[ Hallowed Hollow ]
a tragedy born of desperation.
a story already told, begun anew.
Independent portrayal of the Hollow Knight.Post 'Delicate Flower' ending; will contain Hollow Knight spoilers, and may vaguely allude to Silksong spoilers by association.Open to all verses; multiverse and alternate-friendly.Focuses heavily on mature themes such as psychological abuse, associated traumas, and healing from them; MDNI strongly preferred.
{ muse. }
Basics
It/Its, but can be referred to with any pronouns. Though it has technically chosen these as a personal preference as a result of embracing itself as an object, it is oblivious to the concept of gender expression on a personal level, so it's impossible to misgender.As it went without a name for so long, it assumes any nickname it's given is the same as any other title it's had. So, while its sister has long since designated it as "Hallow" (deliberately not "Hollow"), it will never provide a name if asked. As such, it can be given any nickname by whoever is interacting with it, and it will not object or have preferences. It sees this as not its decision or even relevant.It has a flimsy theory of mind. This does not make it childish or slow; it merely processes things differently, often without what's considered standard conscious thought. It still thinks and processes information, just on a primarily wordless, subconscious level. Its wants, preferences, and choices, tend to operate similarly.It would be more accurate to compare its mental faculties to a supernaturally intelligent animal than to a child, and its learning capabilities as a vessel to a rudimentary artificial intelligence—it learns by example, and need only see something demonstrated once to begin mimicking it, but is not any one thing. It's not mentally disabled, a child, machine, or animal; it's a weird secret third thing (void).Played as though roughly 150 or so years have passed since the end of Hollow Knight, allowing it the time and support needed to have come to terms with its personhood enough to be capable of engaging interactions.At current, it is aware it possesses a will, but is incapable of comprehending what exactly that entails. It struggles to acknowledge its own emotions, especially given it hasn't quite shaken the belief it shouldn't have (or at least express) them. While it has always had emotions and a will, its ability to acknowledge that is comparatively new.Though it still has a lot of very real problems, and may swing between accepting its emotions and denying them when under stress, it's healing. Enough to figuratively stop the bleeding, even if the wound is still relatively fresh.
Communication
Lacking a physical voice, Hallow primarily utilises sign language. This was taught to it by its sister in the time after it was freed.How this is portrayed narratively is a reflection of how I interpret Hallownest's sign language 'dialect' might function; laconic and concise, possibly to the detriment of clarity. Though there may be times Hallow struggles to express a concept it's ill-equipped to process, this is NOT meant to imply it's speaking in the equivalent of broken English.It is fully literate, having picked up various words as it grew up, and later taught more thoroughly again by its sister. Despite this, it rarely chooses to physically write anything.Given it spent so long under strict self-imposed rules regarding expressions of will or personality, it feels that writing something down is is an egregious violation of its intended lack of voice/thought in a way that sign language is not, likely due to the more permanent nature of it. For this reason, it tries to take up as little space as possible by using fewer words. Even if comparatively subtle, its diction still resembles that of any other ancient royal bug, regardless.Carries what remains of the Knight's awakened Dream Nail. The nail itself is not useable by Hallow, instead functioning as a narrative cheat in the event it encounters someone unable to read sign language.For the purposes of RP, the nail often has minor effects on reality when needed. Examples of this include enabling someone to intuit what Hallow is signing, even if they're typically unable to read sign language, or overlaying its signs with a barely-audible ghostly voice from the air around it. In more extreme cases, the nail may project a loosely translated version of Hallow's thoughts if it's overwhelmed or otherwise incapable of physically signing.Hallow is never aware the Dream Nail is doing any of these things, even as they're happening, and cannot deliberately utilise these effects.All forms of communication hinge on its avoidance to identify itself in any capacity. It will never say "I", "myself", so on, as it does not believe such a thing exists, or is unimportant.
