The Art of Golden Yak

[goldenyak]

-Silksong: New Insights into the Void-

Hollow Knight: Silksong introduced additional lore with ramifications for the vessels and Void beings. Most notably, remnants related to the Ancient Civilization that once existed in the Abyss and worshiped the Void, and lore elements related to the Void itself.

-Void and Silk-

We've seen in the first game that Void’s behavior and ability can be shaped by Soul. The Knight's Soul-based spells can be infused with Void and made more powerful, with the Void replicating the Soul-spells in more powerful forms.

This is further demonstrated in Silksong by the Black Threads, the results of the Haunting being suffused with the Void.

The Haunting is an effect caused by the pale being Grand Mother Silk, using her Silk threads - fine threads spun from the Soul of its creator - to manipulate bugs both living and dead throughout Pharloom.

When the Grand Mother is cast into the Abyss, she sends her threads all across Pharloom in an effort to prevent herself from being devoured by the Void. The Void in turn follows these threads, spreading all across Pharloom as the Black Threads. Bugs that were previously under the effects of the Haunting can now become black-threaded, suffusing them with the Void and making them stronger.

The Haunting is an effect derived from Soul-infused silken threads, and the Void in turn mimics this effect, just as it does with the Soul-based spells and their Void-infused counterparts in the first game.

-Void - Shaped by Soul (and Silk)-

This confirmation of Void being shaped by Soul has implications for elements in the original game. The Collector, for example, may have taken the form of the Love Key Bug not due to the absorption of their Essence, but their Soul instead, resulting in their Void-formed body taking on aspects of their appearance.

The presence of Silk spools in Pale King’s workshop always suggested Silk was an element in his experiments with Void. Silk is shown throughout Pharloom to be used in Runes, various seals and sigils present with magical effects.

Runes are said to be etched into the shells of the Pale King’s Void constructs. The sigils present in the Workshop Mould are likely runes formed with Silk.

-The Void’s Hunger for Soul-

Hornet remarks upon the effects of the Void when she encounters Shakra after a battle with black-threaded bugs.

“...It is the void, stretched up into this world and its husks. I know it well, that force, its nature. If it senses soul, it will drive voracious towards it.”

Void was shown to be reactively hostile in the first game, thrashing into tendrils at the approach of the Knight. Hornet explains that when the Void senses Soul, it will seek it out to consume it. This could entail that the Void in Hallownest was reacting to traces of Soul contained within the Knight’s shell.

All told, the Void is shown to have a hunger for Soul, seeking to devour it and mimicking it after having done so, taking on the shape and ability of Soul, and magic derived from Soul.

The Void learns…

-Void - Reanimating the Dead-

Hornet also remarks on the Void inhabiting the husks of the dead via the Black Threads. It is not unknown to Hornet for the Void to result in the reanimation of the dead, as seen with the vessels, though the effects of the Haunting may be a factor in the case of the black-threaded bugs. As seen in the first game, the Void does not reanimate every dead creature it comes into contact with.

However, there is another instance of the Void being used to reanimate the dead, shown in Silksong’s Steel Soul Mode. The bug Sula summons the Void in a desperate bid for freedom. This results in the formation of a Void entity called the Summoned Saviour.

Hornet’s journal describes it as a:

Mass of old masks swollen and animated by writhing void.

While Void may not reanimate every corpse it encounters, it can be enjoined to do so in some cases. The vessels and Sula’s ritual are examples of this, while black-threading could also be regarded as one.

-Void Beings and the Effects of Soul-

There is one interesting potential effect of the Void being shaped by Soul to take on the form of various entities, such as the Siblings or the Collector.

Void beings such as these are shown to have white eyes, in contrast with Void entities like the Void Tendrils or the Summoned Savior, which are shown with dark grey eyes.

Possibly the effects of consuming Soul and taking on its form results in a Void being developing bright white eyes, while ‘natural’ Void that hasn’t consumed a sufficient amount of Soul instead has grey eyes.

Note that Siblings’ eyes are fainter than the eyes of Void beings like the Collector or the Knight’s Shade  - the ‘Soul white’ of their eyes is beginning to fade. This may be due to the Siblings starting to fade away, returning to their original Void state, also seen with their more tattered and indistinct forms.

This may lend credence to the idea that Void beings without anything keeping them distinct from the greater mass of the Void could eventually fade away into it, returning to a natural ‘raw’ state.

The Void forgets…

[goldenyak]

-The Ancient Civilization-

Below the kingdoms of bugs lies the Abyss, a network of dark and dangerous caverns where the Void pools in vast black oceans. Though first seen below Hallownest, the Abyss extends far beyond a single kingdom, implied to exist throughout the world, as does the Void found in its depths.

Also found throughout the Abyss are remnants of an Ancient Civilization of bugs that worshipped the Void. This civilization existed long before the birth of kingdoms like Hallownest and Pharloom, and its inhabitants vanished for unknown reasons.

-The Abyss in Hallownest-

The works of the Ancient Civilization can be found throughout Hallownest, as they are the creators of the many Soul Totems seen in many regions. Signs of ancient construction can be found near certain Soul Vessel and Mask Shard fragments, and other ancient, hidden places.

While these remnants show that the Ancient Civilization had a command over Soul, their relationship with the Void isn’t made clear until later when the Abyss is explored.

Void Idols are a relic of the ancients, described as containing quantities of Void within them. These idols are an example of how the ancients venerated the Void.

Relic Seeker Lemm offers this comment: "Inspired or mad, those ancient bugs. They devoted their worship to no lord, or power, or strength, but to the very darkness itself."

Other examples of the ancients using the Void are the Shade Cloak, said to be made from the substance of the Abyss, and the Sharp Shadow charm, said to contain a ‘forbidden spell’ that was sealed away inside a Soul Totem.

There is also a chamber in the Abyss where the Knight can infuse their Howling Wraith spell with the Void, transforming it into the Abyss Shriek spell.

These examples show how the Ancient Civilization made widespread use of the Void they worshipped, able to manipulate it in many varied ways.

Artifacts known as Arcane Eggs are also the product of the ancients, though Lemm is only able to offer some small insight due to the difficulty in studying them.

“An egg is a perfect protective form. In Hallownest we use stone journals or tablets, our text engraved atop. These eggs are far more secure. Their records are stored within.

-The Abyss in Pharloom-

In the Abyss region below Pharloom, runic tablets left behind by the Ancient Civilization can be found. These two Abyss Tablets read:

In silence your voice, In darkness your form, We higher who see you seeking, Our shells yearn for your embrace.

Erase our fear, Eliminate our desire, To suffer no more, Void, cleanse us.

The first tablet reinforces how the Ancient Civilization looked upon the Void with worship. In spite of the Void’s dangers and its ravenous hunger for Soul, the ancients yearn for it to ‘embrace’ them.

The last remnant of the ancients that can be uncovered in Pharloom, a single Arcane Egg, reveals a final crumb of knowledge.

