deformed by the misuse of soul"

Corpse creeper "parasitic beast", "host"

Soul master "became intoxicated"

Flukemarm "insatiable breeder"

Flukemunga "aged", "grown fat", "rich refuse"

Crystal crawler "searing beams of light", "seemingly unaware"

Loodle "not aggressive in nature"

Nosk "mimics the shape of other creatures to lure prey to its lair"/In the deepest darkness, there are beasts who wear faces stolen from your memories and pluck at the strings in your heart. Know yourself, and stay strong. (very detached and objective compared to the Hunter)

Violent husk "maddened by massive infection", "no thought for its own preservation"

Furious vengefly "vengefly whose body has been distorted by continued infection."

Slobbering husk "completely consumed by infection"

Broken vessel "shattered corpse, reanimated by infected parasites"

Aspid hunter "bests its prey", "corrosive"

Soul twister "arcane knowledge"

Mantis youth "abdomen"

Mantis warrior "bladed forelimbs"

Words suggesting the narrator is small (and also might be fond of Grubs):

Gruz mother, Hive guardian "huge body"

Winged sentry "vast cavern"

Hwurmp "tiny and placid", "enormous size"

Garpede "giant burrower", "tirelessly"

Great husk sentry "attacks cause heavy damage"

Oblobble "larger cousin"

(all of these would not fit the Hunter's point of view; comparing these creatures to the Hunter's size makes him be on par with them, or even bigger)

Gluttonous husk "corpulent"

Tiktik "small, sharp claws"

Sharp baldur "bred for battle"

Battle obble "raised in the Colloseum. Although trained for combat, its movements and attacks are still haphazard"

Shardmite "feeds on crystal dust"

(this ties in with the "scientific education" section a bit, but these observations seem like something a smaller creature would make- the Hunter certainly wouldn't bother)

Grub mimic "assumes the shape of a harmless creature to lure prey"/ "a weak little grub"

The Collector "dark figure locked inside the Tower of Love. Preserves Hallownest's creatures in glass jars with particular attention given to Grubs"./"a shadow that sometimes flits through the caverns, making strange noises to itself. I've never seen it clearly so I have no idea what type of creature it is" (the Narrator knows more than the Hunter- they have met the Collector personally)

The narrator respects skill, and values courage and honour, while the Hunter doesn't:

Hornet "skilled"

Dung Defender "skilled combatant", "assails intruders"

Hive knight "loyal protector", "ferocious in battle"

Mantis lords "finest warriors"

Belfly "will give its own life"/"no regard for its own life" (the Narrator respects self-sacrifice?)

Husk warrior "wields a nail and shell"

Moss knight "trained in the ways of the Nail and the Shell" (note the difference: capitalization of Nail and Shell when it's a respected foe)

Mantis youth "proud tribe"

Royal retainer "most loyal and devout"/"simple, weak"

Traitor lord "deposed", "turned against his sisters"

Shielded fool "fighting for glory"

Husk dandy "limited offensive ability"

Stalking devout "worshippers of Herrah the Beast"

Zote:

Zote "a self-proclaimed Knight, of no renown. Wields a nail he carved from shellwood, named "Life Ender" (the Knight is then not self-proclaimed??? Where did their title come from?!)

Grey prince zote "figment of an obsessed mind. Lacks grace but becomes stronger with every defeat" (the Hunter obviously wouldn't know that)

Winged zoteling "grudgingly assists its master in combat by lazily flying towards foes in a nonthreatening manner"

Volatile zoteling "deals poorly with the pressure of existing and quickly explodes"

I copied almost the entire thing about Zote, because this is the most emotional, petty, and subjective the Narrator gets.

This is all to say: I believe it is the Knight writing these entries, and that this can tell us a lot about their personality.

My only issue, as usual:

Primal aspid "wilder, ancestral form of the Aspid. Once thought extinct, they have reappeared st the edges of the world." ??? How would they know that ???

Actually, there might be another, real issue: the Dream Warriors get additional lore in their descriptions which the Knight might not have knowledge about... Unless the Dreamnail grants it after defeating them? I'll go with that. That's the biggest hole in my argument though.