The Pale Siblings Zine is complete! Featuring the works of several artists and writers, this zine explores the sibling relationships of the Vessels, Hornet, and the several other Void creatures we see in-game, like the Collector or Kingsmoulds.
Happy Hollow Knight Day! To celebrate our upcoming zine release + an amazing game, we want to show off HallowHome's incredible team of amazing contributors!!
howdy everyone! i wrote a Thing for the Collapsed Stars reverse minibang hosted by @outerwilds-events! i wrote a piece inspired by a sketch by @assassiowl with later worked with @herdingflowers! both absolutely knocked it out of the park!
you can read it here or underneath the cut!
originally i wanted to go for something much, much more cosmic horror-y, but ultimately i'm really happy with what ive written.
while it took me a long time to get to a point where i could get myself to sit and write, i really really enjoyed this event and chatting with everyone involved! tysm to the hosts and all the wonderful artists and writers who participated :)
Kaepora looked up into the storm above them, an abyss in which the swirling clouds flooded into. Against all expectations, the crater they stood in was physically barren, lifeless, lacking any evidence of intelligence or life. Yet, the chorus that struck their ears was unlike anything they'd ever heard before - somehow reminiscent of the whispers shared between them and their peers as children, yet so incredibly, overwhelmingly deafening, a symphony millions of times more complex than anything Kaepora could have conceived of. The voices of the Eye of the Universe seemed to come from everywhere, echoing through and from the stone itself, blasting up into the void above, as if to raise a hand and point towards it, calling out: all your questions will be answered.
The gravity fluctuations seemed to lend themselves to this hypothesis. With difficulty, Kaepora began climbing up towards the edge of the crater, their center of weight never seeming to shift. Looking up became looking forwards, and looking forwards became looking downwards. They slowly stepped towards the tallest of the rocks, the jagged platform just long enough that at the end, Kaepora was nearly aligned with where they had stood before. Reaching the end, they leaned over, peering down into the hole. With a pit in their stomach, they quickly stepped back and pulled out their radio, leaning over it in an attempt to block out the Eye's cry.
"I believe I have reached some sort of core." They yelled into the microphone. "There is a hole to which the storm funnels, from which the call of the Eye seems to originate. I believe that if I am to learn any more, I must enter."
The radio crackled back, but the words were unintelligible over the roaring chorus of the Eye. They again raised their hand to their face, speaking directly into the mic.
"If you do not hear from me within the next two cycles, assume.. Assume something has gone wrong."
With that, Kaepora stood straight. With tears in their eyes, they again looked down into the pit below, streaks of blue and purple pouring down into nothingness. If that is where you are, then I shall follow.
Not giving themselves the time to rationalize, they stepped forward and leaped into the deafening void.
Kaepora sighed.
They leaned upon a windowsill, staring down at the sparkling river below. Artificial sunlight glistened on the surface, the reflected spots shifting along with the reeds. Shining insects danced just above the waves, inches away from dipping down into the wash. A bit further upstream, a duo played various old songs in the shade of a grove of large drooping trees, the two musicians making various small changes to otherwise ancient harmonies. The tune seemed to meld with the soft hiss of the greater rapids upstream, a sort of noisy chorus acting as the backbone to the duet. Breathing slowly, Kaepora turned away from the window, back towards the dark interiors of the dusty attic. It seemed appropriate to spend time here, so close to their final departure.
As children, it had become a sort of secret place for Kaepora and their companion, Lemm, to hide away from the more stressful world around them. Between the old boxes and furniture, the two had created a habit of taking on all sorts of odd projects. It was there where the two had drafted an initial form of musical notation, a way to fully document the music that, up until that point, had only been passed down from elder to child directly, ones hand's leading the others. But, as much as they wanted to convince themselves otherwise, this was not the only reason they had come to this place. They and Lemm had formed a tendency to meet there before any sort of imminent change, with no communication between the two. Even before Lemm's departure, Kaepora had climbed into the old attic to find them leaning against one of the old metal crates, their face highlighted by the dim false planetlight seeping through the window. It was a much more unceremonious meeting than either of the two had really thought the conversation would be - Kaepora offered words of encouragement, and Lemm continued to stare out the window. They sat together, listening to the symphony that presented itself outside - smuggled nocturnal creatures, singing out as if their world had not also been lost. Sitting together, listening to the sounds of a planet they never saw, the two eventually drifted off. When Kaepora woke, Lemm was gone, departed for the interior of the Eye of the Universe.