The Arcane Egg description reads:

An artefact almost impossibly old, marked inside with many fine etchings. Most are indecipherable. “No will… no self… Shade…”

-Shades and the Ancient Civilization-

The implications are profound. A Shade is exactly what exists within every single vessel created by the Pale King. The Shade is the vessel’s true nature, the ‘Heart of Void’ that the Pale King desired to harness.

The concept of a Shade is not something the Pale King conceived of himself - it is an idea he borrowed from the Ancient Civilization. Shades existing before the vessels was hinted at by the dream nail dialogue of the ancient remnant that holds the Shade Cloak:

“Lord of Shades…”

If the Knight has obtained the Void Heart, the dream nail reveals that even long dead, the ancient somehow recognizes them as the ‘Lord of Shades,’ a being that has united the Void under their will. While Lemm claims the ancients worshiped no lord, they knew of Shades and perhaps the concept of a ‘Lord of Shades’ existed among them, resurfacing from the ancient’s mind now one has actually arisen.

The Abyss Tablets speak of the ancients' wish to be free of suffering and that they yearned for the Void to remove what brought them pain, their fears and desires. To make them into beings without these qualities. Without will. Without self. To make them a Shade.

This mirrors almost perfectly what the Pale King hoped to achieve with the vessels. To use the Void to transform one of his children into a being with ‘no mind to think, no will to break, no voice to cry suffering’...

A Shade that would fulfill his desire for a Pure Vessel.

[goldenyak]

-Shades and Vessels-

As I wrote earlier, I don't believe that what the ancients or the Pale King were attempting to achieve with Shades and vessels was something as simple as literally not having a mind or desires. The Void itself possesses such qualities, which would be clearly evident to any who contemplated it for any length of time - its ravenous hunger for Soul, its aversion to strong light, its insidious mental call, and so on.

There is no reason to believe that the ancients or the Pale King would be under the impression that the Void literally lacked these qualities, and evidence that they were indeed well aware of them.

The Pale King spoke of the Void as addressing another being, one opposed to him: “VOID, yours is the power opposed.”

The Ancient Tablets in Pharloom make reference to the Void cleansing their desires, while recognizing that the Void has its own desires: “We higher, who see you seeking,” “Erase our fear, eliminate our desire,”

What they both sought was to realize this concept of a Shade, an entity brought into being through the power of the Void. To use the Void to cleanse them of undesirable qualities.

Another term for ‘cleanse’ is ‘to make pure’.

-Shades - Void Given Form-

From what’s known of the Void, the ‘cleansing’ the ancients spoke of isn’t truly a transformation as they seemingly envisioned. The Void isn’t changing them, they are changing the Void. The Void devours them, consuming their Soul, and doing this leaves an impression of what they were on the Void.

The Void takes on their shape and their ability, a shadow of what they once were cast upon the Void. Void, given form. A Shade.

The resultant Shade has the form of what it consumed, shaped by devoured Soul and perhaps Essence as well. But the Shades seen in Hallownest, the Siblings, lack both these attributes. Soul can’t be extracted from their form. Essence can’t be perceived by the dream nail.

Void entities in Pharloom, such as the Void Mass and the Summoned Savior, are similar in this regard, yielding no Soul or Needolin dialogue.

Void naturally lacks Soul and Essence. Without another factor, such as an enclosing shell infused with stolen Soul or an instilling of foreign Essence, Void beings do not possess these qualities either.

Again, it is not that the Void literally lacks desires, but it imparts that impression upon those who perceive it.

Void is so different from mortal bugs it is perceived as totally unlike them. As if it had no mind, no will, no desires. None that can be recognized by beings who ordinarily readily perceive such things, like the Pale King, the White Lady, and the Radiance.

The Void is utterly alien, utterly different, a fundamentally 'other' force that beings of Soul and Essence cannot truly understand.

To create a Shade, bugs are forming the Void into a dark semblance of… themselves. The Void learns to be like them, to look and act like them, maybe even thinking like them to some degree.

But the resulting Shade is a wholly different entity. It bears the image of the being it consumed, but lacking the things that made them who and what they are - their Soul and Essence.

This is what it means to be ‘Hollow’… in the sense that the Pale King desired for his pure vessel. To be without the elements that make a bug… who they are. That make them a ‘who’ at all.

To be without Soul and Essence. To be without Life and Dreams.

Only the darkness, the silence, the emptiness of the Void, given form.

[goldenyak]

-Silksong: New Insights into the Void-

Hollow Knight: Silksong introduced additional lore with ramifications for the vessels and Void beings. Most notably, remnants related to the Ancient Civilization that once existed in the Abyss and worshiped the Void, and lore elements related to the Void itself.

-Void and Silk-

We've seen in the first game that Void’s behavior and ability can be shaped by Soul. The Knight's Soul-based spells can be infused with Void and made more powerful, with the Void replicating the Soul-spells in more powerful forms.

This is further demonstrated in Silksong by the Black Threads, the results of the Haunting being suffused with the Void.

The Haunting is an effect caused by the pale being Grand Mother Silk, using her Silk threads - fine threads spun from the Soul of its creator - to manipulate bugs both living and dead throughout Pharloom.

When the Grand Mother is cast into the Abyss, she sends her threads all across Pharloom in an effort to prevent herself from being devoured by the Void. The Void in turn follows these threads, spreading all across Pharloom as the Black Threads. Bugs that were previously under the effects of the Haunting can now become black-threaded, suffusing them with the Void and making them stronger.

The Haunting is an effect derived from Soul-infused silken threads, and the Void in turn mimics this effect, just as it does with the Soul-based spells and their Void-infused counterparts in the first game.

-Void - Shaped by Soul (and Silk)-

This confirmation of Void being shaped by Soul has implications for elements in the original game. The Collector, for example, may have taken the form of the Love Key Bug not due to the absorption of their Essence, but their Soul instead, resulting in their Void-formed body taking on aspects of their appearance.

The presence of Silk spools in Pale King’s workshop always suggested Silk was an element in his experiments with Void. Silk is shown throughout Pharloom to be used in Runes, various seals and sigils present with magical effects.

Runes are said to be etched into the shells of the Pale King’s Void constructs. The sigils present in the Workshop Mould are likely runes formed with Silk.

-The Void’s Hunger for Soul-

Hornet remarks upon the effects of the Void when she encounters Shakra after a battle with black-threaded bugs.

“...It is the void, stretched up into this world and its husks. I know it well, that force, its nature. If it senses soul, it will drive voracious towards it.”

Void was shown to be reactively hostile in the first game, thrashing into tendrils at the approach of the Knight. Hornet explains that when the Void senses Soul, it will seek it out to consume it. This could entail that the Void in Hallownest was reacting to traces of Soul contained within the Knight’s shell.

All told, the Void is shown to have a hunger for Soul, seeking to devour it and mimicking it after having done so, taking on the shape and ability of Soul, and magic derived from Soul.

