#hallownest's crown

[tonythr]

A tribute to my favorite quote from Hollow Knight. My biggest finished artwork so far

[mebis-art-dump]

A mysterious moth at the top of a small world

This is a commission i did some time ago for

@ NoxiousVertigo on Twitter

[ruthlesslistener]

No listen, hornet was designed to mirror my trauma perfectly.

She's from two different places, both of which she doesn't feel like she belongs to, now suddenly stuck in a foreign land so so far away from anything resembling "home" that is exploiting the people of one side of her heritage, that of deepnest.

And the only reason she's they haven't caught her is due to the other side of her heritage, that of hallownest, that of the pale king, a side of her heritage that completly rejected the other, feeling like the other was beneath them. And that is the side allowing her special treatment, just enough to allow her to escape pharloom's grasp.

Do you think hornet feels guilt that the wyrm blood she carries, knowing that it is the only reason she isn't farm stock. Knowing that she owes the Deepnest side of her heritage.

Do you think she's tired? She thought she repented for the wyrm blood she carries by protecting the seals, for overlooking the land (her land?) In her father's stead. But now the one side of her heritage that she thought safe, the people she thought escaped are trapped and she must take the vigil again.

But she's so tired.

She thought she was done seeing people like her being mistreated, growing up alongside the pure vessel knowing that neither of them would have existed if not for this Plauge, feeling like their father sees the pair of them as nothing but a bitter debt. But now seeing the way pharloom treats the Deepnest immigrants she's reminded yet again that the world around her sees her as lesser.

Yet like with the pure vessel that she is still in a position of privilege, that she has it so much better.

This lack of singular heritage protects her.

Had she's been purely the pale king's child she'd have been tossed in the abyss like all the others

Had she been purely Herrah's child she'd have been farmed for silk by pharloom or consumed by the Plauge.

She's like a pet bird, yes caged, but not slaughtered like a chicken would, that must fuck with her.

God she must be so tired. But she won't say so, because she doesn't believe herself deserving of exhaustion.

I can't actually delve much into pharloom and Deepnest yet since we don't know much about them, which is why I cut the "essay" in the OG post short.

But if I were to say anything I'd say that Pharloom feels very Christian to me, while Deepnest is very much not, though I can't say which culture they're coded as. Which is fascinating because pharloom clearly accepts immigrants, or pilgrims as we saw in the trailer. It suggests to me that Pharloom is only accepting immigration from nations they deem "civilised", aka bug Christian, or at least willing to assimilate.

However the weavers are not willing to assimilate, and even if they were they look so different to the average bug, which means they cannot. I may be projecting but it's like how if you're a brown middle Eastern guy you can't exactly assimilate into western culture even if you wanted to cause you're not white.

Because of this pharloom keeps the weavers only for their labour and away from the eyes of tourists and pilgrims, to continue this facade of a "civilized" nation, afraid that the "barbaric" (aka not bug Christian) reputation of the Deepnest immigrants would taint that.

It's similar to how if you were to be hired into a factory job here in Europe or any major labor intensive job that is away from the eyes of the public it's filled with immigrants, as if the company knows that they'll accept harsher conditions. No I'm not speaking from personal experience whatever gave you that idea, heh, but seriously it's fucked I hope hornet tears pharloom into shreds.

...

OP I AM FROTHING AT THE MOUTH THANK YOU FOR THIS MEAL. I think the only thing I disagree on is Hornet's reaction to the burden of her heritage- I think she would be deeply, bitterly angry about it, a sort of ice-cold anger that mingles with the exhaustion yet overwhelms all else- but mmmmm YES this is so good. Hornet being a person stuck between worlds is something that is both her greatest strength, and yet also incredibly isolating for her. She was Deepnest's strongest heir because she was born of Wyrm and Beast, and yet she is still half-mortal compared to her siblings, formed of God and Void. She is the heir to Deepnest, but she is known as the Daughter of Hallownest, and ends up being its protector in the entirety when the Radiance massacred all who were not strong enough to resist her. She's got so much strength, but that strength led to more burdens placed on her shoulders, and now she's trapped in a foreign land far from home, captured like the rest of her tribe, yet tasked with freeing them because her divine blood gives her that edge over the people of Pharloom that her Weavers do not. It must be exhausting, being Hornet, but I'm hoping that some of that lonlieness will be dispelled by meeting fellow outcasts. I sure as fuck can relate to her, as the son of an immigrant and someone disconnected from their family/culture- it's part of why she's one of my favorite characters. Even if she's beloved by one or the other, she'll never fully fit in to either

