#mt fay

These "mnemonic properties" and the effect itself clearly draw from the frosted creatures that inhabit Mt. Fay

The memory crystal is clearly the same coldshard forming these, as well as the rest of the icy crystal in Mt Fay

Btw fun that these actually distort the visuals of what's behind them, incredible level of detail

This shape-memory property reminds me of shape-memory alloys, although those recover their shape in heat, not cold; these crystals do seem to have something weirder going on

When afflicted by the frost, coldshard forms and grows within and out of Hornet until she's completely turned into the stuff, the same kind of "frozen" Hornet as the copies created by the memory crystal

In a way, it reminds me of the crystals of Crystal Peak; I wonder if similar processes make fossilization happen so quickly and commonly throughout this world

I think Mnemonoids were once normal bugs that suffered this end, only for their soul to imprint upon the coldshard, creating these new lifeforms

Although the lack of any similar creatures nearby and the existence of Mnemonords might imply they came to be on their own, or are able to reproduce this way

Or maybe the current population has not changed since Mt Fay's frost formed, implying a sudden froze-over event

Their needolin dialogue, broken lines trying to spell "remember", would imply they're in fact frozen creatures trying to remember their old shape

Mem... remem... Rem... mem... Memem... rem... mem... Mem...

Mnemonic devices are memory tricks, methods to help memorize stuff, derived from the Ancient Greek word μνημονικός (mnēmonikos) which means 'of memory' or 'relating to memory'

And isn't the wording of the tool's effect curious too?

When taking damage, a memory of the bearer is formed of crystal. The memory will shatter into sharp spines if an enemy comes into contact.

A memory, not a copy, as if the imprint comes from the mind rather than from a physical process

And it makes sense, doesn't it? Hornet isn't encased in the copies created by the tool, and they form with a good delay after Hornet has already left the location

Memories do tend to imprint upon stuff too, through Dream and Soul and Silk

With this talk of coldness and souls, I cannot help but think of Pale Ore; what if the coldness of both comes from them naturally absorbing surrounding soul, which is usually a source of heat?

Talking about Pale Ore, the presence of Servitor Borans in Mount Fay imply the Weavers had some kind of large scale mining operation going on; they could've simply being for the creation of the corridors and chambers throughout the area, but I'm inclined to believe this is how they got so much Pale Ore to make spools with (and likely the rest of their tools like silkshot); even the tuning fork at the peak is seemingly made of the stuff

Then there's the residence of Mask Maker, several large egg-like fossils reminiscent of some of the locations of mask shards, now confirmed to be made out of Pale Ore

In the first game, Pale Ore outcrops were embedded in what looked like fossils within egg-like stones, with Hallownest's Mask Maker living in a similar structure

I wonder if Pale Ore, under the right circumstances, can present similar mnemonic properties, explaining soul vessels and weaver spools and ancient masks repairing seemingly on their own once the fragments are collected, and the masks getting repaired when focusing or binding

I've mused about the idea of the coldshard itself being mined, but we don't really see it in use anywhere, unless you want to argue the glass of the Citadel or Coral Tower is made out of it, which I honestly doubt

Going back to the memory crystal, the place it is found on is very cool, old Weaver ruins below a building of the Citadel of Stone

The shard the crystal comes from is signifcantly brighter than the rest; sure, it is a reflective material, but that doesn't explain outright glowing

Then there's Brightvein, the name says it all

Dunno if you've heard it, needle bug, but supposedly there's a gleaming secret hidden at this mountain's core. Meant to be a marvel, or so my sisters past once told, a giant cavern all of crystal.

If my theory that these absorb or contain soul is correct, this makes enough sense alright, shards that are simply richer in soul

But this also plays into the likely origin of the frost of Mount Fay

Fell heart of frost, who soars on high

Glidey! Glidey! Glidey! Mother, mother, gleam so brightly... Lightly, lightly, oh so lightly... Drifty, drifty, oh so nicely...