The Void learns…

-Void - Reanimating the Dead-

Hornet also remarks on the Void inhabiting the husks of the dead via the Black Threads. It is not unknown to Hornet for the Void to result in the reanimation of the dead, as seen with the vessels, though the effects of the Haunting may be a factor in the case of the black-threaded bugs. As seen in the first game, the Void does not reanimate every dead creature it comes into contact with.

However, there is another instance of the Void being used to reanimate the dead, shown in Silksong’s Steel Soul Mode. The bug Sula summons the Void in a desperate bid for freedom. This results in the formation of a Void entity called the Summoned Saviour.

Hornet’s journal describes it as a:

Mass of old masks swollen and animated by writhing void.

While Void may not reanimate every corpse it encounters, it can be enjoined to do so in some cases. The vessels and Sula’s ritual are examples of this, while black-threading could also be regarded as one.

-Void Beings and the Effects of Soul-

There is one interesting potential effect of the Void being shaped by Soul to take on the form of various entities, such as the Siblings or the Collector.

Void beings such as these are shown to have white eyes, in contrast with Void entities like the Void Tendrils or the Summoned Savior, which are shown with dark grey eyes.

Possibly the effects of consuming Soul and taking on its form results in a Void being developing bright white eyes, while ‘natural’ Void that hasn’t consumed a sufficient amount of Soul instead has grey eyes.

Note that Siblings’ eyes are fainter than the eyes of Void beings like the Collector or the Knight’s Shade  - the ‘Soul white’ of their eyes is beginning to fade. This may be due to the Siblings starting to fade away, returning to their original Void state, also seen with their more tattered and indistinct forms.

This may lend credence to the idea that Void beings without anything keeping them distinct from the greater mass of the Void could eventually fade away into it, returning to a natural ‘raw’ state.

The Void forgets…

[goldenyak]

-The Ancient Civilization-

Below the kingdoms of bugs lies the Abyss, a network of dark and dangerous caverns where the Void pools in vast black oceans. Though first seen below Hallownest, the Abyss extends far beyond a single kingdom, implied to exist throughout the world, as does the Void found in its depths.

Also found throughout the Abyss are remnants of an Ancient Civilization of bugs that worshipped the Void. This civilization existed long before the birth of kingdoms like Hallownest and Pharloom, and its inhabitants vanished for unknown reasons.

-The Abyss in Hallownest-

The works of the Ancient Civilization can be found throughout Hallownest, as they are the creators of the many Soul Totems seen in many regions. Signs of ancient construction can be found near certain Soul Vessel and Mask Shard fragments, and other ancient, hidden places.

While these remnants show that the Ancient Civilization had a command over Soul, their relationship with the Void isn’t made clear until later when the Abyss is explored.

Void Idols are a relic of the ancients, described as containing quantities of Void within them. These idols are an example of how the ancients venerated the Void.

Relic Seeker Lemm offers this comment: "Inspired or mad, those ancient bugs. They devoted their worship to no lord, or power, or strength, but to the very darkness itself."

Other examples of the ancients using the Void are the Shade Cloak, said to be made from the substance of the Abyss, and the Sharp Shadow charm, said to contain a ‘forbidden spell’ that was sealed away inside a Soul Totem.

There is also a chamber in the Abyss where the Knight can infuse their Howling Wraith spell with the Void, transforming it into the Abyss Shriek spell.

These examples show how the Ancient Civilization made widespread use of the Void they worshipped, able to manipulate it in many varied ways.

Artifacts known as Arcane Eggs are also the product of the ancients, though Lemm is only able to offer some small insight due to the difficulty in studying them.

“An egg is a perfect protective form. In Hallownest we use stone journals or tablets, our text engraved atop. These eggs are far more secure. Their records are stored within.

-The Abyss in Pharloom-

In the Abyss region below Pharloom, runic tablets left behind by the Ancient Civilization can be found. These two Abyss Tablets read:

In silence your voice, In darkness your form, We higher who see you seeking, Our shells yearn for your embrace.

Erase our fear, Eliminate our desire, To suffer no more, Void, cleanse us.

The first tablet reinforces how the Ancient Civilization looked upon the Void with worship. In spite of the Void’s dangers and its ravenous hunger for Soul, the ancients yearn for it to ‘embrace’ them.

The last remnant of the ancients that can be uncovered in Pharloom, a single Arcane Egg, reveals a final crumb of knowledge.

The Arcane Egg description reads:

An artefact almost impossibly old, marked inside with many fine etchings. Most are indecipherable. “No will… no self… Shade…”

-Shades and the Ancient Civilization-

The implications are profound. A Shade is exactly what exists within every single vessel created by the Pale King. The Shade is the vessel’s true nature, the ‘Heart of Void’ that the Pale King desired to harness.

The concept of a Shade is not something the Pale King conceived of himself - it is an idea he borrowed from the Ancient Civilization. Shades existing before the vessels was hinted at by the dream nail dialogue of the ancient remnant that holds the Shade Cloak:

“Lord of Shades…”

If the Knight has obtained the Void Heart, the dream nail reveals that even long dead, the ancient somehow recognizes them as the ‘Lord of Shades,’ a being that has united the Void under their will. While Lemm claims the ancients worshiped no lord, they knew of Shades and perhaps the concept of a ‘Lord of Shades’ existed among them, resurfacing from the ancient’s mind now one has actually arisen.

The Abyss Tablets speak of the ancients' wish to be free of suffering and that they yearned for the Void to remove what brought them pain, their fears and desires. To make them into beings without these qualities. Without will. Without self. To make them a Shade.

This mirrors almost perfectly what the Pale King hoped to achieve with the vessels. To use the Void to transform one of his children into a being with ‘no mind to think, no will to break, no voice to cry suffering’...

A Shade that would fulfill his desire for a Pure Vessel.

[goldenyak]

-Silksong: New Insights into the Void-

Hollow Knight: Silksong introduced additional lore with ramifications for the vessels and Void beings. Most notably, remnants related to the Ancient Civilization that once existed in the Abyss and worshiped the Void, and lore elements related to the Void itself.

-Void and Silk-

We've seen in the first game that Void’s behavior and ability can be shaped by Soul. The Knight's Soul-based spells can be infused with Void and made more powerful, with the Void replicating the Soul-spells in more powerful forms.

This is further demonstrated in Silksong by the Black Threads, the results of the Haunting being suffused with the Void.

The Haunting is an effect caused by the pale being Grand Mother Silk, using her Silk threads - fine threads spun from the Soul of its creator - to manipulate bugs both living and dead throughout Pharloom.

When the Grand Mother is cast into the Abyss, she sends her threads all across Pharloom in an effort to prevent herself from being devoured by the Void. The Void in turn follows these threads, spreading all across Pharloom as the Black Threads. Bugs that were previously under the effects of the Haunting can now become black-threaded, suffusing them with the Void and making them stronger.