I also agree on Pharloom having very Christian vibes, what with the rosaries and rigid religious structure and all. It's an interesting contrast from the Radiance, actually, who also gives me strong Christian vibes, but more in the sense of the old testament, wrathful sort of divinity. Pharloom, on the other hand, reminds me more of the corruption wrought by the church; the bounds placed upon others seem to be institutional, and the system of exploitation also seems to be baked into the social power dynamic rather than what we saw in Hollow Knight, where two divine beings that could not comprehend the lives of mortals ended up killing everyone in the nuclear blast radius of squabbling over their worship. It was not institutional; it was animalistic. The fact that Pharloom has a gilded citadel with which immigrants or pilgrims must struggle from the bottom up feels like a metaphor for climing the social ladder, where each rung you jump to demands more of your previous life lost. Those who conform easily and/or are native to Pharloom get to navigate comfortably up the ladder, while those who stick to their own cultural traditions (like the Weavers) are enslaved and exploited. We've yet to see the God of Pharloom, if there even is one, but so far Pharloom really does give me 'extremely strong and corrupt religious political power' vibes from the brief glimpses we see of it. Maybe that's just bc its actually alive instead of the gods being the only ones kind of clinging on, but still. Pretty sure rosaries are a Catholic thing?? Which pairs pretty nicely lots of gilded extravagance and exploitation, lmfao

Either way though, its vibes are absolutely rancid. I sure as fuck hope we see Hornet tearing out its bloated underbelly in Silksong, or at least personally beating back whatever caused the problem. After who knows how many centuries guarding the corpse of a kingdom felled by the folly of gods, she deserves a little regicide. As a treat

[hollow-knight-fights]

Hollow Knight Everything Else Fight: Round 1

[papi-leon]

Hallownest Crown

[rainbow-scarab]

Hallownest Symbols, the Ancient Civilization, and the Pale King

Sooo. Since I made my post on Hallownest symbols I've had some new insights.

The Hallownest symbol, with its lined oval and three sets of wings, predates the kingdom as it was under the Pale King and White Lady. It can be found on arcane eggs.

Lemm, on arcane eggs: This civilisation may claim itself the first, but something else did exist within this place before Hallownest. Each egg offers a narrow glimpse into that forgotten age.

It's not just the arcane eggs though. The symbol can also be found in the Abyss, on the lighthouse. Sorta.

You see, the lighthouse isn't just one structure--it's two. It's an older, crumbling structure....and then the new shiny construction that the Pale King added on top.

And looking at the older structure, the platforms themselves have the Hallownest symbol on it. Oval with wings.

Another detail I've noticed in the Abyss is that this structure isn't the only one. It can be seen in the background around the void sea:

Just, further cementing the thought that the old crumbling building beneath the shiny new top is not a construction under the Pale King, but instead something quite ancient. Just one of many buildings, a conveniently tall structure for the Pale King to repurpose into a lighthouse.

So what does this mean?

Various sources in the game point to the Pale King having portrayed himself as the creator of Hallownest. Lemm, in his quote above. And some more examples:

Lore tablet in King's Pass: Higher beings, these words are for you alone. Beyond this point you enter the land of King and Creator. Step across this threshold and obey our laws. Bear witness to the last and only civilisation, the eternal Kingdom. Hallownest

Hunter's Journal, on wingmoulds: The bugs of Hallownest believed that their King created this world and everything in it. For what purpose, I wonder? Were his subjects companions, or toys, or children? Such a mind seems unknowable.

