I was inspired recently to make fanart of Hollow Knight—I’ve been really getting into lore and the design of the game and found out that the reason it’s raining in city of tears is because the blue lake is right above. So I decided to make a drawing of the blue lake raining down on the city of tears! (After I finished I showed it to a friend of mine and he said I should add Quirrel in a boat so I did)

edit: also that’s the soul sanctum on the left and the watcher’s spire on the right

Medium: pencil, charcoal, colored pencil, sharpie

credit to Hallownest.net for the interactive map that I used as a reference

So I have been REALLY getting into Hollow Knight lore lately and really like the idea of the moth tribe being worshippers of the Radiance. And then I got to thinking, what if instead of ALL the moths turning away, it was all but one?

Concept and Lore

[Images 1 and 2] Behind the Nailsmith’s hut at the farthest edge of the City of Tears stands a door. Behind that gate you can hear the familiar grunts of Husk Sentries—but striking the door shows a seal depicting the King’s Brand.

If you return with the King’s Brand, the door opens and you are allowed inside—only to be met with an enemy gauntlet consisting of Husk Sentries, Winged Sentries, Lance Sentries, Heavy Sentries, and Great Husk Sentries. Defeating them opens the gate on the other side.

The background music is almost nonexistent, the silence only broken by soft whispers that echo around the Sorrows.
At the center of the floor there is a grate beyond which you can see a yellow-white glow, and tendrils of the Infection glowing the same color.

Proceeding into the next room you can see many cages of corpses, which can all be Dream Nailed for special dialogue. Beyond even that there’s a separate room with a unique enemy, the Sorrow Knight. (Sorry no concept art for him) Defeating him grants you half of the Shimmering Key (perhaps the other half can be found somewhere in the White Palace?).
When you acquire the whole key, you can use it to open the grate in the enemy gauntlet room, letting you fall all the way down as the glow of the ”Infection“ grows brighter. The whispers seem louder down here… At the bottom is a cell containing only a single prisoner: a yellow-eyed moth. (Image 3)
She gives no dialogue but Dream Nailing her teleports you to a boss room, announcing her title as the Shimmering Priestess. (Image 4)

Her attacks are a less intense version of the Radiance’s attacks, but she’s still pretty difficult. Defeating her kicks you out of the dream, and you find that the light in her eyes has faded, the color of the Infection has been returned to normal, and the whispers are silent. (Image 5). She can be fought again in the Hall of Gods, and would possibly appear immediately preceding the Radiance in the pantheons.

Dialogue and Journal Entries

SORROW KNIGHT JOURNAL ENTRY

This Knight was trained only to guard the key to the most secure cell in the Sorrows.
I have visited the Sorrows only once. They say it is the place where the Pale King put his most terrible prisoners—never letting them see the glory of Hallownest, never even granting them the mercy of death. Hearing of these bugs that even the King feared made me wish to view them in their prime, to see what they were truly capable of—what a glorious battle that would be! But seeing them here, now, weak and starved and half-dead, it saddens me. I suppose that is why they call it the Sorrows.

SHIMMERING PRIESTESS DIALOGUE

(Before the fight begins) “So, child of the Usurper, you wish to imprison my master? It shall not be so!”

(If you are defeated) “You cannot contain the light!”

(If you are victorious and have not claimed the Void Heart) “I have failed you, Radiant One…”

(If you are victorious and have claimed the Void Heart) “Perhaps…the light is not truly the way…”

(Dream Nailed after defeating her) “The light…”

SHIMMERING PRIESTESS JOURNAL ENTRY

The only true worshipper of the Infection left in Hallownest.
This bug worshipped the thing from which the Pale King strove to protect us, continuing to do so even after the rest of its tribe abandoned the light. It makes sense, then, that the King would imprison such a creature in the worst of places. But even though I have not been allowed to descend I can feel a terrible power emanating from below my feet.

Edit: maybe instead of unlocking the door with the King’s Brand it would only unlock after gathering 2400 Essence? because of the Seer’s parting words

Credits

Lots of google searches and images from there, I traced the Seer for the shape of the Priestess’s head and went to Hallownest.net for the screenshots of behind the Nailsmith’s hut. All other art is completely my own.

I saw a post earlier that said instead of calling Doc Elsa we should be calling him Frozone and I loved that, so I sketched it this morning. Also did the low-effort traced picture that is #2. I hope you all like it!

1. Medium: pencil and alcohol markers

2. Medium: traced in sketchbook

3. Thing I traced for number 2

Inspired by https://www.reddit.com/r/HermitCraft/comments/1so0far/people_call_doc_elsa_but_why_not_frozone/