The Haunting is an effect derived from Soul-infused silken threads, and the Void in turn mimics this effect, just as it does with the Soul-based spells and their Void-infused counterparts in the first game.

-Void - Shaped by Soul (and Silk)-

This confirmation of Void being shaped by Soul has implications for elements in the original game. The Collector, for example, may have taken the form of the Love Key Bug not due to the absorption of their Essence, but their Soul instead, resulting in their Void-formed body taking on aspects of their appearance.

The presence of Silk spools in Pale King’s workshop always suggested Silk was an element in his experiments with Void. Silk is shown throughout Pharloom to be used in Runes, various seals and sigils present with magical effects.

Runes are said to be etched into the shells of the Pale King’s Void constructs. The sigils present in the Workshop Mould are likely runes formed with Silk.

-The Void’s Hunger for Soul-

Hornet remarks upon the effects of the Void when she encounters Shakra after a battle with black-threaded bugs.

“...It is the void, stretched up into this world and its husks. I know it well, that force, its nature. If it senses soul, it will drive voracious towards it.”

Void was shown to be reactively hostile in the first game, thrashing into tendrils at the approach of the Knight. Hornet explains that when the Void senses Soul, it will seek it out to consume it. This could entail that the Void in Hallownest was reacting to traces of Soul contained within the Knight’s shell.

All told, the Void is shown to have a hunger for Soul, seeking to devour it and mimicking it after having done so, taking on the shape and ability of Soul, and magic derived from Soul.

The Void learns…

-Void - Reanimating the Dead-

Hornet also remarks on the Void inhabiting the husks of the dead via the Black Threads. It is not unknown to Hornet for the Void to result in the reanimation of the dead, as seen with the vessels, though the effects of the Haunting may be a factor in the case of the black-threaded bugs. As seen in the first game, the Void does not reanimate every dead creature it comes into contact with.

However, there is another instance of the Void being used to reanimate the dead, shown in Silksong’s Steel Soul Mode. The bug Sula summons the Void in a desperate bid for freedom. This results in the formation of a Void entity called the Summoned Saviour.

Hornet’s journal describes it as a:

Mass of old masks swollen and animated by writhing void.

While Void may not reanimate every corpse it encounters, it can be enjoined to do so in some cases. The vessels and Sula’s ritual are examples of this, while black-threading could also be regarded as one.

-Void Beings and the Effects of Soul-

There is one interesting potential effect of the Void being shaped by Soul to take on the form of various entities, such as the Siblings or the Collector.

Void beings such as these are shown to have white eyes, in contrast with Void entities like the Void Tendrils or the Summoned Savior, which are shown with dark grey eyes.

Possibly the effects of consuming Soul and taking on its form results in a Void being developing bright white eyes, while ‘natural’ Void that hasn’t consumed a sufficient amount of Soul instead has grey eyes.

Note that Siblings’ eyes are fainter than the eyes of Void beings like the Collector or the Knight’s Shade  - the ‘Soul white’ of their eyes is beginning to fade. This may be due to the Siblings starting to fade away, returning to their original Void state, also seen with their more tattered and indistinct forms.

This may lend credence to the idea that Void beings without anything keeping them distinct from the greater mass of the Void could eventually fade away into it, returning to a natural ‘raw’ state.

The Void forgets…

[goldenyak]

-Steel Society Musings-

We didn't get as much about the Steel Society in Silksong as I hoped (let the waiting for DLC begin!) but we did get some new stuff in Silksong's Steel Soul mode, and it's pretty tantalizing when taken together with what we know from the original game.

-Hollow Knight Steel Soul Mode-

In the first game, Steel Soul mode introduced us to Steel Soul Jinn, who took the place of Confessor Jiji.

Jinn had an interesting metallic tone of voice, a distinct cadence to her speech, and several comments that brought to mind the idea that she was some kind of robot or construct.

"Observed... Small. Dull. No Soul. Long shadow... It is blank, but brave..."

"Jinn, little know... cannot tell of self. Too young, its thought, its mind. Born to provide, to trade."

"...Its body, so soft... Fragile... Inferior built. Not like Jinn."

Jinn also had some connection with Jiji, as Jinn was willing to purchase Rancid Eggs found throughout Hallownest.

"Jinn, has only many small, shiny things... useless to Jinn, but will trade for wonderful gift. "

"...Gift is... horrible gift. Disgusting..."

"But Jinn knows one who appreciates...Friend of Jinn. Eats nasties. Loves nasties. Shall accept. Shall provide."

"It likes Jinn's shinies? Jinn has many... many. Gifts, from another, helped by Jinn. Hurt by Jinn."

Jinn also has a number of interesting remarks to several items the Knight can acquire.

King's Brand: "...A King, the tiny It becomes. Jinn knows that mark, but cannot bow. Jinn's masters are other... minds other... Not order. Not order, they seek."

Jinn recognizes the authority of the Pale King from their brand, but cannot acknowledge it, as she serves other masters. Masters with 'minds other' who do not seek order.

Void Heart: "This It... A rare It. Has not seen many, so vulnerable, but triumphant. Makes Jinn feel a thing... surprise? Jinn misjudged... The It is not inferior. Perhaps... different? Different to Jinn. More complete? Different... like masters?"

The Void Heart, one of the game's most significant items which marks the Knight as the Lord of Shades and unifies the Void under their will, causes Jinn to regard the Knight as 'more complete' and 'like masters'.

Confessor Jiji, strongly implied to be Jinn's 'friend', also reacts to the Void Heart by mentioning masters.

"Ooohhhh. My masters would be impressed... Rare it is for one to come to terms with their regrets so completely, yet you seem to have managed it. What darkness must one wade through to achieve such a thing?"

Jinn and Jiji both make references to masters they serve, masters with 'minds other' who 'do not seek order' and who Jinn feels are similar to the Lord of Shades.

-Hollow Knight Steel Soul Mode-

This was all already pretty interesting. In Silksong's Steel Soul mode, we've got more. Introduced in Silksong is another steel bug, Steel Seer Zi.

Zi is encountered by Hornet, who seems to know plenty about her kind and their masters.

"Zi: ...Bug... Higher... It has come seeking... Zi is found... She is awoken. Hornet: Greetings, child of steel. I have known your type, in past. From your presence it is clear this land too has caught the long gaze of your Masters. Zi: Masters... Yes... For them, Zi observes... obedient... always... And you... a creature in half... Pale It... Bug It... old... stubborn... alone... You too are observed."

"Zi must watch, record... and wait... Always she is true to her function... Ore-bound... To duty."

The Steel Seer's purpose, her 'ore-bound duty' is to observe the land and its denizens for her Masters. She also makes a request of Hornet to track down her vassal, Sula.

"Zi: ...Creature, higher... Its meeting. Zi’s awakening... It is not chance... It has been sent to Zi, yes? By Masters served?... To retrieve her vassal lost? Hornet: Not for your Masters, but by my own will I may aid you, Zi, as long as the path permits. [...] Zi: Find the vassal... pale It. Return them to us... Save us both from the Masters’ wrath."