The developer notes in the game also indicate that the Pale King wanted to get rid of other gods:

The moth tribe were (perhaps) descended from Radiance. However, the King convinced them somehow to seal Radiance away. I guess so he could rule Hallownest with his singular vision, as a monarch/god with no other gods.

The dev notes are not canon and it's clear that they were never intended to be seen by others. But I think there's something to be said at least for him attempting a "singular vision". Uniting Hallownest under one rule, portraying himself as creator, creating a certain order. Some more quotes:

Bardoon: For quiet retreat did I climb up here, away from spitting creatures. Ormmph... Yes. High up. Away from simple minds, lost to light. Theirs is a different kind of unity. Rejection of the Wyrm's attempt at order.

Mask Maker, reacting to Ghost having King's Brand: No bug has ever laid claim to this whole. Even the beasts knew their limits and bound their realm at Nest's edge. It is the ancient caste that made attempt at such vast rule. Hallownest's ruin reflects well those fared attempts.

I believe Mask Maker is referring to the Ancient Civilization having attempted to rule over all of Hallownest. There's a possibility they're referring to Hallownest under the Pale King, as "ancient" does not necessarily mean what fans call the Ancient Civilization (and indeed most instances of the word "ancient" refer to Hallownest under the Pale King). But "attempts" being in the plural, I think Mask Maker intends to draw a parallel here between the two civilizations.

Speaking of King's Brand...

I believe now this is the best symbol of the Pale King we have. His original symbol.

As I noted in my first post on Hallownest symbols, the Hallownest seal seems the most associated with the Pale King when it has the crown on it. And the few actual depictions of him, in statues, idols, and shrines, all have his crown, but lack wings. Save for the glowing silhouette of him in Ogrim's dream battle, there are no depictions of him with wings. He may lack wings entirely, or have some form of artificial wings.

In fact, I find it quite interesting how you can pick up monarch wings as an item.

They are described by the game as being made of "ethereal matter". The game manual calls them "wings of a monarchfly". It's possible that the Pale King had such wings as seen here, not part of his original body, but made somehow.

And, just to look at the symbols again...

If one were to superimpose the old Hallownest Seal from the time of the Ancient Civilization on top of the King's Brand, you'd get the current Hallownest Seal. Oval Bug body, wings, crown, and tail.

So, what I'm thinking, the impression that I'm getting....

The Pale King came to Hallownest. He saw all the evidence of the Ancient Civilization, which had already fallen. He took on bug form (which may have happened before or after he saw the symbol and other evidence of the ancient civ, but I have to wonder if witnessing Hallownest's history and symbols influenced even this decision to become small). He, for reasons beyond the purpose of this post, decided he wanted to rule Hallownest as king and "creator" (which again may or may not have been part of his decision to be reborn).

He established his kingdom. He took on aspects of preexisting Hallownest, essentially claiming the legacy of the Ancient Civilization as his own. He took on bug form, and gave himself wings, to match this old image, as if it was always about him.

He established his palace in the Ancient Basin. He had access to the Abyss, mostly closed off from the rest of the populace. He studied the void. But the bugs of the Ancient Civilization had a different attitude about void, as indicated by Lemm in the Hunter's Journal entry 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.

The Pale King instead was worshipped as a god by his people. He instead treated the void as something to control. He studied it. He tested it. He created void constructs to guard his palace. He used it, to stake the future of his entire kingdom on.

I could go on and on about this. And I intend to. But this is as far as I will go in this post, meant to be an update to my last post on symbols. But, I already have a long post I put together months ago, didn't post, and just have to update with new thoughts. So hopefully, I'll be expanding on all the implications here for Hallownest history soon enough.

[grollow]

What are your opinions on the pale king?