Physicality / Biology
By default, I play Hallow as though it's abnormally tall (7-9ft) when out of the context of HK verses. Much of how it functions depends on or heavily references this fact, so this has become non-negotiable. Attempts to refer to it as bug-sized will be ignored.Undeniably uncanny, which is not helped by the fact the joints of its shell tend to crack and creak, coupled with the faint whirring of its prosthetic arm. Its movements are typically slow and lethargic with a slouched posture, though it can and will move at startling speeds if needed, as the instincts from a lifetime of training are still deeply ingrained in it.Cleansed of Infection, but stained by it. Its blood and tears, both black (void) to begin with, are tinged with a burnt-orange hue. The duration and severity to which it was Infected has stripped its ability to use Soul, rendering it incapable of healing or using any other typical magic-based skills it once previously had.In addition, its stamina has been significantly reduced, leaving it more comparable to a glass cannon. Despite this, it retains its sense for battle, sometimes to its own detriment. It has traded magic for physically overwhelming opponents with the goal of finishing things off before its stamina is depleted. In extreme cases, this includes defaulting to void-based skills that border on eldritch. It typically will not stop, even if disarmed, until it is physically incapable of continuing, especially if enraged.The crack in its mask has been repaired with pale ore, and its right arm, lost to the Infection, has been replaced with a prosthetic made from the same. Both were facilitated by its sister, who brought and refined the skills from her time in Pharloom.The prosthetic arm itself is somewhat steampunk and automail-inspired, mixing a sleek, coherent silhouette with moving (and sometimes audible) parts, and is secured into a dock that takes up the entirety of Hallow's shoulder. By circulating void into the prosthetic's framework, Hallow is able to use it as an extension of its shell, lending to the shockingly natural movement it's capable of. The Dream Nail fragment is embedded in the back of this arm's hand.It does have a mouth, though not visible by default. Located under its "muzzle", when open, it's pitch-black and looks a bit melty. Eating is no longer a biological requirement, but does help soothe or keep it docile. Due to the Infection altering its palate, it vastly prefers sweets and has developed a complete intolerance to most earthy or umami tastes.Though it may seem passive and harmless, and typically is without trying, it is still a creature of the void, and as such, is capable of incredible violence. It denies its aggressive impulses by choice, fuelled by its foundational idea as a vessel. There are limits to its patience, however, especially when provoked.It's warm to the touch, bug logic be damned, and unusually so. In combination with the smooth texture of its shell, it's not unlike touching a lightbulb that's been recently switched off.As a result of time and Infection corrupting it, it smells faintly of summer petrichor and fresh asphalt where once it smelled of nothing on account of being of the void. There is a mildly sweet undertone.Its torso is littered with discolouration and dented scars due to a combination of the Infection and where it repeatedly skewered itself. This contributes to its poor posture, as it finds straightening its back uncomfortable.
(ignore the fact the stabbing would be a continuity error and just let me have this one please. it's timeloop shenanigans making the damage from other endings physically manifest due to its extremely close connection to the dream world while chained or something, okay, trust)
Relevant Inventory
Lumafly lantern
Glows with a dull blue instead of the standard white. Though this is notably its first possession other than its nail and standard tool pouch, there is no special story behind this or its acquisition. It just finds the dim glow soothing; a nice departure from the sickly orange of the Radiance and her Infection, making this an exceptionally sentimental item. The glass, previously cracked, has been repaired with pale ore in a manner identical to its face, which has only doubled its sentimental value. Usually kept in its tool pouch, but also has a chain attached to be worn or carried more easily.Winter cloak
A durable cloak to go over its natural one. Made of heavy canvas on the outside, and lined with dense, exceptionally soft white faux-fur on the inside. Woven by its sister with fabric supplied by a friendly acquaintance. In some threads, this item may not exist to allow for more interesting plot developments.Bag of holding
Standard of any multiverse-goer, and was a gift. Keeps this fastened next to its regular pouch under its cloak(s), and is almost exclusively filled with various fruits and nectar. It's shaped like a Spiny Jewel Box Clam.Cathedral radio
Given to it by a friend, this elegant wooden radio is multiverse-capable, able to pick up signals from certain worlds no matter where it is (unless plot demands otherwise). It's tuned to a station that plays 1930-50's era oldies by default. Hallow uses it to self-soothe, as music, especially in this style, tends to override its thoughts. When not in use, it's kept in the bag of holding.Multiverse-capable laptop phone
Includes a backup battery/charger to last indefinitely. A gift, this allows it to use Bluesky like normal social media, though it's largely oblivious to the public nature of the site. Instead uses it to chronicle some of its thoughts/experiences at the encouragement of Hornet as a means to help it acclimate to the idea of communicating in a more tangible sense.Portable teleportation device
Also a gift. Functions via an app that catalogues any live photos it takes/receives, allowing it to open portals to visit the locations within. This item WILL be narratively disabled in plots that demand Hallow remain somewhere indefinitely. It's mainly used to allow it to easily port between Hallownest and Pharloom, and background justification for how it can access the multiverse in the first place.