Hornet finds Sula, a bug that very much resembles Confessor Jiji, suggesting that Jiji was the vassal of Jinn. Sula conducts a ritual that summons a Void creature that Hornet slays.

"Sula: No. No. No... My champion slain! Why do you do this, cruel slasher? Why must I stay, and serve, so long, long, long?

Hornet: That void must not be called, bug. Not ever. None can control it, though many have tried. Any strength you hoped it offered would fast be proven false. Consider yourself fortunate I arrived in time. Your shell is saved, all by wish of your steel companion, and fear of her Masters’ punishment.

Sula: But the seer knows nothing! Nothing of the pain. All small Sula’s to bear... To watch, watch these lands dying, slow, the bugs suffering, falling, while our shell sustains... The steelhearts feel so little... but we forced to serve, we endure it all. We alone. Why?"

The 'steelhearts' purpose is seemingly to observe lands and kingdoms as they decline, aided by their vassals. The steel bugs may feel little or nothing, but it's clearly affected Sula, who attempted to use the Void to give themselves the means to resist or escape their servitude.

Hornet ultimately chooses not to return Sula to Zi, and Sula flees Pharloom.

"Hornet: Zi, your vassal is gone, alive, fled beyond these lands. I chose to allow their escape, even if your wish may not be granted.

Zi: The wish? No... pale It... Zi sensed clear your meeting... The rite... The vassal is tarnished. They have touched the dark. By the Masters they will now be hunted... no matter the distance fled."

Zi says that Sula has been 'tarnished', having 'touched the dark'. Calling upon the Void in their ritual was seemingly a forbidden act, and now Sula will be hunted down by their Masters no matter where they run. Though Hornet thinks they have a chance to survive, and this thought seems to be shared by Zi.

"Hope!.. Pale It... For a vassal who defies the Masters?... You give Zi a thought, complex... The outcome is different... and Zi must now observe alone... but this may be the better way? Zi shall accept the happening... shall pray the Masters still see her loyal... and Zi too will share the hope... that her vassal lives long unbound."

Though loyal to her masters, Zi still cares about her vassal. Jinn also referred to Jiji as a friend, even likely having a similar relationship. The steel bugs care about their vassals, even as they serve Masters who can apparently be quite stern.

-The Steel Masters and Pale Beings-

Zi also has a very interesting line if you refuse her request to track down Sula.

"Pale It... You would reject the role? Are you not tamed, bound, by Masters?... You would know... obedience is essential.

Recall, the fate of those who defy... Even you higher... Especially you higher...

...Compression... We have suffered it. We would never wish it upon another."

So that's pretty ominous.

The 'higher' in this case refers to the 'higher caste', the god-like pale beings that are seemingly the supreme entities of the Hollow Knight world. Hornet includes herself amongst this caste, owing to her being descended from Pale King and, through her mother Herrah, the pale being Grand Mother Silk.

Yet even these higher beings of great power can apparently be called to task by the Steel Masters. 'Compression,' whatever that means, is the fate of those who defy the Steel Masters, and pale beings are even suggested to be especially vulnerable to this.

-What We Know About Steel Society-

So we have 'steelheart' servants, built to serve the Masters in various ways. Jinn, to trade. Zi, to observe.

These steelhearts also have vassals, that they develop various amounts of affection for.

These vassals apparently know a number of rituals, including ones that can summon the Void. This was suggested with Jiji, whose rituals call forth the Knight's Shade - while canonically the Knight cannot interact with their own dead self, there was still a suggestion that Jiji's rituals involved the Void.

Sula shows that indeed the vassals can call forth the Void with their spells.

This is apparently a forbidden act, and will results in Sula's sanction by the Masters.

The Masters maintain a presence in kingdoms founded by pale beings via steelhearts and their vassals, to observe and/or trade with the land and its inhabitants.

The Masters 'do not seek order' and their servants reject the authority of the Pale King.

The Masters are reminiscient of the Lord of Shades, a being with authority over the Void.

The Masters are capable of humbling even pale beings, surpremely powerful entities.

The Masters don't want anyone messing with the Void, at least in ways they don't approve of.

There is hopefully more Steel Society lore to come.

A lore tablet in Silksong makes reference to the City of Steel, where the Citadel tracked a Weaver. This place is a strong candidate for the headquarters of the Steel Society.

Zi also awards Hornet a "Rock of the home spear… and of Zi’s birth." 'Home spear' puts me in mind of a shining steel spear-tip… which might be what the 'City of Steel' resembles.

Silksong's earlier promotional material introduced a character called Steel Assassin Sharpe, another steel bug, who had a pair of steel companions. Sharpe and the Steel Assassins are absent in the current game, but Team Cherry have stated that they are simply 'waiting in the wings' for the right time to be revealed.

If the Steel Masters have agents that carry out their wrath against bugs who violate their will, like Sula, then the Steel Assassins seem like prime candidates to be these agents.

And if the Masters are against unsanctioned outbreaks of the Void, then what befalls Pharloom as a result of Hornet's actions might well put her in the sights of the Masters and their Steel Assassins.

-Light, Dark, and Grey-

Pale beings and the Void are suggested to be in conflict, with Void the 'power opposed' to poweful beings of light like the Pale King and the Radiance. A natural enough dichotomy - it's 'light vs dark', one of the oldest narrative dichotomies in all of fiction.

The Steel Masters may represent a balancing force between the two. They do not acknowledge the authority of pale beings and even possess the means to threaten them with some dire punishment. They are also reminiscent of the Lord of Shades that holds authority over the Void, and they heavily restrict use of the Void. They are capable of keeping both forces in check.

Between Pale White and Void Black, is there perhaps Steel Grey…?

-Additional Bits-

There's some minor similarities between the rune that surrounds Zi and the Farsight rune, which Hornet can access with the Farsighter.

Zi's rune appears more elaborate - this might be how the 'Steel Seer' is meant to watch over and record the kingdom she's in.

There's also a some broad similarities to the World Sense ability's rune from the first game.

These runes may all be of a similar function, to reach out into the kingdom and discern facts about them.

If so it's interesting how much more elaborate Zi's rune is, which may indicate she (and the Steel Society) have a far greater capacity with this rune than other users.

Zi's needolin dialogue also mentions her function.

"Watch long... Record clear... Remember..."

[goldenyak]

-Void and Purity-

One of the most discussed and debated elements of Hollow Knight lore is the concept of a 'pure vessel', a vessel that is 'truly hollow'. Also referred to as 'hollowness,' 'vessel purity,' or simply 'purity.'

The Pale King created innumerable vessels as part of an effort to harness the power of the Void, the mysterious darkness found in the world's depths. The goal was a 'pure vessel', a single chosen vessel that would permanently contain the Radiance and her Infection, sparing the kingdom of Hallownest from her vengeance.

Vessels were created from the children of the pale beings of Hallownest. The eggs of the pale children were placed deep in the Abyss, where they became infused with the Void.