Oh boy. Uhm. This feels like a massively loaded question considering that I know that Pale King-related discourse is very common in this fandom but I'm feeling brave today so let's go. Prepare for a long reply, anon, hope you're ready for Ashe to actually write their headcanons on main.

Well first off, I think the fandom does the character a grievous injustice the majority of the time, which is exceedingly frustrating considering that he’s one of the few characters in the game to have any nuance at all. The majority of the fandom either goes out of their way to demonize him (by far the most common sentiment, which is infuriating), or they make him way too sympathetic and/or try to excuse/write off/defend/redeem him for the horrible things that he’s done in the events of the game. Both of these stances ignore that the character is layered like an onion and deserves to be treated as such.

I’m gonna address the demonizing thing first, because it’s more common in fanfiction which is where the majority of my followers found me, and is also where the mass of my experience can be found. Demonizing PK as “ruthless, evil baby killer” ignores the fact that he was put into a no-win situation as king of a kingdom that was entirely reliant upon him (whether by his choice or not is unclear, canon makes it obvious people are inclined to follow wyrms but we do not know for sure if this is something he wanted or just incidental). His own dialogue and actions show us that everything he did, he did with a heavy heart. He did not do these things to be cruel, he did not do these things thoughtlessly, and he certainly did not do these things and forget about them.

PK in essence was presented with next to no options to defeat an enemy that was willing to stop at nothing to get what she wanted; she was willing to kill countless people, with no thought for what all she harmed and damaged along the way. He was king and responsible for those people’s lives. He had to do something.

We don’t know what he knew going into the vessel plan. Based on Monomon’s studies, and the Pale King’s own, we can assume that he probably tried other options. We have wingmoulds and kingsmoulds to show us that he absolutely was experimenting with void before he reached the conclusion of sacrificing his own children. He had to have come to the conclusion that this was the only option that he had. Based on the seal on the Abyss, it’s one that he regretted, found disgusting, and if you take his death in White Palace to be from guilt (which I do), it’s one that he never forgave himself for. “No cost too great.”

Vessels by design are supposed to be empty. I do not think this design choice was to be cruel. I think he tried to design them not to feel not only to protect them from Radi but also to protect them from experiencing what he was asking of them. And I truly, 100% believe that by the end, he realized he’d failed. That Hollow was not empty. He just had no other option, his grand be-all end-all plan was relying on their success.

(Note: My headcanon is that World Sense is PK’s apology to Hollow, in his own way. I also headcanon that PK foresaw Hallownest being saved in one of / all of the endings, and all of them involved Hollow having to be sacrificed. I believe that he died of guilt for doing what he thought he had to.)

So with all of this in mind, though: How can you demonize him for a choice that he made, that was a no-win situation? Is it a wrong choice? Probably. Were there better options? We’ll never know. What we do know is it is not one he made lightly. He knew his acts were monstrous. He did not go into these decisions thinking himself a hero. He locked himself away afterwards and it ate away at him slowly. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. He lost everything in an attempt to save his kingdom from dying to the Radiance. Whether you like him or not, you have to acknowledge the fact that he did think that his plan would save his people. That his end goal was a good one.

(And I will not get into arguments about colonizing / conquering / etc. I do not think this is usually a source of discourse, but when it does come up, it’s usually in defense of the Radiance, who is as guilty as he is of the same damn shit. @ruthlesslistener wrote a post on that subject that I’m sure I’ve reblogged. There’s no point in me repeating it.)

So with that in mind, you might be asking yourself, “So are you not a PK apologist?” And the answer is no. He’s done fucking horrible shit and I am not sorry at all for him. I do not pity him. I do not think he deserves forgiveness. I do not think he deserves to be redeemed. There’s a big difference between understanding the reason a character does something and agreeing with it. Most of the time, when people try to redeem him, it is either erasing the whole baby pit thing (either by time travel or just simply saying it Never Happened), or altering Hollow’s perception of that act (as if they are the only one who was hurt by that act). In the case of the former, you are no longer writing the Pale King. You are writing a wyrm shaped guy. The choices he made exist for a reason. Wiping them out, without good cause, drastically alters his character. I understand people think he has a cool design/character motif, he does. But that’s not even the tip of the iceberg of what makes him an interesting character.