All the astronomers had expected for Lemm to return, and so when their excursion lasted longer than expected and any sort of attempt at contact proved fruitless, the elders were understandably alarmed, their anxieties being fed. The wider view of the Eye had already been tainted by the vision that it had shown them, and now that concern had more merit than before. The astronomers came to the conclusion that one more individual should enter, to at the very least ensure that Lemm had not suffered some horrible fate. Ultimately, without much debate, it was decided that it made the most sense for Kaepora to be the second to enter.
After all, it was them who had convinced the elders to finish their vision and look past their fear. As the ship came closing in on the solar system which the Eye was home to, a feeling of unease swept through its inhabitants. When the day of arrival came, that anxiety had firmly rooted itself within the community. Looking out the windows of the ship, down into the dark swirling clouds below, it had finally occurred to the inhabitants that whatever was within would determine the question that had plagued them for generations: was all of this worth it?
When the time came for one to raise their staff up to the great storm, the astronomers and their apprentices stuffed themselves into the upper bridge. For only a moment, the air in the room was still, everyone holding their breath and watching as the oldest of the inhabitants looked into the fire. For better or for worse, that silence was short-lived. With a gasp, they collapsed to their knees, howling with their eyes wide and locked on the anomaly before them - a reaction that so clearly spelled out the fears that had quickly became so firmly rooted into everyone. The worst was true. What they had been seeking was a vision of death, of the end of everything. Before the room could completely erupt into chaos, Kaepora had begun to climb down to the lower bridge. They kneeled at the staffbearer's side. Looking into their eyes, they spoke softly to the elder, who held their weathered hands to their head.
"What was it that you saw?"
"I…" The elder stuttered a bit, turning their head to Kaepora. "Death. Of me, or. Of us. All of us." They looked back out the window. "Of everything. This anomaly, it calls for the end times."
Kaepora followed their gaze, looking out towards the maelstrom outside. It was difficult to understand. "That is all you saw?"
"Y-yes. Myself, my flesh, turned to dust. Everything to dust!" They wailed, dipping their head towards the floor.
At this point, the other astronomers were surrounding them, several of them visibly shaking. "Was there any more to the vision?"
The elder again raised their head, turning to face Kaepora. "I saw my bones resting before the Eye. And… I saw my own skull, overgrown."
"Overgrown?"
"Yes. Grass, spreading over my remnants, growing and growing and growing…"
This took Kaepora by surprise. The astronomers had been taught to look for patterns in visions, as generally the conscious thoughts being read were interspersed with less intentional ones.
"And after that?"
With this, the elder shook, sobbing as they put their hands towards their face. "I-I… I couldn't bear to witness it any further."
At this, the feathers on the surrounding astronomers were raised. Kaepora put a hand on the staffbearers' shoulder, their voice shaking yet gentle. "I'm not sure I can truly know what it is you experienced. But… I know it may be hard, but we need to see the end of the vision. We need to. It would be unwise to draw conclusions without doing so, would it not?" There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd.
The staffbearer took a breath and looked to the crowd. "I-I understand. I understand. I w- I will finish the vision." Balancing on their staff, they slowly stood up. They raised the staff up their face once again, indicating to the surrounding astronomers that it was once again time to let them focus. The moments that followed felt like an eternity. In hindsight, while it had surely only been a minute or so, Kaepora remembered it as being hours. Several hours later, they found themself ruminating, convincing themselves that the Eye being perceived in this way must have caused time dilation. Regardless of what the matter was, the time passed, and the staffbearer opened their eyes. It was immediately clear to the astronomers that for whatever had invoked such a visceral reaction, whatever had come next had at least dulled that horror.