The vessels are what emerged from these eggs - Void clad in the fatally hollowed out shells of the pale children, Void that had been given their form and abilities.

This is the nature of vessels. But what is a pure vessel, and how was it meant to contain the Radiance?

What does it really mean to be a 'Hollow Knight?'

-Purity According to the Game-

The term 'pure vessel' is seen is on the lore tablet in the Ancient Basin, just outside the Abyss.

Higher beings, these words are for you alone. Our pure Vessel has ascended. Beyond lies only the refuse and regret of its creation. We shall enter that place no longer.

This chosen vessel would go on to become the Hollow Knight, intended to be a cage for the Radiance that would contain her and her Infection.

The Hollow Knight ultimately failed.

The White Lady explains:

"Its supposed strength was ill-judged. It was tarnished by an idea instilled."

The Hollow Knight was decreed a pure vessel and chosen to contain the Radiance. But the pale beings miscalculated.

The Hollow Knight became tarnished by an 'idea instilled', losing its pure state, something the pale beings had mistakenly assumed could not happen.

The words she uses must be read carefully to understand what White Lady is saying. Here are the definitions of the terms she uses:

Tarnished -to diminish or destroy the purity of; stain; sully: Instilled -infused slowly or gradually into the mind or feelings

and, for completion's sake, a further definition: Pure -freedom from anything that contaminates, pollutes, etc. -freedom from any admixture or modifying addition.

The Hollow Knight was judged a pure vessel. The pale beings assumed, wrongly, it would stay that way. It did not.

At some point, its purity was 'tarnished' by an 'instilled idea'. Its purity was destroyed by a modifying addition that was infused into its mind.

The White Lady, still speaking to the Knight, continues with the phrase:

"But you. You are free of such blemishes. You could contain that thing inside."

The White Lady judges the Knight to be free of the kind of blemishes that tarnished the Hollow Knight. It has no 'instilled ideas', and can therefore contain the Radiance.

According to White Lady, the Knight is a pure vessel. Whether she's right or not depends on exactly what being a pure vessel means.

A clue on what that might be is given during the most pivotal moment of the game's narrative, the Knight's return to their Birthplace and its exploration of its own memory, the Abyss Memory.

-The Abyss Memory and the Pale King-

As the Knight ascends the Abyss in its memory, the words of the Pale King are recalled.

"No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void. You shall seal the blinding light that plagues their dreams. You are the vessel. You are the Hollow Knight."

The memory reveals that the Pale King is speaking to his chosen vessel - he is declaring what he perceives. The Pale King's judgement is that the vessel is pure, and will become his Hollow Knight.

The first three lines of speech are often taken as a list of 'requirements' for what a pure vessel must be - namely that they have no mind, no will, and no voice.

However, these requirements are almost certainly not meant to be taken as strictly literal.

While the vessels do not speak, they plainly have minds and wills of their own. Indeed, the entire purpose of a pure vessel is to contain the Radiance within their mind, so the Pale King would not pursue a vessel that literally didn't have a mind.

His words are an allusion to some other concept.

Therefore, no instances of a vessel having mind, will, etc. is antithetical to it being a pure vessel, because being a 'pure' vessel means something else.

-So Then What Is A Pure Vessel?-

The premise of my theory regarding purity is two-fold: 1) A pure vessel is a vessel whose mind contains no Dream Essence 2) The Knight's mind contains no Dream Essence

The Pale King alluded to his chosen vessel as being without 'mind and will and voice.' The White Lady states that the chosen vessel was 'tarnished' by an 'idea instilled', a blemish that the Knight is not afflicted by.

What is the difference between the Knight and the Hollow Knight?

The Hollow Knight shows signs of having Essence in their mind. The Knight does not.

The most significant proof of the latter can be seen just before the Abyss Memory, when the Knight uses the dream nail on itself in the Birthplace.

Rather than the usual outpouring of Essence shown when the knight executes a dream dive, there is a burst of Void instead. Compare this with a dream dive involving a regular bug, like the Dung Defender.

Note the difference.

There are two main visual effects portrayed during a dream dive:

-A flash of light from the dream nail (the 'dream nail impact effect') -Essence particles from the target (the 'dream dive effect')

The dream nail impact effect is shown highlighted in green. The dream dive effect is shown circled in blue.

We can be sure of the nature of these two effects by looking at another dream dive, with Troupe Master Grimm.

With Grimm, the dream nail impact effect is the pink of standard Essence like the dream nail, while the dream dive effect is Grimm's unique Scarlet Essence.

The dream nail impact effect comes from the dream nail. The dream dive effect comes from the target of the dream dive.

With this in mind, the significance of these effects during the Knight's dream dive becomes clear.

The dream nail impact effect is present, the source of the light shown in the scene. But the 'dream dive effect' from the Knight lacks Essence altogether. It is entirely Void.

This is an effect utterly unique to the Knight. Even other Void beings do not display this during dream dives.

The Broken Vessel, memories of a vessel left behind on their shell. The Kingsmould in the Ancient Basin, a Void entity like the vessels. The Hollow Knight, a vessel said to be 'tarnished' by an 'idea instilled'. The Knight, a vessel said to be free of 'instilled ideas'.

In the first three cases, we have an outpouring of Essence. Void beings can have Essence, but when they do, it's very apparent. In the case of the Knight, there's an outpouring of Void instead.

There are other indications of the Knight lacking Essence, but this one is by far the most significant. The Knight has no Dream Essence. The substance of their mind is comprised of Void instead.

No light. No dreams or memories made of Essence. Only darkness. Only the Void.

-Purity: No Mind to Think, No Will to Break-

This lack of Essence bears out the notion that the Knight is different from the chosen vessel, that they do in fact lack the added factor which compromised the Hollow Knight.

This is further borne out when the Knight returns to the White Lady having obtained the Void Heart:

"That pulsing emptiness… Truly, it has been transformed by the revelations it found. Does it… feel anything? Triumph? Or hate? If it does, I cannot sense it."

The White Lady perceives the emptiness of the Void, but not the mental state of the Knight.

Almost as if... they had no mind at all.

This is what Pale King's words are alluding to.

Pale beings can sense the Void in a vessel, but nothing of its mental state. They are left only with a perception of absence.

As if it had no mind. As if it had no will. Only the emptiness of the Void. Empty. Silent. Hollow.

The White Lady identifies that the Knight is free of what tarnished the chosen vessel. The Knight is shown to lack Essence, while the Hollow Knight does not.

It's reasonable to presume the Pale King would have comparable capacity to hers - that both Pale King and White Lady can recognize the absence of Essence, and therefore the state of purity, and therefore the presence of Essence as blemishes that would tarnish purity.

Had any Essence been present within the chosen vessel, the Pale King would have recognized it. The Pale King's declarations of absence in the presence of the chosen vessel reinforce the notion that it was free of Essence, a pure vessel. His judgement of the vessel he chose to be the Hollow Knight was sound… at least at that time.