He isn’t a villain.

He isn’t a hero.

And he would not want you to redeem him. He sure as fuck didn’t try to redeem himself.

Let him be morally gray. That’s what makes him a fun character to write and an excellent plot device to include. Let him be complicated. He deserves at least that much.

[atlantic-grave]

"So he made more? Pathetic excuse for a ruler that one."

Hornet was forcibly crowned Queen of Hallownest after the infection resurfaced when she was 18, the lore behind it is very expansive and very very tragic.

Oh she also didn't take it well, as to why she isn't even dressed like royalty in this shot.

[anhilliator1]

I've got an AU in mind for Hollow Knight, which I'll be calling the Knights-Errant AU, inspired in part by the Royal Knights AU by @deroko-sinnermode as well as a comic I came across on the internet.

The idea is simple - while there is still the Pure Vessel, their siblings weren't discarded, instead being raised in the palace. In other words, the royal family is all-capitals BIG.

Years later, they're often referred to either as "vessels" or "crowned knights" (I feel this name is more fitting as "Royal Knight" is more traditionally used in the same vein as royal guard.)

It's commonly said that one vessel is the equivalent of ten men, with very good reason.

That said, while they all have a natural inclination and talent towards being a warrior, what they are best at differs from vessel to vessel. Some are peerless swordsmen, some are powerful spellcasters, some are accomplished healers, some are extremely well-studied scholars, etc... (Note this does mean that all of them are full-grown.) Lost Kin, for example, prefers to use a greatnail.

While the fall of Hallownest does still happen, one of PK's last orders is for those Vessels still within Hallownest (save PV, for obvious reasons) to take what citizens remain and scatter themselves to the edges of the kingdom and lands beyond, trusting them to return when they feel the time is right. (Read: around the time that the plot of the game takes place.).

On the flipside, the Vessels' presence and sheer numbers causes the Radiance's retaliation to be much more vicious than before; and as a result, Hallownest is many times more dangerous than in canon. She even takes a look at the vessels and decides to craft an imitation, which ends up taking Lost Kin's spot. This also means that the Infection still persists after her defeat, mindless, but driven by the last vestiges of her will.

Outside of Hallownest, the Vessels tend to be known as the remnants of a fallen kingdom. Strange and taciturn, but very willing and capable protectors - hence, the "knight-errant" part of the title.

By the time of the game's main plot, they've slowly begun to return to Hallownest, Ghost included. In fact, Ghost is one of the first few to make it to Hallownest proper, others including the Greenpath Vessel. Several others arrive over the course of the main plot, but most generally don't show up until the end of the game.

[ganondorf--apologist]

Herrah: Hey I need your help, I've been trying to find information about Hallownest's coronation ceremony to prepare for it but I haven't been able to find anything.

Pale King: ...

White Lady: ...

Pale King: ... Did... did we not—?

White Lady: We did indeed neglect to create a coronation ceremony, yes.

Herrah: ... How—what did you do when Pale King was crowned as king???

White Lady: Well, I carried him out to my followers and announced that he was not only alive but that I'd also married him.

Herrah: ...

White Lady: He's been king ever since.