Later, after several rounds of heated debate, the astronomers came to the conclusion that it was best to stay the course. It was clear now that whatever was within the interior of the Eye would strongly determine what was next. They had come this far, and to back out now would be foolish. To Kaepora's surprise, when the time came for someone to volunteer to venture down, it was Lemm who spoke up. No objections were had from the others, though - they were one of the few of the newer generation that had learned to pilot the small maintenance saucers. Leaving the cabin, it occurred to Kaepora what this meant. There was a real chance that what was down within the Eye would take Lemm away, for good. Several day-cycles later, they would leave the comfort of the ship, potentially forever.
Now, only a handful of cycles later, Kaepora would follow in their footsteps, fearing for their friend in the maelstrom below. They ambled over towards the attic's trapdoor, stopping and glancing around the small room one more time. For as much time as the two astronomers had spent there, it was strange just how untouched it looked. A thick layer of dust still covered most surfaces, lifting up into the air where Kaepora had walked before. Kaepora blinked, turning and climbing down into the cabin before. I will visit here again. This excursion will not be my end.
From there, they began the trek to the old docks. Lighting the torch of their staff, Kaepora walked down towards the shore of the water, towards the raft they had left there. Once on the water, a tinge of sadness began to take hold in them. It could very well be that this would be the last time they see their home. Holding the lantern out in front of them, the raft accelerated towards the craggy rocks beyond.
Kaepora was falling in what felt like every direction at once.
The crater from which they had leaped seemingly disappeared behind them. They were falling, for certain, and the manner in which the surrounding tunnel shifted seemed to imply they were moving in a specific direction. However, what they observed did not match their reality in other ways. Every limb in their body felt as if it was being torn apart, the laws of gravity completely disregarded, the pulling and pushing of mass lost to great entropy. The chorus of the Eye had not grown louder or softer, but had seemingly lost any sort of direction, the sound so encompassing that it may as well have ingrained itself into Kaepora's flesh. The streaks of color in the clouds morphed constantly, the speed at which they moved seemingly shifting in ways that Kaepora could barely comprehend. They closed their eyes, the swirling colors too much to bear.
With that, the torment stopped. The howling of the Eye was gone, now replaced with a complete and total silence. Opening their eyes, Kaepora gasped. They were back in the attic.
It took a moment for this fact to register. There was no explanation that fit their understanding of physics - it was possible that they could have been transported back, sure, but that did not account for the complete silence. However, their confusion was exacerbated by something stranger. There was no light coming in from outside, save for a small sliver that cut through the dust and grime. Perhaps something had happened to the ship's light? However, when they looked out the window, the world that they had grown up in had seemingly ceased to exist. What little remained was bathed in a dull gray light, and the nature that surrounded the isle appeared to have decayed. The river below was dry, the plants that relied on it gone, presumably decomposed into the soil below. The grove that Kaepora had watched earlier appeared rotten, the vibrant greens dulled into the yellows of decay. Beyond that, there was nothing but a black void.
Kaepora leaned against the window and closed their eyes. None of this made any sense. It had only been a matter of minutes since they departed for the Eye, yet it appeared as if in that tiny sliver of time, the ship's systems had failed completely. This was impossible, though - even if they were to do so, it would take years for the river to completely dry, and that did not account for the complete lack of any visible light beyond the isles. They stood there for several minutes, contemplating their options. Ultimately, their goal was to ensure the safety of Lemm, and standing around would not solve that problem. Straightening their back, they turned away from the window and descended down the trapdoor.
The rest of the isle was in a depressing state. Several of the buildings were completely absent, the only indication that they were ever there being the bridges leading to nowhere. It appeared that most of the wood had succumbed to rot, each plank squishing just enough to threaten breaking under Kaepora's weight. As such, they gravitated towards the isle's temple, the closest location with a solid ground. While they had rarely visited the space themselves, they understood of its importance in their history. The temples were the most finely kept structures in the entirety of the ship that were not part of its inner workings, and thus they assumed that the structural integrity would be mostly intact.