The assumption that the pure state could not be tarnished would then lead to disaster.

The Hollow Knight's purity was tarnished when Essence was inadvertently instilled into its mind. The Knight's mind lacks Essence, and therefore their purity is untarnished.

The Knight is a pure vessel. At least, as far as the Pale Beings judge such a thing.

But how would a vessel like the Knight actually do what a pure vessel is meant to do, and contain the Radiance?

-The Infection and the Radiance-

The White Lady is not the only higher being to perceive the emptiness of the Knight. When the Knight dream nails Myla after she begins displaying severe Infection symptons, the voice of the Radiance can be seen, screaming within Myla's mind.

"… how much longer… KILL IT… how much longer… DANGEROUS… how much longer… KILL IT… how much longer… KILL THE EMPTY ONE…"

Radiance herself regards the Knight as 'Empty…'

The Radiance's infection works by manipulating the mind of her victims. The Radiance appears in their dreams, and offers them a temptation, tailored to their specific desires.

In the case of the Soul Master, he saw a cure for the Infection. Sly was shown visions and memories of people who were important to him. Bugs like the Hunter and the Mantis Traitors were offered greater strength.

If the would-be victim succumbs to the Radiance's temptation, they become Infected. Once Infected, the victim gradually begins to lose their mind and will to the influence of the Radiance.

But what if she were trapped in a mind that she couldn't perceive? A mind that had no way for her to understand its thoughts and emotions and desires? A mind that gave her no dreams to serve as an avenue to offer temptation? A mind that - as far as Radiance was able to perceive - was empty?

There is every reason to believe that the Radiance would be unable to perceive the mental state of a pure vessel. With no Essence in their mind for her to 'read', she cannot perceive their desires and emotions.

She would perceive only emptiness.

As if there was 'no mind to think' at all...

-The Pure Vessel-

The Hollow Knight had kept the Radiance confined, until succumbing to her Infection compromised its ability to do so.

But if a vessel were able to avoid Infection, if one were incapable of being tempted by the Radiance in the first place, they could keep Radiance confined indefinitely.

This is the nature of a pure vessel.

Without Essence, with a mind comprised of only Void, their mental state becomes imperceptible to beings like the Radiance. Their emotions cannot be sensed. They are perceived as empty. As if they had no mind to think at all.

The Pale King's words regarding his chosen vessel, prior to its tarnishing with Essence: "No mind to think. No will to break."

The White Lady cannot sense the mind of the Knight, a vessel without Essence: "Does it… feel anything? […] If it does, I cannot sense it."

Radiance herself says this of the Knight: "…KILL THE EMPTY ONE…"

Higher beings like the Pale King, the White Lady, and the Radiance all demonstrate an inability to perceive the mental state of a vessel without Essence. They cannot 'read' the Void.

This is why the White Lady judges the Knight, a vessel shown to lack Essence, to be pure:

"But you. You are free of such blemishes. You could contain that thing inside."

Without Essence in their mind, a pure vessel conveys only the absence of the Void. Confined to such a mind, the Radiance would have no way to perceive its desires. She would have no way to tailor a temptation to those desires. She would have no way to offer temptation without a dream she can perceive and appear in. She would have no way to Infect them.

She would be trapped in a mind of absolute darkness with no way to escape.

Forever contained by perfect emptiness.

-And So, In Conclusion...-

A pure vessel is a vessel without any Essence in their mind, only the emptiness of the Void. In a sense, a pure vessel is a vessel without dreams. The perfect cage for a being that preys on dreamers.

A vessel of darkness, untarnished by light.

I could write so much more about this topic...

And in fact I have. All of my completely correct views and their indisputable supporting evidence have been compiled into this great big fat lore doc.

If you thought I'd written a lot here... hoo...!

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

Just learned we're getting a new Godzilla and Kong movie and it might have Gigan in it aw yiss :D

I wanna see more of the classic creatures brought back, it was so neat seeing Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla and I wanna see moar

Give me Gigan, give me Megalon, give me EBIRAH THE HORROR OF THE DEEP

[thestomping-ground]

SPEAKING OF EBIRAH!

He and Namor are pals!

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

OH MY GOD WHAT :D

What comic is this from I have got to read this :D

[thestomping-ground]

It's from Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe, it came out last year and right now Marvel is publishing Godzilla Infinity War.

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

Ebirah once more getting a chance to commit some LOBSTER VILLAINY :D

[iconuk01]

I think the possibly-Ebirah footage is not from a movie, but the second Season of Monarch, as we got this trailer last week (Which I only happened upon by chance)

[bogleech]

I don't like that they gave it a plain old reptile head but hey isn't that new interdimensional tentacle monster basically the "thing" from the misleading godzilla vs. Mothra poster??

The same jointed tooth lined tentacles and cosmic horror implication

[goldenyak]

The reptile head with tentacles made me think 'Biollante', but of course they aren't planty enough to be her.

The crab-swarm made me think Destoroyah, but that doesn't seem right either... maybe an earlier form.

Those two are my favorite, so they're often on my mind.

[goldenyak]

Thank you for reading the Seeker's Scroll.

If you want to see the scroll in its entirety, it can be viewed here.

Perhaps we will meet again on the road ahead.

All things come to those who seek.

[goldenyak]

Diving Shells are canon now~!

[bogleech]

(Updated 11/13/2025)

PHYSICAL COPIES SOLD OUT until at least January-February 2026!

DIGITAL PDF COPIES: KO-FI, ITCH.IO More info:

History of the project here

A condensed guide to the setting itself here

Expanding and co-managing a new tabletop gaming "brand" out of this setting is MY SOLE CAREER PROSPECT and potentially my entire new livelihood for the foreseeable future. This is literally now more than half my life's work.

If you can't afford such a LARGE AND CONTENT DENSE new gaming book (a fair chunk of the price is only the raw printing cost!) you can help me survive and get this life-consuming project off to a good start by signal boosting and spreading the word.

Miscellaneous Book Information:

Mortasheen is a monster-collecting setting I've developed for over twenty years, it has been in development as a tabletop roleplaying game for over fifteen years, and I have spent more than the last five years laboring on this first book alone. Credit to Morgan Mullins for the gameplay system, @gutsygills for every single playable monster build, rules expansion, testing and enormous amounts of other editing work.

Featuring guest artists including @biomechanicalmush, @sabedilemon, @iguanamouth and more

Softcover $60, Hardcover $70-80 (more on etsy to offset their fees) digital pdf download $40 so we have enough to split with the gameplay devs. Books ordered during this first run will most likely arrive December within the USA, while international shipping from this country is currently undergoing unpredictable chaos.

Backers of the original kickstarter should still receive their books first, and many already have! Over half are yet to finish printing, but we're getting there.

