0:00:10.660,0:00:14.460 There is a certain character I have avoided[br]talking about on this channel. 0:00:14.460,0:00:19.610 A character with lore so deep and so complex[br]that no one has been able to decipher their 0:00:19.610,0:00:22.400 dialogue in a way that makes coherent sense. 0:00:22.400,0:00:26.550 I am of course talking about, none other than[br]Menderbug. 0:00:26.550,0:00:29.350 I am really at a loss on how to tackle this[br]guy. 0:00:29.350,0:00:34.630 So instead I’m going to pass the buck, and[br]talk about another character, the Mask Maker. 0:00:34.630,0:00:36.780 The Mask Maker is an NPC found in Deepnest. 0:00:36.780,0:00:42.910 They are voiced by Ari Gibson, and, oddly[br]enough, they spend their time making masks. 0:00:42.910,0:00:47.090 Since pretty much everything Mask Maker says[br]is cryptic, we’re going to go through every 0:00:47.090,0:00:50.000 line and decipher it the best we can. 0:00:50.000,0:00:54.149 So buckle up boys and girls, because it’s[br]time for some deep speculation. 0:00:54.149,0:00:58.620 The first line from Mask Maker brings up the[br]question of masks in Hallownest, saying it’s 0:00:58.620,0:01:01.520 hard to tell who is and who isn’t wearing[br]a mask. 0:01:01.520,0:01:05.080 Well, the Dreamers are definitely wearing[br]masks. 0:01:05.080,0:01:08.400 If we can’t agree on that then this is going[br]to be a long video. 0:01:08.400,0:01:10.270 Same for the members of the Grimm Troupe. 0:01:10.270,0:01:13.430 We even get to see Brumm character with and[br]without his mask. 0:01:13.430,0:01:16.590 The Godseekers appear to be wearing masks[br]as well. 0:01:16.590,0:01:19.160 And then there’s the bugs in the Colosseum[br]of Fools. 0:01:19.160,0:01:21.280 They look like they might be wearing masks[br]too. 0:01:21.280,0:01:25.941 Out of all the faces in the game, these are[br]probably the closest ones to what the Mask 0:01:25.941,0:01:27.880 Maker actually creates. 0:01:27.880,0:01:33.170 Unfortunately, this is all visual, so there’s[br]no text to confirm this 100%. 0:01:33.170,0:01:36.960 There are a bunch of characters we could talk[br]about that might also be wearing masks, but 0:01:36.960,0:01:41.330 whether or not we agree on those, there are[br]definitely creatures in Hallownest that don’t 0:01:41.330,0:01:42.330 wear masks. 0:01:42.330,0:01:44.640 And I’d say that would be the majority of[br]them. 0:01:44.640,0:01:49.560 At the very least, the masks that the Mask[br]Maker is making aren’t being worn by many 0:01:49.560,0:01:51.700 of the bugs we see in Hallownest. 0:01:51.700,0:01:56.080 The Mask Maker’s next line tells us that[br]not everyone is born with a face. 0:01:56.080,0:01:59.020 So for those people, the Mask Maker will provide[br]masks. 0:01:59.020,0:02:04.890 They then imply that a face is needed for[br]one to “define”, “focus” and “exist”. 0:02:04.890,0:02:08.729 My interpretation of this dialogue is that[br]a “face” is a metaphor for a being that 0:02:08.729,0:02:10.630 has sentience. 0:02:10.630,0:02:15.010 The bugs in Hallownest are incredibly diverse,[br]meaning that some bugs might not be as capable 0:02:15.010,0:02:16.830 at higher thought than others. 0:02:16.830,0:02:19.920 An example of this would be the spiders in[br]Deepnest. 0:02:19.920,0:02:24.700 Midwife calls them the most intelligent species,[br]or in other words, more intelligent than other 0:02:24.700,0:02:26.390 enemies in the game. 0:02:26.390,0:02:30.730 So my theory is that some of these bugs with[br]weaker minds need masks in order to have greater 0:02:30.730,0:02:32.430 control of themselves. 0:02:32.430,0:02:37.450 Honestly, I feel like this is pretty speculative,[br]but it’s really hard to make sense of this 0:02:37.450,0:02:38.450 weirdo. 0:02:38.450,0:02:39.950 At one point the Mask Maker says: 0:02:39.950,0:02:43.170 “Faces I grant to all who'd request.” 