#lore crafting

There are a few reasons for this, a lot of which I base on what we know of Shakra's tribe from the lore: "I shall not return, Hornet Wielding Needle... I cannot. To leave my tribe's nest-plains, that journey has only one direction. This has always been our way, our long leaving, for those few who survive till age seeks to claim their shell, and those fewer who choose to send them on. But these lands, Pharloom... My nest-plains I once saw so grand, now they become small. A place for birth, and growing, but a place too narrow to live a bug's life full."

My main arguments are:

1: Shakra doesn't have wings.

2: Velvet ants are one of the groups in hymenoptera that lack eusocial behaviors and thus engage in the type of hunting and wandering that would be expected of Shakra's tribe, leading to a culture defined by hunting, cartography, and independence.

3: Many Velvet Ants are native to deserts and that feels very "nest-plains".

4: Velvet ants, as non eusocial hymenopterans, lack a queen which makes sense seeing as that feels almost certainly like something Shakra would have mentioned in a land as Mother and Queen dominated as Pharloom.

5: This feels kind of consonant with the ways Shakra talks about the Skarr: respecting them as warriors alike to her but finding their ways odd, laying traps which feels like a feature of a culture bound to a single nest. Additionally, the similarity in the rings and the curve claws then feels like a body plan based weapon decision.

6: I find this specific species of Wingless Wasp the most visually similar to Shakra's design, which lacks the stripes of yellow jackets and possesses the heavy black coloring that we see in this type of Velvet Ant.

7: Velvet Ants are known (somewhat overstated as with all bug cultural understandings) for being dangerous, with potent venom in their stingers and a hunters mentality, gaining the common name "Cow Killers". This fits pretty well with the idea of a decentralized warrior tribe.

Rough Outline List of People(ish) inside the Paranatural ‘Masquerade’:

Richard Spender’s father, mayor of Mayview, snack for Davy Jones

Richard Spender, Mayview middle school teacher, Consortium member

Penny Spender, Spender’s sister, apprentice to Mr. Garcia, secret swiper of Dr. Zarei’s lantern

Maxwell Puckett, protag, spectral, son of June Puckett, has a spirit that may be the lost piece of an ancient powerful fractured spirit in Mr. Spender, also possessed

June Puckett, Max’s mother, former Consortium Agent

Dr. Zarei, old friend of Spender, previous member of Consortium

Mr. Garcia, partner to Spender, werewolf, apprentice of Cody’s mom

Mrs. Jones, former Cousinhood member, Cody’s mom, Davy Jones’ wife, werewolf

Davy Jones, vampire overlord, father to Cody, resident business mogul, owner of Mayview Academy, President of Razor Rex’s cult, PTA (Phantom Threat Authority), doctor of local hospital, and police chief

PJ (P__ Jones?)- Ghost, friend of Max, theorized old son of Davy

‘Lefty’, ghost hand, theorized left hand of Davy Jones, severed by his own sword???

Cody Jones, half-vampire, son of Davy Jones

Isabel Guerra, spectral, Paranatural Activity Club member, daughter of Angel Guerra, granddaughter to Master Guerra

Master Guerra, ghost, mentor spectral-teacher of own ‘faction’

Angel Guerra, father of Isabel, mentor to Penny Spender, has own spirit ‘faction’

Valeria Day, Consortium agent, former apprentice of June Puckett

Agent Walker, Consortium Agent

Boss Leader, actually a still-intelligent Wight

Ms. Rose Baxter, Phantom Threat Authority member

Ed Burger, spectral, child of the Burger parents who disappeared into a dream realm (??), Paranatural Activity Club member

The Doctors Burgers

Isaac, spectral, Paranatural Activity Club member

Coach Oop, Phantom Threat Authority member

Dimitri, former Paranatural Activity Club member, possessed

Fauxbia , the Fear Witch, Vice Principal of Mayview Middle School

Gage, local vampire thralled under Davy Jones

Paige, local vampire thralled under Davy Jones

Youth Culture, local vampire thralled under Davy Jones

Police department members under Davy Jones’ thrall (chief of police as well)

Ritz Price-Lee, local rich academy student, vampire-thralled by Gage and crew

Sophie Sibyl, local mystic shop owner, double agent in Phantom Threat Authority

Isabel’s grandfather’s dojo

Agent Savage, Consortium double-crosser for allyship with the Phantom Threat Authority (for money), member of band Max and R.J. saw

Agent Scabs

Agent Popova

Agent Pasha

Agent Stix

Agent Stucks

Other Consortium members

Lisa(???), friend of Isabel, secret school ‘bar’ owner and information barterer - Definitely has powers and inside knowledge but we dont know WHO she’s connected to here

Amy Chen, Isabel’s mother, daughter of Master Guerra

Captain Hattie Henchman, mother of Stephen, part of Davy's police force, and acts as security at the Phantom Threat Authority meetings

Shred Eagle

People on Edge of the Masquerade:

Alex, about to be possessed by an alien-looking spirit OR actual alien(???)