8 x 11'', 350 pages. Includes all rules and mechanics for running a campaign or playing in one, player biotypes, NPC's, locations, gadgets, lairs, setting culture, ecology, unique original battle system, story hooks, a secret antagonist faction for more epic life-or-death adventures and a modular ability system for modifying and creating any conceivable monster, object or phenomenon. All 177 monsters in the bestiary include detailed biology and characterization.

Free online-only playable bonus monster builds available on the front page of bogleech.com or at the bogleech.com/mortabook link, also all assembled by @gutsygills

[goldenyak]

Just got my copy of Mortasheen in the mail! Life's not so crappy after all~!

[goldenyak]

Briar, Bramble, and Silent, the heroes of Flameseeker, first part of the Seeker Saga.

[goldenyak]

Which trio of idiot jerks do I love more? Truly, I could never choose...

[goldenyak]

Shrike is joined by more metal bird-bugs - her partners, Strix and Straga.

The Steel Society has dispatched them to hunt down the Seekers.

[goldenyak]

Steel Clan OC, Steel Assassin Shrike

The craw are my favorite group from Silksong, I love the idea of bird-like bugs, and so I made this bird-like steelheart.

Imagine her squawking like a bird when startled, and other bird-like mannerisms.

[bogleech]

AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR 13 DAYS, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEN

HOW TO BUY IT: PHYSICAL COPIES ONLY: ETSY PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL: KO-FI DIGITAL ONLY: ITCH.IO

Mortasheen is a monster-collecting setting I've developed for over twenty years, it has been in development as a tabletop roleplaying game for over fifteen years, and I have spent more than the last five years laboring on this first book alone. Credit to Morgan Mullins for the gameplay system, @gutsygills for every single playable monster build, rules expansion, testing and enormous amounts of other editing work.

History of the project here A condensed guide to the setting itself here

Expanding and co-managing a new tabletop gaming "brand" out of this setting is MY SOLE CAREER PROSPECT and potentially my entire new livelihood for the foreseeable future. This is literally now more than half my life's work. If you can't afford such a LARGE AND CONTENT DENSE new gaming book (a fair chunk of the price is only the raw printing cost!) you can help me survive and get this life-consuming project off to a good start by signal boosting and spreading the word. Miscellaneous Book Information:

8 x 11'', 350 pages. Includes all rules and mechanics for running a campaign or playing in one, player biotypes, NPC's, locations, gadgets, lairs, setting culture, ecology, unique original battle system, story hooks, a secret antagonist faction for more epic life-or-death adventures and a modular ability system for modifying and creating any conceivable monster, object or phenomenon. All 177 monsters in the bestiary include detailed biology and characterization.

Featuring guest artists including @biomechanicalmush, @sabedilemon, @iguanamouth and more Softcover $60, Hardcover $70-80 (more on etsy to offset their fees) digital pdf download $40 so we have enough to split with the gameplay devs. Books ordered during this first run will most likely arrive December within the USA, while international shipping from this country is currently undergoing unpredictable chaos. Backers of the original kickstarter should still receive their books first, and many already have! Over half are yet to finish printing, but we're getting there.

Free online-only playable bonus monster builds available on the front page of bogleech.com or at the bogleech.com/mortabook link, also all assembled by @gutsygills

[revretch]

Silent Hill f failed its feminist narrative almost as hard as it failed its puzzles, huh?

Hell, it cared so little about female camaraderie that it couldn't even keep straight which of your friends wanted to inherit a shrine!

[revretch]

To clarify, I don't mean the default ending, I think that ended on a great note. All the NG+ shit that framed your personality around whether or not you got married, never mentioning your female friends again, while taking such extreme care not to vilify any male romance interests too much though? That was bullshit.

[bogleech]

No one is supposed to have friends or love interests in silent hill unless they already murdered them! That's what makes all the good silent hills kick ass! 😠

But dialog totally implies your female friends killed you or vice versa and the game just sorta forgets those plot threads. There are so many things unaddressed by any of the endings, as if they were made for a different story altogether D:

[goldenyak]

My favorite Silent Hill story is a comic, Silent Hill: Paint it Black. It's ridiculous.

The main character is Ike, a struggling artist. He's not a bad guy, he has no dark crimes in his past, he's never hurt anyone. He's just kind've an aimless slacker whose run out of friends to mooch off of. He winds up in Silent Hill desperate for inspiration and finds it in the monsters there.

It's like the town finally found someone who wants to be there for positive reasons - not because they want punishment, but because they want inspiration. Ike actually likes Silent Hill. And the town returns the favor. Because Ike genuinely appreciates the place, the monsters don't ever harm him. They even pose for his paintings!

Unfortunately, they're still dangerous to everyone else who comes to town, and when Ike starts to feel guilty about painting the horrors that take place and tries to leave, well...

It gets pretty bananas.

But what I liked most is the concept of what happens if someone blunders into Silent Hill who isn't a truly horrible person seeking self-flagellation, but just kind've... a dumbass, some goober seeking purpose.

In both cases, Silent Hill reacts to human desire and attempts to fulfill it, but the results are very different.

[bogleech]

Link goes to a teaser with further details, followed by two more introductory pages, which I will also link here:

What is Mortasheen? How and why did I start it almost 25 years ago? When did it become a Tabletop RPG project, and why did that take as long as it did?? It certainly involves a lot more Neopets than you probably assumed, I'll tell you that much.

What is this setting like? How does it work? Who lives there other than hundreds and hundreds of googly-eyed parasites? I explain not only the basics of the setting and a condensed canon history, but the key elements of the TTRPG including the eight primary "player races" (we just call them biotypes), some environments, some of the "scientific disciplines" that rule the setting and a recap of every current monster class, so you can already start planning your character and what they specialize in should you find that interesting or can see yourself playing the game! QUICK THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK:

The kickstarter copies are now printing and shipping to me from the factory in batches, which is the only way it was feasible and is going to continue all the way into September, so backers will be getting their books anywhere from late October to mid December. There is no faster, safer service for this many books at once, but the orders were placed!

The general public will get to order copies for thirteen days as a "soft release," which will also take some weeks to print and ship out.

I'm splitting profits with the gameplay dev team and we each want about $20 per book for all this hard work. Softcover in standard color quality costs $15 just to print, so the cheapest physical copies will be around $60 shipped.

On October 31st I'll announce and link to every way you can order a copy, everywhere I can.

Digital will also hopefully be available in some way (it isn't all 100% just my call)

Sales will open up again every couple months or so after that, until final details of long-term full release are worked out.

Physical copies are 8.5 x 11 inches, 350 pages

[goldenyak]

Thank you for reading the Seeker's Scroll.

If you want to see the scroll in its entirety, it can be viewed here.

Perhaps we will meet again on the road ahead.

All things come to those who seek.

[goldenyak]

You've no doubt spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Are the two closer figures familiar to you as well? If not, perhaps you'd consider taking a look at another Hollow Knight fan work of mine, Flameseeker. You'll learn the story of these two and how they came into the company of our author, the Scryer. We've nearly come to the end of the scroll. Only one passage remains...