0:02:43.170,0:02:47.380 So if you need a face to exist, how do you[br]request a face in the first place? 0:02:47.380,0:02:48.920 What the fuck, Team Cherry? 0:02:48.920,0:02:51.500 You’re destroying my brain here. 0:02:51.500,0:02:53.850 Anyway, masks give bugs sentience. 0:02:53.850,0:02:58.560 While I don’t have much proof outside of[br]this dialogue, it does seem to line up with 0:02:58.560,0:03:00.990 what happens with the Pale King. 0:03:00.990,0:03:05.060 From the lore tablet in the White Palace throne[br]room, we know that the Pale King became a 0:03:05.060,0:03:10.170 beacon for the bugs of Hallownest, resulting[br]in an expansion of their minds. 0:03:10.170,0:03:14.580 So in other words, the Pale King was able[br]to achieve the same effect as the masks without 0:03:14.580,0:03:16.580 making his subjects wear them. 0:03:16.580,0:03:20.420 Regardless of whether this is true or not,[br]it does seem like the Mask Maker is entirely 0:03:20.420,0:03:23.150 unrelated to the Pale King in any way. 0:03:23.150,0:03:27.481 The Mask Maker lives in Deepnest, outside[br]of the Pale King’s domain, and the Mask 0:03:27.481,0:03:31.569 Maker has knowledge of events that happened[br]before the Pale King’s rule. 0:03:31.569,0:03:35.600 The need for masks was probably much greater[br]in the time before Hallownest, so it makes 0:03:35.600,0:03:39.460 sense that a being like the Mask Maker would[br]have popped up during that time. 0:03:39.460,0:03:43.580 Now you might be questioning how the Mask[br]Maker could have been alive for so long, but 0:03:43.580,0:03:46.820 remember, time in Hallownest is weird as fuck. 0:03:46.820,0:03:51.630 According to the Elderbug, the Stag Stations[br]were closed before he was even born. 0:03:51.630,0:03:56.270 So if we assume that the Stag Stations didn’t[br]close until the fall of Hallownest, that means 0:03:56.270,0:03:58.850 that Hornet is actually older than Elderbug. 0:03:58.850,0:04:02.459 Let’s dive deep into that Quirrel comic[br]Team Cherry released. 0:04:02.459,0:04:06.250 It gives us an idea about what life outside[br]of a kingdom looks like. 0:04:06.250,0:04:09.130 Featured in the comic is a character named[br]Boon. 0:04:09.130,0:04:13.720 Boon speaks with few words, and the structure[br]of his sentences are strange. 0:04:13.720,0:04:17.340 Contrast that with Tuk, a bug we meet in the[br]Royal Waterways. 0:04:17.340,0:04:21.769 These bugs are pretty similar looking, implying[br]that they are the same species, but Tuk is 0:04:21.769,0:04:24.540 much more articulate in his dialogue. 0:04:24.540,0:04:27.620 This is probably due to the effects of the[br]Pale King. 0:04:27.620,0:04:31.120 The lore tablet in the Howling Cliffs agrees[br]with this, telling us that entering the lands 0:04:31.120,0:04:35.120 beyond Hallownest results in the loss of the[br]mind granted by the kingdom. 0:04:35.120,0:04:37.970 There is also the corpse at the edge of Howling[br]Cliffs that says: 0:04:37.970,0:04:40.910 “No king, no mind, release”. 0:04:40.910,0:04:46.010 Now you could argue that Boon is just a man[br]of few words, but the dude talks in the third 0:04:46.010,0:04:47.010 person. 0:04:47.010,0:04:49.660 That’s always a sign that something is wrong[br]upstairs. 0:04:49.660,0:04:51.830 And then the question of Quirrel comes up. 0:04:51.830,0:04:55.550 He doesn’t lose his mind outside of Hallownest,[br]just his memory. 0:04:55.550,0:04:56.730 So what causes this? 0:04:56.730,0:05:01.860 Well, he does have Monomon’s mask, and maybe[br]his face is also a mask as well. 0:05:01.860,0:05:06.020 Or maybe Quirrel just has a mind of his own[br]and doesn’t need anything to keep his sentience. 0:05:06.020,0:05:10.490 I do think his time outside of Hallownest[br]is what made Quirrel lose his memory, but 0:05:10.490,0:05:11.870 his mind remained intact. 