From afar, it appeared that this was the case. Framed by the colorless void, the temple almost seemed to be gesturing for Kaepora to enter, its open door indicating that inside, all questions would be answered. But, as they approached, it was immediately clear that the state of the building was far worse than they had thought. Several sections of the roof and walls had collapsed, and most of the wood appeared to be charred. The inside was no better. The floor was half covered in dirt, yellow grass sticking out from between the planks. The metal effigy of the Eye, usually hung up in the now nonexistent rafters, laid on the steps of the temple's stage. Whatever they had thought they would find, it wouldn't be here.
Kaepora walked to the steps and sat down, looking upwards at the infinite darkness above. Resting there, it occurred to them just how strange this all was. For all their life, there was no sky to view, only the opposite end of the ship. From vantages where they could see outside the great windows, they would stargaze, looking out at the cosmos and pondering. Only then did occur to them - where were all the stars? They shot up, their arm bumping against an old table. They began to continue on, but something in the corner of their eye stopped them.
Resting on the table was a pile of Lemm's early sheet music, but that should have been impossible. Whilst rafting back to the isle, the pair had accidentally bumped into an exposed rock while traversing the preceding rapids. Surprised, Lemm lost their grasp on the folder, and the papers fell into the water. They were able to recover a handful, however the thin parchment on which they wrote did not take well to the water, and what little they could save had disintegrated within several day-cycles. Even if someone had managed to find and take the pages out of Lemm's storage, and then went out of their way to place them in the old church, there was no way that they could have been in such pristine condition.
It was clear to Kaepora that the only answer was that somehow, the Eye itself had placed those pages there. It was the only explanation that made sense. That music was of great importance to the two, a demonstration of documentation that they had spent ages trying to get right, to make something that would drastically change the lives of those who wished to do so. Kaepora figured that, if they were to find Lemm, those pages would be greatly appreciated. The moment their hand touched the paper, the world immediately began to spin around them.
In a matter of seconds, the temple had dissolved away into nothing, a flash enveloping everything all at once. A great spiral of light overtook Kaepora's vision, the sheet music coiling through the air. Again, they were falling, tugged upon by some unusual, incomprehensible force. In that moment, in contrast to the confining black void, it appeared as if every star in the universe had been condensed into one space, their gasses forming tendrils all pointing in the direction that Kaepora's body dropped towards.
What was strangest is that, in a moment of lucidity within an otherwise unbearable sight, Kaepora could swear they could see Lemm at the center of it all. Before they could say anything, the world once again cut to black.
The next thing that Kaepora felt was a hand on their shoulder.
"Kaepora? Are you okay, Kaepora?"
Lemm. They had found Lemm!
They woke face down in the grass, their companion kneeled by their side. They felt as if they had been asleep for years, not that it seemed as if a concept such as time could be trusted anymore. Slowly, Kaepora rolled over to sit up, and as they looked towards the sky, they gasped.
Far above them, painting the cosmos, was the ringed planet that their people's homeworld had orbited. Endless stars blanketed a cerulean sky, illuminating their surroundings, the foliage much livelier than anything within the bounds of the ship. The trees, the grass, all much taller and greener and greater than Kaepora nor Lemm could have ever imagined. The sound of water running and frothing, of insects and other nocturnal creatures, of the movement of the leaves and the reeds and the bush.
Kaepora looked to Lemm. "How is this possible? I…" Their voice trailed off.
Lemm looked back at them, their eyes reflecting the light of a candle placed on a nearby podium. "I do not know what it is that has caused you to appear here, but after what I have experienced to get here… I do not believe that question holds any weight, now."
"I entered in after you, unsure of your health when you stopped responding to your radio." Kaepora shifted into a sitting position, placing their arm around Lemm's shoulder. "Before I appeared here, I saw the old storage room one last time, lost in some sort of void. The last thing I saw was…" They looked to the ground, the sheet music scattered in the grass. "Your first written piece, Lemm. The elegy. Grabbing it seems to have brought me here, directly to you."
"It sounds that our experiences were not so different!" Lemm laughed. "The last thing I saw was your defiled works."
"I am just glad that you are okay, Lemm."
"I am as well, Kaepora."
With that, the two astronomers sat for what must have been hours, staring up at the stars and pointing out all the constellations they didn't recognize. When they began to drift off to sleep, Lemm slowly stood up and began to pick up the music from the ground.
"So what now, do you think?"