[bluegekk0]

Based on the last ask, how did the reunion go with PK, Holly and Hornet?

overall i'd say it went well, though with hornet in particular it wasn't as warm. but i'll go into more detail under the cut. expect a very long ramble hahah

i'll start with hornet cause she chronologically reunited with fpk first. at that point she more or less settled down in dirtmouth to look after holly - they were able to recover some strength after grimm took care of them, and moved into one of the bigger dirtmouth houses, so she decided to move in with them to keep them company and make sure they get back to health

one day zote returned to dirtmouth visibly shook (he tried to act brave, but it didn't take long for hornet to notice) and told her of a strange white beast he found in greenpath. he spoke of its large crown and how it ripped a tiktik apart in front of his eyes. hornet didn't think too much about it, it was zote, he probably just saw an overgrown tiktik and made up everything else. but the part about the large, white crown stuck with her. it was over 30 years since she last saw her father, and while she never quite moved on, she assumed he was dead or left hallownest altogether. but could that be him? she doubted it, but it wouldn't hurt to check, so she packed her hunting gear and went on a trip to greenpath

it took her a while to track the beast down, and soon enough she found a blood trail that led her right into the creature. or, as she quickly found out, her own father. she instinctively raised her needle when she saw his face - his eyes were wide open and predator-like, and tiktik blood was dripping from his mouth. for a split second she expected him to leap at her, but his gaze softened. he moved away from the dead tiktik and got up on his feet. a few seconds of silence passed before he spoke, and his first words were an apology. for disappearing without a trace, for making her see him in this pathetic state, and for everything else he could think of. she reluctantly lowered her needle, and she could see relief in his eyes. there were many things she wanted to say to him at that moment, so much built up anger, she felt like she was going to explode any second, but she took a deep breath and simply told him to follow her

she decided to take him to dirtmouth, but her feelings on the matter were very complicated. part of it was out of pity - he did look miserable, there was dirt on his cloak and his legs, smudged blood on his mouth, and a worn-out bloody cloth on his forehead. and, she had to admit, he didn't smell particularly pleasant. it was clear he avoided any kind of civilization, not just because she hasn't found him until now, but he clearly had no chance to shower and take care of himself. at the very least, she wanted him to take a thorough bath before she spoke to him for more than a few minutes

but it wasn't just pity. she soon realized just how much she missed him. she was angry at him, yes, he did disappear without a word when she hasn't even reached adulthood yet. she had many reasons to be mad. but there was a part of her, a tiny part she thought she buried years ago, that wanted to run to him and hug him. she was happy to see him, he was her father, her dad, her family. but the barrier she built over the years was too strong, and kept her for expressing how she felt. and it would do so for a long, long time after their first meeting

when they reached dirtmouth, she pointed him towards the nearest shower (as a side note, i do think dirtmouth had running water, though it most certainly wasn't in the best state haha) and then waited for him in front of her and holly's house. when fpk returned, all cleaned up and looking a bit more like she remembered him, she told him to follow her inside. and that's where he saw holly

the entire time he assumed they were dead. he visited the temple once, but was too afraid of entering it in fear of what he would find there, so he backed out like a coward. and even if they were still alive, they most certainly hated his guts, so it was better for them if they never had to see his face again. but here they were, staring right at him, motionless. he prepared himself for the worst, they had all the right to beat him, and he wouldn't blame them if they decided to kill him. but nothing like that happened, instead they walked towards him and put their hand on his shoulder. their left hand, as he quickly noticed that the other one was missing. they tilted their head and made a quiet rumbling noise, one that could only be registered by a sensitive ear like his. he couldn't believe it, he couldn't comprehend the fact that they welcomed him like this. but he took it as a sign that they gave him a second chance, and he knew for a fact that he wouldn't waste it this time

i mentioned before that holly embraced him during their reunion, but after some thinking, i prefer the idea that it took them some time to actually hug him for the first time. not because they resented him, they held too much respect and love for him. in fact, that was precisely the reason why they hesitated. all those years he avoided any affection towards them, and while he did occasionally slip, they weren't sure if they were allowed to do return it. he was the king, they were his pure vessel, they weren't meant to be loved. but after their reunion, he actually began treating them like his child, just as they always wanted. and they slowly became more and more confident in showing affection. he was a lot more open and vulnerable, and although his words shattered their perfect image of him, they also brought them much closer. he wasn't an ideal being that could do no wrong like they saw him before. he was just like any other bug, he made mistakes. and that just made him much more approachable