0:05:11.870,0:05:16.811 So yeah, this shit is really confusing, and[br]I don’t have a definitive answer, but this 0:05:16.811,0:05:19.520 is the most coherent case I think can be made. 0:05:19.520,0:05:24.419 I think that masks are somehow tied to granting[br]bugs sentience which is why the Mask Maker 0:05:24.419,0:05:26.390 feels obligated to create them. 0:05:26.390,0:05:29.870 So the Mask Maker is apparently hooked on[br]their own goods, because the mask they are 0:05:29.870,0:05:31.800 wearing can change whenever you enter the[br]room. 0:05:31.800,0:05:36.300 It’s a pretty neat detail, but more importantly[br]you can use Desolate Dive to knock their mask 0:05:36.300,0:05:37.910 completely off. 0:05:37.910,0:05:41.840 This gives us a better look at the Mask Maker’s[br]eyes, revealing one of the worst cases of 0:05:41.840,0:05:43.410 glaucoma I have ever seen. 0:05:43.410,0:05:47.930 We’ll get to the weird eye thing in a minute,[br]but more importantly, knocking the Mask Maker’s 0:05:47.930,0:05:50.240 mask off gives us additional dialogue. 0:05:50.240,0:05:54.300 The Mask Maker tells us that they might just[br]be wearing another mask underneath this one 0:05:54.300,0:05:56.610 like they are some sort of clever Scooby Doo[br]villain. 0:05:56.610,0:06:00.980 Then the Mask Maker tells us that truth in[br]Hallownest is always buried deep. 0:06:00.980,0:06:02.699 Yeah…no shit. 0:06:02.699,0:06:04.310 The Mask Maker then says the following: 0:06:04.310,0:06:07.570 “To change a face; to conceal it fully within[br]another... 0:06:07.570,0:06:11.420 A powerful protection that is, but one with[br]sad consequence. 0:06:11.420,0:06:15.889 The original mind is destroyed, though those[br]of striking will may still retain a sliver 0:06:15.889,0:06:17.850 of that concealed self.” 0:06:17.850,0:06:21.100 My view surrounding this dialogue is that[br]it is relating to the relationship between 0:06:21.100,0:06:23.340 the shell and the shade of the Knight. 0:06:23.340,0:06:27.570 The face of the shade is being concealed within[br]the face of the shell. 0:06:27.570,0:06:31.700 This results in the shade being protected,[br]but at the cost of the being that once inhabited 0:06:31.700,0:06:32.700 the shell. 0:06:32.700,0:06:36.710 The original mind might be referring to the[br]mind of the Vessel that died, which the concealed 0:06:36.710,0:06:39.900 self is the shade concealed inside the shell. 0:06:39.900,0:06:43.320 This theory makes more sense when we look[br]at the Mask Maker’s Dream Nail dialogue. 0:06:43.320,0:06:46.630 They refer to the shade as the face that hides[br]beneath. 0:06:46.630,0:06:51.360 At this point, I should probably bring up[br]the idea that the Void might have a mind. 0:06:51.360,0:06:54.370 Basically, the Void is capable of doing things. 0:06:54.370,0:06:58.020 The best example is when it calls out to the[br]bug in the lighthouse, telling it to turn 0:06:58.020,0:06:59.530 off the light. 0:06:59.530,0:07:03.910 Another argument for this is that Team Cherry[br]removed a line of dialogue that read “Void 0:07:03.910,0:07:06.639 given mind” from the latest DLC. 0:07:06.639,0:07:11.540 The reason they removed this is because Void[br]already has a mind, the argument goes. 0:07:11.540,0:07:15.540 So in this interpretation, “original mind”[br]would be referring to the mind of the shade. 0:07:15.540,0:07:18.850 It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t[br]really know if there is enough evidence for 0:07:18.850,0:07:19.850 it. 0:07:19.850,0:07:23.490 Another theory is that the dialogue is referring[br]to how Quirrel’s mind was destroyed by wearing 0:07:23.490,0:07:25.190 Monomon’s mask. 0:07:25.190,0:07:27.910 This kind of fits, but I have two problems[br]with it. 0:07:27.910,0:07:31.220 First off, I think Quirrel’s memory loss[br]has more to do with leaving Hallownest. 