Fun fact, there's an unused/cut animation of Fayforn as a gleaming white silhouette magically teleporting (or perhaps coming straight from the z axis at high speeds before suddenly halting)

Driftlin are almost certainly her children, and they require the cold to live comfortably

Was the mountain named after the Fayforn, or the Fayforn after the mountain? "fell heart of frost" implies she's the origin of all the frost in this mount; and under that lens, it is very curious that the "grass" here looks similar to her larger feathers; they do break like normal grass though, the particles aren't really feather-like, so they arent discarded feathers but really weird grass, possibly influenced by the Fayforn

They also look similar to the Golpeni feathers used by Shakra's tribe to make quills, but there doesn't seem to be a relation here, on account of Shakra not commenting on it or seeming familiar with the region in the first place

I wonder if they're inspired by fern frost

I have departed to scale Pharloom's frigid mount. If any bug exists brave enough to match my pin's fatal resolve, then climb and face me upon its stormward side.

The jagged crest looming over all of Pharloom. Its whipping winds and bitter cold would pierce the strongest shell.

It's curious that the side facing the Slab is known as the stormward side, and wind is specially noted of the region

The Slab, being a massive stone wall, seems to be shielding the Citadel from this storm, and both Driftlin and Pinstress take advantage of these winds to glide

Frost seems to fall from above, way above, an undefined source, close to where Fayforn resides; I don't think its origin is the surface, as it is nowhere as cold, I'd even say it is mild temperate looking

Fabled here implies others have received this down before

Sister, spider, if seeking commune with the creature atop this mount, take the climb above as test, a challenge beyond even our setting. Upon that summit gained, and creature hailed, know it shall choose what gift to grant, with death as likely as insight.

Did you treat with the creature upon the summit? Your legged ancestors once found her company compelling, enough to build their chambers and their calling device at the height of this perilous peak. Hornet: I have paid my respects, and been granted her favour. Her down now fills my cloak, and does much to ward against the frost of these heights. To pass something so precious… That's a mighty gift you've been given. Seems she's thrown her lot in with you. I'd not have guessed her so opposed to our threaded monarch, but then she too must have sensed the wretched state of things, and the harsher change to come.

She's clearly a powerful and venerated creature, likely on par with the Old Hearts, maybe comparable to Nyleth, but could she be something beyond that? not a mortal bug but a fully fledged Higher Being?

While she's old enough to have been venerated by Weavers directly, before the creation of the Citadel, and shows no apparent sign of age, she's consistently called a "creature" instead of a "being" like you'd expect if she were of the higher caste

And while this doesn't really disqualify her, the description of the Faydown ("down of a Fayforn") may imply there's more of her species beyond her and her children

Maybe she's a creature touched pale like the Palestag, if it was real that is (and I do wish to think it was)

I would like to note that the down isn't just white, it actually flashes with light when used, similarly to the Monarch Wings

While the Monarch Wings are actually described as shimmering in the dark, unlike the Faydown, the Driftlin still describe their mother as "gleaming brightly", so I'd say this flash of light is diegetic

The geology of the region suggests heavy erosion by water, and water does pool in certain parts of the mountain, with the watery basin of the Slab, with plenty presence of coral, suggesting these waters once fed the river of Karak

It could be argued that coldshard is some kind of special, magical ice that doesn't melt, the result of some mineral getting diluted in these waters, but it is as likely that these are pure minerals that simply form more easily in such humid environment

I do want to point out though, it is very curious that there's water pooling, but no signs of water currently flowing, no cascades or small streams, no frost or shard melting, although this last one might just be limitations when it comes to the visuals

Still, no water at the end of the slide side; no pools of water outside the mountain actually, as if it is only flowing within, or maybe can only stay liquid inside, as if the outside is way colder than the internal caverns

Actually, just went to check and there isn't even a droplet of water falling in those caverns, which is a staple of Hollow Knight design visible even in Forgotten Crossroads, there's only fine particles of frost floating about everywhere; even the watery basin of the Slab has this classic humidity with plenty droplets falling from every ceiling, and there's even a lil waterfall showing a flow of water

The eroded rock is present even at the very top of the summit, so whatever waterflow was present it started all the way at the top, maybe from the same place from which the frost flakes fall from

The top of High Halls, which does have water flowing downwards, could conveniently align with said offscreen source

Greedy Citadel, taking up all the water of not just Karak but Mt Fay as well

Maybe some of those massive pipes that converge in the Cradle aren't actually bringing stuff from the Citadel to the Cradle but are rather aqueducts running through the ceiling of this massive cavern

Under this lens, it is curious that Mr Mushroom lumps Karak, Steps and Mt Fay together, referring to them as "consumed"

caves consumed by sand and frost…