also, i don't think fpk came up with "holly" as their new name during their reunion. and that fact made it a bit more awkward, since he wasn't sure how to refer to them. "pure vessel" was out of the question, it made them seem like an object and not his child. "hollow", as hornet called them thus far, also rubbed him the wrong way. they weren't hollow, they were clearly a person with thoughts and feelings. the idea to call them "holly" came a bit later, and when he suggested it, they absolutely loved it

during that whole time, hornet didn't say much. she kept to the side, still unsure how to go about speaking to him. they only really talked for the first time after fpk already reunited with grimm. and unfortunately, it wasn't exactly pleasant. he tried to apologize to her again, and this time she wasn't able to hold her anger. she lashed out at him, yelling out all of her frustrations, and then walked out of the room, leaving him visibly shaken. it took them a long time to actually have a heartfelt conversation that didn't end in shouting. many times he attempted to talk to her, only for her to get upset and raise her voice

at some point, she even told him that it would be easier for her if he actually died. she didn't mean it the way it sounded, what she tried to say was that if he died, then at least she would have a chance to move on like she did with herrah, but the fact that she had no idea what happened to him was like a wound that wouldn't stop bleeding. for fpk, it was a painful punch in the gut, but he agreed with her. she was right, he should've died, it would be better for everyone. i think that moment in particular was what made her realize that she was taking things way too far and how her words may have affected others. he was clearly hurting, and he needed help. she didn't even want to think of what he could've done as a result of this conversation. thankfully nothing like that happened, but she still decided to work on controlling her anger, and even reluctantly approached grimm to ask him for advice, since he was very good at controlling his emotions

---

i know i went a bit overboard with all of this, and most of it isn't what your question was about. hornet and fpk's relationship in particular is one i'm very invested in and put a lot of thought into. i think they're the best example of what my goal with this au is - to bring together characters who have gone through many obstacles, and show them that there's still hope and love to be found, and that their wounds can heal if they stick together. cliche, i know, but personally i really need those kinds of uplifting stories. and i really hope that the au can bring a similar sense of comfort to other people who feel the same way. things are overwhelming, sometimes it feels like there is no hope left, but it does get better. that's what i'm trying to remind myself, and so i project all of that onto my au and its characters

[ganymedesclock]

Hi, I've got a Hollow Knight question for you. How much do you think PK actively designed his small body, vs just wanting certain criteria and the rest just sorta happening? Also, how much do you think the anatomy resembles normal bug anatomy vs Wyrm anatomy vs entirely unique anatomy?

I think PK had full control over what he would become within the limits of physiology (so, he couldn't, say, have had his head fully detached from his body) but he didn't understand the ramifications very well until later.

PK, as far as we can tell, is an extremely detail-obsessive individual. He's not caught by surprise by the features of his creations, but he is often dangerously wrong about what this implies about their more ephemeral traits. Considering he is his own work, I think this applies to him.

So, he chose to become smaller- and probably lowballed it intentionally because he did not want to tower over others. (I'm a slightly boring person who doesn't think he minds being short, though his ego wouldn't be untouchable in that subject, the fact that he's "actually" godzilla-sized in origin and chose to leave that life voluntarily behind suggests that he doesn't exactly have hangups about needing to be taller)

He chose to redefine his bladed mouthparts as a sharpened crown, and to give himself a Face, that bugs would like to look at and find familiar. He chose to- at least in my interpretations of what lies under his cloak- give himself multiple flexible, dexterous graspers.

As far as anatomy goes, I'm going to share this older (warning for bug mandibles) art I did of a possible gijinka design, because that gets at about what I feel like his features would read as to mundane bug and beast.