{ history. }
Long before the kingdom as it exists now, the moths of old worshipped the Radiance—their god.Upon the arrival of the to-be king, the Radiance faded into the kingdom's distant history; replaced by the visage of the similarly brilliant, seemingly eternal Pale King.Refusing to be forgotten, she infected the dreams of those who lived in this stolen kingdom. As these dreams grew in intensity, their effects became tangible, sprouting into what would become known as the Infection; represented by bright pulsating orange pustules and corrosive liquid. Afflicted bugs lost their semblance of self, reduced to shambling husks operating on base, aggressive instinct.Desperate to rid his kingdom of the Infection, the Pale King devised a means to seal it. Three volunteers, consigned to dream eternal, and one perfect vessel: a being made of his blood and the Void deep below the kingdom—a creature born without personhood. For what sense of self was there to overwrite with Infection, if there was no self at all?The criteria for the perfect vessel was simple: No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry out suffering.In one out of thousands of these children of the abyss, he thought he had found the purest: the Hollow Knight. Despite the sacrifices, the unspeakable atrocities it took to get here, he had found it.No cost too great.Its reward was a lifetime in chains, locked behind three seals, in the dying heart of the kingdom.It was meant to be pure. It was not.
It was meant to last forever. It did not.In its childhood, it had grown to love the man who raised it as its father; his soldier, his perfect solution. And in its love was its only impurity, its only weakness; allowing cracks for the Radiance and her Infection to claw through.It had failed at its sole purpose for existence, and in so doing doomed the kingdom to yet another slow death.
'Delicate Flower' Ending / Interpretation
Freshly returned and bereft of memory, another vessel carved its way through the kingdom. They broke the seals, they traded their purity for truths and made themselves whole, but forewent challenging the Hollow Knight.Instead they brought a displaced godseeker a simple flower, and fought their way to the top: to nothing short of godhood. At the top of all towers, the true distilled essence of the Radiance waited; a beacon in hiding, but a beacon all the same.Consumed with a primal need to restore the balance, to fulfill their new purpose, the Knight laid her low—with not an ounce of mercy to spare.They brought themselves, the final god of Void and fury, to meet the shade of the godseeker they had toiled under—mind lost to the destructive abyss, they clawed their way through her; a gate back to the kingdom.The flower she still held on the other side of existence, gleaming and bright, sealed away the raging god's attempt to break through and rain a new terror on the kingdom. Light, ever the salve to the Void, cancelled it out in the last moment, sparing Hallownest a second and third death.One vessel to contain the Infection.
One vessel to contain the Void.The Knight had known—to save one, to save them all, only one (final) vessel would have to die. They had known, with heart and will made whole, that to put an end to the madness for good, they would have to forfeit themself to a different madness, and stake themself through their own heart.With the Radiance no more, the Infection receded. The Hollow Knight, depleted of purpose yet somehow free, fell from its chains.The Knight left nothing behind but a nail, a mask, and peace.
{ account. }
Open to all styles of interactions save for crack and lewd. DMs are open for questions, plotting, and private threads.Literate style is highly preferred, so follows are semi-selective. I will not use quote reposts to reply, and tend to have them filtered out from my feed to keep it more easily backreadable.Please do not feel obligated to match post length; I try to keep it reasonable, but a mute character demands extra introspective/body language detail to keep replies from being too dry.Basic knowledge of the Hollow Knight verse is nice, but not necessary. I play this bug as multiverse-friendly as possible, so it can appear anywhere plot calls for. Unless you're an HK account yourself, I don't assume you're familiar with the lore, and automatically adjust/slowly introduce terminology in our threads for the sake of accessibility.Writer is 32, not new to RP, but is getting used to the Bluesky climate.
I am very not interested in pro/antiship or any other form of drama, and bigotry and the like will also not be tolerated. Given my accounts are inherently MDNI, I do not knowingly follow minors.My only hard boundary is that Hallow is off-limits for shipping. I don't mind if your character finds chemistry with or develops a crush on it/finds it attractive/etc, but it goes beyond aromanticism and will not have the capacity to reciprocate. I am not comfortable making exceptions to this due to the way I portray it.
Interaction key:// - OOC posts.[brackets] - something it has said using sign language.
['partial quotes'] indicate it's intentionally repeating or giving something emphasis.
[-dashes-] indicate it's manually spelling the word, though this will often be described in the narration for clarity.{ braces } - something it has audibly said via Dream Nail.individual lower case. - something it has personally written, typical social media style.(Parentheses) function as normal and do not indicate anything specific other than novel subtext or dramatic flair.Anything literate/novel style using proper letter capitalisation without a user @ at the start are just introspective character studies or snippets of its various adventures, and can be considered open starters.Applicable hooks might include: being saved and/or accidentally terrified by this unsettlingly huge bug-thing, finding it injured somewhere, being in need of a bodyguard which it is inclined to provide its services for, generally just finding it lost in a random location as it has very little exploration experience.
Credits:
Bluesky banner source: 'Dream No More' ending
Bluesky icon and carrd header: MeRelevant accounts:
Timeline-canon counterpart Hornet: @bellhearted (written by me)
Timeline-canon counterpart Lace: @mortalfibre (written by a friend)