Johnny Jhonny, possessed by Forge, see below

Ollie Oop, resident bully and friend of Johnny, son of cult member Coach Oop, saw the Paranatural Activity Club members flying in Ghost Train

Stephen Henchman, Johnny's bully friend, son of police officer Captain Henchman, part of Davy's police force, also saw the Activity Club float

People Outside the Masquerade (???):

Mr. & Mrs. Starchman (??)

Violet, friend of Lisa and Cody

Peter Puckett (??), Max’s dad

Zoey Puckett, Max’s sister

Isaac’s anime-looking parents????

R.J., resident bully and friend of Johnny

Suzy, Journalism Club lead, friend of Dimitri, has confused crush on Isabel

Collin, Suzy’s friend

Jeff, despite being piloted by artificial spirit Hijack, friend of Cody

Damian & Sam, younger siblings of Agent Day

Principal Pleezedoo

Student Council (?)

DJ Mothman

Professor Bigfoot (?)

Lavish Price-Lee, ex-wife of DJ Mothman

Nicole Spender (??)

He was also one of four Grand Dukes in Baldur's Gate.

I like to think, maybe in a moment of darkest fear of Bhaal, Durge reached out, wondering if there was a way to live without Bhaal.

What did they find? What did Abdel think? Did he know what was happening as Durge's murder sprees picked up? Did he see the rising faith of Bhaal and go oh damn, not again.

Is that why Viekang went and killed him?

Did Bhaal not trust his truest scion, flesh and blood that was literally his own, to murder the child that escaped all those years ago?

Anyways, it's fun to theory craft with connections to the old games and the other bits of Baldur's Gates stories. This isn't necessarily true if Abdel wasn't the Bhaalspawn played in the two other games so adjust as needed, but for someone who is only just getting into those games, Abdel seems the most likely choice I'd currently go with.

I think Coro did reach out to him, in 1482, the year he died, and I think Bhaal very much didn't like that.

He wouldn't suffer a second Abdel.

And here's some stuff that demanded to be written:

I’m still uncertain what a year is on this world but let’s say like 600 days (I feel like it’s longer than our earth for some reason but also my whole theory on that is plot twist stuff so sorry can’t say more)

Lace (eldest by proxy) - 4500 years (asleep for like 2000 of them during the Weavers rule of the citadel and part of the conductors rule)

Hornet - 2000 years

Second - 1500 years (created by the Second Architect)

Vog - 80 years (flea lifespan 180)

Trobbio - 76 years (butterfly lifespan 200)

Shakra - 60 years (like 30 something, the oldest member of Those Who Sting the World with Ink and Might was her master who died at 130 years, but the max lifespan of a Yellowjacket is a mystery because they all choose to die by combat)

Sherma - 35 years (lifespan is 150 for simple bugs)

Bonus:

Garmond was 85 at the time of his death and would have had a similar lifespan to Sherma

Zaza is 70 and was bonded to Garmond at Garmond’s 15th birthday, in a ritual where Hornknights are given their lance and steed. Most hornsteeds lived as long as their riders did and died from grief after their passing. Zaza is different because his bond was shifted to the fellowship, especially Lace and Sherma.

And if I may state a strong opinion on something regarding this and this isn’t to you personally but to an argument I hear a lot of fans in general say but I don’t feel like PK being absent from the Red Memory is supposed to say about what she feels about him. Hornet’s lovers aren’t featured there either and that’s obviously not because she’s “moved on” from them. The Red Memory featured her 3 mothers specifically because it was most fitting for the themes of motherhood in the game and to contrast what they gave and learned Hornet that GMS didn’t to her children (unconditional love, hope, encouragement and freedom). You can disagree on this too of course but I personally just don’t see this specifically as a smoking gun, hard confirmation of anything. There’s other things that could better point to Hornet possibly hating PK better than this imo.

So, to tackle the intent behind the red memory first. If you played the needolin in it, you get this mysterious bit of song dialog:

“...Child born pale...

...Watch... Wait... Pray...

...Child born bound...

...Hunt... Seek... Slay...

...Warrior... Princess...

...Warrior... Queen...”

So the intent of the four memories, Weavers, Herrah, Vespa, White seems to be showing the four types of woman she either was or was meant to be, a warrior for the cause of the Weavers, a Princess under Herrah and PK, a Warrior trained by Vespa, and a Queen like the White Lady and by her blood as the daughter of the Pale King. Then there’s Hornet’s final dialog to WL (and my favorite piece of dialog in the whole HK/SS universe): “Strength... in mind, in care, in claw. Strength enough that I may live to see a world better than our own, or to craft a world as I desire. That was the wish, of my mother, of my mentor, and of you...”

So, I think that the Red Memory is simply a reflection of the mothers who raised her and how that made her the spider she is.

As far as harsh, uncaring, and unrepentant, I think that’s an interesting interpretation, but I would probably say mine is WL thinks all of them embody all three (including the Weavers who did in the text raise Hornet). I prefer this because I really see Silksong as this masterpiece about mothers and daughters and the odd little ticks and wounds that emerge out of raising a woman as a woman.

