#hallownest | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tonythr · 2 months

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

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erinsintra · 6 months

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absolutely obssessed with how good the urban planning of hallownest is. the stag can take you absolutely anywhere. there are trams to access dangerous locations they can't get across, and everything is absolutely free. walkable neighbourhoods are a must, even in a setting where some people can fly.

more than that, the kingdom fell long ago, and everything is only like a tenth of what it used to be. which means things were actually EVEN BETTER at some point

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pineflowerart · 1 month

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Have you visited the remnants of his palace? Must've been an impressive sight in its time. Now there's nothing left.

It's as though the whole place just vanished.

My piece for @hkhallowzine ! Thank you for having me!

#hollow knight #hk #white palace #hallownest #hkhallowhome #zine #ghost #my art #pineflowerart

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mebis-art-dump · 4 months

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The winds and the Pale King

(footage by mossbag, gif by mossbag)

So in mossbag's latest video some comments chalked up the discarded shell's wind to decomposing gas, and I'd say is a reasonable conclusion, if not for the fact that the Pale King has more than a couple ties to wind that can't quite be as easily explained

(footage by Ccmanci, gif by me)

The monarchflies that become the monarchwings also generate wind, made obvious by said wind stopping upon obtaining the wings

Their exact relation to the king is unclear (part of him? fragments of him? spawn of him? simbiotic to the Wyrm?) however they're undeniably connected judging by their name and appeareance This, while more shaky than the decomposing process of an unmeasurable Wyrm, could still be explained as the individual flies simply having such a strong flapping

but the connections to the wind don't stop here

Both Quirrel and Godseeker describe the winds as guiding them to the kingdom, with Godseeker apparently equating the winds to the king's lingering power (that power beacons to Hallownest -> these winds carry us to the gods)

The same wind that coincidentally makes it impossible for you to leave Hallownest in a straightforward way, even if just within gameplay

Specific winds that both draw bugs to Hallownest and deter them from leaving, certainly sounds like something that'd work alongside/ as part of the Wyrm's Beacon, to "pull bugs into their thrall" you could even say

#hollow knight #hollow knight lore #hk pale king #hk pale wyrm #pale wyrm #pale king #gif #monarchwings #kingdom's edge #ancient basin #godseeker #hk quirrel #hallownest #as mossbag once said: 'the Pale King was an airbender'#do you think he could do wind sickles like mantis petra?

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vhbutter · 6 months

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Through their sacrifice, Hallownest lasts eternal.

[Image ID: A digital art drawing of the Hollow Knight, they are limp and possibly dead on the floor of the Black Egg Temple. They have been ran through with their nail, which is allowing the infection to bubble straight from their chest. There are chains and rocks in the background, alongside random bits of infection scattered around./End ID]

#hollow knight #the hollow knight #hollow knight fanart #hollow knight art #silksong #fanart #No cost too great #Hallownest #Pale King Apologist #True vessel #illustration #hk #hk fanart #hk hollow #cw: gore #ish #hk spoilers #hollow knight spoilers

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rainbow-scarab · 10 months

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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.

#hollow knight #hollow knight theory #hallownest #ancient civilization #pale king

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renae022 · 18 days

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Happy Easter everyone

#hollow knight #hollow knight fanart #doodle #indie games #hallownest

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azherwind-art · 24 days

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Lights in the dark on Hallownest

#hollow knight #hallownest #HK #hk knight #hk ghost #hk the knight #hollow knight fanart #I just LOVE this game easily one of my top favorites of all time #the ambiance the music the pieces of the story hidden in the vast tunnels underground #its so beautiful and inspiring and engaging #I love the art so so much #it makes me want to try different things

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faulty-vessel · 1 month

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@forrksie

#hallownest #hollow knight #silksong #hollowknight #hollowknightfanart #fanfiction #oc #comic #fanfic #root

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kyuroon · 2 months

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Do y'all think the Hollow Knight is conventionally attractive by bug standards?