Basically, he has some unusual features but a lot of those things are flattering or pretty from a certain angle; he has a very smooth, graceful gait (almost floating, without distinct strides) he has a very bright, shiny exoskeleton (literally shining) without blemishes or asymmetry, he has long horns- which are apparently a sought-after trait in Hallownest's society given the journal description of the Husk Hornhead. This is why his gijinka form as I drew it is, superficially at least, a handsome swishy fantasy elf-wizard-looking type. He is literally a piece of art sculpted by his own hands and his eye for aesthetics is not only obvious but pretty clearly lines up with what the average layperson considers beautiful- look at how nice the White Palace looks!

Granted, though, I think that he also exists deeply in the uncanny valley. We're not used to seeing people who are beautiful the way a ceramic doll might be, and these kinds of beauty removed from humanity are a common subject in horror for a reason.

And because I can't ever really separate my read on PK from a sense of compassion that this was a very miserable creature, this is where my personal read leans- he can stay on the "pretty, desirable" side of the uncanny, but only with effort and restricting his behaviors a lot. Hence me doing a gijinka take of him with a four-point mouth; imagine negotiating those hinges to make a sufficiently Nice, Human, Politically Polite smile. It'd be so difficult to manage, especially while speaking, that it'd be far more likely for him to do much what he's shown to do in canon- become a recluse that avoids people so the times you have to make a public appearance are a minimum and a few people are initiated to your circle where they get to see and deal with you all the time.

Part of this would even be rather simple and straightforwards- Hallownest is a setting where predator and prey dynamics coexist fully with sapience. There is a nonzero concern any stranger might eat you, and this probably factors into how warlike or predatory features are considered- size, claws and fangs. PK's mouthless plate of a face and seemingly smooth body as projected by his robes would seem doll-like in another sense- utterly bereft of predatory warning flags. His head-body proportions and sleek, unblemished appearance would invoke a child and we know the creatures of Hallownest care for their children by default- even the more brutal societies like Deepnest or the Mantis Lords.

But this utter lack of predation is an illusion. In reality, PK is not only a living organism actively feeding on worship and devotion, but the organism in question is a colossal entity whose true "face" is nothing but mouth and fangs, and a thickly armored body covered with spikes. Blades, and spikes, and methodical surgical torture are major motifs repeated throughout the palace and in other environments of PK's power. By implication, every part of him is a blade and him being easy on the eyes is the way that a parade sword can glitter so invitingly that any kid might want to pick it up, but if that parade sword is made with good steel and its twinkling gemstones real diamonds, it could still slice you to ribbons and probably won't seem so inviting afterwards.

A friend of mine @betterbemeta pointed out that my writings of him in Refuge For Resolve give him more than a passing resemblance to the figure of the King In Yellow, and I've always liked that one.

[chromaticlera]

Figured I'd show off my Hollow Knight OC, Moonstone/Moone! You encounter it at hallownest's crown (the top of Crystal Peaks)! Here's some other lore--

-One of the older living vessels created by the Pale King

-Was hidden away in the crystal peaks (before birthplace was created)

-Taught how to manipulate soul by snail shaman

-Never succumbs to the infection, however lets crystal grow all over itself to protect it from the infection

-It teaches itself to craft with crystals, makes the crystal heart and quick focus 

-Trains itself in the crystallized mound and in the tunnel where you find Cdash

-Fights off the infection in crystal peaks for a while!

-Eventually the crystals growing through its carapace give it enough pain that it ‘retires’ at the hollownest’s crown

-It calls the knight 'Little Warrior'

Might make a better reference soon we'll see

[dromaeo-sauridae]

hornet in a crown cause she is the queen

(yes i subscribe to the theory that she is hallownests true ruler)

i had no fucking idea how to draw this and i tried like 30 ways to make it look cool but im tired so here

[hollow-knight-fights]

Hollow Knight Area Fight: Round 2

[lumafly]

Starting a hollow knight rando! Have barely played on pc so this is me forcing myself to learn controls hehe. Perhaps a fitting start at the crown of hallownest ;)

(using an awesome Xero skin by flame-shadow/weeklyxero :D )