0:07:31.220,0:07:35.330 Second, Quirrel’s mind wasn’t destroyed,[br]he just lost his memory. 0:07:35.330,0:07:38.650 It is possible, but I’m not convinced. 0:07:38.650,0:07:42.491 If you talk to the Mask Maker after getting[br]the King’s Brand, they will talk about the 0:07:42.491,0:07:47.360 “ancient caste” that once tried and failed[br]to rule over all of Hallownest. 0:07:47.360,0:07:51.400 We don’t know much about the ancient civilization[br]that existed before Hallownest. 0:07:51.400,0:07:55.460 From Relic Seeker Lemm, we know that this[br]civilization created the Arcane Eggs and the 0:07:55.460,0:07:57.910 Soul Totems, and that they worshiped the void. 0:07:57.910,0:08:02.400 I could go into more detail on this, pouring[br]over every little bit of information we have 0:08:02.400,0:08:06.350 about this civilization, but I have too much[br]of a life for that shit. 0:08:06.350,0:08:10.490 As for right now, this line of dialogue tells[br]us that the Mask Maker is knowledgeable about 0:08:10.490,0:08:15.009 past events, either because they were told[br]about these events or because they were alive 0:08:15.009,0:08:16.360 during those events. 0:08:16.360,0:08:18.690 Like I said earlier, I think it’s the latter. 0:08:18.690,0:08:22.780 The Mask Maker’s next dialogue can be triggered[br]by acquiring the Shade Cloak. 0:08:22.780,0:08:27.080 The Mask Maker will talk about the Wyrm’s[br]great shame, and the creation of the vessels. 0:08:27.080,0:08:31.630 They then mention that the stasis of Hallownest[br]is the Pale King’s legacy. 0:08:31.630,0:08:35.839 When the Pale King sealed the Radiance inside[br]of the Hollow Knight, he did so as an attempt 0:08:35.839,0:08:38.830 to keep Hallownest in an eternal stasis. 0:08:38.830,0:08:41.829 This is spelled out in the lore tablet in[br]the King’s workshop. 0:08:41.829,0:08:46.769 The tablet explains that Pale King hoped to[br]use the Void to “deny Time”. 0:08:46.769,0:08:50.970 Hallownest was placed in a sort of stasis[br]by the Pale King placing the Radiance inside 0:08:50.970,0:08:52.149 of the Hollow Knight. 0:08:52.149,0:08:56.199 By doing this, the Pale King hoped to keep[br]the Hallownest lasting eternal. 0:08:56.199,0:08:59.449 This lines up with a lot of dialogue we can[br]find in the game. 0:08:59.449,0:09:01.990 Seer tells us that the kingdom is in a slumber. 0:09:01.990,0:09:06.170 Both Hornet and Vespa mention that there was[br]attempt at perpetuation. 0:09:06.170,0:09:10.399 The statues in the City of Tears and in the[br]Resting Grounds mention that Hallownest will 0:09:10.399,0:09:13.439 last eternal thanks to their sacrifices. 0:09:13.439,0:09:16.029 The lore tablet in the White Palace throne[br]room says: 0:09:16.029,0:09:19.290 “Eternity in promise and charge in progeny[br]cursed.” 0:09:19.290,0:09:23.899 Or in other words, Hallownest can last eternal[br]because the Pale King used his children to 0:09:23.899,0:09:25.220 create a Vessel. 0:09:25.220,0:09:26.980 Monomon describes the world as: 0:09:26.980,0:09:29.410 “A world forever unchanging.” 0:09:29.410,0:09:32.360 The developers notes also lay this out plainly. 0:09:32.360,0:09:37.839 Finally, the Radiance’s line “DAWN SHALL[br]BREAK” is a reference to ending the long 0:09:37.839,0:09:40.110 night that Hallownest is trapped in. 0:09:40.110,0:09:45.999 Of course, time still moves in Hallownest,[br]but you know, it’s like, a metaphorical 0:09:45.999,0:09:47.199 thing. 0:09:47.199,0:09:51.649 Like when you say “break a leg” or “I[br]don’t have any STDs.” 0:09:51.649,0:09:55.839 In their last line, the Mask Maker explains[br]that they make masks as a gift to a world 0:09:55.839,0:09:56.990 deserving. 0:09:56.990,0:09:58.519 What a nice fellla. 