#hollow knight #beauty standards #hallownest #the hollow knight #sealed vessel #pure vessel

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saelhollowknight · 21 days

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#hollow knight #sael #hollow knight skin #skin #hallownest #hk #hk pale king #pale king #hk white lady #white lady #белая леди #бледный король #hollow knight fanart

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tonythr · 2 months

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Quick Slash is even cooler from a narrative perspective, and why I think the Nailsmith's story parallels the Pale King's

Cold take: Quick Slash is the best charm in Hollow Knight.

Slightly Warmer take: Quick Slash is the only S-tier charm that is great from both gameplay and lore perspective (aside from maybe Spell Twister).

The reason for this is that its existence is actually a

metaphor

Here, look at this.

So, Quick Slash is something that was created from a relatively big number of objects that were discarded and deemed imperfect, and that possess a collective will of wanting to fulfill their purpose.

You know what that reminds me of?

A large amount of creations: check.

Discarded as imperfect: check.

Still possessing a will to find closure: check.

Being a part of a larger, more powerful thing: check.

Having a common creator who is responsible for their creation and rejection: check.

So yeah, I think that Quick Slash's lore (or at least its description) is meant to parallel that of the Vessels'.

But I wanna talk about that last point: the creator.

It is heavily implied that the person who created and then later discarded those nails was the Ancient Nailsmith we see in the room where we get Quick Slash.

(Oh by the way I just realized that this stone ring thing on the right of that room is actually the furnace, neat.)

Judging from their Dreamnail dialogue, this Ancient Nailsmith was trying to achieve the same goal as the other, more famous Nailsmith we all know and love: creating a Pure Nail.

And you know who else was trying to create a perfect, Pure thing while discarding many other similar things that later gained a collective will?

That's right - it's the guy who is also responsible for creating those other discarded things we discussed earlier!

Ok, but what I really wanted to talk about here is how all of what I just said ties back to that other, more famous guy - The Nailsmith.

We don't know for sure how the story of the Ancient Nailsmith ended, but it feels like it exists there mainly to put an emphasis on the City's Nailsmith's story; to convey that his struggle is an important theme in this narrative (because ancient means important, ok?) And, I mean, the City's Nailsmith's story also parallels that of the Pale King's in the same manner, right?

The thing is, we already know how PK's story ended.

In trying to achieve perfection, to create an eternal Kingdom by making a Pure Vessel devoid of mind, voice and will, the Pale King doomed himself to be taken over by his regrets, by the vast emptiness of the futility of his struggles. But was it because he failed, or because that was where his story was headed all along?

What if PK succeeded? What if the Radiance was sealed forever? What if his Kingdom actually stood eternal, never to change, never to end? What if he realized he achieved his only goal in life?

And that's the part where we get to a story the ending of which is up to the player's choice.

To quote White Lady, only two obvious outcomes there are from such a thing.

The first is an honorable death by the fruits of his labor.

If we choose to kill the Nailsmith with the Pure Nail, he dies happy, knowing that his life's goal is accomplished and having gained all the satisfaction he could from it.

The second I find preferable, a new passion.

If the Nailsmith doesn't feel the finishing blow of the Pure Nail, he is left unsatisfied. But, while trying to resolve that unsatisfaction, he eventually finds something (and someone) that gives him a new calling, a new thing to create, a new reason to live.

And, while those are both equally valuable, equally canonic outcomes, don't you think the second one is just... better? I mean, not only does it include the achievement of the Nailsmith's goal, but it lets him live AND gives two lonely souls a partner in life! I feel like that's the thing this narrative is trying to convey. What it's trying to say about the meaning of life, about our dreams.

Maybe that was the ultimate folly of the Pale King - the inability to change. His story would've ended in the same way, regardless of whether Hallownest lasted eternally or not. He would be dead, if not by the hands of the Void, but by his own - but ultimately, by the hands of that vast emptiness of realizing that you achieved your only goal and that now all there is for you is this eternal satisfaction that slowly fades away, leaving you with nothing.

TL;DR: Quick Slash is the best because it's a metaphor for discarded vessels; perfection is overrated, try to get laid instead.

#hollow knight #hollow knight lore #hollow knight theory #nailsmith #pale king #hollow knight charms #quick slash #hallownest #pure vessel #hk vessels #sheo

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erinsintra · 6 months

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