Kaepora hadn't considered the question. There was no obvious way to return to the ship, and seeing Lemm alive and healthy was enough for them in the moment.
"What I think," Lemm continued, "is that we should finally play this song."
"I have no objections, though how will that alter our situation?"
"If not just to lift our spirits, though I doubt the Eye would have given us this music for no reason. If it truly does have a will, then I believe we are being asked to perform for it." With a smile, they added, "Though, I also really want to finally play this piece."
Collecting the rest of the pages, the two ambled up onto the podium. Off to the side, several pieces of equipment rested on a table, and the strings on which they performed laid on the floor below. Lemm smirked. "Not a very good way to keep these stored, but it will do." They picked both up, handing one to their partner. Together, they arranged the music so that they could comfortably read it.
"Do you believe we should practice?" Kaepora looked at Lemm, who had grabbed the bow and begun to test the instrument, strumming a few random notes.
Lemm frowned. "I do not think it is necessary. We have been given the tools to play, and so I say we do so. Despite everything, I think it is okay if we… loosen up a bit, I suppose." They shrugged their shoulders. "I truly do believe that the Eye did not anticipate our arrival, Kaepora. As far as I am aware, we should continue to enjoy whatever time we have left."
"Fair enough. As long as I am able to stay beside your side, Lemm, I believe this will all work out."
Together, looking down at the pages, the astronomers leaned in towards each other. Kaepora looked at Lemm, one last time, and began to play the song that had gotten them here. In the light of the rings that had inspired the piece, the two companions leaned against each other.
Regardless of what happened next, at least their song was not lost.
My art piece for the Collapsed in Stars Reverse Mini-Bang @outerwilds-events! I partnered with @glaucidian who wrote an accompanying fic, which you can read here <3
After months of hard work from our absolutely amazing team for 38 artists and 8 writers, our zine is officially available for download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x1cLMHZeEYeIa5bsvzU0qbO8Uhb3ftRZ/view?usp=drive_link 🩶
We truly hope you all enjoy exploring Hallownest through all the gorgeous art and writing from our many talented contributors. 🖤 Thank you all so, SO much for your support!! Happy 7 Years to Hollow Knight!!!! 🤍💙💜
Please give a warm welcome to our local Hallownest resident, Shea @herdingflowers! Shea is one of our page artists so we hope you're all excited for her work 🩶🖤
Please give your warmest of welcomes to HallowHome's incredible team of amazing contributors!! We can't wait to celebrate all the gorgeous areas of Hollow Knight with everyone so we hope you're all as excited as we are 🥰🤍🩶🖤
🤍 Artists 🤍
@azurearts13 @boyyardee @crowsli @flame-shadow @/InkkyScribbles (on Twitter) @/leamssz.art (on Instagram) @ded-lime @lonelysheepling @lunathrix @sevilai @silkysong @slimeel @calatarii @/cm_draws_bugs (on Instagram) @crescenttwins @/c.r.o.w.l.e.e (on Instagram) @henturtle @indigo-grimoire @charlie-jpeg @linterteatime @girlkisserr @logicalbreak @lucika-tran @mebis-art-dump @/mewchao (on Instagram) @nerbos @laceghost-art @phantomgrape @pineflowerart @punto-png @/rainvyn (on Instagram) @rosianna78 @/scarfsfx (on Instagram) @herdingflowers @suminoze @summerorigins @shawsong @/vatsofgoop (on Instagram)
🤍 Writers 🤍
@/Magn0liablossoms (on AO3) @/Polymerre (on AO3) @frolicinq @lovedtogekiss @rainbow-scarab @starsinthewind @vaultbuggo @vulturereyy
🤍 Mods 🤍
@/evielutione (on Instagram) @the-kings-of-games @valhamhart @theartarmature @wormdomination
Thank you and we can't wait to create an amazing zine for everyone!! 🤍🖤
More Hylics! Imagining that Old Wayne produces silk from those head-tassel things to clothe himself and his babies. Dracula is some kind of arachnid with a delicate butterfly proboscis. Odozeir (and new Hylics protag) are amphibians. And Gibby Redivivus is roiling coils of meat.