0:09:58.519,0:10:01.680 Anyway that’s it for dialogue, but there[br]is more going on here that we need to talk 0:10:01.680,0:10:02.740 about. 0:10:02.740,0:10:05.959 There is a clear connection between the Mask[br]Maker and the Void. 0:10:05.959,0:10:08.640 The most obvious example is the Mask Maker’s[br]eyes. 0:10:08.640,0:10:11.830 It appears as though there’s void swirling[br]around in there. 0:10:11.830,0:10:16.139 There are also black streaks coming from their[br]eyes, similar to the bugs found in the Ancient 0:10:16.139,0:10:17.139 Basin. 0:10:17.139,0:10:20.689 There are also black particles floating around[br]in the room: a dead giveaway that Void is 0:10:20.689,0:10:21.689 around. 0:10:21.689,0:10:23.850 There’s one other aspect worth mentioning. 0:10:23.850,0:10:28.680 The files for the artwork in the Mask Maker’s[br]room use the phrase “Egg Chamber”. 0:10:28.680,0:10:31.569 You can see the egg shape a bit from the outside[br]of the room. 0:10:31.569,0:10:36.129 There’s also a bunch of chains and scaffolding,[br]but I don’t really know what that’s about. 0:10:36.129,0:10:40.360 My guess is the egg is similar to the egg[br]inside of the Temple of the Black Egg, which 0:10:40.360,0:10:42.690 was used to contain the Hollow Knight. 0:10:42.690,0:10:47.249 Hornet explains that the egg is used to sustain[br]the Void beings, and that its bindings would 0:10:47.249,0:10:49.670 drain her if she were inside. 0:10:49.670,0:10:54.040 In the Dream No More ending, the entire egg[br]begins to dematerialize, and we see pools 0:10:54.040,0:10:59.309 of Void seep out of the temple, so it seems[br]like the egg itself is made of Void. 0:10:59.309,0:11:03.899 So, is the egg chamber that the Mask Maker[br]is inside of also made of Void? 0:11:03.899,0:11:07.649 This would explain the particles, and maybe[br]the Mask Maker is an example of a creature 0:11:07.649,0:11:09.329 being drained by the egg. 0:11:09.329,0:11:13.129 I’m guessing that the process happening[br]to the Mask Maker is similar to what happened 0:11:13.129,0:11:15.240 to the bugs in the Ancient Basin. 0:11:15.240,0:11:19.800 An exposure to Void is causing the Mask Maker[br]to become filled with void. 0:11:19.800,0:11:22.230 This theory of mine does leave us with a few[br]questions. 0:11:22.230,0:11:25.160 Why does the Mask Maker not seem to care? 0:11:25.160,0:11:28.180 Isn’t getting consumed by the Void a bad[br]thing? 0:11:28.180,0:11:29.889 Well, maybe not. 0:11:29.889,0:11:33.529 No Eyes also seems to be accepting of the[br]Void, and she seems like a pretty reasonable 0:11:33.529,0:11:34.529 woman. 0:11:34.529,0:11:36.430 Is the Mask Maker trapped in the egg? 0:11:36.430,0:11:38.999 Did someone put them in there, or are they[br]there by choice? 0:11:38.999,0:11:41.429 They don’t seem to have any interest in[br]leaving. 0:11:41.429,0:11:44.079 Does wearing a mask help them survive the[br]Void? 0:11:44.079,0:11:48.389 Regardless, I think this egg chamber is the[br]reason we are seeing the influence of Void 0:11:48.389,0:11:50.230 around the Mask Maker. 0:11:50.230,0:11:52.700 And that’s all I can think to say about[br]the Mask Maker. 0:11:52.700,0:11:56.940 To sum up my speculations, the Mask Maker[br]creates masks to help other creatures become 0:11:56.940,0:11:57.940 more sentient. 0:11:57.940,0:12:02.259 They probably predate Hallownest and the Pale[br]King’s rule, and they live inside of a Void 0:12:02.259,0:12:05.439 egg similar to the egg found in the Temple[br]of the Black Egg. 0:12:05.439,0:12:10.869 I’m not sure if this video really provided[br]many answers so much as it just raised more 0:12:10.869,0:12:11.869 questions. 0:12:11.869,0:12:15.649 This Hollow Knight lore shit is getting too[br]complicated. 0:12:15.649,0:12:17.399 I think I’ll switch over to Fortnite lore.