I think a lot about my sister and my relationship with our mom. We love her obviously (and are very fortunate for that) but we also have a lot of memories of her raising us with an eye or claw to the way the world was capable of hurting us. Those moments of discussions about safety, manipulation, and misogyny are hard to convey to a little girl or even, in my case, a little pre-transition gay boy whom my mom thankfully saw as a daughter who needed those same lessons too. My sister and I understand it now, but in the moment I think both of us resented the fear and responsibility placed on our shoulders at such a young age.

Hornet is like that. And seeing her say that she understands the wish and has grown from it had me bawling my eyes out and calling my mom to thank her.

Lace, as a character, so beautifully embodies the opposite: of being unallowed to find her way or permitted the freedom necessary to be unsafe and protect herself. The way that leaves her jealous, naive, vengeful is such a beautiful antithesis to Hornet who was given the same curse—becoming the lone sentinel of her parent’s curses—but for Lace the strings are pulled taut and the lessons are never learned. It’s one of the reasons I see GMS sacrifice as so tragic. It’s like at the last moment she sees her daughters actions and, knowing that only one of them can survive, sees, in the selfish way she is permitted, some of her failings as a mother. She gives her the chance to be free as an act of end of life regret, as I see it. Not truly forgiven for her crimes, but also not evil to the very end.

It’s hard to be a mother and it’s hard to be a daughter: that’s what I think Silksong is about.

I think that’s the actual reason PK isn’t really referenced. It’s not a story about fatherhood, so he lingers as a plot point, but not an emotional beat beyond Hornet grappling with her wyrmyness. Whether we read that as Hornet having forgiven him, Hornet not considering him out of hate or anger, or Hornet simply not having known him due to his absence in her life, is up to us as readers, players, and writers.

I land on PK being a foul influence in Hornet’s life because I think it’s more interesting, not because there’s any in text justification or personal vendetta. It’s really not my personal experience, as my dad was a loveable Garmond-esque oaf of a man who wanted his daughters to be free and loved. But, I don’t have an interest in writing PK like that because of PK’s decisions in HK lore being so controlling and absolute. So, for me, I’m interested in how that might have been passed down to Hornet, who I’m writing as a woman who often makes decisions for others out of a sense of intense responsibility that borders on egomania. I see that in the game too cause, like, she is a little bit self-absorbed and she does kill a lot / choose a future for Pharloom.

These stories have a lot of room for all of us to breathe and to feel our fears, scars, and hopes as parents and children, and it’s so fucking beautiful. We should be proud and protective of the conclusions we come to and the things we took from both Hollow Knight and Silksong. And, I think we should leave room for each other. I’ll say, when I write about these characters, it’s only half about the lore and half about filling the gaps with my heart. I don’t do it so much to grate against others, as much as I do it to inspire people to consider these two games different and validate others who see them like I do.

(Oh and on a less serious note, but I really love Rall the criminal bartender guy and I hope and his small gang get some screentime cause I love some morally complex criminal gangs à la Peaky Blinders, so I picture him with Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” playing in the background lmao. And it’s fun to imagine something like criminal gangs in HK to explore new concepts and character archetypes).

What a wonderful question!

I would probably conceive it more as a quadrilogy, as I see AWCV as its own story and prelude to DFTD. But I definitely have been thinking about themes throughout the two games and relating to them in my work.

If I had to settle on some big ones, I've always seen Hollow Knight as a story about Grief and Silksong as a story about Control. I think that it really comes through in their gameplay and narrative, where Ghost's journey through Hallownest is mired in being just a little too late to fix anything. Compare this to Hornet, whose journey I see as about how she is manipulated into acts by her trigger responses, specifically her lifelong struggle with her vengeful nature and the way bugs harness it (PK setting her up to be Hallownest's guardian, Phantom using her to kill themselves, Lace manipulating her to kill Mother Silk, the one thing she could not do, as well as various wishes, etc.) Hornet's sense of duty and her rage really feels like her curse, where Ghost's curse is that they are a spirit of death, visiting to put Hallownest to rest.

These stories are so mired in despair, and while I love them for that, that isn't necessarily my style as a writer. I am flattered to have my fanfic considered in the vein of these two masterpieces, but I also see my work as separate in tone because, though my work itself and its pretty consistent horror and misery might disagree with this, I am invested in a story that is about healing. AWCV is entirely about Lace healing from her abuse. It's a story about forgiveness and vulnerability most of all.

Death for the Deathless is about one thing most of all: death. It is about good deaths and bad deaths, it is about remembering the dead, wishing for death, giving death, and fearing it. Most of all it is about the ways our societies orient themselves around the fear and desire of that end. There is of course still heavy exploration of love, forgiveness, and vulnerability as the main cast goes through what they're about to endure, but my main focus is on all the meanings of dying, especially in the strange world Team Cherry gave to us. So excited to release chapter 4 and 5 because they both deal with this heavily. Soon!